Miranda Walker {from Narrating Life} invited me to participate in her blog hop. It’s my first. So I hopped right in.
And here we go!
The theme is…drum roll, please…hostess gift ideas!
Due to my love affair with fresh herbs, I chose a potted fennel plant as my gift {partly because it’s what my big sister just gave me for my birthday…is that cheating?…and because it’s beautiful, aromatic and tasty as all get-out}. Who wouldn’t want their own fresh herbs at their fingertips? And any herb will do…some of the more popular ones are basil, oregano, dill, and parsley, just to mention a few!
But what makes this gift stunningly personal is the pot. It’s hand-painted. To match the gorgeous bird house my sister painted for me last year. And it goes beautifully with the tea tray she painted for me for Christmas, and the tea cozy I stole from her house, and the stunning chocolate brown and teal pot my aloe is sitting in.
Yes, my sister is a rock star.
While a plain terracotta pot is practical, this baby is beautiful to boot! If you know your host’s kitchen or deck color scheme, you can use those to inspire your designs, or use colored sharpies to write a blessing or scripture verse around the rim. Or, for even more personal touches, whip your mod podge out and decoupage some photos, pretty paper {scrapbook or wrapping} and love notes onto the side. You could even use a boring {or ugly} pot you currently own and just spruce the sucker up by painting over it. Easy peasy.
Or simply wrap it with a brightly colored ribbon, tie a big bow and call it good.
The sky is your limit! 
{Keep in mind that if this pot will be displayed outdoors, you’ll want to seal it with a lacquer}
The other personal touch is thanks to the little message-pick. I adore this font and the curly border and use this combo in my designs constantly. They’re on everything from my dishwasher detergent bottle to my favorite recipes folder. And now you can totally over-use it too!
You can embellish your hostess gift with one of the free label {printables} above, or create your own. I added a few blank ones to adhere to the back so you can jot down a personal note too if you’d like.
Simply download, open, print and cut out. I taped mine to a kabob stick, but you could punch a little hole in one end and tie it with ribbon to the neck of a lotion bottle or candle.
Click here to download these lovely little tags…
And leave your hostess one tickled lady {who’s itching to have you over again so she can expand her windowsill herb collection}.
Want more hostess gift ideas? Hop over to these fabulous blogs and get inspired!
