Gift Boxes... the saga begins

I promise you, this won't be the only post about these things.  I have only just begun really making them, and would have been done earlier if I had paper that I loved for them.  I finally found some that I fell in LOVE with, and began them last night while watching this bugged out movie called "Devil".  (Seriously,  it was scary in a not-too-gory-sort-of-Hitchcock way)  So, I will keep making half a dozen of these puppies per night (at home, when I'm not working on the banner).  I have thought of the possiblity of getting a few more kinds of ribbon just to mix it up, and so that they all don't start to look alike.  I think it would look much nicer with an assortment of colors and designs.  Today I will order some die cuts from eBay to decorate the tops of the boxes, maybe some diaper pins or baby bottles.  I can't WAIT for the day when I get my own Silhouette or Cricut... I almost hussled my way into the deal on QVC some weeks ago, but didn't jump on that boat.  I am kind of kicking myself... all that cutting hurts the hands! 
This week I will work on buying the rest of the stuff for the party and take care of my Dad w hile my Mom is out of town; today I'll put some food in his fridge and cook him something to stick to the ribs.  I will also enjoy some real down time, as this week has been extra extra.  I get home and just collapse (after cooking dinner, of course) and just want to cry when the alarm clock goes off at 5:15 am.  I need a vacation.  Won't go into details, but it's time I put in for my 10 or 12 days off from the salt mine.

Here's another pic of the boxes...

That's all for today. 

Paper Works Continued

This little nugget is called an explosion box; see, when you undo the ribbon and take the top off, the sides fall down into a sort of oragami-ish fold out and the contents sort of fall out.  I used this idea originally as a card, putting the sentiment or message on the bottom panel of the actual box, but this time I have something very different in mind.  I plan on making lots of these and adding a mini-manicure and nail polish gift set for all my sister's baby shower guests.  This way, I can actually spend more on the actual gift and not on the boxes, even though they are probably super cheap.  I plan on getting a new paper pad today at Jo-Ann (lunch break) and cardstock pack for these boxes.  I also will make the banner out of the same paper.  I had another idea for little candy holders (http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.115272576.jpg) something like that link, but maybe with an embellishment on the front instead of on the inside.  That is the general idea, anyway. 
This weekend, we go downtown to look at the cake stands and to get some champagne flutes.  We will have champagne cocktails for drinks, I found a recipe that looks amazing.  I just hope that it's a warm enough day to enjoy it outdoors. 

Other than the baby shower planning, I have gotten settled into my new apartment downtown.  I have a trip to Baltimore coming up for work, so that is something that I'm looking forward to, in addition to all the new stuff happening at work with reorganization of the facility.  I have been at the past few board meetings, and they are looking at major change in anticipation of healthcare reform.  Also, marketing a newer image of who we are... it's all very interesting, and I love being a part of it. 

That's all for now. 
:)