In honor of this Leap Day, we wanted to share this very special gift. Designer Erica Weiner created the Sadie Hawkins Ring to commemorate a bygone tradition.

According to her site, Erica explains that February 29 was historically a day when "once every four years, women were allowed to propose marriage to men."

We think the ring she designed is special enough to give year-round.

There is not a superlative grand enough to describe our love of food.
Okay, let me be specific: MY love of food. Allison enjoys good food. I go bananas for it. (Mmmm...bananas.)

One of my favorite blogs is Spoon Fork Bacon. Have you visited? You MUST. Written by a food stylist, and a food photographer, Jenny and Teri make delicious and gorgeous food. What more could you ask for?!

Lately, these Peanut Butter & Jelly Potato Chip Cookies have haunted my dreams.

Next occasion, I am definitely making these. Wednesday is an occasion, right?

We got some incredible news today! Our Creative Director, Katie, got engaged over the weekend. Yippee! Exclamation Points all around!!

Of course, our second thought immediately after our congratulations was what to get the blushing bride-to-be.

Here are a few ideas, though we won't say which one is on order for Katie (wouldn't want to ruin the surprise).

Lala Design Studio makes these beautiful initial pendants--perfectly charming for the wedding day or every day.

Katie makes the most AMAZING chocolate chip cookies. So when we saw these sweet treats from Dessert Menu, Please, we knew it's be a perfect gift for a foodie couple.

What better way to say CHEERS! to the happy couple then with his and hers cocktail glasses? Served with a cocktail recipe book, this would be a toast-worthy gift.

Find out just what kind of happy ending is in store, with this petite volume.
(We love that it also serves as "something blue.")

Congratulations Katie and Derek! We can't wait to see the wedding details unfold.

We took some time this weekend to get a few shots for the site. It's still cold here in the Midwest, but early spring flowers are available and totally picture-worthy.
Notice in this one, a science beaker stands in for a vase. We love the look. What are your go-to spring flowers?

When we saw this time card holder on Etsy, we had to share. It would look great on a home office wall, filled with greeting cards for every occasion. Don't you agree?

Sometimes I cringe when I hear the phrase "theme gift." I have visions of matching his/hers t-shirts or the time I got a bunch of notepads with "PRINCESS" printed on them.

There's an elegant way to do theme gifts, and it all comes down to complementary items. For my husband's birthday this weekend, I got him a gift card to the new golf course that opened near our house. To go with it, I found a nice pair of golf shorts and a graphic tee from JCrew. 

Super theme-y? No, but it all hung together and made each gift feel part of a bigger whole. 

Another theme idea I'm big on that we'll cover in Issue One are collections. Helping someone start a collections can be a very special gift. It also helps to have a go-to gift for future years! Know someone who loves jewelry? Why not start her on a charm collection. Anthropologie has great ones now, and you're sure to find one that matches her personality.

Looking for the perfect gift for a creative friend? Try getting a few small pieces of art. Etsy is filled with beautiful and affordable art from oil paintings to letterpress. (This Sarah & Bendrix piece is lovely!)

And because there really isn't anything wrong with his/hers t-shirts, try creating your own! Places like Skreened can turn your theme idea into a one-of-a-kind gift.

Valentine's Day can be a polarizing holiday. Either you love it or you can't wait until it's over. We say, if you have a Valentine it's fun to get them a treat. If you're going solo this year, why not treat yourself? Either way, here are a few last-minute ideas you're sure to love.

Heart Macarons, William-Sonoma

We LOVE macarons. We've even tried to make them once, twice...seven times.
These are not only adorable, but with flavors like passion fruit and lavender, they are no doubt delicious.

Flowering Oregano, Terrain

Forget flowers. This classic is downright stunning in Terrain's shippable version. We love the worn wooden planter, too.


Valentines, Mr. Boddington's Studio

We have a huge crush on Mr. Boddington. And this year's valentines have us absolutely swooning. Sometimes a thoughtfully selected card is just enough.