I Have "Theme" Issues....

Ask anyone, I have "theme" issues. When planning a party, I gotta have a theme... it can be color, an item, anything gets me thinking and planning.

A couple of years ago we had a family reunion. My Mom asked me to put together some baskets for raffle ticket prizes. Of course I really went all out, both with idea/concept and color. Each basket had a theme and once I started finding items, well that started me down each color path. I tried to be sure to incorporate homemade items in each basket.

My idea of creating themed baskets comes from a Rachel Ashwell (Shabby Chic) book about gift giving. She has such amazing ideas, using such simple things.

I created 9 or 10 baskets. One was for small kidlets, one for a tween/teen girls, a gardeners basket, etc. These were some of my favorites.

The Creative Basket - full of vintage and new sewing, knitting, stitching and craft items (including Martha Stewart GLITTER). The colors were pink, aqua, white and silver. I even made a pin cushion out of an old tarnished baby cup.

The Farmer's Market Basket - a bushel basket full of home canned jams, jellies, preserves, pickles, a map to local farms, a candle in a jar, salt water taffy in a box made to look like a crate, walnuts from my tree and towels that look like seed packets.

The Mad Housewife Basket - in a galvanized bucket, a bottle of wine (with appropriate label), crystal wine glasses, clothespins, tea, tea cup, big bead necklace, Meyers dish soap, handmade dishcloth, fun sponges and rubber gloves.

Family Movie Night - In a big bowl (just the size for popcorn) I included movie passes/tickets, a DVD, popcorn, individual popcorn boxes, movie sized boxes of candy, Jone's Soda in fun flavors, fun straws and napkins.

And my favorite... The Spa Basket - an appropriate titled Oprah magazine, homemade bath salts (in a cool, blue vintage jar), flip flops, soap, towel, tea, nail file, candle, soap and some sea shells.

I like to use this idea for gift giving. I find some little thing I know the person would like and build off of that idea... of course coming up with a "theme" along the way. It doesn't have to take a lot of money, I spend a lot of time looking for just the right things... I find things everywhere... the grocery store, flea markets, antique stores, drugstores... you name it.

And obviously, I really enjoy the hunt.