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My sister’s birthday is in October… but these goodies actually aren’t for her! Sorry Becky, but I figured my October loving friend Leila would benefit a bit more from a pumpkin spice latte cake with seasonal rap lyrics and a basket full of fall festivities. So where in the world did I find a pumpkin spice latte cake you may ask? SusieCakes– arguably my favorite cake place in Los Angeles- where I religiously order the marble cake each year for my birthday. But when I went to place an order for Leila, I am so glad I checked the website first before calling, as I was struck by the most #basic cake flavor. And given my obsession with writing Drake lyrics on cakes, I figured this line from The Weekend’s Starboy was perfectly appropriate given Leila and I’s joint obsession of all things Autumn and hip hop.
Her actual birthday present, like most of my good ideas, came to me while bored and not distracted by my phone, waiting in line at the grocery store. We could all use another basket for random stuff and so I did my best to make it as cozy as possible by adding a snuggle-worthy blanket, festive candle, cozy cookbook, the Hocus Pocus movie and more. The candle is from The Little Market and I encourage you to visit their online shop and browse all the amazing scent options they have, the champagne is obviously my favorite. They also monogram them in store, if you live in Los Angeles make sure to visit them at the Palisades Village. I love that all the proceeds go to independent female artisans across the world and everything they have is so cute!
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The other things I added like creme brûlée coffee, pumpkin sauce, fall colored pasta, a coffee scrub and real pine cones to garnish are pretty easy to find at places like Tuesday morning, Target and HomeGoods. I also considered adding a seasonal fiction novel, a cute mug and mini pumpkins to garnish – all good additional options. I linked similar items from my basket but you can really use whatever you know your person will like! The last basket I made was summer themed for another friend who’s birthday was at the end of May, so the idea isn’t limited to October/November birthdays.
-MGN
Authentically,
