How bout a nice selection of Burt’s Bees…lip gloss, hand lotion, body lotion, soap, etc. It’s a nice gift, and might look nice in that bowl!
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I’m probably alone in this, but if my mil gave me a bowl with things in it, I’d probably have this whole weird panic running through my head of: “does she want me to keep this in this bowl?” “Will she expect to see it displayed in the bowl when she visits” etc etc. Obviously if it is something like socks I wouldn’t wonder, but for a lot of the other things mentioned I would. So, my opinion is, just wrap the bowl by itself. 
It is a pretty bowl!
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You don’t have to have enough content to fill the bowl. You could put some tissue paper or bubble wrap in the bottom.
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I get what you are saying. In this case I don’t think she’d feel that way - also that is why I didn’t want to put things in it that look “permanent! We love talking and doing home decor together and I know she can and will put her own twist on it! (This is just one of several gifts)
We get along well and see each other all the time.
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or even several things from bath and body works or somewhere similar - lotions, shower gel, hand sanitizer etc?
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Food themed things? Like an Italian basket with a unique pasta, sauce, jar of grilled artichokes, etc. or a breakfast theme with pancake mix, maple syrup, jams, etc.
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I agree and was just scrolling to the end to post - it’s a beautiful bowl on its own. Don’t fill it. When she uses it on the table she can fill it with something for that meal - rolls, fruit, candies.
If it were me, It would just sit as it is most of the time. I have a few lacy blue bowls and I just like to look at them.
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She may well do that - and I may end up wrapping it as is - was just trying to think IF I filled it, with what?
It’s really a beautiful bowl!
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Clove Studded Oranges/Pomanders?
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I would say NO to that! At least in my house.
What about filling the bowl with clementines?
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Maybe it’s best just leaving it empty as is. Just wrapped in some pretty paper. The goal was not just to fill the bowl but to fill it with something personal - that makes it an even more “her” gift.
Thanks for all the suggestions though! 
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Tell us more about her? You said she wouldn’t want the bulbs the people at the store suggested. What else does she like beside MCM stuff? You could look for some vintage ornaments and wrap each in colorful tissue paper.
Not very personal but I think it would look nice with some Lindt chocolate balls. They are kind of like little ornaments or baubles anyway.
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She likes flowers, floral prints, gardening, reading, vintage things. She has been doing embroidery but I already have another gift based on that. She likes girly stuff like make up and skin care stuff. She loves olives, lol.
If I decide on something I’ll
Let you know!
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Packets of flowers seeds?
(Reminds me of the amazing Miss Rumphious book.)
Or empty. Wrapped in pretty tissue paper. 
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It is a beautiful bowl and I wouldn’t want to make it look “junky” and detract from the bowl itself.
A bowl of lemons or limes would be pretty, or the clove studded oranges that @csfmap suggested would be nice and seasonal. If you did lemons or limes, you could add a drink/drink mix that would coordinate, like Corona or tequila or whatever her taste might be.
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Beautiful bowl! I agree with the above. If you have other gifts for her, no need to make the bowl “theme-y” I would just wrap it empty.
In my mind, it’s starts to be reminiscent of a shower gift if you fill it.
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Maybe the “extra” is that I just wrap it fancy! (I do not typically wrap beyond what is necessary)
But thanks for the reminder…I always buy my girls a couple of seed packets for their stockings - zinnias and such!
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I think a fancy vintage bow laced through it or around the base would be lovely and it sounds like it would be her vibe.
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You could wrap smaller items of any kind in colorful tissue paper and then put them in the bowl and it would look cohesive. Could be disparate items like seeds, and olives, and skin care stuff, but if it’s all wrapped in different colored tissue paper then it would look cute. Would be kind of like a stocking, though, so might be too much if you already have a lot going on there. (I do not wrap stocking or Santa gifts, but I know many folks do.) You could put a couple of MCM or vintage magazines in there, too.
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Argh. I thought I was done shopping, but apparently not. Meeting friends’ son and DIL. What gift would you give a couple of 30 somethings from San Diego? I was thinking a gift card to a restaurant or perhaps the garden store(they are sprucing up the yard at the house they bought).