Gifts and Gifts

At the start of this week, I wore green tights under my jeans in an effort to up my festive a notch more.  Today, I resembled a candy cane.  Once again upping the festive.  After a stop in to The Porch this evening and a long after work Monday shopping and all day Sunday uploading and an all day Saturday crocheting, I can officially say Christmas shopping is complete.  Green tights under jeans and resembling a candy cane makes things more fun.  Try it.     

Here's my nugget of truth for this Christmas season.  I dislike buying presents.  Let me rephrase that...I dislike purchasing presents which are not homemade or a product of some sort.  Yes, I have to buy books and prints of my pictures, but they are a reflection of something I created.  And yes, I have to buy yarn, but I love crocheting in and out to make something with a person in mind.

Buying presents at The Porch (locally owned) also fit my winner bill as everything is homemade or created by the three lovely ladies who opened the genius idea of a place which gardens, cans, sews, and crafts for you.  I hit the jackpot of little stocking stuffers there.  

 

However, buying presents at the mall or another chain store?  Strongly dislike.  We are such a society of stuff, and I'm just as guilty as the next person, that it makes me a tad disheartened to see more stuff flying off the shelves in order to fill a slot on a gift list.  

I am sure there are times when gift lists contain needs along with the wants but I truly believe it's becoming less and less than previous times in our culture.  Again, just as guilty of the want syndrome myself.  

Eventually, I would love to have an entirely homemade and created Christmas.  I'm not there yet but maybe someday.   

Wrapping presents is my least favorite task of the holiday season and last night as we watched swimming lessons, I almost had my friend Jessie convinced to wrap presents for me in exchange for making sugar cookies for her.  Almost.  I was just about to throw in giving her a pair of holiday leggings...but...I am tackling the job right now. 

 

 

Gold tape is helping the situation.  Shiny things always do.   

 

I hope everyone gets all their tape ready before wrapping.   

It's simply some good solid forward thinking.  And when I used to teach fourth grade chicken wings I always said, "Be a forward thinker...not a little stinker."