Milestones... and "The Hunt"
Five years.
I've been an old married lady for five years now. It doesn't hardly seem possible. Don't feel older. But I have a mortgage, and car payments, and a blood pressure cuff in the medicine cabinet. Friends and I sometimes talk about things like life insurance, and heartburn, and babies.
I will have to say, though, that the marriage is the reason I don't feel my age. Big'n still gives me butterflies, and he keeps me smiling and dreaming of great things. That feeling may be the greatest argument in support of the institution of marriage. And maybe that's why we're so willing to launch into a project together in order to create something -- because we look at each other and see many bright tomorrows.
So we will go to dinner tonight, and do some Christmas shopping -- our traditional celebration.
Tonight's big task is to find wrapping paper that isn't completely repulsive. Have you run into this? I've been hunting for weeks for paper that DOES NOT:
- blind me with its primary colors
- feature Big Bird, My Little Ponies (though I rather like ponies) or John Deere tractors (OK, I like them too)
- Have big snowmen and candy canes that in no way resemble the real thing
- Reek of commercialism
- involve foil, in any way, shape or form
- sing Christmas Carols (actually, I haven't found such musically-inclined paper, but it's probably out there, and I'm not buying it.)
- glow in the dark
- taunt passers-by
I'm losing the battle. How hard is it to find something muted and simple? I've been so disheartened by my failed attempts to purchase wrapping paper that I've been trying to re-think the notion and come up with alternative presentations for gifts.
And No, you can't gift-bag everything. That's just lazy.
The first things that came to mind were pillowcases. Done properly, a clearance pillowcase and some ribbon or twine could resemble Santa's sack. Give gifts to a couple, and they'd have a matching set for their bedroom (Guess sheets might be a good gift idea after all!).
Also, burlap. I can be purchased by the yard cheap at the fabric shop and made into bags -- kinda like the pillowcase notion. Somehow, the though of just grabbing a gift by its top and slinging it over your shoulder is appealing. According to HGTV, I can complement my twine bag with a length of chain for that special guy on my list.
I hesitate to use newsprint, because I know how inky hands and clothes can get during handling. They say craft paper is good, but I really don't have time to stamp designs on my gifts. Besides, isn't craft paper a little on the transparent side?
Paper grocery bags. Laundry baskets (oh what fun it is to ride with a laundry basket in the back seat). Duct tape! The duct itself?
So far, I have in my arsenal (1) twine and (2) pine cones.
I think I'm in trouble.
I've been an old married lady for five years now. It doesn't hardly seem possible. Don't feel older. But I have a mortgage, and car payments, and a blood pressure cuff in the medicine cabinet. Friends and I sometimes talk about things like life insurance, and heartburn, and babies.
I will have to say, though, that the marriage is the reason I don't feel my age. Big'n still gives me butterflies, and he keeps me smiling and dreaming of great things. That feeling may be the greatest argument in support of the institution of marriage. And maybe that's why we're so willing to launch into a project together in order to create something -- because we look at each other and see many bright tomorrows.
So we will go to dinner tonight, and do some Christmas shopping -- our traditional celebration.
Tonight's big task is to find wrapping paper that isn't completely repulsive. Have you run into this? I've been hunting for weeks for paper that DOES NOT:
- blind me with its primary colors
- feature Big Bird, My Little Ponies (though I rather like ponies) or John Deere tractors (OK, I like them too)
- Have big snowmen and candy canes that in no way resemble the real thing
- Reek of commercialism
- involve foil, in any way, shape or form
- sing Christmas Carols (actually, I haven't found such musically-inclined paper, but it's probably out there, and I'm not buying it.)
- glow in the dark
- taunt passers-by
I'm losing the battle. How hard is it to find something muted and simple? I've been so disheartened by my failed attempts to purchase wrapping paper that I've been trying to re-think the notion and come up with alternative presentations for gifts.
And No, you can't gift-bag everything. That's just lazy.
The first things that came to mind were pillowcases. Done properly, a clearance pillowcase and some ribbon or twine could resemble Santa's sack. Give gifts to a couple, and they'd have a matching set for their bedroom (Guess sheets might be a good gift idea after all!).
Also, burlap. I can be purchased by the yard cheap at the fabric shop and made into bags -- kinda like the pillowcase notion. Somehow, the though of just grabbing a gift by its top and slinging it over your shoulder is appealing. According to HGTV, I can complement my twine bag with a length of chain for that special guy on my list.
I hesitate to use newsprint, because I know how inky hands and clothes can get during handling. They say craft paper is good, but I really don't have time to stamp designs on my gifts. Besides, isn't craft paper a little on the transparent side?
Paper grocery bags. Laundry baskets (oh what fun it is to ride with a laundry basket in the back seat). Duct tape! The duct itself?
So far, I have in my arsenal (1) twine and (2) pine cones.
I think I'm in trouble.