Happier thoughts
'Tis the season for giving. It's my sister's birthday today, and my dad's birthday was just ten days ago. We've had some nice family meals as a result, and I got to do some fun shopping for birthday gifts. Yesterday we had a birthday brunch for my sister at a restaurant with white tablecloths, and in the afternoon there was a gathering of girlfriends for a potluck holiday tea at my friend's house. I attempted making Magnolia Bakery's banana pudding again (success!), and stuffed myself silly all day.
I was supposed to go to a friend's house party Saturday evening, but because I was still feeling under the weather, I stayed home. I was bummed to miss out on the party, and on the chance to meet new interesting people. The party host is a professor at a local university, and the younger brother of Steven's best friend. I don't know him all that well and haven't yet met his new wife, but I was so looking forward to getting to know them and meeting their friends. Hopefully they'll invite me to their next gathering. So instead of getting out there and being social, I spent the night at home in my robe and PJs, wrapping gifts for my sister and for friends. If I can't give presents to my non-existent boyfriend and his family, then I can certainly give presents to my own loved ones. I definitely enjoy finding just the right gift for people -- or at least something that is in the right neighborhood, even if they decide to exchange it. I get a weird rush from it -- sort of like hunting for treasure and matchmaking, all at the same time.
Of course, the better you know a person, the better the match can be. I'm happy to say my sister seemed pretty pleased with what I gave her. For the last couple months I've been keeping an eye out and picking up items here and there, and before I knew it I'd amassed a bunch of things I thought were pretty cute. I could've held some back for her Xmas gifts, but I couldn't wait and just piled it on. I got her:
- a knit hat with a flower embellishment (on her wish list)
- a belt (she's been stealing her husband's)
- an infinity scarf (on her wish list)
- a Marc Jacobs metallic leather pouch from the Target/Neiman-Marcus collab
- a cute sundress
- a sweater
- a gift certificate for salon pampering
- a personalized rubber address stamp (also on her wish list)
- monogrammed sticky notes
Helps that she had a wish list, but also loved having an excuse to shop the Target/Neiman-Marcus collab (I can't justify collecting that collab stuff for myself any longer -- I have too much of it at home). As it turned out, she'd bought the same Marc Jacobs pouch -- in the exact same color -- for her husband to "give" to her for her birthday (funny how more and more women I know are doing that as their marriages mature). So that was a fun little bit of synchronicity. My bro-in-law was incredulous and asked,"How did you know to get that? And now what am I supposed to give her?" Heh.
I need to find something for Steven's parents, and soon. I've been meaning to create a book of photos from our Korea trip for them, but haven't gotten around to it. It took me a long time to create a simple photo book of Steven's cat Muffin for them last year, and so I keep putting off assembling the Korea book. I really need to do it, though I've been saying that for the last year or so.
In the meantime, I've got some additional shopping to do for my nieces. Thank goodness for the extra weekend this year AND for online shopping. I'm starting to receive my Amazon orders, and while I've been good about not buying too much for myself this year (in years past, it would be "One for them and one for me, one for them and two for me..."), I have sneaked in an item or two from my wish list. One is this great album that I first heard at a friend's house, which I later learned was the best-selling solo jazz album in history. It's pretty great.
I was supposed to go to a friend's house party Saturday evening, but because I was still feeling under the weather, I stayed home. I was bummed to miss out on the party, and on the chance to meet new interesting people. The party host is a professor at a local university, and the younger brother of Steven's best friend. I don't know him all that well and haven't yet met his new wife, but I was so looking forward to getting to know them and meeting their friends. Hopefully they'll invite me to their next gathering. So instead of getting out there and being social, I spent the night at home in my robe and PJs, wrapping gifts for my sister and for friends. If I can't give presents to my non-existent boyfriend and his family, then I can certainly give presents to my own loved ones. I definitely enjoy finding just the right gift for people -- or at least something that is in the right neighborhood, even if they decide to exchange it. I get a weird rush from it -- sort of like hunting for treasure and matchmaking, all at the same time.
Of course, the better you know a person, the better the match can be. I'm happy to say my sister seemed pretty pleased with what I gave her. For the last couple months I've been keeping an eye out and picking up items here and there, and before I knew it I'd amassed a bunch of things I thought were pretty cute. I could've held some back for her Xmas gifts, but I couldn't wait and just piled it on. I got her:
- a knit hat with a flower embellishment (on her wish list)
- a belt (she's been stealing her husband's)
- an infinity scarf (on her wish list)
- a Marc Jacobs metallic leather pouch from the Target/Neiman-Marcus collab
- a cute sundress
- a sweater
- a gift certificate for salon pampering
- a personalized rubber address stamp (also on her wish list)
- monogrammed sticky notes
Helps that she had a wish list, but also loved having an excuse to shop the Target/Neiman-Marcus collab (I can't justify collecting that collab stuff for myself any longer -- I have too much of it at home). As it turned out, she'd bought the same Marc Jacobs pouch -- in the exact same color -- for her husband to "give" to her for her birthday (funny how more and more women I know are doing that as their marriages mature). So that was a fun little bit of synchronicity. My bro-in-law was incredulous and asked,"How did you know to get that? And now what am I supposed to give her?" Heh.
I need to find something for Steven's parents, and soon. I've been meaning to create a book of photos from our Korea trip for them, but haven't gotten around to it. It took me a long time to create a simple photo book of Steven's cat Muffin for them last year, and so I keep putting off assembling the Korea book. I really need to do it, though I've been saying that for the last year or so.
In the meantime, I've got some additional shopping to do for my nieces. Thank goodness for the extra weekend this year AND for online shopping. I'm starting to receive my Amazon orders, and while I've been good about not buying too much for myself this year (in years past, it would be "One for them and one for me, one for them and two for me..."), I have sneaked in an item or two from my wish list. One is this great album that I first heard at a friend's house, which I later learned was the best-selling solo jazz album in history. It's pretty great.
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