

SHOPPING: 12/01 Finished: Except for a few Gift Certificates to mail.
WRAPPING: I LOVE picking out Christmas wrapping paper, I am a total “paper freak”! It’s fun to create a theme. This year I found the coolest brown-bag type wrapping paper with metallic silver designs on it, two different styles. One is just large “dots” of silver and the other is a swirly, fancy design. The two complete opposites really compliment one another, the very common brown and the shiny silver.
I found metallic, silver ribbon, the kind you curl with scissors, and white also then plain brown hemp twine for the boy’s. I tie silver jingle bells on the twine. I found silver tissue paper for some of the fancier gifts for the mothers on my list.
I’m giving families my “famous” homemade granola (it really has been a hit with my family who ask for it on certain events, like reunions, etc.) I found, to my great delight, SILVER coated Mason Jars with regular lids to put the granola in as well as over-sized, gallon-size, Mason Jars with SILVER Tops for large families.
This has been a fun theme: Silver Accents. People have actually commented on the paper when I’ve delivered the gifts, it really is eye catching. I had the presents piled high on an antique chest in my little apartment living area (waiting to deliver them) and as I went outside, I glanced back through the door’s window and the sun was shining directly on the silver foil on the gifts, and caused them to glow like sparkling lights! It was so pretty!
DELIVERING: I’ve already given some families, who live far away, their presents at Thanksgiving (to avoid shipping costs and just the hassle of mailing). I even gave presents to the locals (to free up room in my little apt). I’ll deliver the remaining ones on Christmas Day when we attend my husband’s family’s open house. I finally got smart and instead of mailing presents, try to just get gift certificates for the out-of-towners that I won’t see before Christmas. I now turn my attention to other, non-demanding activities of the season. Ahhh.freedom!
MORE: Baking treats for friends and neighbors and attending various holiday events. “The Dicken’s Festival” starts this weekend. This is a wonderful, old English themed setting with booths crammed tightly throughout the indoor arena so as to feel like you are walking amid the narrow streets of Dicken’s England. We did a booth one year ourselves!
Driving around looking at decorated homes with outdoor Christmas lights is a tradition I have done since childhood and now love doing with my local grandkids, listening to favorite Christmas Music CD’s. We have our regular homes we see in the surrounding neighborhoods and beyond. One is amazing, he works for the power company and there is not one inch of space he hasn’t covered in lights.

As I left my apartment last evening to return to my little home in the “country”, it was getting dark and all up and down the streets, Christmas lights twinkled. They’re such a part of the festiveness of Christmas and I’m happy to see this, in spite of the daily headlines of the darkness going on in our nation and around the world.
I’m glad there are still some signs of gaiety and peace on earth in spite of staggering world events.