Christmas Shopping & Present Wrapping

Well, Christmas shopping was a little easier this year. I did 38% of my shopping on-line, 31% of my shopping I went in on a gift with someone and it turned out that the other person bought the gift and will even wrap it so I just have to send the money, I did 15% of my shopping at the mall tonight and I have 16% of my shopping left to do which I should be able to get done in 2 hours or less.

The hard part is the wrapping... I wrap people's gifts all year round in gift bags usually but when it comes to Christmas, I like to go all out.

Many years ago I started wrapping Christmas presents pretty fancy. Not just paper and a bow. I would use thick beautiful wrapping paper to start, and then add any variety of pine cones, eucalyptus, artificial berries, Christmas tree ornaments, bells, cinnamon sticks, twigs, pressed leaves, and of course no package would be complete without a beautiful, thick, ribbon and bow (not the press-on kind, the kind you make.)

It would take me sometimes up to an hour to "wrap" one package. I am not real artistic, but this is the one "crafty" thing I can do. In this one area, I can give Martha Stewart a run for her money.

Anyway, I did the "fancy" gift wrapping a few years in a row, and now it is kind of expected. One year I was moving and couldn't do it fancy, so I bought decorative boxes that were just as nice. I have also gotten away with very nice gift baskets in a pinch. But this year, I think I will have to get back to the fancy gift wrap. I might not get as crazy this year as I do some years. I usually start with the paper. I look for a paper I like, and then find ribbon to match, and then look for the accessories. I will let you know how it all comes out. It would be nice to have it all done by before the second week of December...