I have said it before, and I'll say it again, knowing completely that it's a bad cliche, but I love the romantic notion of Christmas.
Every year I agonize over what to get everyone, and then when I find the right thing, or find something for someone that I wasn't even looking for in the first place, I feel elated and giddy.
This year, I put a lot of thought into how to wrap the presents. No one really cares how pretty the packages are except me. I'm not a country gal, but I had a client give me a gift in a brown box and lovely green ribbons, and it made me think that I wanted to have countryish presents. Everything's wrapped in either simple sage or ruby papers, or else firmly ensconced in a craft paper-covered box. I used real ribbons and twine to make the bows and whatnot. I stragegically employed things like decorative soaps and millinery fruits in my decorating scheme. I made a tray of things I use to decorate, very Martha-like, and I have it standing by if I need to wrap or cheerfully adorn anything else. It looks like a well-planned, old-school Christmas threw up in my living room.
I don't have a tree because Cricket would kill it. I do have Christmas cards on the bookshelf, a stuffed snowbear bearing gifts, and a tiny beaded tree-shaped ornament that I made myself after reading Crate & Barrel's holiday catalogue. But it isn't the same thing.
Even if I could decorate the way I wished, all of my seasonal decorations and the like are buried somewhere in Tif 'n Wil's garage, because their basement had to be gutted down to the studs, and then to some point beyond the studs, because of toxic mold. And I stored all of my off-season clothing, holiday crap, and assorted other things I don't have room for all in their basement. Now I'm stuck with a tall stack of off-season storage bins in my living room, and no Christmas paraphernalia.
I did all my Christmas cards and sent them out, as well as the packages that needed to be shipped to loved ones. I didn't send Overlord Carol a card, but I haven't talked to her in over a year. I still might though. I did my online shopping. I crafted. The only thing holding me up is that the landlord signed for a package on the 13th, and I have yet to receive it myself, although I know we're both in the same apartment building.
Last year I made sweets galore, but this year I don't seem to care. I think invested all of my festive cookery energy on Thanksgiving, with late nights of bread making and flan baking. Sure, I would like to eat truffles and candied grapefruit peel, or nosh on a white chocolate covered pretzel rod. But I can barely keep up with the dishes in the sink. I can't even picture getting the kitchen sanitized to the level that I would need it to be clean for my candymaking to commence.
The place I work used to release a pair of holiday stuffed animals every year, usually some sort of puppy, with the proceeds going to Make-A-Wish. And each year I would buy one each of the boy and girl puppies, and then drop them off at a Starbucks location in their Toys-for-Tots collection baskets. I liked the fact that I could help two charities with one act.
When I was younger, we were usually only a few steps above being white trash. We did a great job with what we had, but I didn't ever have a lot of toys. I know that Christmas isn't about getting stuff, but I know how disappointing it is to not get the presents you'd like to get. If any. I hope that my little gifts can make some little kids feel a little more loved, or at least a little less resentful that their families are poor and depend on charity donations.
I found myself standing in the toy area at a Greatland Target, overwhelmed by the oodles and oodles of crap that was available for purchase. I don't know what's cool. I know I see a lot of commercials for Bratz stuff on television, and judging by the disproportionate amount of Batmans that we saw trick-or-treating, Batman is pretty cool too. I've heard that the Power Rangers are cool again with the younger set.
I checked out all of the Bratz gear, and noted that there was a distinct absence of Bratz Rock Angelz dolls, and that there was a sign saying that due to high demand, they were out of the Rock Angelz dolls and were substituting Sportz dolls. And it looked like no one had purchased any of the Sportz dolls, so I didn't want to get the uncool doll for some little girl.
I totally forgot about the Power Rangers stuff, and when I looked at the Batman stuff, the cool things were like $30 and I don't love the poor children enough to spend that much on one thing. The only things that were a reasonable price were the things that would mostly be targeted at adults that collect action figures *ahem* Ninja Bruce Wayne *ahem*.
Wandering around lost, I decided that little girls seem to enjoy the Disney crap a lot, so I bought a small dress-up Belle doll with a bunch of clip-on outfits for the girl present. And then I decided that Legos are cool for boys, but then remembered someone that I am related to's insane childhood Lego horde, and the joys of stepping on the damned pieces lost in the pile of the carpet. But, I do recall hearing some male child at some point talking about Bionicles, and those are Legos too, except more action-figurey and whatnot. I think you pretty much build them and don't take them back apart, which is good for the feet. Asking a woman who looked mommish for her opinion, we decided that the red one that kinda looked like a bug was cooler than the blue one that kinda looked like a bug, and so I bought that one.
And today I delivered them to the Starbucks on Diversey. right off of Clark.
I have more to say, but I'm tired for now. I'm tired and worn out and have heartburn from eating chips and dip for dinner, and Cricket won't leave me alone (ie: shut the hell up) unless she's being discernably adored from a distance.
Maybe I'll share more tomorrow.
Because I've got plenty to say.
Every year I agonize over what to get everyone, and then when I find the right thing, or find something for someone that I wasn't even looking for in the first place, I feel elated and giddy.
This year, I put a lot of thought into how to wrap the presents. No one really cares how pretty the packages are except me. I'm not a country gal, but I had a client give me a gift in a brown box and lovely green ribbons, and it made me think that I wanted to have countryish presents. Everything's wrapped in either simple sage or ruby papers, or else firmly ensconced in a craft paper-covered box. I used real ribbons and twine to make the bows and whatnot. I stragegically employed things like decorative soaps and millinery fruits in my decorating scheme. I made a tray of things I use to decorate, very Martha-like, and I have it standing by if I need to wrap or cheerfully adorn anything else. It looks like a well-planned, old-school Christmas threw up in my living room.
I don't have a tree because Cricket would kill it. I do have Christmas cards on the bookshelf, a stuffed snowbear bearing gifts, and a tiny beaded tree-shaped ornament that I made myself after reading Crate & Barrel's holiday catalogue. But it isn't the same thing.
Even if I could decorate the way I wished, all of my seasonal decorations and the like are buried somewhere in Tif 'n Wil's garage, because their basement had to be gutted down to the studs, and then to some point beyond the studs, because of toxic mold. And I stored all of my off-season clothing, holiday crap, and assorted other things I don't have room for all in their basement. Now I'm stuck with a tall stack of off-season storage bins in my living room, and no Christmas paraphernalia.
I did all my Christmas cards and sent them out, as well as the packages that needed to be shipped to loved ones. I didn't send Overlord Carol a card, but I haven't talked to her in over a year. I still might though. I did my online shopping. I crafted. The only thing holding me up is that the landlord signed for a package on the 13th, and I have yet to receive it myself, although I know we're both in the same apartment building.
Last year I made sweets galore, but this year I don't seem to care. I think invested all of my festive cookery energy on Thanksgiving, with late nights of bread making and flan baking. Sure, I would like to eat truffles and candied grapefruit peel, or nosh on a white chocolate covered pretzel rod. But I can barely keep up with the dishes in the sink. I can't even picture getting the kitchen sanitized to the level that I would need it to be clean for my candymaking to commence.
The place I work used to release a pair of holiday stuffed animals every year, usually some sort of puppy, with the proceeds going to Make-A-Wish. And each year I would buy one each of the boy and girl puppies, and then drop them off at a Starbucks location in their Toys-for-Tots collection baskets. I liked the fact that I could help two charities with one act.
When I was younger, we were usually only a few steps above being white trash. We did a great job with what we had, but I didn't ever have a lot of toys. I know that Christmas isn't about getting stuff, but I know how disappointing it is to not get the presents you'd like to get. If any. I hope that my little gifts can make some little kids feel a little more loved, or at least a little less resentful that their families are poor and depend on charity donations.
I found myself standing in the toy area at a Greatland Target, overwhelmed by the oodles and oodles of crap that was available for purchase. I don't know what's cool. I know I see a lot of commercials for Bratz stuff on television, and judging by the disproportionate amount of Batmans that we saw trick-or-treating, Batman is pretty cool too. I've heard that the Power Rangers are cool again with the younger set.
I checked out all of the Bratz gear, and noted that there was a distinct absence of Bratz Rock Angelz dolls, and that there was a sign saying that due to high demand, they were out of the Rock Angelz dolls and were substituting Sportz dolls. And it looked like no one had purchased any of the Sportz dolls, so I didn't want to get the uncool doll for some little girl.
I totally forgot about the Power Rangers stuff, and when I looked at the Batman stuff, the cool things were like $30 and I don't love the poor children enough to spend that much on one thing. The only things that were a reasonable price were the things that would mostly be targeted at adults that collect action figures *ahem* Ninja Bruce Wayne *ahem*.
Wandering around lost, I decided that little girls seem to enjoy the Disney crap a lot, so I bought a small dress-up Belle doll with a bunch of clip-on outfits for the girl present. And then I decided that Legos are cool for boys, but then remembered someone that I am related to's insane childhood Lego horde, and the joys of stepping on the damned pieces lost in the pile of the carpet. But, I do recall hearing some male child at some point talking about Bionicles, and those are Legos too, except more action-figurey and whatnot. I think you pretty much build them and don't take them back apart, which is good for the feet. Asking a woman who looked mommish for her opinion, we decided that the red one that kinda looked like a bug was cooler than the blue one that kinda looked like a bug, and so I bought that one.
And today I delivered them to the Starbucks on Diversey. right off of Clark.
I have more to say, but I'm tired for now. I'm tired and worn out and have heartburn from eating chips and dip for dinner, and Cricket won't leave me alone (ie: shut the hell up) unless she's being discernably adored from a distance.
Maybe I'll share more tomorrow.
Because I've got plenty to say.
No comments:
Post a Comment