I agonize over my wrapping paper choices every year at Christmas time. Sadly, my family and I don't have the same wrapping ideas.
I don't think I'm alone.
Every year when I shop for wrapping paper, I do it very carefully.
I sit and think, mulling over the choices in Marshalls, HomeGoods and Hobby Lobby.
I sit and think, mulling over the choices in Marshalls, HomeGoods and Hobby Lobby.
I plan the color scheme.
Ok, I plan the reds.
I contemplate how the different patterns will coordinate with one another.
I visualize how the rustic fonts and beige tones will look under my tree, as the piece de resistance in my cozy, cottage Christmas living room.
And then my family gets involved and it all goes to...well...you know.
You see, while I have the perfect Christmas wrapping picture in my head, apparently, so does everyone else in the house.
Needless to say, those visions are not even close to being the same.
This year, I came home with the sweetest papers in red plaid, tan damask and one with a few simple red Merry Christmases written in script. I was thrilled. This tree was going to look great.
Where's the fun wrapping paper?
The conversation is the same every year.
What do you mean? That is fun. It's beautiful.
No. Where are the shiny rolls?
There are no shiny rolls. This is rustic. It goes with the living room.
No. What happened to the one with ice skating penguins?
This is much more elegant.
No. I want the blue one, with the Santa is his boxer shorts, eating pancakes? And the reindeer in their bathrobes?
What?? Blue? And no, we never had that. I would never buy that.
I know. We did, because you buy that boring paper.
Oh boy. Best laid plans...
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| You can see my guest post of creative last minute wrapping ideas at The Kim Six Fix |
When the kids were small, this was so much easier.
My husband and I didn't really exchange much and Santa never wrapped, so paper wasn't really an issue.
Then one year my kindergartener wanted to know why Santa never wrapped. He did it at some of her friend's houses, why didn't he do it here?
Well, the simple answer is that with four kids, my mother wasn't wrapping anything. So neither did I....but now apparently, I was going to have to wrap at least a few.
You know, since they put that request in their letter.
No big deal, I bought a special paper, just for Santa gifts and kept it in the attic. I wrapped only two or four gifts a year and peppered them among all the other toys.
Crisis averted.
Then the next kid went to kindergarten.
She wanted to know why daddy and I never gave them presents, just Santa.
Well, after helping Santa amass all those presents, mommy and daddy were broke and no one seemed to notice that there weren't any presents from us before.
But after that realization, there were suddenly a few from mommy and daddy under the tree.
Now I needed new paper, because our presents couldn't have the same wrapping that Santa's gifts had.
They were wrapped by elves at The North Pole and clearly ours were not.
Frankly, the whole wrapping thing was becoming a lot more complicated.
And not just because of the kids.
Take my husband.
He hates wrapping.
When we dated, I wrapped his presents with bows and tags and different paper patterns and sweet notes.
Everything he wrapped looked like a basketball.
He used only one kind of paper, lots of tape, no bows or tags.
He said that they were all for me, so why did they need a tag. If he was feeling generous, he wrote my name directly on the paper in Sharpie.
It was very romantic.
But Sicilian girls don't give up easily.
At least this one doesn't and somewhere between there and here, I was able to get what was placed under the tree to look mostly like what I wanted.
I bought my paper and let the kids each pick out one roll of their choosing.
I put those gifts in the back of the tree...at least when people came over. And with a little prodding (ok, years of nagging) my husband learned how to slap on a tag and a bow.
Although everything still looked like a basketball.
Of course, now that everyone drives and has money of their own, all bets are off.
I still ponder and plan in the aisles of Marshalls and HomeGoods and Hobby Lobby.
I dream about what my rustic, cottage Christmas living room could/ should look like.
I hide the tape behind the seams. I attach unique "bows" and adornments.
I even make my own tags.
Mostly.
Of course, my husband doesn't wrap anymore. He has a "staff" to do that now. They even add bows.
Pretty tags, too. And maybe even a decoupaged spoon ornament on top.
Which is great.
Because something needs to cover up Santa's blue underwear.
Merry Christmas friends!!
* For more posts like this one you can check out my Stories Tab. I've got a million of them. Well, not a million, but a lot!
Speaking of lovely presents, I wanted to share what I received from two blogging friends this season. First up are these darling, darling birds, IN RED, from my friend Kris at Junk Chic Cottage.
Kris actually wrote the most touching post the other day about a gift I sent to her, but really she is the most thoughtful.
She posted about these cute white birds (her place is a decorator's dream) and I commented that I loved them. She told me they came in red. I looked for them right away, but they were all sold out. Boo.
Well, imagine my surprise when a box arrived and they were inside!!
I just adore them and Kris. How thoughtful of her to remember our conversation, go out and find them, wrap them up and mail them. I am truly touched.
And don't be surprised if you see those winter birds around here in June. I just don't think I could bear to pack them up!
I also received a package from another sweet lady, Marilyn at Mountain Top Spice. You must check out her dreamy photography and her book.
Marilyn won my tartlet tins giveaway. She made the most charming vintage styled ornaments out of them and sent one to me!!
As Kris said, we might never meet in person, although, I hope we do, but we are so close. I feel grateful and blessed and want to thank these ladies for their amazing gifts and the gift of their friendship.
I also want to thank you, my dear readers, for the same. The comments and emails have become the very best part of blogging...and as a writer, the best present I could ever receive.
And they don't even need to be wrapped!! 😉
Fabulous!
Kim,
ReplyDeleteYou have shared so much of yourself and your friendship with me and that is such a beautiful gift. No special paper needed! Thank you sweet friend for being on the other end of this crazy cyber/blogging world for me. I have cherished our great conversations through emails and enjoyed your wonderful posts and especially your creative soul. I am glad you love the little birds. You just cannot pass by them without smiling. Enjoy them and I wish you and your sweet hubby and beautiful daughters a very Merry Christmas. Wishing too a great new year ahead with happiness and great health, lots of new adventures and most of all sharing of friendship. Enjoy!
xoxo
Kris
Kris you are the sweetest!! I feel exactly the same way about your and your generous friendship. I have enjoyed all of our conversations and hope that there are many more in the new year. Here is to a fabulous 2018 for all!! xoxo
DeleteDelightful Kim . . .
ReplyDeleteI used to plan my theme, color, wrap, ribbon as well . . ,
And then the family would arrive from their homes, with their gifts and
the “theme” became all mixed up with their theme of “joy!”
Love the little birds in red . . . hmmmm . . . do you like the color red . . .
Happy Christmas my friend . . . It’s a Wrap . . .
Love the color red, Lynne!! How did you every guess? 😉 And I adore your theme of "joy"...what a wonderful description!! That will be my theme next year. xoxo Happy New Year!
DeleteI am laughing so hard at this post. Through the years, I've had a passing thought to coordinating my wrapping paper. Mostly I figured if it were all in shades of red and green, then it was a "wrap". Hahaha. But this year I actually decided to decorate our tree in only travel ornaments and aqua balls (representing the ocean and the sky). I never gave a thought to the paper. I'm planning to do the same thing next year and I'm happy to admit that I've already bought 2 rolls of aqua paper. Now if I can just remember all of this 11 months from now.
ReplyDeleteI love your travel ornaments and aqua balls!! That sounds amazing…so does your aqua paper idea! Here’s to remembering it all next year. Haha!! Happy New Year! Thanks so much for the visit.
DeleteI saw Kris's adorable chunky bird family, and I love them, but of *course* you know that I love them in red! Both yours and Kris's birds make me giggle!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your stories about gift wrap. I think it's cute you hubbie now has a staff. Your wrapping paper looks great, no Santa boxers in sight! ;P
Merry Christmas!
xo,
Ricki Jill
Aren't they just darling birds?? She's the sweetest! And yes, we needed to cover those pants up. Oh Santa... Happy New Year! xo
DeleteI enjoy reading your posts and look forward to the next. Thank you for that. And I wish you a very Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteBernadine
You are so kind, Bernadine! Thank you so much and I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and I wish you a lovely New Year!!
DeleteYour post had me smiling and nodding Kim. I've never been one to coordinate the wrapping paper, but I admit it looks better if you're taking pictures that are going to be seen by anyone. I've gotten lazy so I don't wrap. I find a large gift bag. At first we wrapped presents individually. Then I started leaving the bows off. Now nothing goes in boxes...everything is in a bag. I'm the one that has to clean up, so I make it easy on myself. I admire the pretty gifts and boxes though!
ReplyDeleteGift bags are awesome Florence. I may have to go that route next year! I tend to make signs with them, maybe I should actually use them for their intended purpose!! Haha!
DeleteGreat story! I am the main wrapper here, but the kids now wrap their gifts for others. They are mostly fine with using the paper I buy because they are thrifty (or cheap) and don't want to have to buy paper, ribbon, tape etc. LOL!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and your family!
Yes!! This should be my kids, use what I have, save your money! I guess they have the same design OCD that I do. It' hereditary. 😉 Happy New Year!!
DeleteI have dreams of someday wrapping each gift perfectly, with beautiful bows and ribbons and have them all match under the tree. For now, I use last years leftover paper and try to coordinate any new I have to buy. I don't bother with bows or ribbons, just a stick on tag. I don't even put my gifts under the tree until Christmas Eve because of little hands and little paws, so that is part of the reason for my lack of pretty. I love that you take the time to wrap pretty packages and it must be fun to be the one to open one up. Thanks for being a fun blogging friend throughout the year! xoxo
ReplyDeleteThe kids appreciate it, AnnMarie, I don't know about my husband. Although he makes a big show of shaking it and admiring my work. I guess I do it for me! And right back at you...thanks for being a fun blogging friend. And the Queen of Everything. I still love that! ❤️ Happy New Year!!
DeleteMerry Christmas to you sweet girl!! I loved your comments about wrapping, but I'm afraid that I am in the "basketball" class. I really do try, but it is not on my talent list! I AM able to make a decent bow, so no matter how bad the package looks, it usually has a pretty bow and a tag made out of one of last year's Christmas cards!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Christmas and MANY blessings in the new year!!
J (the nonwrapper)
Oh J! Thank you my friend. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a very, very happy and blessed New Year!! So glad you found my blog, you make me smile!! ❤️And ps...it's really all about he bow!!
DeleteHahahaha . . . so much of this sounds like my family! Growing up, our "Santa" gifts were never wrapped. All Santa presents were in a line coming out from the tree, three lines, mine, my sister's, and my brothers. Any other gifts from someone to someone were in wrapping paper. That's how we did it for our own children too. And my husband always said he doesn't wrap gifts, although, he also doesn't buy them. He gives money, or takes me shopping. One year he did buy something for me and told me to wrap it myself. Um, no! Why not? it's in a box, you won't know what it is! Um, no again! However, this year, he actually did go shopping and there is a pile of gifts he wrapped by himself. Guess who they are for? Grandchildren!! Things are different with grandchildren :o)
ReplyDeleteOh grandchildren! I have heard that one before!! My husband is very similar. He likes to take me shopping so he can be sure I'll like it. Some years, I've given it to it...we'd make a day of it. He did come home and wrap it though and I pretended I never saw it when the kids asked!! And isn't it funny how most of us follow the same traditions we grew up with...sometimes without even thinking about it. Happy New Year!
DeleteHa ha ha ha I have the same problem here! I had a whole theme going on and my daughter came home with some aqua paper with woodland critters on it....super cute,just doesn’t go with anything I had going on! Merry Christmas, sweet friend!
ReplyDeleteThose girls! Oh well, I guess there's always next year! Haha!! Happy New Year, Debbie! xo
DeleteKim, your wrapping is so pretty and so original. But I know what happens when everyone gets involved. I know that those prettily wrapped gifts are opened so carefully so as not to tear any of the pretty papers, UNTIL I have gone home then they are all thrown away!! My daughter started using the cute gift bags so now that is what I do. With some bright tissue paper and a colorful ribbon, they don't look half bad. As we are speaking, hubby is in bedroom wrapping a gift for Jake. He insisted that he wanted to do it and I just poked my head in and you can't even see the bed for crumpled up paper and the paper didn't quite fit around the edges!! Such a sweet heart. Merry Christmas and just absolutely love those little birds. Kris is such a jewel..Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year sweet friend..xxoJudy
ReplyDeleteIt's funny to see the husbands get involved isn't it? This year, after I wrote the post, my husband looked at a whole bag of unwrapped gifts and said I'll do it. Well, ok...and you know he did a really great job! And I agree, Kris is a jewel, just like you, my friend!! Happy New Year, Judy! xoxo
DeleteGreat.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThe white birds have WING Covers. That was the very best little surprise. What sweet Christmas Birds. I was trying to decide how to change their costumes to fit in for June when I noticed those sweet wing covers - maybe red and white summer hats. What a great post Kim. Love the paper/wrapping issue. What a great 'warp'. Hugs and Merry Christmas
ReplyDeleteAren't they just darling, Joy? I am a lucky girl! I am going to have to look closer at mine again, but right now it's so cold here, I hope they won't be needing those coats until June!! Fingers crossed!! Hugs and Happy New Year my friend!!
DeleteThe last wrapping paper that I bought was on clearance at JoAnn Fabrics and I bought all plain greens, silvers etc so that I could use the paper for birthdays as well. This was about 2 years ago or so and I am finally out.
ReplyDeleteFun post :) Have a Merry Christmas :)
That's what I need to do, Deb...go neutral! Maybe this year! Happy New Year! xoxo
DeleteKim this year I have used up so much wrappng paper its not funny. But I try to reuse all those amazon boxes so at least that is a good thing. As for bows, I just used whatever twine I had around. Rustic has been a great decorating trend for that reason, it is simple and pretty. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas my friend.
ReplyDeleteYou are so creative and thrifty Mary, I bet your boxes are beautiful!! Happy New Year!! xoxo
DeleteI always seem to have wrapping paper left over from the year before so I rarely buy any. I never enjoyed wrapping gifts but hubs does. Your creativity always amazes me....wishing you a Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteYou are so sweet, Cathy!! Thank you…and believe it or not, my husband used bows and tags this year. I think it was my post!! Haha!! Happy New Year!
DeleteSuch a fun post! To this day my youngest daughter teases me that she didn't inherit the gift wrapping gene :) I have always enjoyed wrapping but these days l lean more toward simple or wrapping in containers than can be reused. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, Cecilia! I think I may try that next year!!
DeleteJust loved reading this ...
ReplyDeleteWishing you and yours a Merry Christmas.
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan!! So glad you enjoyed it!! Happy New Year!
DeleteAw, those little birds are so sweet. Kris is a dear, as are you, my friend. Wrapping Christmas presents? Hmmm, I think those days are long gone for me for the most part. We did have a gift exchange at our church ladies party last week and I wrapped my gift with green tissue paper and tied it with raffia embellished with a cinnamon stick and holly. Oh, and there was a similar wrapping with red tissue paper that I did for the charity gift I donated. So, okay, that's two gifts I wrapped. I guess it's not completely over. :) P.S. Marilyn's gift and card are delightful. She's a sweetheart.
ReplyDeleteSimple and sweet wrapping is the best, Nancy! I love the idea of adding the cinnamon stick. Yummy!! And yes, aren't blog friends the sweetest?? xoxo and hugs to you. Happy New Year!!
DeleteI feel the pain of the wrapping paper dilemma! So funny.
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago my husband asked me to wrap ALL his gifts in newspaper...black & white print newspaper. He said we didn't need to use bought wrapping paper.He really isn't cheap, I think he was just giving me a hard time. So I went through our recycle bin & found the funnest prints. One gift was wrapped in a Halloween edition....all black & white with a Frankenstein cake on the front. I drew a Santa hat on Frankenstein & wrote Merry Christmas in red.
My gifts look pretty good this year. He always writes my name on the paper with a Sharpie but this year he did use the clear cellophane tape instead of duct tape....his usual choice!
When I was young this kind of thing drove me bonkers but now I think I'd be disappointed & really miss the unique gift wrapping under the tree just for me.
And I too LOVE your birds, especially the small one.
That’s funny! We used to wrap birthday presents in the comics all the time, but we don’t even get the paper anymore so that’d be a tall order now. I had a friend who showed her husband’s gift wrap this year. He wrapped everything beautifully for her, paper, bows and the tags were a picture of her four year old self. He was super creative. I am still get sharpie on the paper…but this year I did get bows and a one or two tags. Slow improvement! Ha!! At least it’s interesting!!
DeleteI try to wrap my gifts in coordinating paper too. Which is kind of foolish because I barely get them wrapped in time to open them so they are not sitting under the tree to be admired for any length of time. In fact, this year it is the 23rd and I do not have a single present wrapped. Tomorrow on Christmas eve I will wrap the two that I take along to my folks. The rest will not be opened until I get together with my kids on the 30th. I have a week to get it done. Merry Christmas Kim.
ReplyDeleteYou know, Lorri. I am kind of the same way. I start the season off with big plans to wrap early and have all that pretty paper on display for weeks. However after a few gifts, I get distracted and marathon wrap like you on the 23rd. So all of my griping is really for nothing!! Haha…oh well! Enjoy your Christmas celebration tomorrow! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! xo
DeleteMerry Christmas and Happy new year.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandra, to you as well!!
DeleteMerry Christmas time to you and family!! I enjoy all your posts and hope you will continue to blog next year.
ReplyDeleteThanks Angela! Right back at you! Happy New Year! xo
DeleteI totally get the whole "pretty wrapping paper" thing. I do that every year too...pick out a theme and get coordinating papers, etc. Then the kids insist I use a certain paper that's their favorite. Last year, in the middle of my pretty paper with coordinating ribbon, was some Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrapping paper with race cars all over it. Lol! Hope you had a merry Christmas! xoxo
ReplyDeleteHaha! I totally get it, Lisa! We haven’t had any race car paper, but we’ve had plenty with Barbie. Pink, if you haven’t noticed, is not my color! 😜
DeleteThat was a very entertaining story! A lot of times I'm so busy I just kind of skim through, but I had to read the entire post. And I know how you feel about making the wrapping so pretty. I have a husband and two sons, and they never really appreciated all the work I put in to making the packages look pretty!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed the story, Cherryl! I am a lengthy writer, I know. My husband really tried this year, I was impressed. It's a first for him. I think it was my post that did it!! Thanks so much for the comment and I wish you a Happy New Year!
DeleteThis post made me crack up, LOL....I remember coordinated Christmas---when I drove myself nuts---and everyone around me, too. Everything looks like a basketball, LOL. But, you have hit upon a huge issue--we all fight at Christmas. Making it Perfect---we are 'keepers' of Christmas---BUT, sometimes we over-keep. Now, soon to be in my 70's, I've realized, it's the people that are important, not the paper. Not the gifts, or the food, or the decor-but the memories of sharing and caring our time and love with one another.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this post, as I do all of yours, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
Here, here! Exactly!! There is no perfect Christmas and yet it’s perfect anyway isn’t it? Paper plates or china, coordinated wrap or newspaper basketballs, it’s all about the company and the wonderful memories we are making. I agree! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you a fabulous New Year! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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