Wrapping it Up

It’s the most wonderful and the busiest time of the year. If I have to go to one more Christmas concert, Christmas party, or Christmas parade I’ll go nuts. I’d just like to decorate my house and yard and stay home listening to Christmas music while I bake goodies for my neighbors and wrap presents for a change.

Speaking of wrapping, this year I thought I’d be all fancy and match my packages to my designer tree. Ha! I found a roll of silver and white paper and a roll of blush (not pink) paper with some subtle glitter on it that matched my tree decorations and bought some fancy ribbons and started wrapping. I learned a couple of things. First, I learned that just because they sell it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. I couldn’t get my tape to stick to my glittery paper, so I tried packing tape and it still didn’t work. Second, I learned that all those pretty ribbons used to have a purpose - tying packages shut before the invention of tape. Third I learned that taping a present shut is a lot faster and more efficient than tying it shut. Fourth, I learned that I don’t have the patience for this and next year everything goes in gift bags. It’s greener anyway. They are reusable and I save some trees.

Last post I talked about using ribbon and picks to decorate your tree. This post I’ll just wrap this up and talk about how to use ribbon and picks in other places. I put some garland on my banister and then dressed it up with some ribbon, just tucking it in here and there, then tucked in some poinsettia picks. Easy peasy. Took me a matter of minutes. Those branches hold it tight.

Then I decided that my garland on my fireplace was lacking something so I added some of the same ribbon and poinsettias to the garland on my fireplace. It was just what it needed. (Santa needed a poinsettia too.)

Finally, after all that, my coffee table looked a little out of place and I needed a place to display the crystal nativity I got while I lived in Germany so I put it there with some Ivy and candles and of course a poinsettia pick.

Of course my kids insisted I display my Santa collection, my other nativities and my advent calendars in my family room. I guess as long as I have kids I’ll have to put out the advent calendars. Now I can just relax and enjoy the season. Except for those pesky parties.