The Lord Reigns over the Flood

You know, I can't write another word about The Right Gift without telling you about the gift that I received my senior year in college.  I had been dating a guy for over a year, and although he was a great guy, I had a vague feeling he wasn't the RIGHT guy.  I would be graduating in less that 6 months and I wasn't sure what I would be doing after that.  All I knew was that my parents said that if I didn't have a job when I graduated, I would be moving home----and that was completely out of the question!

Let's Wrap This Up

Whenever I head to my gift wrapping drawer, the first thing I'm thinking about is who I am wrapping this gift for.  Is it my husband or my three grown sons?  Not a problem---they rip open the gift without even seeing the gift wrapping art I've created.  It's just an impediment to their getting to the goodie.  

But if I am wrapping a gift for one of their three wives.....well that's a different story. One wife is a girly-girl who loves frilly paper and lots of ribbon.  One wife loves the outdoors:  she's a crack shot and spent a vacation in Nepal educating people about preparing for earthquakes, and then hiked through the Himalayas.  And my baby married a girl who followed his dream to move out west and work in LA, and who he described once as "not intimidated by anybody".

And this is where your creativity shines----sometimes the look of the package is more interesting than what's inside.  And how well you know the person you are spending time to create a work of art for them is crucial.  I've created a few questions to ask yourself before you begin.

Questions:

1.  Will this person even look at the package before ripping into it?  Sometimes a pretty box you have saved, tied with a 2" satin ribbon in a single bow is all you need.  And after the festivities, make sure you retrieve that special box!

2. How would you describe this person in one word:  athlete, gardener, hunter, adventure-lover, art-lover, minimalist, country-girl; or think of his or her personality:  are they sweet, fast-moving, ambitious, deep-thinker, spiritual?

3.  From your gift wrap paper, quickly choose one for that person.  This is your canvas.

4.  Once your canvas is displayed, it's easy to decide on ribbon, or a decoration such as a fresh flower, a stem of rosemary or greenery.  How intricate you tie your ribbon, or add toppings will have come from just the two questions you asked  yourself-----and I guarantee your presentation will delight your recipient.

The Right Gift + The Right Gift-Wrapping = A Delighted Friend

The Right Gift

Have you ever been standing in a department store, struggling at the last minute to find the perfect gift (well A gift) for your best friend?  "Does she like perfume, powder, a sweater.....no wait, how about cute panties or PJ's (oooops, much more than I wanted to spend).  What about a bracelet or earrings (are her ears pierced?  I don't KNOW!!!)"

And that is just on the first floor of your department store at the Mall.  First rule---the department store at the Mall is absolutely the worst place in the world to find the perfect gift for your best friend.  Don't waste your time running from store to store, only to get stuck in the card shop for an hour, laughing and reading....just one more I promise!.....the cards that are perfect-----for everyone but her.

Go ahead and buy every single card you love-----and put them right beside your desk, (which is already stocked with your stationery, stamps and a printout of your Christmas card list).  Your desk calendar should be right nearby, marked in RED INK with the birthday of every single person you love's name.  Please don't let Facebook remind you on that day of those special people!!!  Sure, I'm guilty of just pressing "1" in order to post "Happy Birthday" to those friends whose birthdays slipped through the cracks, and that's OK, every once in a while.  But you are here to find The Right Gift!

Now, back to your best friend.  Take a deep breath and think about what you love about her.  Is she funny, outspoken, a great listener?  Does she love to garden, to run, to be outside?  Or is she a homebody who loves nothing more than to enjoy a great book, or cook a delicious meal for her family?  Is she interested in architecture, great art, the symphony or musical theater?  What would she do if she could do absolutely anything for a day?

My favorite gifts to give and to receive are based on what you love about your friend that makes her special to you.  And all it takes is your imagination and budget that you decide on before you go shopping. Let's say you know that Ina Garten has a new cookbook out and your friend adores her, but would never buy that for herself.  Or if you aren't exactly sure what books she has read lately, the Alabama Booksmith has smart, well-read people who can either help you find that perfect book for her, or help her find a book with your gift certificate.

Dorothy McDaniel's Flower Market always has unique containers for your flower-arranging friend.  My favorite shop for flowers and greenery that can serve as a centerpiece now, and planted later is Collier's Nursery.  They can help you find a container and plants that either you can arrange, or if you give them enough lead time, they can fix for you.

These are all tangible gifts you can find and buy. But my VERY favorite gifts are gifts of time that my friends give because they love to be with me.  More about that next time!