Jonesin’ For…What Did You Get for Christmas?

? I’m horrible at receiving gifts. I don’t know what it is. I hate being the one at showers who unwraps things or the birthday girl who reads the card first (always, thanks Mom) and smiles like mad when the gift is open.

I’m shy that way. Seriously, it happens folks.Go ahead laugh, totally true.

I mean, I’ll tell you when you have spinach in your teeth or that my bra strap just broke or that I think that the roast beef at “insert bad restaurant here” sucks, but I will absolutely blush when someone presents me a box with a bow and asks me to open it. Even my parents, who I’ve known all my life. (Thanks Cap’n Obvious.)

Anyway, that said, thought I would share with you a few of the gifts that I gave this year. Because for those of you who know me, know that shortly I will be purchasing Christmas gifts for 2014. Yep, I had most of mine bought for this year by last February folks. (Why how on Earth do you do that? Well, you get unique and creative and know who buys what for themselves and who doesn’t….it’s not to say that some gifts don’t wait til the last minute, but….most don’t, and I buy all year long.)

My sister got a new artists brush set…her work has gotten so unbelievably good. I go to her house and she’ll have a new painting up on the wall and I just get floored with how wonderfully talented she is. She’s so humble about it, she’ll tell you about how she did it and make it sound as easy as making a cup of coffee. I’m in awe.

My Mom got an amazing floor vacuum. Having retired this year, she’s been redoing the house with many renovation projects. One of those items was getting hardwood floors and for that, I scored her this new floor vacuum. What, how nice of me? or how functionally utilitarian? Know that my mom is a floor lover – any mop, vacuum, duster, swiffer, you name it has seen her hallowed halls, I’m just adding to her arsenal!

My Dad will be getting a new cooler for the van. He’s literally used the last one I got him years ago to death. So I’ve upgraded him and gotten him a larger one and more efficient. Now the road trips he and my mom will be taking will have one extra piece of comfort on the road that they didn’t have before.

My friends from NOMADS are getting homemade spicy green beans (for amazing bloody mary accoutrements!) and my jalapeno jelly. It nearly took my hand off making the jelly, but what’s a few appendages between friends?

My coworkers will be getting handmade scarves that I made after seeing a few of these in Fredericksburg’s Red store. and then since we have a few new home owners and engaged couples, I went all out and scored them each a new self-inking address stamp for all the post-holiday thank you cards.

There’s many little kitchen sundries going around this year that I scored for friends and family. This cheese knife set, these great reusable cocktail napkins, a frilly apron and a few grill presses will be under the tree this year too.