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Wednesday, November 18

a 'week of glee' ~ day three

there is nothing quite like the anticipation of giving a gift,
be it new, handcrafted or thrifted.


if the perfect gift is found in advance,
the anticpation can begin several months before the gift needs to be given.
or in the case of my man it can happen the day before, and even then it's not the perfect gift and even more importantly (perhaps men take note, across the land), do not leave the receipt lying around.
i can only imagine that when i met my man at the age of 16, he did not think he would still be with me as i turned 40, thus instead of taking 24 years to think ahead... he suddenly went "oh crap, Tif's 40 tomorrow, i know i'll go to Costco, buy her a panini maker and leave the receipt lying around so she knows how much it cost and the date i bought it")

"STOP TIF!!... enough, this is not good for a 'gleeful' post, this is bringing down the tone of 'glee' and also you promised 'closure' on the panini episode of 2008" i hear you exclaim, dearest readers
and quite right you are, thank goodness i have you to keep me on a 'gleeful' track and not drift off on a negative 'non-gleeful' note.

for today's dose of 'glee' i would like to bring you...
the gift of giving 'glee'.
i do believe that giving a gift of 'glee' is a terribly exciting thing to do and even more so if it's wrapped up 'gleefully'

i like to do this, just as i do my etsy orders, with thought and consideration
and a whole lot of lovely catalogues that come my way...


for Etsy i now use recycled tear outs from magazines that i have ferreted away,
inspiring images of lovely interiors,
but when the 'gleeful' season rolls around i produce my pile of 'specials'
i'm talking anthropologie
i'm talking toast
and
i'm talking noa noa
for their pictures are beautiful
and they really do make for wonderful recycled wrapping paper

for today's purpose of showing you how i wrap a box of 'glee' i have retrieved
one half used box of tissues
one box of chocolate pudding mix
one box of banana pudding mix
one dvd from our #2's collection
and
one something else,
that i cannot remember for the life of me what it is
(only wrapped it yesterday, for goodness sake)
and as it looks so lovely all wrapped up i'm not willing to undo it

if i'm giving a gift that isn't conveniently box shaped, then i find a box to fit it, even if i have to go looking in my food cupboard
and then i get to work,
tearing catalogues
sticking tape
and when my little bit of glee is covered
i wrap some cream thrifted yarn around it
and finish it off with a vintage button card


and that's it, quite simple and i am quite sure has been done a million times before but i thought i would share how i like to give glee

and as if that wasn't enough
another 'glee giving' idea is to customize your 'gleeful seasonal' cards
i was fortunate to stumble across a set of unused vintage ones at the thrift store a few weeks back and i was really rather happy with the little birdie on the front.
but i couldn't leave it alone,
i have added some frayed little rosettes to the branches
i do believe these little cards are now a 'gift in themselves'



and wait, there's more glee going around
the lovely Victoria has been sharing my little gleeful garland over at her place
and just before you are all 'gleed out'
the talented Ingrid has just unveiled her new 'gleeful' website, it's in english and best of all, you can order her beautiful crocheted wares direct from it.

i don't think it gets more 'gleeful' than that dearest readers...
but then again does it?
only tomorrow's 'day four' knows the answer to that

she is spreading 'gleefulness' wherever she goes and hoping you forgive her 'bah humbuggy' panini begining ~ Tif

23 comments:

  1. I love the wrapping - I'm (very nearly) ready to wrap my first gleeful gifts, so this is very timely. I'm going to use the pages of our broken French Road Atlas, which I think will look very pertinent and be very 'eco', but it's the finishing touches that have got me thiking. Yarn and buttons would do it, though...

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  2. Happy 40th Birthday !

    Love the glee.....so fun to read...I love all of it..I am really enjoying your blog...and I have the Artful Blogger magazine too... wonderful and so inspiring..

    More later,
    Kary

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  3. Your packages are so fun! I like to use pages from an outdated atlas to wrap with. And I love how you embellished your cards! I've had half used Christmas card boxes for years that I am so sick of. I might have to see if I can do something similar to give them a lift.

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  4. What a great idea to use such wonderful magazine pages for small gifts. I recycle everything and most people think I am crazy, but I am always looking for unique ways to wrap things up rather than always buying something new to use, especially when it will just get thrown away. Love how you embellished the thrift cards too. Best wishes, :) Tammy

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  5. Well I don't know much about the Panini Episode of '08, but I do know about a recent gleeful experience I had with returning a rather miss-the-mark gift to Cosco. After ten pounds of oats (granola making galore!), a jar of almond butter the size of my thigh, and a sack of pita chips that would shame my laundry bag, I was rosy cheeked and grinning with glee. So it might not be too late!

    by the way...

    Merry Merry Birthday to You!

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  6. wonderful dearest gleeful readers...

    i think atlas and car road maps would be most perfect for a gleeful gift, and if it were to be for a 'manly looking' friend, i am thinking 'twine' instead of yarn and perhaps an old used brown envelope chopped up and stitched into 'tag sized' pieces for the finale on the top...
    you are such an inspiring lot :)

    and just so you knows, i have come to terms with being 40 and have positively embraced being 41, so i think i'm doing pretty okay with the whole 'forty something' business... thank you though for the belated wishes, you are most kind :)

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  7. Love the Glee gifting idea! Since I horde all my Anthro catalogs I might not have to buy any wrapping paper at all this year :)

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  8. Oh, I hope, I hope, I hope the box of chocko pudding is for me!

    I love the button cards as tags, that is a super good idea!
    Old Encyclopedia Brittanicas are good for wrapping, or using as quirky photo albums.

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  9. Tif your glee-ful wrapping is the sweetest...
    I love that my etsy goodness was wrapped in paper that had a caravan on it...
    I spent just as much time looking at the paper my wonderous gifts was wrapped in...and I knew instantly the though that went into it...
    can't believe I missed day two thou...
    Thanks for the etsy glee...

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  10. You write glee and I feel glee just reading and looking. I want to reach into the screen and pinch some things though I have to confess. Now those birdy cards are perfect with your fiddling and adding.

    Enjoy your gleeful week.

    Bobo X

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  11. Your week of 'glee' is making me so happy! Love the button cards as package toppers...your blog is spectacular!

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  12. i'm delighted to hear the 'glee' is spreading... it just makes the 'week of glee' seem even more 'gleeful' :)

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  13. Love the glee! Great idea using the old magazines for wrapping! :)

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  14. feeling the glee way over here! panini, anyone?!

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  15. Oooow Tif
    This is the most awesomly gleeful post. I love it!
    Thank you for making me excited about stuff again (gloom was setting in on account of the gales here).
    Best wishes to Used Dog & Little Olive

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  16. love your festive wrapping, but am utterly transfixed by that beautiful crochet bobbly garlandy thing! can't tell if it's decoration or apparel, but it's got me in flights of fancy over decking the halls with lengths of bobbly crochert ... thanks for spreading the glee

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  17. I looove your blog! Just found out from artful blogging.....and i'll be back often for sure, that's why I put your link on my blog! :)
    Have a nice day!

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  18. The panini grill is "a ghost of Christmas past," and there it should stay!

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  19. Your funny & glee filled meanderings has now filled me with glee & I feel the need to wrap something gleefully & give it to someone I love in order for them to feel the glee I'm feeling from reading your gleeful post..LOVE IT!!!! lol :) Thanks for the glee filled smile on my face! Congrats on your lovely Artful Blogging article, I wish I could bring you a stool!

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  20. Looking at your very jolly wrapping, I'm feeling more than quite gleeful at the parcel I am going to get very soon! I have just bought my bedroom a Christmas present from your shop - a bit of recompense for some 'crappity-crap' life events, and a potential source of glee. And I was very good and did get the Head Chef's permission first - thereby hangs a tale, which maybe I'll tell you one day!

    Pomona x

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  21. this is really cute and i have about 3489878 magazines laying around that i can't seem to part with. however, i definitely wouldn't be able to part with the vintage buttons, i'd have to hoard them all for myself :-)

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  22. Pretty Glee :)
    I love the packaging- reminds me , I need to work on my own :o

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  23. I just discovered your blog tonight and oh my!! I have not gotten my pumpkin pies baked, my bread ready for my stuffing, or my floors swept!!! I have not enjoyed a blog so much in I don't know how long. You have soooooo much stuff to read and look at. If we are going to have a Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, I have to make myself stand up and walk away from your blog NOW! (I will certainly be back though)

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