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