White Elephant Drama Stratagems

Hope everyone had a great Xmas!

Hairy and I started off with brunch with his parents, and then we went to my parents’ house for dinner and our annual White Elephant gift exchange.


Bibi brings Xmas cheer.

It took a few years of convincing my mother this was a good idea, and that we were growing up and didn’t need to be exchanging a kabillion presents every Xmas. She was very unfamiliar with the idea and was skeptical and confused, but now it’s like the greatest fun ever! Yay!

I think that one of the strategies for a good white elephant is to bring something you yourself would want. This was Hairy’s strategy. Dutch baby pancake mix from William Sonoma. I had initially also followed this strategy by purchasing something at Renegade which I think I will not reveal just yet and use in a future giveaway package. Anyway, my new strategy was to bring something I knew that someone else would want for sure and in particular. My target was my sister in law. She likes Starbucks. She likes owls. I did the math.

He is rendered a bit less practical with his wings and tail sticking out. If I ever make another one, I will leave out the wings and tail (or at least sew down the wings) but definitely keep his cute dangly legs! I love how he turned out, and I really want to make some time to create more in foodie-themes. Animals are really easy to make cute in coffee-sleeve/cozy form, so I have to think hard about this foodie thing!

Anyway, my Aunt Mary ended up taking the owl home. Now she wants a different one for every day of the week!

In some more Xmas spirit, I received this really touching msg on Etsy from a commission I completed on Wednesday and sent via Express mail. Sorry about the link, but the pic is kinda too wide to post in my blog. Jeanne asked me to create this fairly involved piece for her daughter, and I was a bit intimidated by the project at first, but I think it turned out super cute, and I was definitely inspired to make new projects from things I learned while making this.

Since every “swatch” on the scarf is a different design, I created a short and crappy video to show you guys instead of posting 17 different pictures.

Anyway, my Etsy shop is looking pretty barren right now, but I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to devote to it while I work on my big deadlines coming up. Don’t want to spoil what it is yet until I sign ink to paper, but it’s huge. Real huge. Exciting, Stressful. Amazing. Strange. Everything life should be! Balls to the wall, 2010!

xoxo

p.s. you know you are getting old when you are excited to use the new STEAM CLEANING machine you got for xmas to clean everything from the upholstery to the toilets!

23 Comments on “White Elephant Drama Stratagems”

  • Holly

    says:

    oh man i am so jealous you got a steam cleaner, they look so fun on the shopping channel! Merry christmas xx

    • Merry Xmas, Holly!!!!
      I will have to blog about the steamer when we actually get all the pieces out of the box and check them out!

  • Maggi

    says:

    The scarf is adorable! I love the cozy idea, that owl is very cute. Can’t wait to hear what your big secret announcement is!

    • I know I know! I need lawyers to hurry up and do their thing so I can sign my life away! πŸ™‚

  • Abby

    says:

    I love the cozy idea. The scarf is very intricate. I’m not seeing how all the pieces flow with each other, but like you said it was a custom order.

    • Yep yep. My instructions were verrrrrrry explicit!

  • Oh my gosh that scarf is amazing.

    I know I got a bag less vacuum for easter one year and was in heaven vacuuming the apartment!

    • I wish I could associate vaccuuming with heaven! πŸ™‚

  • Sylvette Marie

    says:

    Hi twinkie Feliz Navidad …from Puerto Rico

  • kiki

    says:

    I love that owl cozy and that scarf is amazing! can’t wait to see/hear what the big surprise is! happy new year!

    • happy new year to you!!!!!!!!

  • The owl coffee cozy is so cute! πŸ™‚ (Have you thought about making bunny shaped ones? Those might sell well, since everyone loves bunnies. Just an idea.)

    • Actually bunnies were the very next thing to pop into my head, too! πŸ™‚ But since I don’t reeeaally want to put out a lot of animal things, I need to think about cute foodie things πŸ™‚

  • Willow

    says:

    Love the owl cozy and the happy food scarf!

  • I dunno – I’ve always wanted a steam cleaner – I think you’re safe.

    Also, sister-in-law? Are you married? I wasn’t sure.

    • I’m not married, but my brother is!

      • HAH – right. Sometimes I forget about other answers to the same question.

    • Hope you had a great one! πŸ™‚

  • Michelle

    says:

    The scarf you made is adorable. I can tell a lot of work went into it. And steam cleaner? Sweetness! I must be old too because I am totes jealous. πŸ˜‰

    • Michelle

      says:

      Ack! Forgot to say that the owlie coffee cozy is the cutest thing also. πŸ™‚

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