As there are gradually less days to go until Christmas Day I'm finding I have have less time to think about blogging and less things I can think to blog about... but there also seem to be less people reading judging by diminishing comments so I assume the pressure is on for everyone. Either that or I'm boring the pants off you! But I don't like to stop something once I've started so I'm here for the next week!
But all is still calm here and I thought I'd make a start on the present wrapping. I actually love wrapping presents and making the parcels look pretty but usually find I run out of time and they are sellotaped together with lack of finesse at the last minute... but not this year. I've even been making my own labels...
I knew I'd kept all the cards from last year for a reason... Although I may have made enough to last me for the next ten years.
It does remind me of a story about my Nan. When we were children the entire family... aunties, uncles, and numerous cousins all congregated at my Nan and Grandad's each Christmas for tea and exchange of gifts. Nan would have a big pile of wrapped presents, none of them labelled and we would have an annual ritual of her having to feel all the parcels in turn to try and guess what was inside and then remember who she had bought the item for... often with hilarious consequences and a quick swapping of parcels once the contents were revealed. Eventually she solved the problem by buying all the men socks and all the women hankies every year. She was a truely 'one off' my Nan... a wonderful lady. I hadn't thought about telling that story when I started to write this post... but I'm glad I did... Happy Christmas memories.
Your Nan sounded like she was a lot of fun. :)
ReplyDeleteI tell you what though, I want one of those punches, I love your little gift tags!!!!
V xxx
I use tags from the cards too. Keeps the children busy while I pack the tree away in the new year. They each have a pair of 'crinkley' scissors and take ages choosing just which bits they'd like to save.
ReplyDeleteHappy wrapping x
What a lovely story and is that a special machine for cutting the tags? They look very professional.
ReplyDeleteGrandma memories are the absolute best! And what a great idea for those tags. I'm going to have to look for that punch at my local shop -- it would be a great one to have for lots of reasons!
ReplyDeleteWell I'm glad you stuck with it, that story is lovely and posts haven't been boring, they have been making me smile.
ReplyDeleteI love your story about your nana Gina.........I'm a bit like you with the wrapping, which I always begin with utter neatness and finesse........then the novelty begins to wear off, and sellotape sticks to places it's not supposed to, (mainly me)........I must admit that the odd glass of sherry doesn't help proceedings either.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is so enjoyable to read, I love the way you write.
Great idea with the tags, need to buy a punch now! Nan's really were great characters , yours will be dearly missed. Keep blogging, always read don't always have time to comment.
ReplyDeleteJust catching up on your blog after a few days away - in Munich at the Christmas markets! Like the previous post says, I always look forward to reading your blog but I don't often post as most people have already said what I would say. So, in short, don't give up!
ReplyDeleteWe always used to save the christmas cards to make tags with the next year, but only with pinking shears. Is that a special cutter that cuts the tags in that shape? If it is where can I get one, they're great.
ReplyDeleteWe always used to save the christmas cards to make tags with the next year, but only with pinking shears. Is that a special cutter that cuts the tags in that shape? If it is where can I get one, they're great.
ReplyDeleteWe always used to save the christmas cards to make tags with the next year, but only with pinking shears. Is that a special cutter that cuts the tags in that shape? If it is where can I get one, they're great.
ReplyDeleteJust like everyone else says we do read but don't always comment and I like to punch too! I hate wrapping so next year I'll bring mine to you for your wrapping service. Your story about your Nan brings happy memories of my Nan she lived with us so every Christmas everyone came to us. My Mum had 6 brothers and sisters and we'd have a houseful of them their other halves 12 children!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to make tags from last year's cards. I love the tag shape and could play for hours punching them out!
ReplyDeleteYour Nan sounds lovely and must have added to the fun of Christmas.
Well, I'm still here Gina (though we have been away for a few days, so I may have been quiet). Wrapping the parcels is something I love to do too, and I have the same punch!
ReplyDeleteI am sure we are all still reading your blog Gina, blogger is so slow with responses I often don't have time to try! Love the story about your Nan. Cheers
ReplyDeleteI'm still here too, very rarely comment, but always read x
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas to you, and yours.
I've got a few of those punches (not the tag-shaped one, though, which looks great) but I find they hardly work at all or go blunt almost immediately. I've tried to sharpen them by cutting foil with them but that doesn't seem to work. Any tips?
ReplyDeleteNan's are the best and that is such a nice story. I think I need one of those punches.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I thought you'd meticulously cut each of the tags out by hand with those scissors but then I had another lok and notoced the clever punch machine thingy. I want one!
ReplyDeleteHappy christmas Gina!
Jess x
That's a great idea for tags. YOur Na sounds a very special lady. My memory of Christmas at my Nan's house was of the big front room decorated up with all sorts of paper garlands , a lovely fire roaring up the chimney and Nan's pickled onions. Nan was a great one for making jams chutneys and pickles!
ReplyDeleteGina, I find it hard to keep up with you on a daily basis and love reading two or three days together and leaving my comment. Your Nan sounds like a character. My great aunt used to tie her parcels with black cotton and you never knew who had got what until it all unravelled. I think we make more effort with gift choosing and wrapping these days! Lovely tags. Package up what you have left over and stock up early for those Christmas craft fairs in 2013.
ReplyDeleteNow that is a fantastic punch - I've never seen one like it, but I want one!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the inspiration Gina. I have bought the punch and am all set to go!
ReplyDeleteWe ARE here, just busy. I took a week offline and I've only just read this, and the other 9 I missed as you published them.
ReplyDelete