Wrap Story: Breakfast Surprise

This Wrap Story is part of a mini-series, documenting every present I’ve wrapped since the launch of The Gifted Blog. Click here for the whole series!

When I started to collect stories for Gifted, I made a commitment to document every gift I wrap (thanks for the idea, Lisa!). So far, so good. So even though this particular Wrap Story is a little cheesy, I am including it anyway.

G. and I celebrated our second anniversary recently, and, as usual, I was scrambling a bit to figure out how to wrap his presents. I don't really know how to explain the gifts I got him, so maybe I will just show you:





The gifts are a pair of his-and-hers Japanese back scrubbing cloths*, a box of Pocky and a box of green tea-flavored cookies. While we were staying at my grandparents' in the Bay Area a few weeks back, we used the back scrubbing cloth they had in the guest bathroom. It was amazing! It's a long, skinny rectangle of abrasive nylon material, and it exfoliates like nothing else. G. had commented on how awesome it was so I really wanted to track one down for him (and for me, hee hee). The Pocky and cookies were just for fun.

I can't remember how the inspiration struck, but I got the idea to put the gifts in a cereal box. Before I married G., I had cereal maybe once a week. But after we got married, it was on the table every morning. And not just one box, but two different kinds at the very least. I had a friend in high school who ate cereal as a snack. Weirdo, I would think. And now? I am that weirdo.

But I digress...

My wrapping jobs for G. are usually more of the quick-and-dirty variety, so I put the gifts in the box without any tissue paper or anything. I did, however, customize the box:



Cheesy, see? Good thing G. has the graciousness to appreciate my sense of humor. [Side note: I realized later it would have been even more awesome with our heads on the box instead of the models'.] I was further tickled by realizing I could put the box out with the rest of the breakfast stuff the morning of our anniversary. Which is exactly what I did.

On opening the box, Greg, expecting cinnamony goodness, was like, "What the...?" He laughed when he realized it was his present. He laughed again when I took a closer look and realized what the cookies are called:



He then confessed that when he opened his present his first thought was, "Dang it, we're out of Life!" Luckily, we had a back up box.

* Text on the more masculine-looking package reads: "CURE series - Today, also my skin is healthy and smooth. Continual use makes me beautiful everyday."

Wrap Story: A Package for S & W

This Wrap Story is part of a mini-series, documenting every present I’ve wrapped since the launch of The Gifted Blog. Click here for the whole series!

Greg's cousin S. (at right) was married to W. in the spring of 2008 in Monrovia Canyon Park. S. and W.'s story is a unique one - their wedding united not only themselves, but nine children total from previous marriages. It takes a special commitment to blend families like that! It was fitting that the wedding itself was unconventional. The ceremony was held in a small cabin, and the reception was a was in a friend's backyard afterward, catered by the In-n-Out truck!

The couple was registered at Sur la Table, so we went in with Greg's parents to get them a joint gift. We settled on a steak knife set and a bright oilcloth tablecloth, thinking they might be able to use both for an outdoor meal.



The tablecloth was so pretty that I decided to use it to wrap the knife set. It took a few tries to get the knife box positioned in the right place. Since the tablecloth material was stiff, I wrapped a band of kraft paper around the middle to keep the ends in place and tied a bright blue ribbon around the package. A little polka-dot card in a glassine envelope finished it off.



I was afraid it would look a little out of place amongst the other gifts, but knowing a little of S. and W.'s story made me feel more comfortable with playing around. In the end I think it made for a festive and untraditional-looking wedding present!

This idea could be used in other circumstances - wrapping a blanket around a baby's gift, for example. Is this something you've tried? Let me know in the comments!

Gifted: An Introduction

Sometimes, when you really get to thinking, you can be surprised by what brings you pleasure. I became a mom last year, and it has given me some time to think about what I truly enjoy. I always knew I liked making things. And more specifically, I like making things that are functional. Beautiful things that serve a purpose.

With the current popularity of handmade goods and Etsy, was it time to take 'making things' seriously? It seems like a crafter's ultimate goal these days is to not just make things, but sell them, too. There is definitely a thrill in seeing the work of your hands being enjoyed by people you don't even know, making its own small difference in the world.

I don't think I am cut out to be a full-time entrepreneur, but I had the idea to start a line of gift wrap. Why gift wrap? I love how the commonplace task of gift wrapping can become an opportunity for creativity. In our lives, how often are we called upon to paint a canvas? But occasions for gift-giving crop up regularly, and with them, the need to wrap the gift. I love the spontaneous creative energy that is generated by solving the small but important problem of concealing the gift, creating anticipation before the recipient unveils their present. Whether this vision will become reality remains to be seen. I am starting this blog with the hope of starting small. With any luck a line of gift wrap called Gifted may emerge!

For now, I hope to share ideas and to play around, to see what comes of this. I hope to relate with you, whether you love paper like me or are sitting, stumped, about to make your first gift-wrapping attempt. Welcome to The Gifted Blog!