As you might have noticed, things have been a bit slow over here at Manolo for the Big Girl. Never you fear! Francesca, Twistie and I are just taking it down a few notches as we enjoy time with friends and family at the end of the year. While in my case “enjoy time with friends” means “watch movies in bed with my dog” and I have no idea what Francesca is doing (although I suspect the appropriate answer is something like “shots of schnapps off the waxed chest of a 28 year old ski instructor in Gstaad. “) we will be back with a vengeance in the new year.
That being said, don’t think you’re completely rid of us. It’s still the most mercenary time of the year so
Francesca and Plumcake want to know
What present to you best illustrates the old saying “it’s better to give than to receive.”
Share your holiday warmth here!
Christmas fudge. I hate fudge. However, homemade toffee or caramels are most welcome.
Comment by Sara — December 27, 2007 @ 6:43 pm
Sara, I love you. I thought I was the only one who didn’t like fudge!
Comment by Style Spy — December 27, 2007 @ 11:39 pm
Just to get a little cheesy here (mmm, cheeeese) – this Xmas my Grandmother landed up in hospital, and I was the closest family member around. To be honest, I’d been dreading spending the holidays with her, and was doing so to help out my parents (she ‘s got a touch of the Lady Catherines, a la Pride & Prejudice). But once I found out what had happened, and drove like a bat out of hell to see her, my relief at finding out she was OK led to us having some genuinely pleasant time together. At the end of my stay, she thanked me for looking after her and said she wished it had been the other way around.
Comment by Margo — December 27, 2007 @ 11:42 pm
A short fleece Tinkerbell robe and matching pajama pants.
I’m nineteen and have despised all things Disney since childhood.
Comment by Kitty — December 28, 2007 @ 1:42 am
Since my husband & I recently moved overseas and shipping costs are outrageous, our families have been “gifting” us by helping to pay our bills and expenses. Cash is always welcome, but that means we ended up with exactly *one* present under the tree (we couldn’t even afford to buy anything for each other).
The package from my brother-in-law was conspicuously DVD-shaped, and since our cable was out (hooray) we were looking forward to at least having a new movie to watch on Christmas. We finally opened it to find not a movie, but a collection of classic TV spots…which we already owned.
Comment by B.S.A.G. — December 28, 2007 @ 9:16 am
Awww, I love Disney stuff! You could always put it on Ebay. :) I thought of fruit cake. I think because most people cringe at the thought of it. I actually like it.
Comment by Angel — December 28, 2007 @ 10:01 am
My mother, bless her soul, bought me a $75 motorized clothes drying rack you may have seen on late night infomercials. I’m trying to green up my life, and live in a tiny apartment – I’m perfectly fine with the $4 folding rack that lives most of the time in my closet. So, she’s returning it and we’re going to spend an afternoon at the outlet mall together instead. Win-Win!
Comment by Tk — December 28, 2007 @ 10:36 am
I once received a silver plastic violin.
Comment by JustJenny — December 28, 2007 @ 1:48 pm
Angel, my friend makes the world’s best fruitcake — soaked in rum and iced with tons of sugary icing. It’s definitely made me love fruitcake!
One year my aunt sent me a motorized coin sorter. Guess what got donated to Goodwill.
Comment by Orora — December 28, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
My mother gave me a very busy (almost Missoni-esque) sweater vest that she knit me for christmas this year. I do like the colors, and it is well made (but the fit and pattern are extremely unflattering on me–especially since I have a fairly large chest), and I appreciate the thought and the time it took her to make, but it is soooo not me. I don’t think I’ve ever worn a sweater vest in my life, and I’m not sure what gave her the impression I ever would. I was so shocked when I opened it that I don’t think I even managed to adequately fake liking it, and both of us ended up feeling pretty bad. And now it’s going to be taking up precious limited closet space, since it’s pretty difficult to justify giving away something your mom made you. (Even though the woman knits like a fiend and cranks out a new sweater every week, it seems.)
Comment by Laura — December 29, 2007 @ 3:12 am
My aunt gave me a lovely Lenox candle lamp thing…that my sister gave her last year. Of course, my sister got, from the same aunt, the lovely candle set that I gave my cousin last year…
Comment by Allura — December 29, 2007 @ 11:39 am
Kitty, you are a woman after my own heart. I do my best on all occasions to be polite, but I’d be hard-pressed when faced with Tinkerbell. Even as a child I longed to squish her.
I’m a lifelong teatotaller, so gifts of booze do me little good. Luckily, most people who know me well enough to send gifts also know me well enough to know it’s a waste to give me liquor…but if someone forgets that next year and sends good quality stuff, I’ll pass it on merrily to either Plumcake or Francesca, both of whom would get a lot more out of it.
Alas! I have long ago found someone to care for and consume that bottle of homemade limoncello some friends gave me a couple years ago, so my fellow big girls lose out on that one.
Comment by Twistie — December 29, 2007 @ 1:29 pm
Twistie, I feel your pain. I don’t drink, either, and every year I receive gifts of either alcohol (usually champagne) or alcohol-related accouterments (wine or martini glasses, a beautiful sake set, etc.) from well-meaning people who just aren’t aware or don’t remember that I have no use for such gifts. I just pass them along to friends or family who I know will enjoy them.
Comment by Cat — December 29, 2007 @ 6:37 pm
Never fear, ladies. Re-gifting is the greenest thing you can do during the holidays! Anyone who says they’ve never re-gifted is NOT telling the truth.
Happy New Year everyone!
Comment by Kim — December 29, 2007 @ 11:05 pm
I have a friend that received a present from her sister in law for her birthday – it was the free gift GWP that the SIL had received – that’s tacky!
My best one was the pots and pans that my late husband gave me….. I ask you… pots and pans? He said I wanted them – I said yes, but not for Christmas!
Happy New Year!
Comment by Susan — December 31, 2007 @ 10:48 am