My Favorite Things: Gifts I Gave

At the risk of sounding a tad saccharine, I believe that gift giving can bring just as much, if not more, joy to the giver than the receiver.  The gifts we give send a message to the recipient, and I love showing friends, family, and sometimes strangers that I care about them, their interests, and what's going on in their lives.  And sometimes, it's just fun to make something shiny to make them go, "Ooooh, how did you do that?!"  ;]

Hence, for Day 2 of my "Week of Favorites" Countdowns, I present to you (get it? present. Ha!):

'Tis So Much Better to Give Than Receive -

Sarah's Top Five Gifts Given in 2011

5. Sparkly cookies.  Because who doesn't love glittery anything, really?  Especially glittery cookies that look like little butts.  I brought dozens to each holiday celebration I attended, and folks told me they were delicious.  Which is probably true.  That, or they were hypnotized by all the sparkle.

4. A cover for Ben's mom's NOOK.  She acquired the ereader Thanksgiving weekend, and did not have a case yet.  Sarah + her sewing machine to the rescue!  I followed a process very similar to the instructions in this tutorial, with a few minor adjustments (e.g. I figured the dimensions for a NOOK Simple Touch, used a strip of elastic rather than velcro, and I chose to have the device slide in from the top rather than the side).  There were a few minor snafus—my machine's timing is off now, so I had to finish by hand, and that elastic was a wily rascal!  All things considered, I think it's pretty cute, and I'm sure that NOOK is safe + snug!     

 

3. Saffy the Giraffe for my niece, Maude.  The moment I laid my eyes on The Simply Small Series of books, I knew what I was giving Maude for Christmas: a copy of the first Saffy book, and a handmade, stuffed Saffy the Giraffe.  I don't have a photo of the finished Saffy to share, but I'm pretty sure my niece approved.  The moment Maude laid her eyes on the giraffe,

Saffy went directly into her mouth. :D

 2. I sent a t-shirt to my adorable cousin.  The back story: a few years ago, when I was going through a tough time, a dear friend sent me a little care package that included an Angry Little Girls t-shirt.  That t-shirt did me a world of good.  Full of cheek and cartoonish anger, it literally made me laugh and smile each time I saw it in my dresser.  The shirt also helped me feel loved and supported; it became a symbol of my recovery.  A visual reminder that everything will be ok.  Fast forward to a more recent time when my cousin was going through a tough time of her own, and I knew what I had to do.  The t-shirt had served its purpose with me, and now it was time to spread a little cheer to someone else in need.  I love gifts that keep giving.  :D

1. 2011 marked my mom's 60th birthday.  Since that's kind of a big deal, I wanted to do something extra nice for her.  My mom freaking loves all things Disney, and hadn't visited The Land since 1994 (California Adventure didn't even exist!).  Again, I knew what I had to do.  In retrospect, what I didn't have to do was ride Splash Mountain in 58° weather.  But, the smile on my mom's face was definitely worth it.  :] 

Mary Blair concept art for Alice in Wonderland; Mom + me after Splash Mountain*

What was your favorite gift you gave this year?

Also!  Reminder that Janet is still giving away $ in the name of your simple Acts of Goodwill!  Jump on over there + tell her about all the elfin' you've been up to during this season of giving!  ♥

*photo credit for Splash Mountain aftermath: my wonderful friend, Valerie Rangel,
who also helped make the Disneyland trip for my mom possible.