I guess it’s the thought that counts

Hello, and welcome to the final 2024 installment of “Where Bloggers Live”. Today we’re talking about all things gifts!

Bettye thoughtfully sends us all reminders about the upcoming post, and she flung the door wide open on this topic by titling it:”Best Gift/Gifter/Received/Given.”

Considering the many directions this topic could take, I’ve found it difficult to narrow the field. Just like gift shopping.

Despite how much I love all the holiday falderol, I don’t really like the whole gifting thing.

Too. much. pressure.

Occasionally, the right gift for the right person comes along, but rarely on the officially designated holiday timeline.

The tricky thing is that several in my gifting circle feel compelled to try to reflect their depth of feeling with an item purchased from a store…and we generally agree that representing a feeling with a thing is most often a “no can do!”

There are also one or two folks in the circle who are “get it dones.” They have something for everyone so everyone is remembered, the boxes are all checked even though the gifts might be a square peg jammed in a very round hole. One of those givers–and this is 100 percent true–gave out novelty toilet brushes to my brothers as their gift one year. And no, it wasn’t meant to be a joke gift.

There are also a few in that same circle who absolutely enjoy both the hunt and the receipt of gifts. Although they are polite when receiving, you can still tell if you got it wrong..or not right enough.

I could pretend I don’t occasionally relish receiving a gift or a surprise of some sort. I’ve certainly been the recipient of many thoughtful and lovely items. Some people are exceptional gift givers! Not that I haven’t occasionally found THE perfect gift for someone, or that I haven’t reveled in giving that kind of gift and especially enjoyed the recipient’s delight…but that doesn’t happen often enough… AND, once you’ve given THE perfect gift, it spoils the experience of giving less worthy mementos.

I’ve also tried making things for people…and then the horror of “second guessing” hits. Will it hold up? Will they like it? Will I, did I goof it up?

Years ago I painted hydrangea mailboxes for a few people as gifts. One was for a close friend and neighbor who had moved, and who had admired mine. They were away and I wanted to surprise them by replacing their mailbox and also made a matching door wreath to accompany it.

It never dawned on me that their new neighborhood had a Homeowners Association… with rules! To this day, I don’t know if my gift got them “in trouble” with the neighborhood. Further, I put their house number on the mailbox, and even though I’ve double and triple checked their new address many times, I still worry that I transposed the numbers…8838, 8388? The mailbox is now long gone…but I have continued over the years to refer to the photograph I took of the mailbox before I gave it…and although I’ve confirmed that the address on the box was correct…I STILL doubt it. WHO DOES THAT?!!!

Last year, I had sets of coasters made of Crystal Beach Park locations for close family and friends who also loved the park. Unfortunately, I had the idea a little too close to Christmas, and when I opened the box from the printer, I was overwhelmed by the smell of the printer’s ink.

Nothing says “Merry Christmas” like a reeky gift!

That’s me… Miss Reeky Gift Giver!

Okay, not ALL my gifts have been reeky… but I do feel a lot of pressure when it comes to gift giving.

I would MUCH rather throw a fun Christmas celebration and offer great food, warm hospitality and shared experiences as our gift to all!

Sincerely, thank you for the gift of time you offer by visiting and reading. For whatever days you celebrate and in whatever ways you do, I wish you much joy and happiness this holiday season…and a healthy. happy 2025 to you and all you love.

Kindly visit these festive blogging buds to see how they took on Bettye’s thought-provoking topic:

Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Leslie at Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After
Sally at Within a World of My Own  
Iris at Iris’ Original Ramblings
Bettye at Fashion Schlub
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style 

Welcome to “Where Bloggers Live.” It’s kind of like HGTV’s “Celebrities at Home,” but…Bloggers! 
Who doesn’t like to peek behind the scenes and see inside people’s homes? 
The second Friday of each month is when this group of seven bloggers link up to share their workspaces, 
homes, towns… or whatever our fearless leader, the fabulous Bettye, proposes.
Make sure you visit everyone to see where the magic happens!