Christmas Shopping Status

Well, I feel like I'm doing pretty well this year though some days are going pretty quick. I have most of my actual shopping done for gifts that are store bought. Just one or two people left and I know exactly what to get and where to get it, I just gotta get my fanny out the door. Everything else is sitting in a little pile in a corner in my room waiting to be wrapped or is enroute (or better be) to me and should arrive soon. The joys of online shopping.

The things that are left are the time consuming homemade gifts. The gifts that every year as I start to make I think, why do I do this to myself. This year isn't that bad, actually. I've toned it down a little. I realize that in giving homemade gifts that there is a little selfishness going on. As you know I read lots of craft blogs and tutorials are my favorite. I always want to try them all, but never for myself. Even though I would love to have any of the things. No, for me they all have to end up as gifts. So I think of who would like said homemade goodness and set forth to make it. That's my motivation to actually do it. I really want to try all the tutorials, but if it's not gonna be a gift it will never get done.

Like I said this year it's been toned down a bit. I even abandoned a project half way through I was really looking forward to doing because the expense was becoming more than I wanted for the little project. Usually that doesn't deter me, but I only had a day to finish and the thought of going to Walmart for the fifth or sixth time for this project was enough. I'll come back to it again someday and go about it a lot better. Most everyone is still getting some form of homemade present but only a few will have that be their main gift, the rest it's just a fun little addition.

I was hoping this last weekend I would get most done, but distractions got the better of me and although I got one major gift done, there are still three or four more to go. They aren't big but like most of my projects they are time consuming. It always amazes me how much time it takes to finish some things.

I plan on photographing all my projects and I'll post the pictures after Christmas. Mainly for my own documentation but for the conceited side of me I do love the praise which inevitably follows. Isn't that such a conceited thing to say. I actually would find it refreshing if someone told me they didn't like what I made just to keep me in check. And it could very well happen this year. I'm being a little risky on a couple gifts, not sure whether they will be liked. Crossing my fingers. But really you always take that risk when giving gifts unless you get exactly what was asked for. One of my friends is getting just that. I very rarely ask for ideas but this year I did because sometimes people deserve to get exactly what they want even if it isn't the most exciting gift to give and probably won't be remembered. That person will be happy which will make me happy.

Then on to the dreaded wrapping.