12 Days of Christmas - Day 10 - Gift Bags

Ok, I feel I must address this before we get started here today. 

I'm really sorry, but I'm afraid of the mass hysteria that might ensue and I figure I should just head it off and get it out of the way.

In the upcoming pictures you will see......my kitchen countertops.

And I KNOW, there will be many of you feeling the little green eyed monster creeping up on you.  It's ok...I understand.  It happens to everyone.  Don't feel bad.

I mean...it's not everyday you can behold the beautifulness of my faux wood grained laminate countertops. 

The only suggestions I have for you, is, you might be able to scrounge up the few remaining luxurious countertops out there from the dump high end salvage yards.

Good luck on your hunt!!! ;)

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Ok, now onto gift bags.

I KNOW I said I wasn't giving my coworkers anything again this year.  But I had to.  It's been a year of change around here, some ups and downs, so I DID make my donation to the homeless shelter, but I also made the Sandie cookies, I posted about yesterday, for each of my coworkers.

Not many...I mean, I wouldn't want to be accused of adding to their caloric intake during the holidays! ;) 

But I put some in a baggie for each of them.  And I put them into the small brown lunch sacks.  But I decided to decorate them to make them a bit more special. 

I folded down the top layer of the bag to meet the bottom fold (when it's closed).  Then I cut scrap pieces of scrapbook paper to that size.

Then I glued a piece of paper to the folded down top of each bag.

After that dried, I cut along the edge with my fancy scissors (I cannot for the life of me remember what these things are called). :)

Then, I punched two holes for me to put ribbon through.

After that, I tied some ribbon (all of which were crooked, but at 12:30 in the morning, you stop caring).

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, one of these bags I decorated the front with paper, the rest I decorated the front with stamps.  I will be honest, my favorite is the one decorated with paper, but I was tired and had lost all steam.  So, stamps were quick. :)

I also printed this years poem (which I didn't get pictures of) and tied them to each bag.

I'm sure you feel as I do, a poem of this kind of quality and depth will be read for decades to come.

In lieu of gifts again this year

Jessica and I are spreading cheer

For my daughter I want to plant a seed,

That giving to others, who are in need,

Is the greatest gift we can receive!

It fills our hearts to give to those with none,

So what her and I this Christmas have done

Is given a gift of to our favorite charity,

To help people who deal with all sorts of asperity.

We hope you’ll find our lack of personal gift giving,

As our outpouring of thanksgiving.

To our God who is so generous and forgiving!

 

In lieu of gifts again this year,

Jessica and I have made a donation to the Wheeler Mission.

And wouldn't you know....I got more compliments on my cute brown paper bags than I've EVER received on a gift I've given.  Such is life. ;)

Until next time....