Saturday, November 24, 2012

Dear Santa Claus...

Have I been a good girl this year?

Well, I have tried...



It is fun to make our lists for Santa.  Santa typically needs some help. 

Our first Christmas together, we did not have much money.  I picked out a lovely little pink jewellry box that cost $25 (that seemed like the moon then) and Barry, for my surprise, bought me a wooden recipe box.  This did not go over well, as I was quite sure he had mixed me up in his head with his mother!  We went out on the 27th and he purchased a little necklace for me instead....That was 1985, we had both finished our first university degrees and we were living very far away from our families in Regina Saskatchewan in a wee little furnished basement apartment while Barry trained as a police officer.  We had a nice time, but we felt quite lonely for our families that Christmas.  I have always been grateful since then to be near my family and though my dad is gone, I am lucky to have my sister living right across the river from where we are.

I am not a practical Christmas person.  Do not give me a blender or tell me that we will share the cost of a new dishwasher and that will be my "gift".   I do not care whether my gifts are expensive; i like to open little baubles and trinkets and though I make a list to help him so that i don't get another wooden recipe box, I do like a surprise or two.

So Santa, what would I like to see under the tree this year?

Books!

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust

Ina Garten has a new cookbook out this year and I can't wait to cook out of it!

The Things That Matter

Nate Berkus has a new book out as well, and I am intrigued by the theme of this book - whether or not your home tells the story of who you are.  I like to think mine does, but I love to read books like this!

I dream of having a little special shed in the backyard, so would love to get this book as well:

 Stylish Sheds And Elegant Hideaways: Big Ideas For Small Backyard Destinations

Maybe I should be giving this to Barry instead?  There are plans....

My music boyfriend has a new concert DVD out that will remind me of the amazing time I had seeing him in Boston - need to have that one for sure!

Coldplay: Live 2012

Oh, I will need some fashion books to peruse as well:

Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet

I love Tim!  Sure to be fun to curl up with...

How about Grace Coddington's Memoir?  This one will be amazing, I bet:

Grace: A Memoir

Or how about Hal Rubinstein's 100 unforgettable dresses:

100 Unforgettable Dresses

I have already helped Santa by ordering these beauties:


Collection Nora calf hair ballet flats
Collection Nora calf hair ballet flats.  Get yours here.
 Other things that would be nice?  Oh a bauble or two would be nice...

I would love a nice piece of garnet earrings or a bracelet.  It will be my 50th in January and garnet is the january stone.....

Anything about gardening or flowers would be divine.  Or Paris...Complete surprises are wonderful!

Oh, i am not so complicated Santa!  But please - do not forget the chocolate orange in my sock....


And while you are at it, how about some peace on earth, goodwill towards all and health and happiness for family, friends, and beloved blog friends?  That would be swell!


23 comments:

  1. We've all gone mad for Santa!
    Hubs always has to have a chocolate orange at Christmas, that's my mum's yearly gift to him. One year my dad bought mum a set of Carmen rollers - phew - mum hit the roof - I think dad and I had toast and beans that year. She doesn't hold back, she was over today and told hubs " you look like a tramp, tidy yourself up for Gods sake" He has 'very nice" parents who nver criticise, mum's been quite a shock to him!

    Oh some of those sheds are stunning, I flicked through it a few weeks ago, they are absolute idylls.

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    1. T, your mom sounds like a riot!

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    2. Rose don't you love Tabs' Mum more all the time?

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    3. Tabs - I think your mum sounds just like my grandmother! Chocolate oranges are divine..

      Is your husband a good gift giver?

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  2. WMM love your label! So agree!
    Chocolate oranges are regulars in our house too, we all have stockings even my son's girlfriend, mostly I fill them with sweets and maybe a pair of socks or small bauble for the girls.
    Garnets would be gorgeous on you. I have a garnet ring from Prague that MrBP bought me when we were there in 2008, it is very dramatic looking, a heart shape!
    Your book picks are amazing, I want to read them all too.

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    1. Try some wind-up toys in the socks, top - always a hit- we have a whole basket full of the now!

      I want to read these books, too! I am thinking of doing a wee sock for the girlfriend, too!

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  3. Haha! I just got a blender from my friends for my new place. But I'm not complaining... This baby can blend anything! It's a Blentec.

    WMM, your list looks very sensible... And helping Santa is always a good idea. ;)

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    1. Rose, in my opinion, a blender from friends is a good and honourable gift, since they will be expecting you to make them frosty cocktails... I will have to look up blended, my cuisinart is wretched!

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  4. Darn iPad! It's called BlendTec and it is sold at Costco. Makes really great smoothies with just frozen fruit and yogurt. It even grinds coffee, and as friend's hubs insisted on showing me (on a YouTube video), even an iPad!

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  5. I was just thinking I didn't know what I wanted for Christmas but you have supplied me with a complete list - I love the sound of Grace Coddington, a sensible and talented person who has stayed true to loving design and not celebrity.

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    1. I know! Grace is such a heroine to me and I can always tell which stories she has styled. She is such a creative brilliant woman!

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  6. WMM - for our first Christmas my husband went back to Canada to see his family (we were living in Germany and were quite a new couple at the time). He left behind a huge wrapped parcel for me - I was quite excited, I was sure it would be one of those deals where you unwrap a large parcel to find another one and so on .... It was a fondue set. I was quite disappointed, but he explained it by saying it was something we could use together, and we still have it - I guess that's romantic. However, since then I always have input! Garnets are beautiful, I hope you get some for your 50th!

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    1. Patricia! Too funny! Before Barry I dated a fellow who gave me a massive present for our last Christmas, I was so excited to open it, imagining it was something amazing. It was a golf umbrella, opened wide! A golf umbrella (I needed an umbrella at the time). Like I said - last Christmas together....

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  7. Wooden recipe box! Seriously, what goes through their heads-- you'd pay to know. Cute though. And the golf umbrella...wow.

    Ina is on my list, although this messes up the prior index to the other 6 volumes. NOT for Mr Lane to give me though.

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    1. Too funny! Ina is a whiz - I rely on her for so much! Even just talking about her makes me think it is time to make her chicken/artichoke pot pies..... hmmmm....

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  8. LOVE IT & LIST IT Oh WMM, I forgot all about your lovely music boyfriend. When we first got together, the DH and I used to exchange CDs or even old-school vinyl every Christmas, which left us with quite a fun little collection. Now that it is Ipod downloads/ Itunes cards with lists, not quite same (the CDs were often disguised as something else)although he will still occasionally make me a playlist. The 21st century version of a mix tape I guess.
    Although I like dark chocolate and orange zest, marmalade etc. the one thing I never want in my Xmas stocking is a traditional store-bought choc. orange. Not sure why? I do always send one to my FIL tho' along with lots of Canada-only treats.
    BTW, you have me wanting to move out of Grey Cup central to somewhere with a SHED! Off to Lincoln soon...

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    1. Too funny! I bet it is noisy outside your condo!

      I know what you mean about music; isn't the same getting an iTunes card!

      Let me know about Lincoln!

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  9. Great choices! Where are those earrings from? I'm a January (Garnet) baby!

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    1. Hi TC! I think I just googled and that was the image that came up! They are lovely though, aren't they? When is your BD? I am the 14th of January!

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  11. Great choices. I picked up Ina's book at Costco a few weeks ago and handed to my husband to wrap up. I love her books-the recipes never fail. I think my 50th is exactly 6 months after yours. No long after I met my husband, my FiL bought my MiL an appliance for Christmas and she was thrilled. I pulled my husband aside and told him under no circumstances does anything that needs to be plugged into an outlet qualify as a gift. It is an annual joke that a new vacuum will be under the tree. I generally reply that he has his choice of 2 back yard sheds to move into if that is the gift I open.

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    1. Too funny Julie! It is not a generational thing; my father was the world's worst shopper and my mother had many a miserable christmas until we got old enough to take the old man out and put the crowbar in his wallet. After that, she had many wonderful surprises and Christmas was SOOOOO much better!!! I realized it is 50 days till my 50th! Uh oh! :-) How are the feet?

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