The other night with the group of women here one of the ladies commented on the stack of presents I had arranged under the window in the dining room. (They were just stacked there, because I don't have a tree up to put them under.) She said she liked the old fashion paper I had used and the fact that I did not have bows on the packages.
I explained that all the presents had to be packed in the car to carry with us to Amarillo for the holidays and bows always just got smashed or knocked off. So I had learned they were a waste of time when they had to travel.
She went on to explain that in her family they never put bows on presents, but that her husband's family always had the fancy paper and fancy bows on theirs. She said she wasn't used to all the paper and bow fuss even after 30 years, but she was getting better at it.
That go me to thinking about Christmases past. I've done packages many ways. Some years the bows were more important than the present in the package. I spent hours making fancy ribbon bows in colors to co ordinate with the paper. Other years I have just wrapped the present and stuck a tacky star bow on them. The past few years since we travel with presents *across the river and through the woods* to the grandchildrens' house I've gotten away from bows entirely.
How about you? Do you use bows? Do you make your own or buy them? Are your presents all color coordinated with ribbons and bows? Or is the pile under your tree a menagerie of paper, star bows, pretty shiny paper with pretty ribbons and the every popular Christmas bags with tissue poking out the top?
Post script about Rudy. Today Rudy visited the school. It was good to see him up and about, but it broke my heart to hear the report that was given after he left. He will be receiving radiation and chemo treatment. The cancer is advanced, the prognosis not good. Please continue to pray for him and his family. They are people of strong faith who know that God will answer their prayer how He knows it should be answered.
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11 months ago
6 comments:
I didn't use to care about the bow thing...but now the packages don't look right to me without bows. But I only use those cheap bows that come in big bags. No homemade bows for me, one of the things besides knitting that I have no knack for.
Our Christmas tree has a wide range of packaging under it. Gift bags, fancy paper, cheap old paper, some bows, some rather smashed bows, usually a shopping bag from somewhere (Starbucks figures hugely in that particular gift category).
This year our presents will have red paper, because I bought a HUGE roll of paper at Costco, reversible paper with red on both sides, and the kids picked a red background with reindeer and another with red and white stripes. No purposeful coordinating, just the way it happened.
I am sorry the prognosis isn't more encouraging for Rudy. I hope their faith carries them through, no matter what happens in the end.
No bows and cheap paper at our house. It all ends in the trash anyway.
We must keep the faith for Rudy. It is so sad when child get so sick. It just isn't right. They are so young. They haven't even lived life yet. I do pray that God gives him and his family the strength for whatever HE decides.
I've never really done the bow thing. I think they're pretty, but sometimes ribbon and bows just get in the way while unwrapping! :)
I am sorry to hear about Rudy. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.
I used to coordinate my wrapping paper to my tree theme. I've never used bows because a)you can't stack them under the tree without them getting smashed and/or getting knocked off and b)I never was creative enough to make them look really good.
This year I'm using up all the odds and ends Christmas paper I've had left over from years past.
Well, since I learned my bow philosphy from you, I do the same! I've done brown paper and fancy handmade bows, cute paper no bows, cute paper with star bows, gift bags... this year, like N'ida, I'm using left-over paper and loading it in the car for the Panhandle.
I'm so sorry to hear the news isn't better for Rudy and his family. I will continue to pray for God's Peace to be with the family...
never been much of a bow person myself. Every once in a while I'll put a bow on other presents, but not usually on Christmas presents-bows are not real stackable. I too used left over paper this year from years past. Still have more for next year :).
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