My Favorite Things 2008

For the last four years, my sister Judy and my daughter Leslie and I have stopped buying Christmas presents for each other. Instead, we exchange "My Favorite Things". The concept is that we have busy lives, don't get to stay in touch as much as we would like, but definately would like to share all the great things going on in our lives. So we decided that on Christmas, we would fill a shoe box with "our favorite things" to give to each other so we can share our favorite things with each other. The shoe box is actually esoteric, it can be a bag, a letter, a tape recording, whatever. It's what we put inside that is the gift; it's not about buying presents for each other, it's about sharing our lives with each other. So we prepare a box of our favorite things to give to each participant (same contents in each box) and our only "rule" is that what we put inside has to be our favorite new things of the year. We can choose to buy the favorite things to put in the box, or just write about them, or put something in the box that represents that favorite thing (like a web page, a ticket stub, an empty shopping bag). This present ends up being the best one we each get every year. We always stop and open the boxes together, talk and laugh and share about what is inside, and in the end, we get to know a little more about how each other's year went, share great recipes, events, finds, laughs, or any other favorite things that happened to us throughout year. So, I thought I would share with you what I put in my "Favorite Things' box this year. Victoria's Visit this Summer -- My niece Victoria visited for two weeks this summer as her HS Graduation trip. It was so much fun spending time with her and getting to know her better. I put a picture of the stamp set Victoria made me and a paragraph about how much fun we had together. New Fireplace and Pergo Floor -- DH updated our den by retiling our fireplace and putting in a hardwood pergo floor. I love it, it's gorgeous, and it's extra special because he did it himself! I included a picture of the work he did. Paper Fringer -- I bought a Paper Fringer to add to my paper crafting collection. I made some flowers for them with my fringer and put them in the box. Hosting SCS IC -- First time I ever got to host a challenge on SCS! I gave them the links to the challenges I hosted. Susan Paley vases -- I started a collection of Susan Paley Lady vases, I love them!!! The ladies have holes in their hats to hold flowers. I bought a couple of them and put them in my box of favorite things so Judy and Leslie could each have one. I usually get them off of eBay. Wallpaper -- Discovered how cool and cheap (free!) wallpaper is for card making. I made a trinket box and pillow box out of wallpaper for my sister and daughter to put in their boxes just to show them how cool it is to work with. See my blog entry below for pics! Ursi's Blog -- Came across a non-stamping blog that I LOVE and am addicted to. It's like a capsule of all the fun and coolest websites on the internet. I included the link for them to check out. My Blog -- Started a blog this year and it's been so much fun discovering the buzzillion other blogs there are out there. The virtual friends I've made are my favorite past time! I printed out a few pages from my blog to give to them and they are now the first ones in my family to know I have one! Mufalatas! -- I found a great olive salad in a jar that makes the yummiest mufaletas on the planet!! I bought a jar to put in my box to give to my sister and daughter. Frances and Dolores' Summer visit - my two cousins from NM visited this past summer and we had the best time with them. We went to all the thrift shops and dollar stores and to Canton Texas for the worlds largest outdoor flea market! While we were there I picked up a couple of the cutest little angel magnets -- I saved them to put into my Favorite Things box to give to my sister and daughter. We had so much fun with my cousins that I wanted them to have a memento of the fun time we had together this summer! Toby Mac "Portable Sounds" CD -- my favorite CD this year -- a Christian rapper, which is a first for me! I am usually way more "old fashioned" than this and have never really "warmed up" to rap music!! But I loved this CD and I gave sister and daughter each a copy of it. I highlighted "I Don't Want to Gain the Whole World and Lose My Soul" as my Favorite Song this year. My Favorite Shows were "House", "Private Practice" and Martha Stewart. I printed out a still from each of these shows to include in my box. And there you are, that was what was in My Favorite Things for 2008!!