But Wait: There's More!

Several of our swappers received their packages already and were THRILLED with their haul.

This is some of what {Bev} sent Jenni. 

Jenni's first baby "girl" is her dog Whitney,

so those {dog biscuits} were greatly appreciated.

And here's some more from {Bev's} state, Washington. 

I think it's always great to get stuff that's from your swapees area. 

I'd really really REALLY like to show more  of the awesome stuff from the photos the rest of you emailed me but much to my fucking frustration (there has been much inward and outward swearing around the Gregarious household computer), I haven't been able to save the pictures in order to blog them.  I have a serious love/hate relationship with Picasa.  {Laura}, my darling, and her fantastic husband {Dave} are attempting to help me with this problem.  Despite having a blog, I am a well-documented technotard.  I apologize to the other swappers and hope to get the pictures up soon!

::Michele:  I have not received your emailed pictures,

so can you send them again?::

If Anyone Wants to Buy Me a Gift...

I would love one of {these}.  And I don't even really drink.

available {here}

  

Nice Booty!

Today's the day that all the swapees should have gotten their booty in the mail so I don't feel too bad showing 2 of them (SPOILER ALERT FOR JENNI'S SWAP PARTNER).  Hopefully, y'all will be sending me your pics of the stuff you got/sent this week so I can keep posting them!

I said it before, but I had so much fun putting together or making all my swap stuff!  I really hope everyone else did too.  Just like during the gift-giving holidays, I often forgot that I would be getting something in the mail too.  The choosing and the sending were that fun.

So here's the stuff I sent to my swap partner, {Mamacita}, all wrapped up
(click the picture to see all the goodies close-up):

I love all the snowflake stuff out right now and cool blue is so pretty, I think. 

(Here's a "secret" about me: If you {packaged poop} in a pretty way, I'd be impressed.  Ask my husband:  I can often be heard saying, "but I love the packaging!" about the stupidest crap.

Who cares what's inside?  Well...not crap, but.....)

So, after shopping ({Crate and Barrel sale}--holla!) and baking (granola, cookies) and making (homemade chocolate marshmallows, hot chocolate on a stick) , I packaged everything up all pretty.  I also thought it would be cool to include a touch of where I live.The card in front has a recipe for {Moravian Sugar Cake} (which I did not make for the swap because it gets stale fairly quickly) because {Bethlehem, PA} was settled by Moravians eons ago and I added a Moravian star origami thingy to hang somewhere in Mamacita's home.  

While the Moravians were NOT known for {Origami}, (shocking, I know) they were known for these {stars} that are {mucho dinero} and made, usually, of glass.  

I love {Mamacita} but not that much (ch-ching!).

Anyway, I hope she enjoyed her goodies!   If I get her for another swap, I'll be sure to send {alcohol}.

Here's a picture of Jenni's swap, ready to be packaged up:

Jenni is known around our office as The Go-To Woman for anything crafty.  She knits, she crochets, she sews amazing {Mad Men-esque dresses} and today she tormented me and our office with delicious-looking {Buckeyes} she made (blast this weight watchers regimen!!).

Jenni's swap included some of those great crafts.  She managed to whip up some eco-friendly produce bags from some groovy retro fabric, make some washable washcloths and bake some treats.  All this while preparing for her very first baby to arrive (a girl!  YAY!).   

Baby Julianna is going to be one lucky little girl with all the outfits, {amigurumi} and other amazing handmade things she gets from her mommy.

Stay tuned for more swappy goodness!

I Know This Makes Me a Little Nuts, but I Love It

{Custom-colored Sprinkles} you can make

Swap Deadline Looms.... :o)

If you signed up (click on the post title for the list of swapees)

for the Winter Gastronomy Swap (I still hate the name),

then remember that all packages should be in the mail no later than

Monday, January 11.

I have had so much fun buying, making and wrapping! 

And I love that it's after all the holiday hubbub

so there's no pressure (and there are sales!!!!).

I hope you all have been having fun.

Remember to take pictures and send them to me

or post them on your blog and let me know

so I can link up to them!

Here's a hint about one of the things I made:

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....................................

An Example of One of My GRE Answers

which is why my masters will be in Student Affairs Administration and not, say, Mathematics.

And a Very Jewish Christmas to All!

Continuing our own traditions throughout the year is something that makes me feel good every single time.  Lighting the menorrah each Hanukkah and sending the kids on a treasure hunt for their gifts, baking up a batch of chocolate matzah buttercrunch for Passover, and making some form of fondue (even if it's clumpy) for New Year's Eve...all these traditions are looked forward to and taken for granted that they will happen by the kids and carried on with pleasure by me and HH. 

We've even got traditions for the big holiday we don't celebrate.  You know the one because right now YOU are probably knee-deep in it.  As for us, we've completed 4 of the 5 steps in our Jewish Christmas tradition.

1. 
   
     Last night, on Jewish Christmas Eve, we went out to eat; usually, it is to a diner because everything else is usually too packed with Christmas-celebrators.  But this year we went to a new Mexican restaurant down the street and, I think, a new tradition may have been born.  Not to go this restaurant every year, but the tradition of Mom drinking a Christmas margarita!  It was worthy of carrying on for years to come!
   
   
2. 
   
   Then a horror movie was watched.  This year's Bio Zombie was deemed "boring" by The Girl.  Some traditions are not without sacrifice.
   
   
3. 
   
   Sleeping late today was a must.  No worries about getting up first to see the gifts under the tree. There are no gifts and the only tree is a ficus. 
   
   
4. 
   
   Another movie, this one at a theater.  Sherlock Holmes.  Brilliant!  It had almost all the elements I enjoy in a movie--fabulous scenery and costumes, snappy dialogue, smart and easy-on-the-eyes lead actors and the tease of a sequel.  *8 thumbs-up!
   
   
5. 
   
   And in a few minutes we'll leave for a Jewish Christmas dinner--for many years it was Chinese food in Chinatown.  But this year I was the only one who wanted to go so  we're going to the new Carnegie Deli located in our town's casino.  Classy!  My guess is we'll be the only actual Jews there but I'm looking forward to a 5-pound sandwich and some people-watching (I'm betting--get it?!-- on seeing a LOT of ugly Christmas sweater/wind suit combinations).  Ah, tradition...

*editted later: I was just reflecting on Robert Downey's performance and Jude Law's twinkly eyes while trying to fall asleep and I just remembered that one thing bothered me about the movie--watch carefully when you see it: all the magic/evil/witchcrafty stuff has HEBREW LETTERING on it!  WHY?  I must investigate.  If this is a "we hate the jews" subplot I will be so disappointed.  Not to mention upset that my Jewish Christmas was perhaps ruined.  OY.