Ahh... the holidays

This time of year combines two of my passions; ambitious crafting and thoughtful gift-giving.

I can't remember where I heard it said, (please insert your version of Dear Abby's voice now) "The perfect gift is one that you know the receiver will enjoy, but they would never buy for themselves"

I'd like to share a personal story now. Years ago, I received an Exotic Fruit-of-the-Month membership. The giver of this gift knew that I liked fruit and certainly knew that no human being on the face of the earth would ever buy them self a fruit membership. With the formula for a perfect gift in place, what could go wrong?

The membership enticed with promises of fresh fruits harvested at the height of their seasonal perfection. Shipped from the far corners of the globe (i always imagined on a tramp steamer), directly to your door. Forbidden fruits from foreign lands.

Often was the case that more exotic fruits would be unavailable in a particular month due to flood or drought. Such unfortunate events would occur and the slightly less-sexy Ruby Red Grapefruit would replace the exotic Mango.

Grapefruit? Seriously? This is it? 15 lbs. of grapefruit was the best you could do to replace perfectly ripe Comice pears? You couldn't dig up a Starfruit? Heck, I'd settle for a decent Kiwi.

To add insult to injury, I would arrive home to discover a delivery notice on my door. We attempted to deliver a parcel. blah blah blah. I'd drive to the post office with an eager pessimism. Maybe there would be Pomegranates? The double doors from the back room would swing open and the front end of a rolling cart would emerge. My heart would sink. 15 lbs. of Florida Grapefruit.

Let me say, it was by no fault of the giver, that the formula failed. If Mother Nature hadn't stepped in to direct this fruit folly, it may well have been a wonderful surprise.

That brings us to the moral of the story. There is only one "perfect gift". The one that comes from your heart and is given with kindness.

It's the First Night of Christmas, so I thought I'd leave you with this lovely little card. xoxo- jenni

Partridge in a Pear Shaped Tree by Avenue Handmade