Winners, Winners, Winners!!!
Okay…I drew Virginia’s name out of the hat to win the Christmas lights and flashy button and prizes. For the book and prizes CrystalGB, you have won. (Let me know which book you would like, too.) However, because it’s Christmas I pulled a few other names as well. Amy, Michele, Traveler and Kristi, you four have won a pack of Christmas Cards and Christie Craig pen (that for some reason cats seem to like a whole lot.) Anyway, please shoot me your snail mail addresses at christie @ christie-craig. Com (No spaces)
And… if you’d like to see an interview of yours truly go check out: http://www.enchantingreviews.com/2008/Interview_ChristieCraig
Oh, and Thursday, that’s tomorrow, Faye Hughes and I will be guest blogging over at: www.romancewritersrevenge.com And there will be prizes to be given away over there, too.
Okay…I drew Virginia’s name out of the hat to win the Christmas lights and flashy button and prizes. For the book and prizes CrystalGB, you have won. (Let me know which book you would like, too.) However, because it’s Christmas I pulled a few other names as well. Amy, Michele, Traveler and Kristi, you four have won a pack of Christmas Cards and Christie Craig pen (that for some reason cats seem to like a whole lot.) Anyway, please shoot me your snail mail addresses at christie @ christie-craig. Com (No spaces)
And… if you’d like to see an interview of yours truly go check out: http://www.enchantingreviews.com/2008/Interview_ChristieCraig
Oh, and Thursday, that’s tomorrow, Faye Hughes and I will be guest blogging over at: www.romancewritersrevenge.com And there will be prizes to be given away over there, too.
Quick note:
((Make sure you check back tomorrow to see if you won. Since this is a Christmas prize, I need to get the prize out ASAP. Thanks! CC))
We all do it . . . don’t we? Please, don’t start getting hoity toity on me and claiming you’ve never done it. I mean . . . let’s face it, we are all human.
What am I talking about? I’d give anything to know what’s running through all your minds right now. Wait . . . I can imagine what you’re thinking. But I’m not talking about that.
Or that other thing.
Oh, heck, I’m not talking about “THAT” either. I would never do that!
I’m talking about re-gifting. Don’t go playing goody-two-shoes on me. We all get gifts that . . . well, don’t suit us. And I mean, what kind of a person would just throw them away? Seriously, that would be a waste.
So we do the thing we don’t talk about, we re-gift. Here at the Craig house there are four different types of gifts than end up in my re-gift landmine. I actually keep them in different compartments. I go to my closet, and depending on the . . . loved one . . . I’m shopping for, I pick up the appropriate old suitcase. Below are the different types of re-gifts that commonly find their way into the Craig household.
1) The Near-Miss Gift
This is the gift that in all honesty is pretty neat. You know, that gift that you’d probably keep but . . . the truth be told, you know someone else who would just love it so much more. There are little things off with the gift, like the color or the size. You haven’t worn a size 6 blouse in seven years, but your mother-in-law doesn’t realize it. Other near-miss gifts are things like . . . that stuffed deer head that would be perfect for Uncle Bernie.
But seriously these are gifts that aren’t so bad . . . well, not so bad for someone else. And since you weren’t lucky enough to get a gift receipt, you’re like . . . stuck with it. Unless, you just happen to know someone who would . . . well, love it. Here’s an example: one time my neighbor gave me an antique pukish green jar for Christmas. The kind you would put on a kitchen counter. It was a nice jar, but my kitchen isn’t pukish green, but guess what? My mom’s kitchen is puckish green and holy moly she collects antique puke-colored jars. How perfect is that? I was even proud to give my mom the pukish green jar. I mean my mom’s comment when she opened the gift was . . . “Oh my gawd, how long did you look for this before you found it!”
2) The You-Shouldn’t-Have Gift
Normally, these gifts come from someone who knows you. People who claim to be close to you. People who just can’t wait for you to open it so they can see your expression of gratitude. And yet when you rip off the paper, the only thing you can think is. . . duh, what the hell were they thinking?
Like the time, some unnamed person, (wouldn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings) gave me a shirt with two different colored sleeves, this shirt also had a different colored front that was the shade of blue and the back was pink, and the collar was . . . purple. You’ve heard of the coat of many colors, well this was the shirt of many colors. Many…many colors. I mean . . . hadn’t the man been married to me for over 20 years? Had he ever, ever seen me wear a shirt with two different colored sleeves? I don’t even do big prints.
3) The What-Clearance-Rack-did-this-Come-off-of Gift
These are the gifts that, well, come with that red sticker on them, or at least with the sticky stuff that was left from the clearance sticker. A lot of times, these gifts also provoke the “What the Hell” expression, but it’s apparent that this well-chosen . . . piece of crap was purchased on some 75% off rack. Like a box of candy that expired last January or a fruit cake so old that it is now fermented. And you know better than to ask if they have a receipt.
4) The Already-Re-gifted Gift
Yup, this is the gift that without a doubt you know has done time in someone’s closest. It’s that Santa candle that didn’t hold up too well during those summer months. And what’s really bad is that you think you gave it to them last Christmas.
I once got a very nice book of poetry from a cousin. She went on and on of how she’d picked it out just for me because I was a writer. What my cousin didn’t realize is that someone had written her a very nice and personal note in the back of the book. Since then, I always check out gifts before they go into one of my old suitcases.
5) The Okay-This-is-Supposed-to-be a Joke Gift”
Personally, I love these gifts. You know me and laughter. And when I get something that makes me laugh, I can’t wait to give it to someone else. The problem is, if you break out laughing and it wasn’t meant to be funny. But other “Joke gifts” include things like the roll of “Organic” Green toilet paper with large print claiming it to be made from Poison Ivy leaves. Yes, these gifts are the perfect White Elephant gifts. Things like a nice framed leopard-printed thong that I got from a friend last year. Ugg? Has that thing been worn? Shhh. I’m re-gifting it this year at my annual white elephant gift party.
Another example is . . . last week’s Pooping Santa prize, or this week’s prize: the delightful light and sound button. You press the button, which sort of looks like an easy button gone wild, and it lights up and plays a bit of a famous song. It is the kind of thing that after someone hits it three or four times, you want to take it away from them and force feed it down their throats. But hey…it’s really cute and funny the first two or three times.
When I saw this at the Hallmark store (Yes, I love Hallmark and it wasn’t even on clearance) I knew I had to get it for a prize. It plays a very special song. This song was actually showcased in my book, Divorced, Desperate and Delicious. Chase and Lacy were rather occupied, really occupied, when this song played over Lacy’s sound system. Chase even joked with Lacy about never having done what he did while that song played.
Do you know the name of that song?
So . . . here’s what I’m doing. Everyone who guesses the name of the song will get their name in the hat for the “Light and Sound Button,” a pack of Christmas cards and a “silly” p
en. However, I will also be giving away a second prize package of: one of my books, a pack of note cards and a silly pen to anyone who is willing to share their own re-gift story. Either tell me about a gawd-awful gift you received, or tell me about one you re-gifted.
Come on, play along with me. If no one guesses, I’m gonna have to re-gift it next year. And remember the age-old adage that makes re-gifting okay: It’s the thought that counts.
Crime Scene Christie
((Make sure you check back tomorrow to see if you won. Since this is a Christmas prize, I need to get the prize out ASAP. Thanks! CC))
We all do it . . . don’t we? Please, don’t start getting hoity toity on me and claiming you’ve never done it. I mean . . . let’s face it, we are all human.
What am I talking about? I’d give anything to know what’s running through all your minds right now. Wait . . . I can imagine what you’re thinking. But I’m not talking about that.
Or that other thing.
Oh, heck, I’m not talking about “THAT” either. I would never do that!
I’m talking about re-gifting. Don’t go playing goody-two-shoes on me. We all get gifts that . . . well, don’t suit us. And I mean, what kind of a person would just throw them away? Seriously, that would be a waste.
So we do the thing we don’t talk about, we re-gift. Here at the Craig house there are four different types of gifts than end up in my re-gift landmine. I actually keep them in different compartments. I go to my closet, and depending on the . . . loved one . . . I’m shopping for, I pick up the appropriate old suitcase. Below are the different types of re-gifts that commonly find their way into the Craig household.
1) The Near-Miss Gift
This is the gift that in all honesty is pretty neat. You know, that gift that you’d probably keep but . . . the truth be told, you know someone else who would just love it so much more. There are little things off with the gift, like the color or the size. You haven’t worn a size 6 blouse in seven years, but your mother-in-law doesn’t realize it. Other near-miss gifts are things like . . . that stuffed deer head that would be perfect for Uncle Bernie.
But seriously these are gifts that aren’t so bad . . . well, not so bad for someone else. And since you weren’t lucky enough to get a gift receipt, you’re like . . . stuck with it. Unless, you just happen to know someone who would . . . well, love it. Here’s an example: one time my neighbor gave me an antique pukish green jar for Christmas. The kind you would put on a kitchen counter. It was a nice jar, but my kitchen isn’t pukish green, but guess what? My mom’s kitchen is puckish green and holy moly she collects antique puke-colored jars. How perfect is that? I was even proud to give my mom the pukish green jar. I mean my mom’s comment when she opened the gift was . . . “Oh my gawd, how long did you look for this before you found it!”
2) The You-Shouldn’t-Have Gift
Normally, these gifts come from someone who knows you. People who claim to be close to you. People who just can’t wait for you to open it so they can see your expression of gratitude. And yet when you rip off the paper, the only thing you can think is. . . duh, what the hell were they thinking?
Like the time, some unnamed person, (wouldn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings) gave me a shirt with two different colored sleeves, this shirt also had a different colored front that was the shade of blue and the back was pink, and the collar was . . . purple. You’ve heard of the coat of many colors, well this was the shirt of many colors. Many…many colors. I mean . . . hadn’t the man been married to me for over 20 years? Had he ever, ever seen me wear a shirt with two different colored sleeves? I don’t even do big prints.
3) The What-Clearance-Rack-did-this-Come-off-of Gift
These are the gifts that, well, come with that red sticker on them, or at least with the sticky stuff that was left from the clearance sticker. A lot of times, these gifts also provoke the “What the Hell” expression, but it’s apparent that this well-chosen . . . piece of crap was purchased on some 75% off rack. Like a box of candy that expired last January or a fruit cake so old that it is now fermented. And you know better than to ask if they have a receipt.
4) The Already-Re-gifted Gift
Yup, this is the gift that without a doubt you know has done time in someone’s closest. It’s that Santa candle that didn’t hold up too well during those summer months. And what’s really bad is that you think you gave it to them last Christmas.
I once got a very nice book of poetry from a cousin. She went on and on of how she’d picked it out just for me because I was a writer. What my cousin didn’t realize is that someone had written her a very nice and personal note in the back of the book. Since then, I always check out gifts before they go into one of my old suitcases.
5) The Okay-This-is-Supposed-to-be a Joke Gift”
Personally, I love these gifts. You know me and laughter. And when I get something that makes me laugh, I can’t wait to give it to someone else. The problem is, if you break out laughing and it wasn’t meant to be funny. But other “Joke gifts” include things like the roll of “Organic” Green toilet paper with large print claiming it to be made from Poison Ivy leaves. Yes, these gifts are the perfect White Elephant gifts. Things like a nice framed leopard-printed thong that I got from a friend last year. Ugg? Has that thing been worn? Shhh. I’m re-gifting it this year at my annual white elephant gift party.
Another example is . . . last week’s Pooping Santa prize, or this week’s prize: the delightful light and sound button. You press the button, which sort of looks like an easy button gone wild, and it lights up and plays a bit of a famous song. It is the kind of thing that after someone hits it three or four times, you want to take it away from them and force feed it down their throats. But hey…it’s really cute and funny the first two or three times.
When I saw this at the Hallmark store (Yes, I love Hallmark and it wasn’t even on clearance) I knew I had to get it for a prize. It plays a very special song. This song was actually showcased in my book, Divorced, Desperate and Delicious. Chase and Lacy were rather occupied, really occupied, when this song played over Lacy’s sound system. Chase even joked with Lacy about never having done what he did while that song played.
Do you know the name of that song?
So . . . here’s what I’m doing. Everyone who guesses the name of the song will get their name in the hat for the “Light and Sound Button,” a pack of Christmas cards and a “silly” p
en. However, I will also be giving away a second prize package of: one of my books, a pack of note cards and a silly pen to anyone who is willing to share their own re-gift story. Either tell me about a gawd-awful gift you received, or tell me about one you re-gifted.Come on, play along with me. If no one guesses, I’m gonna have to re-gift it next year. And remember the age-old adage that makes re-gifting okay: It’s the thought that counts.
Crime Scene Christie
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39 comments:
I've got a number 2 taking up space in my house. The hubby said we couldn't take it back because of who it came from. So it's still sitting there. In the box. Brand-spankin' new. Was worth close to $80, now it's been outdated a bit.
Where I come from, it's just common knowledge to return something if you don't like it. Not so with him.
Keri,
Yup, some Southerners think it's rude. I rememeber my mom use to have things she would bring out, like an ugly vase whenever my grandma would come over. She said Grandma gave it to her, so she had to be pretend she liked it.
Not so much anymore. My mom packs the receipts with gifts now.
CC
Hi Christie!
How about a large bath towel that on one end said "face" and the other end said "butt". That way you don't forget which end was used where. That is one gift that has seen MANY white elephant parties. Unfortunately for me, I received the darn thing TWICE! Keeping my fingers crossed I don't unwrap it again this year.
Jbrayweber,
LOL!!!
I love it. But it does creep me out to think that all towels aren't marked.
CC
Our annual family grab bag is always full of white elephant gifts. And not the funny kind either, just plain unwanted items. So, this year, my mom had the brilliant idea that all four of my siblings, their spouses, our kids, and I all bombard the grab bag with nose hair trimmers. Her thinking - it might not be funny when someone opens the first one... or the second one... but by nose hair trimmer number 5, it will be a hoot! At least to us. :)
~Gemma
Gemma,
Too funny, girl.
At the Craig house we always write clues on the gifts and then we try to guess what it is. Sometimes we have more fun guessing that opening gifts.
We also put white elephant gifts in the mix of regular gifts and try to make guessing them even more fun.
Nose clippers, huh? I like how your mom thinks!
CC
Guilty.
Unfortunately most of the Christmas gifts at our house growing up were "re-giftings" waiting to happen, only the people were sincere in their giving...
Top 5 WTH Gifts
5.) Potato microwaver plates
4.) An Amway catalog
3.) A Precious Moments Bible (I was 14 and wanted something slightly more secular. And not designed for an 8 year old.)
2.) A book about angels as messengers
1.) A can of mushroom soup and a pair of deer hooves (so not kidding; and clearly impossible to re-gift.)
MSHellion,
Number two sounds interesting. And the mushroom soup, I just got a recipe that calls for it. The deer hooves you can keep. Or better yet, give them back to the deer!
Thanks for posting and sharing.
CC
My husband and I love to shop at the local Salvation Army store (I'm an antiques hound) and the year those singing trout (mounted on a board) came out, Doug bet me they'd show up at the SA store by January 15...and he was wrong! They were there by the 5th!
Merry Christmas, Christie, and thanks for the laugh. :-)
I regift every year.
An attorney in my office gives us all the same nice bottle of wine every year. I send it on to my mothers inlaws.
The bath stuff that I get (I don't take baths, only showers) I give to my oldest daughter.
Anything my mother buys me for Christmas if I can't return it.
Kristi,
If you need someone else to ship off that wine, too, I'll send you my address! (Smile)
And . . . what is it about mothers and gifts? I'm so afraid I'll give my daughter something she will hate (just because it seems to be the norm') that I mostly give her gift cards. Of couse, I do have her a couple of very funny white elephant gifts.
Thanks...
CC
Hi Kate!
I love those singing fish! I used one in my DD&Delicious book. My dad has one proudly hanging on his wall. Of course, he also has the big frog sitting by his door that croaks whenever someone walks in.
What can I say, I come from really good stock!!
Thanks for posting girl!
CC
My mother-in-law gave us a wall hanging that was covered with orange and blue beads and feathers. We could not tell which way it was supposed to be hung. It was hideous. We hid it in the closet until a friend said she wanted it.
The thing is, if you're going to re-gift, you really ought to just give it to someone and not bother with the wrapping and such. Just say, as in the instance of the puke green jar, "here. I got this and can't use it but know you can."
Something general along those nice lines. Trying to pass something really ugly off as a gift, especially when somebody else already passed it off on you, is not really nice.
SAY someone gave it to you, say you thought they might like it, but also do not try to make it sound as if it's something personal.
I am not rich, I give away lots of stuff, but I don't do the wrapping up bit.
Good blog, though. Good for a laugh or three. :)
CrystalGB,
I think I've seen those wall hangings. Too Funny.
Thanks for stopping in.
CC
Irene,
Thanks for stopping in. And generally when I re-gift something in earnest, I do tell the truth. Oh, I still wrap it, but I generally confess. I'm big on confessing.
Actually, I've gotten some gifts that were re-gifted that I love.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
CC
I received one of those wonderful discounted after Christmas items, chocolates, cookies etc. package which really endeared me to a good friend. What was she thinking. I donated it.
Traveler,
Just remember, it's always the thought that counts. (Big Smile)
Thanks so much for stopping in.
CC
Ms. hellion, maybe you could make an ashtray or something out of the deer hooves? And regift them that way? (G)
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer is the name of the song that was playing the DDD book. I just finished your book and loved it.
As far as regifting goes, we have a size 60 dress in our family that someone gets every few years, but it is a gag gift. We have several of these type gifts that go around in my family and some of them are kind of naughty.
My mother in law gives me a lot of avon lotions and things every year and my sisters get some of those regifted in their Christmas bags. You can only use so much lotion.
Had to move my post here somehow I posted on the wrong post. My mind is not with it today.
I forgot to mention this size 60 dress is dark blue with red poka dots, real ugly. I am not sure who has it right now, but I can see it coming my way this year.
Here's one for you. A door mat that looks like a Paris manhole cover. If my friend REALLY wanted to get me something French, why couldn't it have been a nice bottle of Bordeaux wine or a sexy guy named Jean-Luc?
Susan Gable,
An ashtray, huh? Now the question is...if you revamp something is it still re-gifting?
Thanks so much for stopping in.
CC
Virginia,
You are a smart lady!!
And that dress? I love it. I don't want to get it, but I'll bet is brings a lot of laughter to your family. And laughter is always the best.
CC
Lark,
LOL! Seriously, if someone had Jean-Luc do you think they would give him away?
He sure as heck wouldn't end up in my regift landmine!!
Thanks for stopping in.
CC
Since most of my family either works in the medical field or in Education, we get often get gifts that we "share" with others. Usually it's food stuffs or poinsettia plants. My sister who is an elementary teacher gets a surprising amount of alcohol from the parents of her students.
The best regift from our family is lavender soap. My brother got all of the women in the family some lavender soap for Christmas one year. (He was so proud of himself for getting something that was "imported" from France.) After each one of us ended up with hives from the soap, we all re-gifted the soap to his girlfriend.
Refhater,
LOL! Now first, personally I think any person who is a room with over three kids at a time for a more than two hours, probably deserves the alcohol. Don't get me wrong, I love kids, but dealing with a bunch of them at one time is more than this girl can stand.
Now...the lavendar soap is soo funny. Seriously, I can imagine your brother really thought he'd done something special.
Thanks for stopping in.
CC
I don't even care to cout how many times I've gotten something I've eventually re-gifted, sold or traded or just given. And no less than from my sisters or brothers who should know me by now. For instance last year I got slippers which are way too tight for my big feet. I still haven't gotten rid of those sllippers. I'm just thankful we don't buy as much gifts for each other as we used to. Much less room for error that way. And speaking of fun gifts:
http://www.stupid.com/
Some of those are just groase (like the Egg Seperator or Bullsh**t Bush Ornament), but others seem like fun, like Miss Army Knife, Magic Dinosaur Mug, The Mini Animal Paper Shredders or Harvest Your Own Pearl Kit.
Minna,
Hmm... What size are those slippers? We might get some takers here on Killer Fiction. (Smile) I checked out Stupid.com and wow. There's some great stuff. I love the bathroom desk gadget.
Thanks for posting it.
CC
I've only regifted a couple of times (yeah I was taught it was rude). One was an iron that looked like it had been regifted to me so I passed it on lol and another were these two ugly hurricane lamps that I gave away at a grab bag. Twice I rewrapped sweaters that were left at my house back to the owners - it was sooo funny when they realized it was theirs.
Catslady,
Giving people things they left at your house is whole new low. (Big Smile) And I hate to say it, but I think I like it.
Thanks for posting.
CC
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer?
Hey Christie,
I have regifted in the past, in fact it was last year. My boss had given me this gawdawful centerpiece with a candle in it. It had that fake fruit that is laquered and sprayed with fake sugar on it, then a candle sitting in the middle of it. It's pretty for say your grandma, but not me. I ended up giving it to my sister to regift to someone she worked with. I can't imagine where it has gotten to by now,lol.
I also regifted a couple stuffed animals I once received for a birthday gift. Luckily I remembered who gave them to me, and made sure she wasn't around when I regifted them.
LOL, I loved this! I could have never put this into words but you surely did! I have taken gifts to return them as well as donated to goodwill, especially the over abundance of pull on sweaters. :D
I can't hear music so I can't help with this, but I already had the joy of getting this pen, and cards and its awesome! Thanks Christie! Good luck to you all!
Amy S.
You got it right. I'll be putting three names (one person emailed me privately to give me the song) in a hat and drawing a name.
Thank you so much for playing along.
CC
Michelle,
Your description of that table piece was perfect. It appeared in my mind dog-ugly. (smile)
And yup, it's important to remember who gave you the regifters.
Thanks for popping in.
CC
Caffey,
I'm so glad you got the prize in the mail. And speaking of sweaters. I used to get my dad a sweater every year. And once when I was down I looked in his closet and hanging up were at least six sweaters, tags still attached, of sweaters I'd given him. He confessed, "I never wear sweaters."
I was so offended and looked him right in the eye and said, "Well, duh, you could at least regifted them!"
Now...I never give him a sweater.
Thanks for stopping in.
CC
Thanks Christie,
I can't wait....I have to confess I won a contest of yours before, but I love the T-shirt and wear it all the time...well I didn't win, but I was a runnerup,lol.
I wish I had a picture of that centerpiece, but yep i'm sure you imagined it right, in all it's horrid glory.
Have a great holiday!
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