Saturday, December 20, 2008

Free Book & Ornament Giveaway

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4 

Timestamp: 2008-12-20 16:47:45 UTC


Joy, you are the winner of the book!! Email me your address and I'll get it shipped out to you on Monday. Just in time for Christmas.

Now, your next assignment, dear internets, should you choose to accept it, is to tell me your favorite Christmas present you've ever received. Everyone can play along here! I'll go first.

My dollhouse.

Me in my footie pajamas in front of the dollhouse that was bigger than I was.

Note the fantastic 80s glasses. (not the best picture, I know, but it's a photo of a photo, what can ya do)

It was originally my aunt's dollhouse and had been in Grandma's basement for me to play with for years. One day it was gone. Missing. Just like that. I asked and everyone said that my aunt had sold it. SOLD it?! How could she possibly?!

I'll be honest. I found my present before Christmas. My mom had sent me into her closet to get something or other and apparently she forgot she had hidden this huge dollhouse in the back. Sure, she covered it up with a blanket, but really? That was supposed to deter me?

Regardless, I was still (as you can all see by the maniacal look on my face) completely ecstatic on Christmas morn. For years I would play with this dollhouse, rearrange the furniture, vacuum the rooms and generally adore this toy.

Then, I became a teenager (ok, I was probably at least 16 or 17 at the time) and I gave the dollhouse back to my aunt to use with her daughter. When she was done with it, it came back to me. I may have had to plead and cajole and beg my aunt not to sell it, but instead to let me use it for whenever I would have a child. And maybe to play with it a little in the meanwhile. And maybe to redecorate, and wallpaper.

The house is in my basement now. Wrapped carefully in blankets to keep it safe and dust-free. Someday it will come out again. To finish the renovations and get it nice and spiffy for my baby girl. The trick will be hiding it from her for 8 or 10 years.

Randi's favorite toys are the ones that aren't. For example, see here this cooking pot. Bring along a large spoon and it becomes an amazing drum. She's going to love the wrapping paper and boxes this year.






"I just have to push it over here where there are better acoustics."







"Stop laughing. Music is serious business."








Now, tell me your favorite gift ever received! Could be from childhood, or it could be from last year. One of your lucky comments will win a little Christmas ornament!

Comment by Monday night to enter!




11 comments:

Jenn said...

That's hard, but I would have to say that my favorite gift ever was last year's. My hubby bought us tickets to see Cirque Du Soliel. I have wanted to see them since I was a kid and had never had the chance. Plus, he convinced my whole family to buy tickets and go along too. So less than a month before my son was born we got to go have a night of fun! It was amazing and one of my favorite memories of all time.

Anonymous said...

Mine would have to be a doll house as well. I wanted one of those wooden doll houses that you put together yourself. Needless to say, I never realized how much work it would be. I was ready to call it quits when I had to put all of the little shingles on. But my mom made me finish it. I didn't play with it nearly enough and ended up passing it on to my cousins. To do it all over again, I would just have asked for one that was already put together!!

Jean said...

I have two. The first was my very first cabbage patch doll. Not the original ones, the the first "cloth" ones that came out that every one was snatching off the shelves in frenzies. My four brothers went in together to get me one for Christmas the year they were the massively huge hit. Amelia is her name. And now Alina takes great care of her.
The 2nd is a music box I received from Ed back when we were dating. He always sang "You are my sunshine" to me when we were dating and gave me a music box that played it. It sits proudly on my dresser as a reminder that I am his sunshine. :)

Dawn said...

I remember that fabulous dollhouse! You should go to the blog, Allsorts.
She has a wonderful dollhouse that she has done some very cool things with.
I know that I said my fave gift as a child was a handmade wardrobe for my doll...but my fave gift at Christmas as an adult was the birth of my first on December 12...oh, so many years ago.
My first outing with her was on Christmas day that year.

Happy Christmas, Anniebella!

Jen said...

My favorite gift was a Strawberry Shortcake doll. When you squeezed her tummy, she would blow out air that smelled of strawberries. I was probably 7 or 8 years old. I can still remember my sisters and I opening those gifts together. We were beyond thrilled. Definately a Christmas to remember when I got that doll.

anne said...

You guys! These are so great!

I think my Strawberry Shortcake squeezie doll is still in storage somewhere. She's not very pretty anymore, but I did love her!

Jean said...

I have one of those S.S. dolls too! her hair is scary looking and she doesn't puff out lovely scented air anymore, but it's another doll Alina loves on. :) there's nothing like the good ole fashioned non-frilly toys!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...I;d have to say it was a gift my older brother gave me. He lived in CA at the time and he would always come home for Christmas. Seeing that he was 11yrs older than me I loved anything he gave me. But I remember this particularly...It was a green and white wool sweater. I still have it today and cherish it. He passed away 16 yrs ago and I cherish that gift every time I see it in my closet.

Cindy said...

Hmmm. hard to pick so i'll tell you about two: one when i was small and one as a grown up.

When i was about 6, i think, i received the most glorious pram baby buggy and a brand new baby doll to go in it. She was fabulous and the buggy was to die for. I just loved it.

As a grown up, I would say the arrival of David. It was a 7 year journey to him and he was born the end of October -- an early Christmas present that blesses us every day.

Nicole said...

I'd have to say my son, too. He turned 6 yesterday!

My first Cabbage Patch and dollhouse stand out as favorites, too!

Joy said...

Our cousins gave us teddy bears in 1985. Mine still sleeps in my room and my kids love playing with "Edgar Bierre". (He wasn't named until 1996, poor thing!)

Anne - feel free to send the book via my courrier service (a la Beth) so you can save a few bucks on shipping. Thanks!