**Happy Holidays!** ~ Wrap it up! ~ 聖誕獻禮*

Could be the fact that I am a fashion major and surrounded by beautiful things and people all the time, I have a thing with visual presentation. I strongly believe that all things should be presented elaborately and have a wow factor to them. Therefore, as Christmas gets closer and closer, I couldn’t be any happier because I can finally put the ribbons, trims and those gorgeous wrapping papers I have been collecting year long to use. I believe beautiful wrapping always heightens the sense of anticipation when receiving a present. Any gifts, whether it cost a dollar or cost a leg or an arm, when gorgeously wrapped, can be so much more than the sum of its parts. Even the tiniest token of appreciation is made more meaningful when it is perfectly presented. Everyone should treat gift-wrapping as a piece of art - which everyone can master as long as you put some thought to it. Just note that by wrapping presents artfully and imaginatively, you add to the pleasure your friends and family will experience when receiving them.



Gift-wrapping doesn't need to cost you a lot of money. You can remake and reuse the shopping bags from stores by altering them by gluing ribbons, drawing, or use as a wrapping paper. You can use seashells that you picked up from the walk at the beach, branches and leave from the park, gift papers that you saved from presents that you received, scrapes of fabric left from that cushion cover/dress/shirt that you made, and strands of yarn left over from the scarf that you knitted. Look around, materials are widely available everywhere ^u^


Though I would love to give lavish gifts to everyone, I can’t afford it (yet). The moment I saw these cups and mugs at my favorite clothing retailer – Anthropologies, I had to have it. Since I always like to share the things that I love, my friends are getting them too! We can be cup/mug buddies ;p The store gives out these gift boxes with the yarn pompom adornment so my work is already half done! All I have to do was to stuff the cups/mugs with homemade cookies and handmade cards and add some finishing touches and Voila!

The cookies showed here are the tasty icebox cookies that I mastered over the summer. This time I made the cookies in the pistachio and cranberry flavors (red and green for the holiday!). I only put enough cookies for one person this time around so people won’t complain and accuse me of attempting to fatten them! Hehehe…these cookies are so yummy that no one can stop from just having a few so I better not get any phone call!

This Christmas, give in style! Be inventive, plays with texture and colors, release that artsy side of you ^0^ One last and the most important note: Wish you all a merriest, most wonderful, and jolly holiday!


我想我真的給我念的這門時裝設計給潛移默化了我對視覺(應該是外表﹗)的定義及對它的重視度。天呀，我真的是以貌取人/物 (每天給美麗的東西和人給包圍著，不給洗腦都難@_@”)﹗ 我緊信包裝是很重要的，一定要精緻又會給人驚喜﹐才會幫忙加分。每年我都粉期待Christmas 的到來，因為我終於可以將一年中蒐集的美美禮物紙、緞帶等等物以至用。對我而言禮物包裝是一件展現個人品味，製造幸福感的精巧手工，一切都為了送出禮物的那一剎那，對方臉上掩蓋不住、令人著迷的燦爛笑靨。我相信美麗的包裝會給這個收到禮物的人一種期待就對了n_n 還有就是任何禮物，不管是價值一元還是一千，只要花點巧思包裝一下，就能讓人感受到你的誠心與心意，遠遠超過禮物本身的價值。在重要的節日，送禮是少不了的儀式，所以大家一定要將這門禮物包裝學起來給你的禮物增加美感喔 ~

禮物包裝也可以不需要花費很多錢的。你可以好好利用商店的購物袋喔。而購物袋變裝就屬緞帶最好用，隨便打個蝴蝶結就很可愛了。也可以畫一些圖來加強質感喔。還有下一次去公園散步，去沙灘漫步時不妨看看有沒有漂亮的樹葉﹑樹枝﹑貝殼，用它們來做點綴很不賴﹗那個打圍巾剩餘的毛線、不要的碎布、漂亮的鈕扣，也是很好的素材。反正就是利用手邊現有的素材，再加點創意來顛覆以往規規矩矩的制式包裝手法，這樣就可以完成一件誠意滿分的手感包裝。

我在超愛的Anthropologies商店裡看到這些字母杯子時，我就給它買下了。因為我喜歡和朋友分享我喜愛的東西，so我也買了送朋友。我還在每個杯子裡放了一些cranberry(蔓越莓)和開心果口味的雪藏餅乾。這一次只放了一人份量，因為某些人投訴我想養肥他們…嘿嘿…這些餅乾酥脆美味讓人停不了口…某些人最好不要打電話來要求補貨﹗將杯子餅乾放進商店給的禮盒裡，再用毛線球﹑不同質感種類的緞帶做點綴就好了^0^ 精心製作的handmade禮物，可以讓對方知道你的心意，就算形體消失了，但那份心意及卻能永久留存喔(好讓朋友們永遠記得我的好(心機重)…呵呵…)~