great christmas exchange 2013

{photo credit: me}

this year i participated in a fun blogger gift exchange hosted by oak & oats and elah tree called the great christmas exchange. the basic gist was that you submitted your name for participation and got someone's name in return for whom you would put together a christmas package of goodies. presents and new friends? oh boy!

i had a great time shopping for jamie who blogs over here. each participant was asked to list a few things they liked so whoever got their name would have an idea of what to get them. based on the bio i received about miss jamie, i found out she liked michaels art store, the color green, books of any kind, stationery, and craft supplies. armed and dangerous with this information, i went about putting a fun package together for her.

when wrapping gifts, i usually throw things into a bag with a piece of tissue paper and call it a day. that's hard enough, people! but this year i was totally gung-ho about using festive paper and actually wrapping my presents. maybe because i knew pictures of my gifts would be broadcast on the internet and i needed to up my game? unfortunately, because of my unprecedented enthusiasm, i ended up wrapping most of jamie's gifts before i took pictures of her items. doh. i did manage to snap a shot of the green caroline g. necklace and the pair of hand-studded mittens i made for her but the rest will remain a mystery. (until jamie links up!)

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

the package i received from shannon was just as fun! (you can follow her on instagram here: @sk_griffith). i tried to show some restraint when her box showed up on our doorstep. i brought it inside and set it on my kitchen counter. i would wait until christmas to open it. i gave it a nice, solid pat. christmas eve at least. i picked it up and gave it a little rattle. down again on the counter. silence for five seconds while i wrestled the angel and devil on my shoulder. then off to the junk drawer for the sharpest pair of scissors i could find to cut the packing tape and pry it open.

inside i found these goodies!

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

• a hand-crotched infinity cowl scarf. are you seeing this? it's beautiful! the colors are wonderfully complimentary, and it's warrrrmmm. warm will come in handy today as the high is supposed to be 27. 
• a leather bound journal and sharpie pens. fine point pens are the only way. (how did she know?)
• one of my favorite go-to brands for chapstick, eos. they rival burt's bees. 
• a delicious smelling candle and candle holder. my roommate and i have a small collection of candles on our stovetop. i keep them burning until the wicks are little black ashes floating in pools of hot wax. now that i've typed that out, this sounds like an incredibly dangerous thing to have on your stove.
• gigantic diamond ornaments. they also double as pretend engagement rings. i definitely do not have a picture of me doing that. 

such great treasures! thank you shannon for your thoughtfulness. and thank you to samantha of elah tree and beth of oak & oats for hosting such a fun gift exchange. i am linking up with them here and here! if you want to see even more pictures, search for #greatchristmas2013 on instagram. there are a lot of festive photos to peruse, but they will probably make you wish christmas was still here so be careful. there is no instagram lifeguard on duty. browse at your own risk.

{photo credit: me}