Santa Baby, slip a sable under the tree ...

Scott and I agreed that Christmas is way too commercial ... that rushing around trying to find not only the perfect gifts, but a way to PAY for them, is much too stressful. We wanted to keep a limit on gift-giving, and just spend some time with friends ... drive around and look at Christmas lights ... go downtown and enjoy the whole feeling of the season ...

Well, it KINDA worked.

Scott, working in retail as he does, has been working horrendous hours. Six days a week, 12+ hour days, getting home in time to collapse and eat dinner and go to bed and start all over again seven hours later. But he, as usual, loves loves loves to give gifts. Silly ones, fun ones, and he always surprises me by giving me at least one gift that makes me tear up a bit because I didn't expect it but it's exactly what I'd like to have or somehow means something to me that I don't expect him to realize. Not that he doesn't know what I like, or pay attention to things I admire - but in some way he always surprises me, and that's what he loves. Someday I'll write about the book he gave me one Christmas ... but that's probably a post in itself.

Anyway, in the spirit of the days after Christmas, here are some of the gifts I got from Scott and others, everyone of which I love:

A very cool candleholder and candles from Scott's Mom and brother, to both of us. We love candles (duh - we're gay) and didn't expect or want them to give us anything, but we love it. Right now all of our Christmas decorations are on top of the entertainment center (out of puppy reach), but this will be going up there when we take the decorations down.

Hickory Farms cheese and sausage and mustard box ... mmmm!! My oldest brother and his girlfriend sent this to me. Scott's not big on it, but this reminds me of Christmas and New Year's when I was little. Perfect. I remember the Hickory Farms kiosks in the malls when I was growing up ... true holiday comfort appetizers. I'll probably eat most of it myself on New Year's Eve (healthy, eh?)

DVD versions of 1970's gameshows!!! How fun is that?? Scott and I love having "game night" with friends, although we haven't done one in ages ... this is motivation to have one again, soon! If only there was a "Match Game" so we could fight over who gets to be Brett Sommers ...

Have I mentioned that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the movie "A Christmas Story"? For the most part I love the nostalgia, the perfect idealized depiction of the 1940's when my parents were growing up (I so love that era ... must be why I love Restoration Hardware so much). Scott got me a set of these lights a few years ago, and they've been hanging in the kitchen year-round since then. They went tits-up this year, just before Christmas - so Scott found some on EBay and they arrived yesterday - along with this:

The Leg Lamp Nightlight. We collect seasonal nightlights that we put in the kitchen throughout the year ... I think I'm going to put up a fight before taking this one down.

(BTW - if you haven't seen "A Christmas Story" and don't understand the significance of the Leg Lamp, just let me know - I'm happy to share the joy!).

This was my big surprise gift this year (and the one that I KNOW pushed Scott over the "spending limit"!). I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, especially in the evenings after Scott gets home and I'm getting dinner ready. I've had a small iPod player with speakers sitting on top of the microwave for a while, but it's not the ideal place for it and I have to move it every time I want to open the cabinet above. So he got me one that mounts under the top cabinets, which also plays radio and TV stations. The iPod sucks up into the player so it's out of the way. How cool is this?!? I was a little peeved that he spent the money, but he knew I liked it after seeing it in his store a while ago, and I'll use it every day. It even has a remote with a magnet that I can hang on the refrigerator!

So there ya have it. Santa Scott was very very good to me. I'm still going to push for less spending and more "quality time" for ourselves and giving to others, but it's been more difficult than I imagined with Scott working in retail ... so I think a New Year's resolution is in order to do that year-round. I don't generally believe in resolutions, but what better way to make yourself a better person and help others than to pledge to make it a normal, everyday thing to do than just at the holidays? I feel I've let myself down by not following through well enough during the holidays with the challenge that I gave to others, but I've got big plans for 2007 and beyond, so I'm not going to stress myself about that. This year is going to be good, not every single moment of it, but in the Big Picture. I pledge that this is what Will Be. I hope the same for all of you!