I can’t tell if it’s cold in here or if it’s just that I’ve been reading too much about first snow sightings and chilly weather. I think the low tonight can hardly be classified as cold (43 degrees F), but I’ll use any excuse to stay inside and have some hot apple cider.

I’m on a full time mission right now to round up Christmas hints and organize my shopping expeditions. I try to come up with ideas unaided, but sometimes you need a little push in the right direction. So far, my sister is the only one who has helped much in that department. I’m getting the impression that she’s been divvying up hints across the family so as not to get any duplicate gifts. It’s pretty impressive, really.

The only thing I have organized so far is the wrapping paper. This will now be the third year that I’ve stuck with one wrapping paper/gift tag theme. It’s so wonderful. I mean, it’s horribly obsessive-compulsive, but it makes things so much easier. The wrapping part is very calming that way, and I find it incredibly satisfying to see a growing stack of monochromatic presents. I’m sure this wouldn’t work for everyone, but I do enjoy seeing everything match like that. I also splurge on fabric ribbons. I had one to many run-ins with the curling ribbon and scissors.

These pictures are from last year, and I used the same circle punch/eyelet setter combo as I did to make my numbered stocking tags. The circle design was heavily inspired by the alphabet garland I saw over here at The Small Object. For my version, each one was labeled with a person’s initial and name... as in "K is for Kristen."

This year, everything is getting wrapped in a silver/white motif. Mr. Bunny Slippers is in charge of designing our new gift tags which I’ll share here when they’re done. Now we just need to get stuff to put inside. Oh.