Handmade and homemade presents are usually the best. In my case, it is a necessity. I can not give a present without a bit of my touch. Presents are something one enjoys giving (never give anything because you feel forced to). And my touch can be a simple paragraph, a ribbon or a nice wrapping paper, but it needs it. It can,  of course, be a problem, time wise, that’s why it’s always good to combine it with some bought items that can make your life easier.

Here an example. I wanted to get a notebook for a friend of mine. I was telling her about the benefits of writing and specially, when you feel like your head is going to explode cause your mind can’t follow more threads of thought. I knew it had to be handmade, and in my head I was already seeing me making recycled paper with beetroot (I’ll show you one day) but I, again, didn’t have the time. Luckily I came across a super cool and meaningful notebook. WOOOHOOO!! And then just added some words. She loved it! ( that’s what she said).

I’m not sure I’ve ever said that we happen to be a family of 9 + wives and nephews = 14. Now, this year was the first year we had secret Santa. With one particularity; bought presents were forbidden, or at least, the less the better. I had the most difficult person for me, I would say, my 13 years old nephew.
It was really cool to see how we all made an effort to think of the others and with very little, made big things.

But the best present I’ve seen this year, modesty aside, was one I made myself. Well, not really. It was actually el Hombre‘s idea.
In 2012, el Hombre came up with the brilliant idea of making a calendar with an English word for everyday. Words that he found to be classified as formal/difficult  on a data base. So, with his sister’s help he made a plain calendar and showed it to me over dinner in a Chinese restaurant, the day before I was leaving the country for the Xmas holiday. Such as painful as it is nowadays. 😥
I found the present amazing. I didn’t expect that from him at all. Such a nice surprise! But, despite all the gratitude for the present, I wasn’t really convinced by the design, so I spent my holiday making it nicer and… that was it. Until this last November, when I thought it was high time to rescue the treasure from oblivion.

I went to a copy shop and the first comment of the guy was ” but, really, why don’t you buy a calendar?“, spent some time there ;), and Vouilà! The calendar was now a calendar. I have to say it is still a prototype. It would have been nicer in a block, attached with glue, nicer covers… But we can now do it again. And the best thing, it is timeless! Everlasting calendar!

Bottom line is, ALL WE NEED IS LOVE.

HAPPY WEEKEND!