(...even secret santas can be tough at the holidays)
every year, our department has two gift exchanges: an (uber-ridiculous) white elephant, and a secret santa. we do this fun thing for secret santa, where instead of writing "to kaci, from your secret santa", we pick different subjects for the 'to' and 'from'. for instance, this year the 'to' was 'musical/play/theatrical production' and 'from' was 'comic character'. so i drew the name of a coworker, and then had to think of a musical or play that described her somehow (i chose west side story); then i chose a comic character that described myself (i chose mystique, from xmen. she's a shape shifter). we then read the "to"s and "from"s outloud in the group, and guess who the gift is from and to... it's not only a fun guessing game, but gives you great insight to the way that people view you (something i'm secretly obsessed with figuring out).
this year, if you read earlier, you'll know that somehow, my name didn't get drawn for this gift exchange, and i ended up not getting a 'real' present at the party (don't worry, i left with plenty of white elephant 'gems'!). in reality, it's not a big deal whatsoever, but to be honest, it just doesn't feel great to be the one person that is left out. secretly, i was mostly bummed to not hear what musical people would describe me with. that's the best part of the exchange for me! last year, our 'to' was a famous celebrity, and i was described as amanda peet. i loved that, and was totally flattered... foir me, it was a way better gift han the candle holder i received!
fast forward to this past sunday, and i'm at a friends house, for a small group holiday party, in which we'd decided to also do a secret santa. fun times! i drew a friend that i know is desperately afraid of roosters, and loves trains. naturally, i got him a book about trains, and a ceramic rooster. i was so excited all week to see his face, especially when he saw the rooster (which, incidentally, i dropped and had to glue together. it made it to the party in one piece, but definitely a little banged up).
i was particularly looking forward to this exchange, mostly because this is a new group of friends, and again, i'm always excited to see what parts of my personality are reflected in their choice of gift. however, as the time came to exchange, we realized that one of the girls who drew a name was not there (weirdly, she knew she was going to miss the party but we all included her in the secret santa). obviously, someone was going to not get a present.
i'll give you three guesses to who did not get a present, and the first two guesses don't count.
...
...
...that's right- ME! again! which, i reiterate: seriously not a big deal (with a $15 limit it's not like i'm missing out on a diamond ring or anything). it's really just the idea of seeing what someone else thought you might enjoy. that's the whole best part of gift giving in general, really... it's why i love christmas shopping more than any other shopping, ever. getting gifts for people, having free reign to get them whatever you want... that's so fun! it's a great little challenge, to find something unique and creative that says, "i know you'd never think you'd want or need this, but i know you well enough that i know you'll enjoy this thing that i found for you." of course, secret santas with strangers are never that thoughtfully deep, but... like they say, it's the thought that counts, right?
so. i lament my lack of secret santa gifts with love and humor. and with the offer to ask me to any of your own secret santa exchanges! apparently, i'm a shoe-in for a free 'no gift at all' spot at the party! if you draw my name, i give you permission to not give me a gift- just tell me what you think of me, the top three words that describe me in your mind, or your first impression of me. those are what i'm really looking for, anyway, and for me, are way better gifts than an itunes gift card or a scented candle (both of which i would still love, btw).
i was going to post a pic of a 'secret santa' but santas are creepy, especially when they're being secretive, and i don't want that to mar my blog. so instead, i'm posting my favorite holiday cookies i've seen so far. adorable!
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