Confession: I'm not good at giving gifts. I mean, I'm a giver. I am. I'll give you the shirt off my back. It's just that I'm not very good at picking out the right thing. When I give a gift there is always a gift receipt with it. Chances are, it's either returned or regifted.
If it's not the right thing, then I either end up going overboard or underboard, if that's a word. (Pretty sure it's not.) When someone says, "Let's not get each other anything," I don't. But then they do. Or, then there's the situation when I repeatedly see things people might like. My kids' teachers. My bff. The mail lady. And it quickly becomes a little bit awkward when there's too many "just because" gifts in a row.
Christmas or birthdays? Please tell me exactly what you want. Because otherwise I'm going to wait until the last minute because I can't think of the *perfect* gift to get you. And then, because it's the last minute and I never could think of that perfect thing, you get stuck with something say, coffee filters, because at least I'll know they'll get used.
Anywho, at Christmas when my family suggested a White Elephant gift exchange my initial reaction was negative. I lump White Elephant exchanges up there with Red Rover and dodgeball. I always got clothes lined in Red Rover. I always got hit smack in the face in dodge ball. In the White Elephant you get, well, junk.
But, then, oh then, I realized...The White Elephant gets you off the hook. Nobody likes what you brought? Well that's the point isn't it?? Everybody wants what you brought? Even better. And so I went where all good people go when they're in search of a good White Elephant gift. Goodwill.
Usually when I hit up Goodwill I'm looking for things I can repurpose or sell. So this time I had to put on my blinders and search out the ugly. First up? Vintage Tupperware. This is high quality stuff y'all. A set of 4 square containers, with lids. In shades of burnt pumpkin and avocado, it was definitely a score. That stuff was made in America. It was made to last.
Next up? A vintage Budweiser beer can lamp. I didn't know if it worked. It didn't matter. White Elephant, remember? Now, this wasn't a lamp made from an actual beer can. This was a lamp that was manufactured that way in the 1970's for the Budweiser company. I looked this bad boy up and he was actually worth some loot. Added bonus? It turns out that it worked. ;)
Both got wrapped up in the ugliest gift bags I could find: an acid washed denim looking one and a Carebears Christmas one. And dare I say, these were actually some of the more popular gifts in the exchange. And, as I'm sure you can imagine (*sarcasm*) the beer lamp was "stolen" quite a few times throughout the game.
Red Rover and dodgeball may have me beat, but the White Elephant? All me, all the time.
XOXO,
AbbyLabels: bff, Christmas, old, Southern, vintage
