You Shouldn't Judge a Present by its Wrapping...

but I do.
One of my favorite things about Christmas is the way the presents look beneath the tree. When I was younger I used to arrange and rearrange the boxes until they were neatly but casually stacked just like in the magazines. I also took wrapping very seriously. When my parents' co-workers and neighbors delivered presents stuffed in gift bags, I stuck them behind the tree. There was no room for bags in my perfect Christmas picture.

There's nothing quite like a beautifully wrapped package; carefully measured paper, crisp corners, and a certain je ne sais quoi that says " I thought about this". You can imagine my disappointment when for our first Christmas together, almost 10 years ago now, Rizwan presented me with an unwrapped gift from behind his back. Things are different now.

Over the years I and the rest of the family have evolved as wrappers. Even Rizwan will spend hours wrapping a single gift. This secretly pleases me and the results are pretty amazing.

Here's a sampling of some serious wrapping from last year:


Aziza's handywork featuring old black and white photos to personalize each gift.

My gifts. I was going for homey and warm with the plaid ribbon and initials made from string. I was accused of "going country".Rizwan's snowman masterpiece. So cute. We were all impressed.


To avoid upsetting the present police this year (Aziza) I've gone "chic and icey"

Hope you're busy cutting and folding, Ejazs ! I look forward to this year's creations!