By the Chimney With Care

The Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl! Read a couple great posts about the little team that could from Michele PW and Mike Leeds this week.

Michele wrote about how everyone counted the Cardinals out, and no one thought they could do it. But against all odds, they DID IT. And we can and should approach our businesses with the same tenacity.

Mike went in a different direction to discuss the concept of sports fan etiquette, something I’d never considered before. Politics and religion have long been taboo subjects in the office, known to ignite intense controversy, while sports has always been a pretty safe bet. But what happens when you’re rooting for one team and your boss (and/or coworkers) are rooting for the other? Mike gives some great tips about how to be an enthusiastic fan without becoming boorish about it.

Reading Mike’s post got me to thinking about etiquette in other areas of life … which, of course, led me back to the holidays and gift-giving/Christmas stocking etiquette.

First, it helps to know what, precisely, is meant by the word. The first definition from dictionary.com is:

et⋅i⋅quette

/ˈɛtɪkɪt, -ˌkɛt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [et-i-kit, -ket] – noun

1.	conventional requirements as to social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion.

2.	a prescribed or accepted code of usage in matters of ceremony, as at a court or in official or other formal observances.

3.	the code of ethical behavior regarding professional practice or action among the members of a profession in their dealings with each other: medical etiquette.

---

Origin:
1740–50; < F étiquette, MF estiquette ticket, memorandum, deriv. of estiqu(i)er to attach, stick < Gmc. See stick ² , -ette

So, basically, we’re talking about proper, polite, classy behavior that’s not going to create ill-will or stir up bad reactions in others. Seems easy enough when it comes to gift-giving, right? Maybe. Maybe not.

Tips for Being a Good Gift-Giver

• Make sure the person to whom you are giving the gift will like it. This may seem rather obvious, but think back to some of the gifts you’ve received. If you’ve ever had that “What the hell were they thinking?!??” thought cross your mind on opening a gift, assess whether you might ever unintentionally create the same response in someone else. That techno gadget may seem cool to you, but you’re not going to be the one using it now, are you?

• Avoid those obligatory “just because” gifts. Really. If your heart’s not in it, don’t waste your time or money because the recipient will know you picked it up at Home Depot or Staples on your way to the party and it will either be re-gifted, tossed in the trash bin, or sit on a shelf in the closet collecting dust. If etiquette calls for a gift and you don’t know the person well, do some research to find out what they’d like or opt for a gift card.

• Be sure your gift is lifestyle appropriate for the person receiving it. A large box of Godiva chocolates may be a fantastic gift for one person, but it would be incredibly insensitive for someone with diabetes. Likewise, a gorgeous, personalized Christmas stocking might delight one person, but giving the same gift to someone who is Jewish, Muslim, or does not celebrate Christmas would be disrespectful and could even be perceived as offensive.

Appropriate Gifts for Your Boss

The “women in business” page on About.com had some interesting advice about gifts for the boss. The gist of the question was about the appropriateness of giving your boss a hand-made gift … but the advice is more generic and actually quite helpful.

Generally speaking, the appropriateness of a handmade gift depends on what it is and how well you know your boss. Scented candles are nice and may demonstrate your talent, but not everyone appreciates scented items. Art is also a matter of personal taste, so before you wrap and present that opus magnum into which you’ve poured days and weeks of your life, be absolutely certain it will be appreciated. If you do give a painting, pottery, or any sort of display item, you probably want to keep it small.

No matter how talented you are, the last thing you want to do is make your boss feel obligated to display, use, or consume anything you make.

Like we discussed earlier, you must give the gift with the recipient’s tastes in mind, not yours. While your friends and/or family might appreciate a hand-made gift from you because of the close relationship you have with them, your boss is not necessarily going to have a similar response. And you cannot make him/her wrong for that!

Your boss will be most likely to appreciate something that has a practical use. Your goal with a gift to a fellow business professional is to communicate that you value and appreciate them … not so much the “handmade with love” message.

Christmas Stocking Etiquette

• Make sure you’ve got a stocking for everyone! If you will have a house guest celebrating with your family at the time you will be opening stockings, be sure you’ve got a stocking for them, too.

• Allow the guest to take the stocking with them when they depart. This question came up in response to my Google search for “Christmas stocking etiquette,” and my first thought was, “You’ve got to be kidding me!!” Of course your guests should take their stockings home with them! Why on earth would you buy/make them a stocking if you didn’t intend for them to take it home? Just have enough sense not to designate as theirs an expensive stocking or family heirloom you prefer to keep. Yes, there’s something to be said for having all the stockings match your decor perfectly. There’s also common sense. Pull it out of the linen closet at the last minute, if you don’t want the guest’s stocking to clash with your decorations.

• On the other hand, just because you offer to allow them to take it, realize they may politely decline. Who knows – perhaps they’ve got piles of stockings at their house and just don’t need another one. Whatever their reason, unless they are ungracious (and even if they are), suggest that your guest take the stocking, but be flexible and fine with it if they prefer not to.

• Fill the stockings proportionately, but don’t make yourself crazy about this. When you’ve got little kids (and maybe even older kids), it’s sometimes really important to do things proportionately. If Johnny gets 7 items in his stocking, Janie gets 7 in hers. But sometimes trying to be fair and equal can get preposterous. Just don’t go overboard and fill one stocking to the brim, while all the others look like they each contain a miniature Hershey bar and a stick of gum.

• Take care with the size of your stockings! The bigger it is, the more it will take to fill it. I still think the dollar store is a great place to find stocking stuffers … but even that can add up if you’ve got four or five giant stockings with big gaping mouths.

Post Script

Gotta love the rant about Christmas carol etiquette … where else? At the Christmas Rants blog.

Saw a sign with these words on it

this morning when I dropped my mom off

at the adult daycare. Wow – what a life

we’d all have if we followed this simple recipe!

Question: Are there reasons to give Christmas
stockings once Christmas has passed?

Answer: You bet!

Wedding

Although the wedding register is a now-traditional aspect of bridal fever, I tend to eschew the itemized “want list” in favor of a more personal gift. Nothing could be more personal than giving a pair of Christmas stockings to a newly married couple.

The stockings need not be identical to work, as long as they complement and flatter each other, rather than clashing horribly by being mismatched in terms of size, color, fabric choice, or general design. It helps if you know the couple’s tastes, colors, and/or home decor theme.

Whether you make the stockings yourself or purchase them elsewhere (here!), consider stitching the wedding date somewhere onto the face of the stocking to commemorate the couple’s union.

Baby Shower

When a woman or couple is preparing to welcome a new baby (either through pregnancy or adoption), the last thing they likely are considering is the baby’s first Christmas. As with the newlyweds, if you know them well enough to know their taste, color preferences, and/or home decor, a Christmas stocking can be a welcome gift for a new baby. Depending on the couple’s tastes, a stocking that incorporates baby-themed flannel or cotton prints in bright or pastel colors might work well.

If the couple has opted not to learn the child’s gender or name the baby ahead of time, you may want to include a note offering to affix the baby’s name to the stocking after the birth, once the name has been determined.

Like the wedding date for the newlyweds, it can be a nice touch to add the baby’s birth date to the stocking.

Housewarming

Kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, houseplants, bottles of wine … all make great, but boring, housewarming gifts. A great gift for the new homeowner – particularly a first-time home buyer – is a Christmas stocking that matches their taste and decor. Most people move earlier in the year, so when the holidays roll around, your friend or loved one will likely be grateful to you for your thoughtful gift of a personalized stocking.

New Office or Business

Have you ever seen stockings used as decorations at places like banks, the dentist’s office, or your dry cleaner? Ever wonder where they come from and who puts the names on them? I do!

If someone you know is opening a new business or storefront, a set of Christmas stockings can make the perfect congratulatory gift. Like the case of the new baby, you can always offer to personalize the stockings at a later time – or make them so festive and gorgeous that names become completely unnecessary.

The fact is, stockings are still primarily a facet of the Christmas celebration … but they make wonderful gifts year-round.

We have July 4th; Australians have January 26th. Happy Australia Day!

Learn lots more about this festive national celebration.

In the Chinese calendar, today (Jan. 26) begins the Year of the Ox, also known by its formal name, Ji Chou. 己丑

The Chinese calendar has been in continuous use since about 2600 BC, predating the Western Calendar in present use by more than 2,000 years. The Chinese calendar, begun by Emperor Huang Ti, is also a yearly one, with the start of the year based on the cycles of the moon. As a result, the beginning of the year can fluctuate from late January to mid-February. A complete cycle takes 60 years, made up of five cycles of 12 years.

The Chinese calendar names each of the 12 years after an animal. According to legend, Buddha summoned all the animals to come to him just before he transitioned out of his earthly life. Only 12 actually showed up to bid him farewell, and as a reward, he named a year after each of them, in the order they arrived to send him off. According to Chinese tradition, the animal that rules the year in which a person is born has a profound influence on their personality.

Ox Years

1913
1925
1937
1949
1961
1973
1985
1997
2009

The Sign of the Ox

The Ox is the sign of prosperity that comes through fortitude and hard work. Being born under this sign indicates a born leader who is quite dependable and possesses an innate ability to achieve great things. These people tend to be dependable, calm, and modest. Like their animal namesake, those born under the Ox are unswervingly patient, tireless in their work, and capable of enduring almost any amount of hardship without complaint.

Ox people need peace and quiet to work through their ideas, but they can be stubborn, so when they’ve set their minds on something, it can be very difficult to convince them otherwise. An Ox person has a very logical mind and a systematic approach to whatever they do, though they have tremendous imagination and an unique appreciation for beauty. These people tend to be extremely intelligent, but they speak little. When necessary, however, their words are eloquent.

People born under the influence of the Ox are kind, caring souls, logical, positive, filled with common sense and with their feet firmly planted on the ground. Security is their main preoccupation in life, and they are prepared to toil long and hard in order to provide a warm, comfortable, stable home for themselves and their families. Strong-minded, stubborn, individualistic, the majority are highly intelligent individuals who know their minds and don’t appreciate being told what to do.

The Ox works hard, patiently, methodically, reflectively, and intelligently. Tenacious and self-sacrificing, these people enjoy helping others, but also have very active minds.

Rarely driven by the prospect of financial gain, the Ox is not extravagant and the thought of something like piling up credit card debt makes them quite nervous. The possibility of taking a serious risk could cause the Ox sleepless nights.

Those born under the Ox tend to be truthful and sincere, so they find the idea of wheeling and dealing in a competitive world distasteful. They are welcome almost everywhere because of their honesty and patience, and are reported to have the most beautiful of faces in the zodiac. They have many friends, but are wary of new trends, even though they can, every now and again, be encouraged to try something new. People born in the year of the Ox make wonderful parents and teachers.

It is important to remember that the Ox people are sociable and relaxed when they feel secure, but occasionally a dark cloud looms over such people and they engage all the trials of the whole world and seek solutions for them.

Interesting Side Note

Barack Obama was born August 4, 1961, making him both a Leo and an Ox.

Gifts for People Born in the Year of the Ox

Because people born under the Ox tend to love stability and tradition, they are most comfortable, at peace, and happiest at home. They tend to prefer the color violet. Appealing gems and stones are jade, emerald, moss-agate, and lapis-lazuli.

Great gift ideas include kitchen accessories, gardening books, cookbooks, and bonsai trees.

Hobbies they tend to enjoy include bodybuilding, baking, gardening, music, and sewing.

Anything that enhances their home environment will likely be appreciated by people born under the Ox. If they venture away from home for a vacation, though, it’s generally to do some hiking or rock climbing.

I’ve mentioned before that as a marketer, I have no general opposition to sales and entrepreneurship. Making things and selling things – it’s a large part of what makes the world go around. Michelle Obama’s anger irritation with the Ty toy company, though, is understandable – even warranted – in my opinion. I went back and reread the story, and Michelle’s own word for Ty’s actions was “inappropriate.”

Those who claim that Michelle and Barack used their daughters as part of their political campaign are misguided. How soon they forget Barack’s anger when the cameras followed him and Sasha through their Chicago neighborhood on Halloween. The girls are smart and beautiful – and a cherished part of what makes the Obama family so special. The two times we’ve seen them boldly and publicly were Election Night and at the Inauguration, as we should have.

If you want to talk about displaying kids for political gain, you need look back no further than Sarah Palin dragging her infant son around till all hours, only to have her youngest daughter care for him. And the pregnant daughter and fiance-by-force. And the son in the military. Give me a break, you folks who can’t/don’t/won’t see reality for what it is.

One question in the midst of the commentary was how the Obama girls are being harmed by these dolls. The mere fact that their father is now the most scrutinized man on the planet will affect these girls’ lives in ways unimagined, and in ways far more sustained than having toy likenesses made of them. But that doesn’t make Ty’s position right. It’s hard to argue that this is anything other than profiteering by Ty.

Not sure whether it warrants a full-fledged boycott, but I know I won’t knowingly be buying or recommending Ty toys as stocking stuffers anytime soon.

Just my two cents, for what their worth.

UPDATE, 25 Jan. 3:06 p.m.

Not being the denizen of the Internet (or the blogging world) that I am, my sister hadn’t heard or seen any of the bruhaha surrounding the Obama girls dolls. Her opinion, succinct and common-sense as ever: Michelle and the Obama family have much bigger/more important things to worry about. These dolls are the least of their concerns, and she would have been much better off just letting this go without any public comment. My sister may have a point…

The dictionary defines “sense”  as any of the faculties (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell) by which the mind receives and perceives information about the external world or the state of the body. Each of us tends to favor one sense over the others when it comes to calming effects, stimulating creativity, and simply enhancing the enjoyment of life.

Here are some ideas for creating a stocking that appeals to all five senses.

One is this great book called Crave the Feast of the Five Senses by Ludo Lefebvre.

Sight

iPod touch – Millions of songs. Thousands of movies. Hundreds of games.

Digital camera with YouTube capture mode allows you to shoot video for easy online sharing

Kaleidoscope – All these kaleidoscopes are hand-crafted in the U.S.

Sound

Noise-canceling headphones

Nature sounds – Create your own CDs or MP3 playlists with royalty-free music and sound-effects from this site

Wind chimes

Smell

Scented candles

Fragrance diffusers

Rain-forest friendly coffee beans – appeal to both taste and smell

Incense and essential oils

Taste

Personalized M&M candies

Flavored popcorn

Royal Riviera Pears

Jelly-Belly jelly beans

Touch

Miniature Zen rock garden

The traditional scarf/mittens combo

Even more traditional slippers

Massage items

Soaps and scrubs

Hand-held showerhead

Plush toys

Ask anyone who sews how much fabric they have, and you’ll hear variations on the same answer:

“Mountains!”
“Heaps!”
“Piles and piles!”
“Too much to sort through!”
“Enough to open my own store!”

Now, ask them how the store their fabric, and you’ll get almost as many different answers as people you ask.

I may have mentioned that my very first paying job when I was 16 was at House of Fabrics at Park Central Mall in Phoenix. It’s long-closed, but the fabric from my time there lives on – that red courderoy fleur-de-lis stocking is made from baby cord I once upon a time intended to use for a jumper! Today, the majority of my fabric is intended for Christmas stockings … but there’s still a lot of it, much of which has followed me from Phoenix to Tucson to New Jersey and back to Phoenix.

How you store your fabric has a lot to do with two things:

1. what kind of fabric it is
2. how often you use it

General Tips for Storing and Caring for Your Fabric

• Should go without saying, but your fabric must be clean when you store it. Regardless of how carefully you pack and store a piece of fabric, dirt or residue will ultimately damage the fabric, and the longer a stain sits on a piece of fabric, the more difficult it is to remove.
• You might want to think about preshrinking your fabric before you store it. That way the it will be ready to use when you need it.
• If the fabric was hanging, as opposed to rolled on a bolt, when you bought it, you will want to store it the same way. Certain fabrics, like velvet, can become permanently damaged if they are folded. Even the crease created by folding them over a hanger may crush the texture or nap. Use safety pins or trouser hangers to avoid this.
• Remember, your fabric is not a houseplant: it doesn’t like direct sunlight. Sunlight can damage the fabric fibers, causing colors to fade and whites to yellow. Storing your fabric in a dark, dry area will increase its longevity.
• Temperature and humidity also are important considerations for the long-term care and storage of your fabric. This is less important if you are constantly using it, but for fabric that gets put away in a garage, attic, or basement, you must take note of the environmental factors. Humidity can be particularly damaging, if the water vapor in the air invites mold to grow or fabric dyes to break down. Extremely dry air has its own issues, though, in that it can cause fabric fibers to become brittle and even break.
• While the garage, basement, or attic certainly are less-than-ideal locations for storing fabric, sometimes you just have to make due. Be aware of things like dust and dirt that can lodge within the fabric fibers and cause damage. These pollutants can also attract bugs and insects … so make sure your storage area is cleaned regularly.
• Plastic containers are ill-advised for the long-term storage of fabric, because fabric needs to breathe! The air within a plastic container can become trapped and stale, potentially leading to increased temperature and humidity which is a wonderful breading ground for mold and mildew.
• Acid free containers are important for long-term fabric storage, as acid can cause staining and a general distortion of the fabric.
• Keep your hands from becoming culprits by making sure they are oil- and lotion-free when you’re handling your fabric.
• Store wool in a sealed container with cedar, eucalyptus, or tea tree oil on a paper towel in a ziplock baggie … to keep the moths away.
• Keep track of the length of the fabric piece, when and where you acquired it, the and projects in which you’ve already used it on a 3×5 index card that you pin to the fabric. Depending on how much fabric you have and how organized you are, this may or may not be a realistic idea!

You will increase the life of your fabric by taking the time to properly store it, ensuring that it’s in an optimal environment.

Specific Suggestions for Fabric Storage

1. Metal Grid Cubes
   These can be configured to virtually any shape or size you need. You can put them together to go up against a wall and and over a desk, stack them on top of a long table, set them on the ground like shelves, or even hang them on the wall. Some cubes come with pre-made “drawers,” or you can buy square plastic dishpans at the dollar or discount store. This is a great way to store sewing and crafting supplies, as well as patterns and notions.
2. Wire or Wood Shelves
   Hang coated wire or wood shelves covered with contact paper on your walls and stack folded fabric on these shelves. This is a great option if you are one of the many who have NO floor space but do have a bit of wall space. Use a piece of fabric that’s the same color as your wall to hang in front of this shelf as a curtain. The  shelf will blend in with your wall so you’ll hardly see it, and it will keep your fabric from becoming dusty!
3. Rectangular Plastic Bins
   Stack these on end with the lids on or off – it’s up to you. Fold the fabric into thin pieces and lay them in the bis so that you can see the print on each piece. As mentioned earlier, use care with storing your fabric in plastic bins – air them out once in a while and NEVER put pricey fabric in plastic containers!
4. Fabric Bench
   For those projects in process, a fabric bench that you use as a seat for your sewing machine is a handy idea.
5. Sweater Bags
   For everyday fabric you access regularly, you can purchase inexpensive sweater bags or under-the-bed storage bags. They are clear, allowing you to easily see material.

Web Resources for Fabric Storage Solutions

Wire Storage Cubes

Shelving.com

PolarNotions.com

The Fabric Organizer

Complete Organizing Solutions

Once upon a time, a lovely maiden had an extra basket lying around the house, just collecting dust from sitting on her dirt floor. She also happened to have a stockpile of extra spices, fruit, dried venison, and other sundries. “What can I do with all these excess foodstuffs?” she wondered to herself. “And what about this basket that keeps tripping me up every day as I head out to milk the goats?”

One day, a handsome, strapping stranger came to town and proceeded to build a home just o’er the hill and across the stream. “I must welcome the  virile newcomer to town before witchy Esmerelda gets her claws on him,” the maiden thought aloud. “I wonder what I can take over to him as a welcome gift, as my baking is atrocious – not even the goats will eat my biscuits,” she muttered as she again tripped over that blasted basket. Ahhh…the basket!

And that is how gift baskets were born.

No – not really. Well, maybe!? In my thorough 5-minute search, I unearthed absolutely no information on the history of gift baskets … so voila … I fabricated a plausible explanation of my very own.

Gift baskets have come a long way since our merry maiden’s time. Gift basket services litter the Web now, and you can spend into the hundreds of dollars on a single basket.

One innovative holiday spin on the gift basket idea is creating themes for your Christmas stockings! Rather than fill your loved ones’ stockings with random goodies, you can single in on a particular passion, and fill the stocking with items that all relate to that pursuit.

Here’s my tiny stab at the no-doubt endless ideas for stocking themes:

• gardening
• wine
• movies
• foodies/gourmet cooks
• handyman
• high-tech
• swimming
• golf
• baseball
• tennis
• sports fans
• college alumni
• metaphysical
• religious/spiritual
• music
• dogs/cats/horses/animals
• travel
• letter writing
• journaling
• teaching
• nature
• bird watching
• exercise
• patriotic
• ethnic
• political

In case you’re still not convinced a themed stocking is a good idea, here are a few reasons to consider it:

1. A themed stocking will save you time, because you can probably find all the “stuffers” in a single location, preventing the need to drive from store to store.
2. Themed stockings can be made in a variety of sizes and price ranges, so they flex to fit your budget.
3. A themed stocking will demonstrate to your loved one how much you care, because you personalized their gift.
4. A themed stocking makes a great present for that difficult-to-buy-for person who has everything.
5. You don’t have to wait till Christmas to give one – a themed stocking works for any occasion, year-round.
6. Let’s face it – they’re fun to make!

Typical traits …

Friendly and humanitarian
Honest and loyal
Original and inventive
Independent and intellectual

On the dark side …

Intractable and contrary
Perverse and unpredictable
Unemotional and detached

Aquarius is a fixed air sign. Gifts that correspond with “fixed air” will do the job if you want to seduce, attract, or show your Aquarius how much you value him/her.

The generally individualistic Aquarius is associated with all things future-oriented, including science, technology, and radical political change. (Hmmmm … I wonder if they’re throwing a collective party right now?) They often pursue an eclectic mix of quirky hobbies and interests, both physical and intellectual.

Aquarius Hobbies

• Activism
• Anthropology
• Astronomy
• Collecting unusual things
• Computer programming
• Coffee shop conversations
• Gadgets
• Humanitarian or volunteer work
• Intellectual and political debates
• Inventing (new ways of doing) things
• Paranormal/occult studies
• Reading
• Sci-fi/fantasy movies
• Science
• Skiing and other snow sports
• Socializing
• Surfing the Web
• Traveling
• Video games

Aquarius Colors, Patterns, and Designs

Aquarius is generally associated with vibrant colors, like purple and electric blue,as well as shades of neon green and blue; it is also linked with geometric patterns and designs.

Although Uranus, Aquarius’ ruling planet, is associated with bright, splashy colors and patterns, Aquarians often prefer monochromatic clothing, usually basic shades of green, blue, or purple, though some eccentric Aquarians dress a bit oddly and may adopt very nontraditional style. Aquarians prefer themes that include space (e.g., planets, galaxies, stars) or suggest science, technology, and the future.

Aquarius Gemstones

Gemstones associated with Aquarius include aquamarine, garnet (January), and amethyst (February).

Aquarius Trees, Plants, Flowers, and Foods

Typical  Aquarius trees include pine, rowan, and ash. Plants and flowers include hemp, sorrel, moss, and pansies. Aquarius-associated foods include spinach, sorrel, and parsnip.

Aquarius Gifts

Because your Aquarian is likely to love hi-tech/electronic products, futuristic and innovative gadgets always make wonderful Aquarius gifts. Things like:

• high-tech toys
• high-tech watches and clocks
• security systems
• computerized/electronic home products
• nifty outdoor gadgets
• original and unexpected gifts

Even something as ordinary a mug for the car will be greatly appreciated if accompanied by a thoughtful little poem.

Gifts for the Aquarius Man

• Glass items
• Unusual figurines
• Cool, trendy gadgets like iPods, iPhones, or Webcams
• Robotic items
• Shower radios
• Sports watches
• Digital cameras
• Mini-table tennis set
• Desk darts
• Ice crushers
• Puzzles and brain teasers
• Trendy cuff links
• Elegant clothing

Just keep in mind that it’s not the packaging that matters to an Aquarius man, but rather the time and effort you spend selecting a unique, innovative gift you know he will love.

Gifts for the Aquarius Woman

Female Aquarians love jewelery. With amethyst as their birthstone, you have an extensive variety of items  from which to choose, like pendants, rings, and earrings. Other ideas include:

• The latest handbag and accessory fashions
• Stylish shoes
• Cosmetics and perfumes
• Bath and spa products
• Trendy tops and leather jackets
• Greeting cards with witty notes

If you still haven’t seen the gifts that will please your Aquarian, click here for more ideas …

So here I am … dawdling around my blog (no, I would not call it procrastination!), checking stats to see which posts are getting traffic, and I come across a post with a broken image link. “Hark!” she says, hand raised melodramatically across her brow. “Say it isn’t so!”

It was so.

But not a big deal. I went and grabbed a new picture of St. Nicholas, and all is now well.

However, a little serendipity occurred in the meantime. I noticed an autmatic tag added to the bottom of my post titled, “Elf Abuse.” What the hell? So, naturally, I clicked on it, and it took me to this hillarious story from Time.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the Balkans/Not a brain cell was stirring–not even the Salkinds’. Alexander and Ilya Salkind are clever producers who love to make movies about sweet, heavily padded people who can fly: Superman and Supergirl. A big-budget fantasy about Santa Claus (the myth) might seem as natural as raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, but it’s more like coal in Christmas stockings. As presented in this “nondenominational” version, Claus was a 13th century woodcutter who died and went to the North Pole, where he was greeted as the Chosen One and given a couple hundred elves as his assistants. Stars shine in the north; a UNESCO chorale ladles Bosco over Henry Mancini’s syrupy score; Dudley Moore, the chief elf, actually says, “If you give extra kisses, you get bigger hugs.” The movie plays like a W.C. Fields nightmare: to drown in a vat of whimsy.

So there you have it. Read your  own blog every once in a while. You never know what you’ll come across!

Is there a special place where your brilliant and/or inspired ideas come to you? While you’re driving? Doing the dishes? Mowing the lawn? Jogging? For me, it’s in the shower, and today was no different.

Today’s epiphany was that I have a habit, when I get frustrated, irritable, or confused, of saying out loud to myself, “I don’t know.” Or, more likely, “I don’t know what/how I’m going to ____________.”

Understanding the Law of Attraction as I do, it amazes me that it took me this long to catch on to such a limiting piece of self talk.  So today, I asked myself, “What would happen if, instead of saying ‘I don’t know’ you said ‘I do know!'”? (How’s that for some serious punctuation?)

And so I shall!

I do know!

Eye due no!

Idoknow.

Eyedueno!

I DO know!

UPDATE (345 p.m. Jan. 21, 2009)

What a difference 2 letters can make

I once heard that the two most dangerous words in the English language are “I know,” because of what they represent. We think we know, so we close our minds to new opportunities, ideas, or ways of thinking. However, adding those two little letters, d-o, in between those two small words makes a world of difference! It goes from being a shutting down to an affirmation, a validation, a flinging open the doors of possibility.

What an absolutely and utterly amazing day. The people, the majesty, the TV and Web coverage, the history, the swearing in, the speech, the man. Tears, laughter, cheers, gratitude, hope, and pride are among my personal experiences of this day.

The only other inauguration I remember was Reagan’s. I was in 8th grade at St. Agnes School, and they actually wheeled in a TV so that we could watch not only Reagan’s inauguration, but the release of the Iranian hostages. As a lifelong Democrat, you’d think I would have memories of Clinton, but no. I don’t even remember where I was or what I did just four years ago, when Bush claimed his second term.

So in honor of this great day, I offer the Inauguration Stocking, a creative way to preserve the moment and create an heirloom gift for your favorite Obama supporter.

Steps Involved in Making Your Own Inauguration Stocking

You will create this stocking by finding a photo you like and using an iron-on transfer to place the image on a suitable cotton-based fabric. Iron-ons take some work to do well, but they’re easier than you might think. I will do my best to give you step-by-step instructions, including a materials list.

Materials List

• An inkjet printer compatible for use with iron-on transfers
• Regular paper for printing previews of your design
• Iron-on transfers, which you can purchase either at the fabric/crafts store or at most office supply stores
• Iron – on the cotton setting without steam
• Fabric or pre-made stocking to decorate – it should be at leas5 50 percent cotton (I generally use muslin or old bedsheets for my photo transfer stockings)
• An swatch of the same material to test the image-fastness

Directions

1. The first thing you need to do is find the picture you want to use. Lord knows that by the end of the day, you will have loads to choose from. MSNBC always has a great photo collage of these events, as does Huffington Post.
2. Print a preview of your design on regular paper. It should look exactly the way you want it to appear on the stocking. If you’d like words on the stocking, make sure to include those with the image. Adjust and print previews on regular paper until you are satisfied with the appearance of your design.
3. NOTE: You will be using a MIRROR IMAGE to iron onto your fabric/stocking, so the image must be flipped when you print it. Follow your printer directions to flip or “reverse” the image. If you’re not sure whether your image needs reversing, look at it in the mirror. If it looks backwards, you should flip the design. (This is an especially important test if your iron-on includes text.)
4. Print your design onto iron-on transfer paper. You’ll want to print two if you plan to do a test version first.
5. Carefully cut out your design, leaving about a one-quarter-inch border.
6. Set your iron to the “cotton” or hottest setting, and turn off the steam.
7. Test your design by ironing it onto a sample piece of material.
8. As an alternative to an ironing board, a low, flat surface like a workbench might allow you to press harder when you iron.
9. Following the directions for how long to apply pressure, iron your design onto your fabric or stocking.
10. Allow the design to cool and peel the paper backing from the iron-on transfer.

NOTE: You will likely want to clip and save the instructions for cleaning the material with your iron-on transfer.

Next Steps

If you have used a pre-made stocking, you can choose to embellish it with jewels, baubles, or fabric paint. If you are making your own stocking from scratch, you’ll next need to choose a pattern for the stocking that best suits your image. Then, you will follow Laura’s special abridged stocking creation instructions:

Cut.

Sew.

Decorate.

Hang.

Stuff.

Enjoy.

Though envy isn’t an emotion I generally give into, I have to admit that the green-eyed-monster has bitten me when it comes to those who are living, working, and hanging out in Washington, D.C. this week! What a time this is. And what a celebration tomorrow will be. I anticipate that come Wednesday morning, we will hear a very loud swoooooshing sound that is the collective sigh of relief being uttered around the world.

Although I will miss the live goings-on in Washington, I have arranged a little Inauguration Bash at my favorite Phoenix restaurant, Pie Zanos Kitchen. We’ve got about 40 people who’ve RSVP’d so far.

I invited my friend, Adrian, but she said, “Oh, no, girl. I’m going to get myself a nice bottle of wine and curl up in front of my TV in my Ojamas.” When I told her the party wasn’t getting started until 530 p.m. or so, she said she was sure that by then, she’d be in no shape to drive. I love Adrian!

But Ojamas? Never heard of them. Now that I’ve seen them, though, I’m really likin’ ’em.

He will have been in office almost a year by the next official stocking stuffing occasion – but Ojamas might just be the perfect gift for the Obama supporter in your life!

Actually, the Cardinals worked their asses off to get to the playoffs and to win today’s game . . . so it’s a bit misleading to say the win was a gift. I suppose it would be more correct to say, “Christmas came a few weeks late for Cardinals fans.”

And what a game it was for the fans. I attended a playoff party with some friends and the whooping, hollering, and high-fiving that went on after every score was deafening. I thought to myself, “You’d think these people had made the play themselves.”

I guess that’s part of being a fan. The word, in fact, comes from “fanatic.”

Never having been much into football (something tells me that’s related to the fact that the only deficiency note I received in high school was for failing a written test on football in PE class), I’ve always been a baseball lover – but sports fans are sports fans. We have our teams, look forward to game day, bask in the glow of glorious wins, and shake our fists in frustration when our teams fail. This Cardinals’ playoff season, though, has drawn me into the game of football like never before.

One thing I noticed about today’s game was how easily – and seemingly sincerely – some of the Eagles players congratulated the Cardinals on their win. It may happen more often than I realize, but I don’t really recall having seen such graciousness after a tough game and a hard loss.

So we’re off to see the Steelers in the Big Game in Tampa. Did you catch that? We. Funny how that happens, isn’t it? Now I’m part of the we  . . . this team, this city, this collection of fans.

Regardless of who wins, I’m just grateful for the observations and experience of the last few weeks.

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P.S. – I attended an all-girls Catholic high school. Till the day I die, I will never forget them telling us the reason we had to learn the game of football (yes, we really had written tests on the rules!) was so that we would have something to talk about with boys. Crikey! But don’t get me started…