The packaging counts

When we were in Bali, we got the cutest little turtle wooden carving as a present. It's only small - about 2 and a half inches long - and when I unpacked it from the suitcase I couldn't help thinking how much less remarkable it looked wrapped in newspaper than in the shop. I was quite disappointed.

I spent the next few days thinking about boxes. Searched through my little hoard of saved packaging and couldn't find anything that fitted. On Christmas Day my brother gave me a Graphic 45 Renaissance paper stack - yay! thanks bro! - isn't it lovely?

That gave me an idea to add some class to the little gift. I sat on the train and in Starbucks with my little notebook making sketches, designs and plans, to people's great interest.

And when I got home, I made this:

I'm so pleased with it! The little hand-carved turtle suddenly regained his importance.

I'm going to have such fun with those papers. I love how they're perfect for men and they're more grown-up than most of the designs, which of course are intended for scrap-booking photos of children. I think they'll be ideal for scrapping some of my photos of beautiful buildings as well, not to mention the red-green-and-gold potential for Christmas 2010!

Tomorrow (31st December) is our 15th anniversary of meeting, 14th anniversary of getting engaged, and 10th anniversary of when we should have been married. I can't believe how the number of years has suddenly got so high. We haven't decided what we're going to do yet. Hopefully a quiet evening in, which just goes to show that we're getting OLD! (Oh OK then DH, I'M getting old!)

Happy New Year to everyone. Enjoy your celebrations, whatever you do, and I hope that your 2010 is a wonderful one!