Mixed-Up Holiday Shopping

I'm a firm believer in shopping for holidays year round; I've never been one to purchase generic gifts as some people do.

A friends brother bought his mom, sisters, sil's and nieces each a pearl bracelet for Christmas a few years ago. He had gone on a business trip to the Far East somewhere and brought back generic men's and women's gifts. It's a nice thought, but not terribly personalized, which is great if you're just bringing someone a souvenir from a trip. There seem to be many people who just pick a gift and buy the right number of the same thing.

I can't imagine doing that; I buy gifts when I find them, no matter the time of year. Then I just wrap it up and I'm ready. Some people are easier than others to find gifts for, and there are times that I visit gift shops not because I need a gift at that moment but because I want to see what interesting things they might have. If I see something interesting but think it'll be gone before I need it, I'll buy one on the spot. Other times, I just keep track of interesting items. Or go to that particular store if I need inspiration.

The above linked stores are all local but have a lot of interesting merchandise and I've never gone in looking for a gift and been unable to find something appropriate, though I prefer to encounter things in a more serendipitous manner.

Christmas items are out in full force and tonight I bought cards, at the thrift shop. I need another box or two, but the beauty of it is that I can more closely match the style of the card to the person.