Gift Guide Times Five
Breaking it down day by day
Hello to all my fancy ribbons!
On Thanksgiving, my sister and I decided that the theme of our family gifting is “pre-owned.” She’s an amazing eBay search expert, and I actually need some white wine glasses (they went to my ex when we divvied things up), so this is going to work to my advantage. I want to bring some of that motivation to my own gift guide here, and this year, I’m dividing my gift guide up into five parts and assigning each a theme: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, and Umami. There will be literal associations, like spiced things on the Umami day and tart candies on the Sour day, but I’ll also find a way to crow-bar some emotional connections into those categories. Not sure what that means? Me neither! Stay tuned.
My number one rule of gift giving is: Give them something they will touch every day. That’s why things like fish spatulas and masking tape made it onto the gift guide last year, and that rule has driven a lot of my decisions for the 2024 roundup as well.
Things will kick off tomorrow, and for today, I am suggesting a gift that you can give others that is also a present for me. (No one saw that coming!) You can order personalized copies of either one of my books when you go through Greenlight Bookstore, my neighborhood indie store. Add a little note about who the book is for and anything you want me to write in the Order Comments section of checkout—even if it’s “ask Carla to include one of her Carla-isms,” which I see a lot! Orders placed tomorrow, December 2, will ship FREE.
File this under “sweet”: keepsake items are special to give and to receive. Additionally, this purchase supports an independent bookstore, and through the internet clicks and the magical ether, you’ll be connecting directly with me. When you place the order, I get an email from Shauna at Greenlight to head over, and when I’m there, the staff lets me into the stock room (above). That’s where I’ll see your order form and the copy of the book that you bought. I stand there and read your note, think about you and your friend, and come up with something to write on the spot. In fuchsia Sharpie, usually. Usually Margie comes, too, because they give out dog treats and she loves it there. These are special moments!
I’ll be back tomorrow with the first of five installments. Until then, enjoy the fact that it’s DECEMBER. 😩
I love the criteria of something they will touch every day. 🫶🏻
I love the gift guide! 😂