I had such a nice Christmas! Paul gave me these sweet earrings:
(Bird Girl earrings from Marmar on Etsy) (photo from the shop)
and the new Lynda Barry book I would have had to buy for myself if I hadn’t gotten it as a gift, because I couldn’t wait ONE MORE MINUTE:
(Picture This: The Near-Sighted Monkey Book, by Lynda Barry) (photo from Amazon.com)
and this print I want specifically for hanging on the wall next to my KitchenAid mixer (which is badly broken after a child-caused fall from the counter, but I can’t decide what color to replace it with):
(Birds in the Kitchen–Mixer print, by Lucky Bluebird Art on Etsy) (photo from the shop)
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My parents gave me an MP3 player:
(Apple iPod Shuffle, in PINK) (photo from Amazon.com)
and a set of six lidded melamine mixing bowls that look just like these except there’s also a purple one and a pink one:
(Set of 4 lidded melamine mixing bowls) (not the same set as mine: my mom found my set of six at HomeGoods) (photo from Amazon.com)
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My brother and sister-in-law gave me a hair-straightener to try out, and I’m really looking forward to that because my hair is irritatingly in between wavy and straight:
(Conair ProShine Straightener, the 1.75 one) (photo from Amazon.com)
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I don’t like to buy things for myself off my wish list: as I get older, it gets harder to think of things for other people to buy me. But sometimes there’s something that’s been on there long enough that it’s time to retire it (i.e., buy it myself), or something I’d like to have before the next gift-receiving occasion:
Love Actually soundtrack (photo from Amazon.com). I was willing to go one Christmas without this, but not two: sometime between now and next December, THIS SHALL BE MINE.
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I think the two end-of-post questions are self-asking, but in case they are not: (1) Whadja get? and (2) Anything you’re going to buy for yourself because you didn’t get it as a gift?
Excellent gifts: I got a Keurig, a new vacuum and really nice GPS so I can stop getting lost.
Medium gifts: I got a book about canning and some canning tools - something I have not expressed interest in but since my HUSBAND did his mother gave ME the gift. A little annoying but now I am dreaming of homemade pickles and gaining interest.
And then I bought myself a KitchenAid mixer, partly because using my old mixer to make cookies this year made me insane and partly because I got a gift card and couldn’t resist putting it towards something awesome.
And NOW I am going to go buy myself that print with the mixer and the birds because it is ADORABLE and I have just the spot for it.
p.s. I got the blue KitchenAid. It was cheaper for some reason and also so, so, so shiny.
Suzanne | January 5th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
I got Fiesta dinnerware from my husband (that I actually bought myself before Christmas because of a great deal I didn’t want to miss.) Fiesta serving dishes & good sharp knives from my parents.
My brother & his wife are separated right now =( and I think they both individually shopped for gifts not knowing if the other one would so I got some pretty jewelry that I know my SIL picked out and a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card that I’m sure my brother ran out and bought the day before gifts were exchanged. (Tha’ts a really long sentence.)
I got some money from my husband’s parents so I think I’m going to splurge on a Kindle.
(My KitchenAid is just white so it hides in a cabinet.)
Melissa | January 5th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
I bought for myself beforehand. Someone had a jewelry party, I chose a bracelet/ring I wanted, then told my kid to wrap them up for me.
I so love the stuff from Marmar. I haven’t been to the store in a couple years, but I need to revisit soon.
Also, I got myself a new winter coat. Just like yours!!!
Shelly | January 5th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
I will tell you what I got for Christmas BUT OMG YOUR MIXER IS BROKEN!!!!!!!! I can’t even tell you how tragic this feels to me.
My Honey got me a New Orleans themed charm bracelet (lovelovelove) and a cookie scoop and a new measuring cup that you push up from the bottom, like for butter or shortening or some other gooey substane. I bought some warm thick socks from Kohls (also lovelovelove).
Misty | January 5th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Misty– I can still use it, but it’s held together with duct tape. And it makes loud “something is wrong” noises, of both the “it’s something with the motor” variety and the “it’s something with the way the blade is hitting the bowl” variety. But…apple green? or aqua sky? or pink? I CAN’T CHOOSE.
swistle | January 5th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
I ordered gloves that will work with my touch-screen phone. Santa was supposed to bring them to me, but my mom was helping him out *wink,wink* and she didn’t realize the “i dot” gloves she ordered on amazon were not the same as iDot gloves (which aren’t the ones I ended up ordering myself anyway). So now everyone in my family has work gloves with little rubber dots all over them.
I also ordered my husband an adapter so he can use our Harmony remote with the PS3, because we got rid of cable. It was on his wishlist, but I didn’t feel right buying it for him for Christmas when we were still paying for cable.
Becky | January 5th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, OH MY GOD I JUST DID THIS SAME POST, SWISTLE! I even titled mine “Whaddya Git” at first but then changed it because I wasn’t sure I like my version of the slang “whaddya”.
I’m… I’m not even kidding. I DID THIS SAME POST. How does that even happen??? I started writing it last night, added photos and tweaking this morning, and hit publish. And the very first post I see after that? THIS ONE.
Weird.
Marie Green | January 5th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
Also, I love the aqua/turquoise one (not sure of official color name) like the one Jennie just got…
Marie Green | January 5th, 2011 at 4:45 pm
I’m not sure what happened, but I think the only thing I got that I wanted was a pair of pajama pants. Oh, and a purse that I picked out and stood there while my husband bought it for me. I know this sounds ungrateful, but my gifts were really bad this year. I do appreciate that people bought me gifts; I just wish I had also received more gift receipts.
I’m going to buy myself some nice stationery.
-R- | January 5th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
What did I get? Hmmm, this is tough as I’m going to come out sounding really bitchy and snarky (which I may actually be, come to think of it). From my dad I got 2 Michael Bublé CDs - which I asked for - and a 6-DVD pack of 1940s and 1950s musicals which I didn’t (WTF? I like “musicals”, but of the “Moulin Rouge”/”Chicago”/”Hairspray” variety more than “Oklahoma!”/the horribly sexist and racist “South Pacific” but well.), and from my ex-MIL a plastic ring (significant, much?). From my kids, nothing at all because my ex NEVER thinks to help them make something (a card, a picture, I’m not expecting jewellery from Tiffany’s or anything). And, weirdest of all, from my ex himself A WEEKEND FOR 2 OF SPA TREATMENTS. GAH. I asked for this for my 40th birthday in May 2009, was promised it (by my not-then ex) and then it never happened. My ex spent 2010 destroying me and then does this? WTF world? I don’t know what to do or think.
To make myself feel better about the shitty Christmas, I bought myself a few small-ish things: the Glee DVD (season 1), a nice (OK, kids’ but just the right size for me) bag from Cath Kidston, some hand cream from Occitane… All stuff I love but that no one ever thinks to buy for me.
Do I really sound like a bitch? And what would you do with the spa thing? I don’t even have anyone to take (and there’s no way the ex is coming, assuming I even accept this weird, misplaced gift). I gave him a calendar and a second-hand copy of a Hemingway book he hadn’t read… Hmmm I feel like I’m in the Twlight Zone doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo
Sorry for the long comment!
Kirsty | January 5th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Becky - Hey, I got my husband that same adapter for Christmas, along with the Harmony remote. He had absolutely no faith in my ability to choose the “right” one, despite a) my ability to READ and b) the eightybazillion reviews on the internet telling me which one I should buy & that I needed the adapter.
Suzanne | January 5th, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Love the print! If I was getting a new mixer, I’d get orange or red. Mine is boring white.
My favorite gifts are in my new post on my blog.
Devan | January 5th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
I got an Amazon gift card from The BF’s mom and her husband. He got one, too, but doesn’t care about stuff, really so I get to spend twice as much. Heh.
The BF got me an adorable tshirt that was only available for one day and I was so sad I missed out on it. But he got it!
And a circle cutter. Nothing breathtaking, but still thoughtful. We agreed to save on Christmas because our Anniversary is NYE. 
My Mom got me a bluetooth. Because I never use the one I have. *sigh* My mom is silly. BUT she also bought us a BIG BEAUTIFUL WHITE fake tree, which I have always wanted, so that was awesome!
As for what I DIDN’T get? A bigger kitchenaid. I have my eye on the platinum colored professional 7-quart one… Oh yeah. And that Etsy print! I have to have that!
Alicia C | January 5th, 2011 at 6:02 pm
We had a low-key (i.e. little/no presents) Christmas this year in which everyone agreed that it sucked so we won’t be doing that again.
I might have accidentally ordered the new Kate Morton book when I ordered my calendar. (:-D
*firegirl* | January 5th, 2011 at 8:02 pm
I got a bike rack, which is helpful since I accidentally ripped the old one off the top of the car by driving it, with bike attached, into the garage.
But what I didn’t get, which I really wanted, was some of those super cute pictures you mentioned a while back (on this blog, I think?) of the little girl, 12 poses, one for each month of the calendar. Can you tell me where to find those? Since Santa dropped the ball, I’m buying them myself. : )
Kristin H | January 5th, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Marie- First we are buttular-region bruise twins, and now we are post twins!
swistle | January 5th, 2011 at 9:39 pm
Kirsty- Whoa. I would be torn between taking friend or family member to the spa thing, and giving it back to him with a note about not being able to accept it. Probably the latter, because whuh? So odd!
swistle | January 5th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
Kristin H.– I know just what you mean! That’s Sarah Jane Studios on Etsy, and the calendar girl prints are on this page: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahjanestudios?section_id=5349868
swistle | January 5th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
I got so much stuff for xmas, we are a little ridiculous in my family when it comes to gifts. I guess I’ll stick to my favorites. My husband got me a creme brulee torch and ramekins, 4 new books, perfume and sapphire ring (among many others) and mom got me some new clothes, some Ralph Lauren powder and lotion, a very warm flannel duvet cover in chocolate brown (love!) and a hand mixer to supplement my kitchen aid. (how does one mix muffins in the KA AND whip egg whites at the same time?!)
The Kitchen Aid was a gift from my mom…3? Christmases ago? I have one of these in Imperial grey http://www.shopkitchenaid.com/product_detail.asp?HDR=standmixers&T1=KTA+KV25G0XBU
There were a few things I had on my list that I didn’t get. One of these was just too expensive and the others are mostly because my husband doesn’t do online purchases very well (read:not at all)
Lauren by Ralph Lauren perfume (too expensive for me to buy myself right now)
This print from FlyingWhaleStudios http://www.etsy.com/listing/48068741/littoral-women-original-fine-art
This print from wormswormsworms http://www.etsy.com/listing/53212754/thread-and-sand-8×10-print
And this bacon angel ornament from sappymoosetree http://www.etsy.com/listing/62723352/one-bacon-angel-ornament
Cassie | January 5th, 2011 at 11:37 pm
I got a new, bigger camera bag! Which is SIGNIFICANT because it’s one of the ONLY presents my husband chose and ordered ahead of time without me giving hints or helping in any way. It was one of those presents that NEVER crossed my mind to ask for but when I opened it, it was PERFECT and HOW did I EVER live WITHOUT IT?
Also, we used the money we always get from his parents and granddad to take the kids to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. Yeah, he’s their only child so it’s a nice little vacay chunk.
g~
g~ | January 6th, 2011 at 1:51 am
I got an awesome Bengals hoodie from my husband which he wasn’t supposed to get me because WE AGREED! NO PRESENTS!
Of course, the funniest (though not the best) gift was the turtles from my mom http://playaminded.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/turtle-prn/
I would have liked to upgrade to the iphone 4
vegas710 | January 6th, 2011 at 11:37 pm