Creative Giftwrap From "
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CRAFTS : Invitations & Gift Wrapping : Creative Giftwrap : DIY Network SEARCH CRAFTS Index Baskets Beading Boxes Candles Children's Room Decor Clay Clothing Dolls Faux & Other Finishes Flowers & Foliage Furniture Garden & Patio Glass History Holidays Jewelry & Accessories Kids Crafts Lamps & Shades Linens & Fabrics Memory Crafts Metal Natural & Homemade Needle Arts Organizing & Storage Painting & Staining Paper Books Decorative Decoupage Holiday Homemade Invitations & Gift Wrapping Techniques Types Other Photo Projects Quilting Techniques Recycled Objects Ribbons & Bows Rubber Stamping Scrapbooking Special Days & Gifts Stenciling Storage Tabletop Decor Toys & Games Walls & Floors Wedding Wirework Wood & Leather BEST OF CRAFTS Inside 2005 CHA Weekend Projects Vacation Memories Scrapbooking Basics Sewing for the Home Scrapbooking Archive Scrapbooking: Holidays Flowers & Nature Layouts SPONSOR LINKS Creative Giftwrap From " Ask DIY " episode ADI-105 advertisement Make a present look like a chocolate kiss with foil and a paper plate. Figure A Figure B Figure C Q : I'm a big gift giver, but even the coolest wrapping paper gets boring after a while. I'm creative and would love suggestions on new gift-wrapping ideas. A : (Debbie Stapley, Ask DIY Crafts expert) There are lots of creative ideas out there, from a new take on tissue paper to a way to wrap a present like a piece of candy. Just follow these directions. Materials for Tie-Dye Tissue Paper: Tissue paper Eyedroppers Food coloring in several colors Cookie sheet Place to hang wet tissue Materials for Designer Lunch Sack: Brown paper sacks Stencils (optional) Fabric scraps Paper-backed adhesive Hole punch Ribbon or raffia Iron Dimensional paint Materials for Hard-Candy Look: Solid wrapping paper Cellophane Various ribbon sizes for candy-wrapper stripes Double-stick tape Materials for Chocolate-Kiss Look: Paper plate Tinfoil Slip of white paper Tie-Dye Tissue Paper : Cover your work surface with old newspapers so that you don't get food coloring all over. Set a folded piece of tissue paper on a cookie sheet. "Paint" the paper by dripping streaks of food coloring from eyedroppers, using a new dropper for each shade ( figure A ). Hang the paper to dry, clothesline-style. Designer Lunch Sack : Use stencils to draw a pattern on the paper side of some paper-backed adhesive ( figure B ), or do it freehand. Iron the adhesive patterns on the back side of the fabric scraps you plan to use, and then trim the fabric to the pattern of the adhesive. Peel off the adhesive paper to reveal the sticky side of the fabric, and then center the fabric cutout on the paper bag. Iron the fabric in place with an iron set on medium -- it takes about five seconds to set. If you like, use dimensional paint to add faux "stitches" around the fabric edges. Also punch two holes in the top of the bag, front and back, so you can thread some ribbon or raffia through to tie in a bow. This looks pretty and will also keep the bag closed. Hard-Candy Wrapper : Wrap the gift in a cylinder shape with plain paper. Using clear tape and ribbon, add some stripes of different widths to the package ( figure C ). Wrap the striped package with clear cellophane, tying the ends hard-candy-style with more ribbon. Chocolate-Kiss Wrapping : Set the gift on an inexpensive paper plate. Set the plate on a sheet of aluminum foil, and then draw the sides up and squeeze them together at the top, so they look like a chocolate kiss. Before you squeeze the top closed, slip in a paper label (like the ones on Hershey's kisses) to serve as the gift tag. More questions for Debbie: Q : I love the way gift bags look when I buy them in stores, but when I make them at home they seem flat and a bit empty. What's the secret? A : If your gift doesn't fill the bag, make it look fuller by wadding up paper or tissue paper in the bottom of the bag. To fill out the top of an open bag, grasp a piece of tissue paper in the center and smooth the ends down a little bit to form a loose cone shape. Then upend it and put it into the bag. You may need several pieces of tissue paper to fill out the top of the bag. Q : I'm giving my sister a camera lens for her birthday, and I'm looking for a unique way to wrap it. Any ideas? A : Why not wrap it in a decorative photo box? That way, the wrapping becomes part of the gift. Q : My bridge club gives gifts, and there's a competition among the ladies to make the gifts stand out. What can I do to win the contest? A : Buy a pretty scarf and wrap the box in it -- tying the four corners knapsack-style. Web site resources for creative gift wrapping: Gift Wrapping With Michael Foster Recycled Gift Wrap Hints From Heloise on Creative Gift Wrapping Creative Gift Wrap Creative Wrapping Tips for Shower Gifts How to Wrap a Birthday Gift Book: Handmade Gift Wrap, Bows & Tags by Jill Williams Grover Sterling Publishing, Inc. (1999) 387 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016 Phone: 212-352-7160 Fax: 212-213-2495 Customer Service: 800-367-9692 Fax: 800-542-7567 E-mail: webmaster@sterlingpub.co.com ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: Installing a Porcelain Kitchen Sink Culinary Herbs Interview: Stretching Decorative Centerpieces Creative Giftwrap Bluebird Houses Comparison Shop for Home Items & Sports Equipment at Shopzilla © 2005 Scripps Networks, Inc. All rights reserved Privacy Policy | Legal Info
housewarming gift. Size: 15
Housewarming Special, Housewarming Gifts, Occasions, Indian Gifts Portal All Categories Housewarming Sp... Price Range Below US $10 US $10 to US$25 US $25 to $50 US $50 to $100 Above $100 Any Price Range Gifts » Occasions » Housewarming » Housewarming Special » Dry Fruits » Sweets / Mithais » Pooja Accessories » Show Pieces » Ma Durga Sculptures · Durga Puja Gifts · Boss Day Gifts · Karwa Chauth Gifts · Send Diwali Gifts · Bhai dooj Gifts · Fresh Flowers · Flower Hampers · Artificial Flowers · Sweets / Mithais · Cakes · Chocolates · Dry Fruits · Ashtrays · Beaded Jewelry · Beaded Hand Bags · Candles · Candle Holders · Chess · Coasters · Cushion Covers · Door Hangings · Fashion Jewelry · Flower Vases · Hanging Bells · Incense Sticks · Jewellery · Jewelry Boxes · Ladies Bags · Ladies Chikan Suits · Lanterns · Leather Articles · Leather Boxes · Paintings · Pen Holders · Perfumes · Photo Frames · Portfolio Bags · Puja Items · Show Pieces · Teddy Bears · Time Pieces · Toys & Games · Wall Hangings · Wallets · White Metal Jewelry · Wooden Sculptures · Wrist Watches · Arts & Collectibles · Designer & Luxury · Household · Office · Toys & Games · Brass Handicrafts · Marble Handicrafts · Wooden Handicrafts · Cloth Handicrafts · White Metal Crafts · Glass Handicraft Oodh Agar Perfume: Light House Bottle Price: US$23.95 · Red And White: Cloth Lanterns Price - US$8.95 · Bandhanvar: MirrorWork Door Hanging Price - US$13.95 · Mesmerizer: Brass Flower Vase Price - US$14.95 · The Choice Of Mughals: Brass Flower Vase Price - US$22.95 · Tall Maiden: Brass Candle Holder Price - US$13.95 · Glittering Glow: Wrought Iron Candle Holder Price - US$8.95 · Spring: Show Pieces Price - US$16.95 Durga Puja Gifts Boss Day Gifts Karwa Chauth Gifts Dhanteras Gifts Send Diwali Gifts Bhai Dooj Gifts Birthday Gifts Wedding Gifts We Accept Credit Card processing by -- Housewarming Housewarming Special Hanging Bells Fresh Flowers Household Lanterns Tables Decoratives Paintings Candle Holders Idols And Sculptures Wall Hangings Fresh Flower Hampers Displaying 1 to 10 (of 28 products) 1 2 3 [>>] Bandhanvar: MirrorWork Door Hanging Click for Details Unique hand-crafted door hanging for your home. Size: 10 Color/ Material: Green No. of Pieces: 1 piece · Worldwide Delivery Available · Product will be shipped from India · Free Shipping To India Only Price: US$13.95 Celebrating Art: Papier Mache Door Hangings Click for Details Adornments that beautify moments in life. Size: 9" dimeter Weight: 500 gms No. of Pieces: 1 piece · Worldwide Delivery Available · Product will be shipped from India · Free Shipping To India Only Price: US$8.95 Celestial Decorative:Papier Mache Door Hangings Click for Details Enliven the dcor with moons from artistic world. Size: 5", 4", 3" length Weight: 500 gms No. of Pieces: 1 piece · Worldwide Delivery Available · Product will be shipped from India · Free Shipping To India Only Price: US$5.95 Glittering Glow: Wrought Iron Candle Holder Click for Details Be seated in the brightened decor. 1 Wrought Iron Candle Stand 1 Visiting Card Holder 1 Globular Candle Size: 7 Weight: 600 gms · Worldwide Delivery Available · Product will be shipped from India · Free Shipping To India Only Price: US$8.95 Lantern: Show Pieces Click for Details Hanging paper lampshade. Size: Height: 12 Inches Weight: 750 gms No. of Pieces: 1 piece · Worldwide Delivery Available · Product will be shipped from India · Free Shipping To India Only Price: US$12.95 Mesmerizer: Brass Flower Vase Click for Details An imaginative vase decorated with brass. Size: Height: 12 Inches Weight: 1400 gms Color/ Material: Red / Glass & White Metal No. of Pieces: 1 piece · Worldwide Delivery Available · Product will be shipped from India · Free Shipping To India Only Price: US$14.95 Red And White: Cloth Lanterns Click for Details Hang it to add charisma to your surroundings! Size: Height: 29 Inches Weight: 350 gms No. of Pieces: 1 piece · Worldwide Delivery Available · Product will be shipped from India · Free Shipping To India Only Price: US$8.95 Spring: Show Pieces Click for Details Add color and festivity to your life, with this gracefully decorated lantern! Size: Height: 12 Inches Weight: 750 gms No. of Pieces: 1 piece · Worldwide Delivery Available · Product will be shipped from India · Free Shipping To India Only Price: US$16.95 Tall Maiden: Brass Candle Holder Click for Details This candleholder makes for a captivating housewarming gift. Size: 15 Weight: 1750 gms No. of Pieces: 1 piece · Worldwide Delivery Available · Product will be shipped from India · Free Shipping To India Only Price: US$13.95 Tantalizing Freshness: White Metal Flower Vase Click for Details A flower planter in full bloom! Size: 7.5" height x 7.5" width Weight: 750 gms No. of Pieces: 1 piece · Worldwide Delivery Available · Product will be shipped from India · Free Shipping To India Only Price: US$27.95 Displaying 1 to 10 (of 28 products) 1 2 3 [>>] Housewarming Housewarming Special Hanging Bells Fresh Flowers Household Lanterns Tables Decoratives Paintings Candle Holders Idols And Sculptures Wall Hangings Fresh Flower Hampers My Order Detail Track my order Questions about your order Feedback / Complaints Shipping & Returns Return Policy Delivery zones Calculate Shipping Others Secure Shopping Payment Options FAQ's Tool Kit Product Categories My Reminders My Wish List Home | About Us | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions / Disclaimer Site developed & maintained by IndiaMART InterMESH Limited
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Listmania! Wedding Gift Ideas Your Store See All 31 Product Categories Your Account | Cart | Wish List | Help Improve Your Recommendations | Your Amazon Home | Your Profile | Learn More Search Amazon.com Books Popular Music Music Downloads Classical Music DVD VHS Apparel Yellow Pages Restaurants Movie Showtimes Toys Baby Computers Video Games Electronics Camera & Photo Software Tools & Hardware Office Products Magazines Sports & Outdoors Outdoor Living Kitchen Jewelry & Watches Beauty Gourmet Food Beta Musical Instruments Health/Personal Care Travel Cell Phones & Service Outlet Auctions zShops Everything Else Scientific Supplies Medical Supplies Indust. Supplies Automotive Home Furnishings Lifestyle Pet Toys Arts & Hobbies Web Search Listmania! Wedding Gift Ideas by B. Leatherman , shopper E-mail this list to a friend 1. 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His and Hers BATHTUB Hooks (Kitchen) Offered by: Mac the Antique Plumber Regular Price: $12.50 Buy new : $10.62 Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 weeks 22. Lenox Wedding Promises Silverplated Bookshelf Album (Kitchen) Average Customer Review: List Price: $43.00 Buy new : $29.95 You Save : $13.05 (30%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours 23. Wedding Car Decorations : "Newlyweds On Board" Warning Sign Offered by: BridalPeople Buy new : $5.85 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days 24. Euracast Model ADN9980T Tin Color Ribbed Urn, Low Design (Lawn & Patio) Buy new : $89.95 Availability: Usually ships in 1 to 2 days 25. Bronze Garden Wind Bell Mobile - Double Bells Offered by: Modern Artisans Buy new : $99.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Create your own list! See the Best Lists Top 100 Listmania lists Search Listmania lists More about B. Leatherman Related Listmania! Add your list Stocking my first 'Bachelorette' kitchen... : A list by Cydele Cortez, a 'single' cooking enthusiast A Kitchen to Spoil Any Cook : A list by ibreatheuw, Primadonna Cook Feed Your Wedding Party : A list by Ben Reese, Amazon.com Senior Editor the right tools for the job : A list by Todd Johnson, calphalon regional account mgr Add your list Related So You'd Like to... Create a guide Add style to your yard or garden? : A guide by B. Leatherman, avid gardener & retailer Create the Ideal Kitchen : A guide by J. Dormont, Italian-trained Home Chef Make a Tasty Lasagna : A guide by Sara Swihart, Just Learning to be a GOOD Cook Get Great Gifts for the New Bride & Groom : A guide by Sara Swihart, Bridesmaid & Future Bride Buy something for a poor, cooking snob student : A guide by violarulz, a hungry student who's "Between Jobs" Explore Truly Worthwhile Pursuits : A guide by J. H. 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gifts for women. It
The Male Gift Giving Survival Guide The Male Gift Giving Survival Guide This extraordinary book was recommended to me by a colleague after he visited my new web site, Gift Ideas For Women. The Male Gift Giving Survival Guide compliments my website perfectly, untangling for men the web of gifts for women. It deciphers the components of the complex female psyche to its most logical terms. And no, that's not a misprint...I just used the words "female" and "logical" in the same sentence. There is but one universal truth about those of the fairer sex: "Women Love Gifts". So, all women love gifts... a guy doesn't have to be a genius to grasp that concept. Or does he? Ask your golf buddy who gave his wife a garden rake for her birthday. "You just had to remind me" he mumbles dropping his head. Make certain that you have lined up another friend for next week's game though...your buddy is going to drop you like a rock. According to the author, women adore gifts that reflect the love of the giver and his explicit understanding of her desires and tastes. As a woman, I must salute this author. His book is the literal lifeboat of women's gift ideas, without which no self-respecting man would ever set sail on the sea of relationships. The author, Tim Connor, is a seasoned and well-traveled professional speaker who has authored 45 books. He wrote this book based upon the knowledge he gained in his personal mission to discover the keys to female happiness. The result of his quest is this easy-to-read, spiral bound book that men can refer to routinely. Not only does Tim's book disclose the keys to a woman's happiness, it is the genuine tool for unlocking it with an ever-so-easy click. The book begins with the quote: "A man who knows what women want rules the world." - Nick Marshall This first quote of many accurately reflects the intention of this book. Continual studies concur that the happiest relationships, right or wrong, are those in which the woman is happy and fulfilled. There are some common guidelines in the book that apply to every woman regardless of her individual preferences and needs. Important chapters include "The 20 Biggest Gift-Giving Mistakes Men Make", "It's not about the money or the number of gifts, or is it?" and two chapters detailing in-depth, women's stories about the worst and best gifts they have ever received. Many of the best gifts, as pointed out in the book, were not the most expensive or glittery. They were often romantic gifts that were well thought out, affordable, considerate and timely. Many of the collective complaints about gifts from men to women are that the men often don't remember important dates, don't pay attention to the nuances of a woman's life and don't know what she prefers most or cares for the least. The Male Gift Giving Survival Guide covers all three bases. The book features an extensive diary prompting men to record important dates, what makes her happy or feel loved, favorite colors, dress and jewelry sizes, travel destinations, food, restaurants, activities, etc. Guys can fill out this diary as their relationship with a woman progresses and consult it regularly for help choosing the perfect gift. Other diary sections are for tracking any gift given to the woman, her reaction and also a gift log so that the same gift is not given again and again. Overall, I found this book to be an amusing and accurate portrayal of the importance of gifts in the life of a woman. Every male over the age of twelve who reads and follows this book will certainly reflect the female appreciation of his genius in the smile he wears on his face. About the reviewer: Bonnie Jo Davis, also known as the Gift Guru, has taken gift giving to a new level in order to help men stay out of the gift giving doghouse. Her new website http://www.Gift-Ideas-For- Women.com eliminates male shopping jitters by helping men select the perfect gift for every woman in their life. Back to FAQS.ORG
Christmas Gift
The Gift of the Magi THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by O. Henry One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. Andsixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and twoat a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man andthe butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silentimputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- sevencents. And the next day would be Christmas. There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on theshabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Whichinstigates the moral reflection that life is made up ofsobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating. While the mistress of the home is gradually subsidingfrom the first stage to the second, take a look at the home.A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggardescription, but it certainly had that word on the lookoutfor the mendicancy squad. In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which noletter would go, and an electric button from which no mortalfinger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was acard bearing the name "Mr. James Dillingham Young." The "Dillingham" had been flung to the breeze during aformer period of prosperity when its possessor was beingpaid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20,though, they were thinking seriously of contracting to amodest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James DillinghamYoung came home and reached his flat above he was called"Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young,already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good. Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks withthe powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dullyat a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard.Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 withwhich to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every pennyshe could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars aweek doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she hadcalculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present forJim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning forsomething nice for him. Something fine and rare andsterling--something just a little bit near to being worthyof the honor of being owned by Jim. There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room.Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 flat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in arapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairlyaccurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, hadmastered the art. Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood beforethe glass. her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her facehad lost its color within twenty seconds. Rapidly she pulleddown her hair and let it fall to its full length. Now, there were two possessions of the James DillinghamYoungs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim'sgold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's.The other was Della's hair. Had the queen of Sheba lived inthe flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hairhang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been thejanitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement,Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed,just to see him pluck at his beard from envy. So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her ripplingand shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached belowher knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And thenshe did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she falteredfor a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed onthe worn red carpet. On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brownhat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparklestill in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down thestairs to the street. Where she stopped the sign read: "Mne. Sofronie. HairGoods of All Kinds." One flight up Della ran, and collectedherself, panting. Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardlylooked the "Sofronie." "Will you buy my hair?" asked Della. "I buy hair," said Madame. "Take yer hat off and let'shave a sight at the looks of it." Down rippled the brown cascade. "Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the mass with apractised hand. "Give it to me quick," said Della. Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings.Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the storesfor Jim's present. She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jimand no one else. There was no other like it in any of thestores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was aplatinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properlyproclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretriciousornamentation--as all good things should do. Itwas even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it she knewthat it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness andvalue--the description applied to both. Twenty-one dollarsthey took from her for it, and she hurried home with the 87cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properlyanxious about the time in any company. Grand as the watchwas, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of theold leather strap that he used in place of a chain. When Della reached home her intoxication gave way alittle to prudence and reason. She got out her curling ironsand lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravagesmade by generosity added to love. Which is always atremendous task, dear friends--a mammoth task. Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny,close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully like a truantschoolboy. She looked at her reflection in the mirrorlong, carefully, and critically. "If Jim doesn't kill me," she said to herself, "beforehe takes a second look at me, he'll say I look like a ConeyIsland chorus girl. But what could I do--oh! what could Ido with a dollar and eighty- seven cents?" At 7 o'clock the coffee was made and the frying-pan wason the back of the stove hot and ready to cook the chops. Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in herhand and sat on the corner of the table near the door thathe always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and sheturned white for just a moment. She had a habit for sayinglittle silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, andnow she whispered: "Please God, make him think I am stillpretty." The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. Helooked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was onlytwenty-two--and to be burdened with a family! He needed anew overcoat and he was without gloves. Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setterat the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, andthere was an expression in them that she could not read, andit terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nordisapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that shehad been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly withthat peculiar expression on his face. Della wriggled off the table and went for him. "Jim, darling," she cried, "don't look at me that way.I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have livedthrough Christmas without giving you a present. It'll growout again--you won't mind, will you? I just had to do it. Myhair grows awfully fast. Say `Merry Christmas!' Jim, andlet's be happy. You don't know what a nice-- what abeautiful, nice gift I've got for you." "You've cut off your hair?" asked Jim, laboriously, asif he had not arrived at that patent fact yet even after thehardest mental labor. "Cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you likeme just as well, anyhow? I'm me without my hair, ain't I?" Jim looked about the room curiously. "You say your hair is gone?" he said, with an airalmost of idiocy. "You needn't look for it," said Della. "It's sold, Itell you--sold and gone, too. It's Christmas Eve, boy. Begood to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs of my headwere numbered," she went on with sudden serious sweetness,"but nobody could ever count my love for you. Shall I putthe chops on, Jim?" Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake. Heenfolded his Della. For ten seconds let us regard withdiscreet scrutiny some inconsequential object in the otherdirection. Eight dollars a week or a million a year--what isthe difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you thewrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that wasnot among them. This dark assertion will be illuminatedlater on. Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threwit upon the table. "Don't make any mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. Idon't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or ashave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less.But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had megoing a while at first." White fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper.And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quickfeminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitatingthe immediate employment of all the comforting powers of thelord of the flat. For there lay The Combs--the set of combs, side andback, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window.Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelledrims--just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair.They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart hadsimply craved and yearned over them without the least hopeof possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses thatshould have adorned the coveted adornments were gone. But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she wasable to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: "My hairgrows so fast, Jim!" And them Della leaped up like a little singed cat andcried, "Oh, oh!" Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held itout to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull preciousmetal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright andardent spirit. "Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to findit. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a daynow. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it." Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch andput his hands under the back of his head and smiled. "Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents awayand keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just atpresent. I sold the watch to get the money to buy yourcombs. And now suppose you put the chops on." The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wisemen--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. Theyinvented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise,their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing theprivilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here Ihave lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of twofoolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed foreach other the greatest treasures of their house. But in alast word to the wise of these days let it be said that ofall who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who giveand receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere theyare wisest. They are the magi. Return to Christmas Poems and Stories Hypertext format ©1996 Rosemary (Rosie) Winters rosiec@night.net . All rights reserved.