A Christmas Gift For Everyone ... Including Me

I recently watched the movie Julie and Julia (I thoroughly enjoyed it - Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci are quite good). There's a scene when Julia finally receives her copy of The Art of French Cooking, and during the sheer joy of the moment she runs her fingers over the cover of the book, almost to make certain her name really was affixed to the dust jacket. Whether or not the real Julia Child actually did that upon receipt of the volume that took up so much of her time and sweat and soul I cannot say. However, I found myself moved to tears by that little, almost throw-away gesture. I imagine that most authors who first see their name prominently displayed on dust jackets must go through some form of this act. It is a deeply emotional, universal moment I expect.

So as I was having an online conversation with one of my fellow co-designers, Underground Crafter's Marie Segares about the first published booklet (for me, at least) in which we both have featured designs, Quick and Simple Crochet Scarves: 9 Designs From Up and Coming Designers, she mentioned something rather similar to me about seeing my name and author in the same search query result. I had not ever really thought of my name and "author" in the same sentence (except in those long-ago daydreams that kept me going during the sometimes interminable evenings of a humanities and literature undergraduate degree), much less my name and "designer" in the same sentence. And even though I knew this booklet was set for a year-end publication, it's still amazing to be certain. A note on the linky above: this booklet is already out in print in the U.S., but the only quick and easy non-Amazon link I could find was to the U.K. version set for distribution at the beginning of the new year.

So as I have been given a lovely, creative gift from an unlikely source this Christmas, I will now pass it along to all of you: I have one copy of the aforementioned F+W Media booklet to give away to one randomly chosen winner. Between now and the end of the year (during which time I'll be taking a little bloggy break), leave a comment here about your favorite surprise gift moment. It can be creative, or not; a big moment or a small one - whatever has really stuck in your memory. One winner will be randomly chosen from all the comments left and announced on New Year's Day.

Let's let all good light and creative spirit shine during these final days of 2012.

Yes, I have two holiday trees, and one is of the
miniature orange variety.
Behold the power of orange, lit even.