in case you didn't know it...

i'm a really good gift giver.

never mind this gift guide business that's all the rage in the blogosphere....

i never reveal my secrets.

i walked into hip + humble last year on december 23rd and saw two dudes wandering aimlessly, looking for something for their wives. huntin' hat and flannel jacket... completely out of place, but exactly in line with their intentions. i offered to help them shop, but they were so overwhelmed with the situation, they bolted. between that and the lunch hours spent at the mall with my co-workers shopping for their wives birthday, anniversary, and christmas gifts, i'm thinking a start-up business is in order.

i've been so excited with the gift giving part this year,

i completely forgot about the gift getting bit.

but such pleasant surprises over the last week...

from brooke.

from client ryan.

from cindy.

tomorrow is super jen and aubry gift exchange day... which is pretty much an over the top experience.

she doesn't know it yet... but i got her some prettttty clever presents.

i'm going to blow her mind.

it's so exciting... not sure i'll be able to sleep tonight.

okay. okay. the only proof of my killer gift giving skills i can reveal so far, shared with my new friend marianne, of course...

this:

a 32" x 40" poster

larger than life

romantic bachelor font included

{aaaand the rose}

"win a date with kevin tenney"...

given away at tonight's annual white elephant exchange.

maybe i planted the idea in kevin's little sister's head when she overheard a conversation i was in about last year's epic white elephant.

and maybe everybody knows everyone else's business in my small little world...

so maybe i got a little bit of enjoyment out of helping her pull this off.

maybe i have no shame or anything to hide.

and maybe his face turned three shades of red when this unsuspecting victim picked the nicely wrapped fedex tube from the pile of plenty:

{look at that cranky i-seriously-just-won-a-date-with-a-dude face. it kills me.}

his ego and self-confidence are in proper order tonight for being stolen to the max.... once by a dude - for real, once by kevin - to save himself from the dude, and finally, landing in the happy arms of my dear little brooke. i think we're all sighing a sigh of relief about that.

i'm a proud gift giver tonight.

to the rest of you:

as always, my christmas presents are going to be late.

they're well thought out.

given with love.

they're here.

on my kitchen table.

just not in the mail yet.

you can blame ben bybee.