Christmas Wrapped

We love throwing parties all through the year but, as I mentioned, we’re especially fond of parties at the holidays. After spending a reasonable time putting up the tree and decorating the mantel, it seems economically wise to share your home with as many people as possible after all that work.

Best party advice I’ve ever gotten: If someone goes through the trouble to host a party, your part of the commitment is to make it fun. It seems like at the holidays every one understands that unspoken rule.

I am married to a graphic designer and when we plan parties my husband is full of inspiring ideas for the invitations. What he is not full of is the inspiration to find the actual time required to make these inspiring invitations. I’ve learned the best way to get him on the ball is to get ready to place orders for invitations, at that point he’ll either come through or I’ll place my order and have the invites one way or another. All without becoming the Nagging Harpy Of The Holidays.

Here are a few invitations from Target that will set the tone for any simple and elegant holiday parties you’re planning this season.

Pink Peony for a holiday invitation? Yes. It works because it’s understated and in the right color family. Your guests will expect a cozy holiday dinner at your home with this invitation.

This tea length invitation in merlot will slip through the printer easily and is easily customized with some free clip art. This is a great source.

Using red or green ink to fill in the details and switching out the black ribbon with the same will make this paisley flat card a holiday invite without any trouble.

The Crimson Deckle Edge collection is another simple way to invite your guests to your house for holiday celebrating.

This olive pocket card printed from your computer with a deep red ink will also set a simply elegant tone for your party. this set is intended as wedding stationary but you can use the pocket and response cards for extra information about your party. We like to hold a White Elephant Gift Exchange at our holiday party, use the pocket and enclosure card to explain the rules.

This year we’re going to try something different for a change and simplify everything for Christmas. This means I’ll give Jon a list of cute accessories, and he’ll give me his list of gadgets that I will point out we don’t need.

I figure if I give him my list before Thanksgiving, he can capitalize on the sales, which will be more important this year than in years past.

A few of the items (I hope you read this, Jon):

Isaac Mizrahi for Target Computer Tote:

Bedding (because I’m pregnant and tired, and we all know how much I like to nap):

A maternity cocktail dress for New Year’s Eve:

A pair of new sneakers to make room for my swollen ankles:

And a pair of stylish sweat pants that won’t show just how many bags of chips I’ve been eating:

Okay, so I’m not a clinical agoraphobe; I just play one on TV. But the “older” I get (I’ll be forty this year), the less tolerant I am of crowds, lines, and trying to weave a shopping cart around a store packed with people. Living in the country for over a decade has probably only exacerbated my inability to psychologically handle retail crowds, so each Christmas I have to really plan carefully to avoid having a total meltdown. Because a total meltdown, for me, results not in my making a scene or crying in the middle of a retail establishment (though wouldn’t that be funny!), but leaving my cart at the end of Aisle Nine and abandoning ship, totally empty-handed. Don’t laugh—it’s happened before. More than once.

I live an hour and a half from Christmas shopping, so I’m not able to “run out and do a little” when the time is right. As such, I set aside two days—one in October, one in November—when I rise very, very early and drive to the big city, arriving at the stores as early as I can. In some cases, if it’s a large store that’s open 24 hours, I’m not afraid to start shopping before 6:00 a.m. If they open at 7:00, I’m right there by the door. If it’s a high-end store that doesn’t open ‘til 10:00, my nose is pressed against the window at 9:58, just in case the manager’s clock is two minutes fast. I want in that door the second the store opens for business!

Early morning shopping is blissful: You can pick up coffee on the way, and sip it as you shop. The employees of the store have puffy eyes, but a nice early-morning spring to their step. Any shoppers—if any—that are in the store are in exercise gear and have their hair in ponytails or under baseball caps, and everyone has that just-rolled-out-of-bed-and-splashed-water-on-my-face dewiness about them. Plus, there’s a curious camaraderie among shoppers who will arrive at a store just after sunlight; I swear, fellow shoppers and I have exchanged knowing winks before.

But most of all, the shopping itself is a complete pleasure. There’s no negotiating the aisles, trying to avoid running over anyone’s heels. You can browse every aisle in the store, unhurried, if you want, carefully considering everyone on your Christmas list and putting all the thought you need into each and every purchase.

And finally, when you see the growing stream of shoppers trickling into the store just as you’re wheeling your sacks full of presents to the car, you can sigh happily. The day hasn’t even really begun, and you’ve just taken a huge bite out of your Christmas list. And you can even go pick up another cappuccino on your way home.

Talk about beating the system.