12.15.2010

A Question, Some Internet Loveliness and The Joy of Clementines...

First the question...

Let's say there was a certain necklace that you'd been "stalking" for a while...now let's say that you're on the site where said necklace is sold doing some last minute Christmas shopping for your two daughters when you notice that the necklace is hugely on sale.

Hugely.

Would it be bad to throw it into your shopping cart as a gift for yourself even though you're supposed to be buying gifts for other people?

Just wondering, because I may have done that. Maybe ;-)


And speaking of gifts...I pulled together a little gift guide for iVillage a couple of weeks ago (above) and shortly after, I received a note from the (incredibly) generous Alice Q. Foodie wondering if I would like her copy of The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper (which was on my list), as she doesn't use it anymore.


I said yes (!), and she sent it my way (along with a pretty card and some sweet stickers for the girlies), and I've been buried in it ever since.

That Alice is awfully lovely + amazing, yes?


image via roland bello...and clearly it's one of my favorite images, as it's now been on my blog three different times (first here and then here)...

And finally there are the Clementines...the ones that we wait to buy until December 1st every year because it makes them feel special and rare and slightly unattainable in an age where nothing really feels rare or unattainable anymore.

I wrote about the special things we save for the holidays over at Say Yes to Hoboken for Liz's fantastic "Blognog" series today...

Is there anything special you save for December?

29 comments:

Jessica said...

I say go for it! It's nice to treat yourself to a pretty little present every now & then (at least, that's what I tell myself ;))

onesilentwinter said...

i hope you did that!!!!!! you always pick the perfect necklace! ps you can always wrap it and put on the tag
from the person that cut you off in trafic
from the thing you slaved over the stove for and burned
from the tele marketer that caught you as you where going out the door
from the shoes that looked good but hurt like hell!

Joslyn said...

one silent winter -- genius! i like the way you think ;-)

Jillian said...

the answer to your first question: absolutely! there's no mystery in shopping for yourself--you already know what you like!

Rachel said...

I frequently buy myself a few little things when they go on sale after Christmas. No reason not to do it before.
We actually wait on oranges. My parents have a tree and the oranges ripen slowly, usually getting good around mid-December, transcendent in January. I never purchase store bought oranges, just wait impatiently for the tree to be ready.

katy said...

Clementines, YES! Nigella's clementine cake is going to make an appearance at our Christmas Eve open house this year. I'm thinking it needs a drizzle of dark chocolate over the top.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/clementine-cake-recipe/index.html

Kate said...

Buying a little something for yourself while shopping for others is just helping stimulate the economy, right? Really you should consider it a charitable donation.

kalanicut said...

I have always believed that you should buy yourself one present for your birthday & for Christmas. I love keeping something in mind for myself that I know will make me terribly happy. Fun to have that to look forward to.

Victoria | Hibiscus Bloem said...

Well I have to say that I've done far too much of that little gift for myself shopping this year! Actually just 5 mins ago another parcel was delivered for me!!!

I keep all the Christmas books hidden away until 1st Dec each year and then we read them every night in Dec.

Ana Degenaar said...

Not wrong at all! I hope you did buy it! :)

Jessica said...

Buy it. Do it. Just realized two of the Anthro belts I asked for have disappeared and now I'm left hoping that maybe they'll be under the tree. If not, it'll be belt-sad-times. Don't get me wrong, I'll love all my gifts. But I'm regretting saying, "Don't buy it, just ask for it for Christmas" to myself.

Anonymous said...

totally justified (I am hoping mine are too.....)

Engracia said...

I do that all the time as well!!
I save Xmas books, fave carols CD, Xmas DVDs and since it is summer here, a box of lucious mangoes.
E
xx

Gaby [The Vault Files] said...

I just did it! ;)
Went to the Gap to buy a birthday gift for a good friend of mine and ended up buying the gift plus 3 (yes 3!) items for me! Everything in the store was 30% off plus I had one 40% off coupon, so really HOW couldn't I?

Alice Q. Foodie said...

Aw shucks, I was happy to do it. Glad you are enjoying it! Totally with you on the rare and unattainable thing. I love the idea of ordering fruit - though I've never done it. I also like to buy good champagne, and order chocolates from LA Burdick in New Hampshire. Someone gave me some as a gift a few years ago and I LOVE them. This year I think I'm also going to make a run at baking yeast coffee ring cakes - something I've never done before. I love the idea of a special work-intensive xmas breakfast treat! And btw - that necklace is awesome!

Maia McDonald said...

I had trouble not buying stuff for myself as well when shopping for christmas presents, I ended up caving a couple times and totally don't regret it!

♥ A. said...

You've been naughty lol.

Mrs.French said...

this post put a huge smile on my face. i loved it from top to bottom!
xo t
p.s.
which is why you more than deserve that perfect necklace.

Geeta said...

God! That is so good! (the necklace)
You shouldn't have hesitated:)

Nicola said...

Its such a beautiful necklace and beauty shouldnt be passed over and regretted , you could always let your girls 'give it to you'

Unknown said...

One for you, one for me is my gift buying motto! So glad you posted that clementine pic - I swear I spent an hour searching your blog for it not that long ago - LOVE! I didn't find it but it was fun reading through your archives!

Our Green Nest said...

That necklace is cool...it didn't look quite right on me but I know you'll rock it! :) Oh yes, I do that too.

Unknown said...

Great necklace, and good for you for purchasing it. It's always appropriate to indulge yourself! XO

http://tryitonmegirl.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Oh J, you don't EVEN know... I have realized that I don't shop "exclusively" for myself anymore. I grab things for here and there, along the way when purchasing items mostly for my two kids. That said [written], I have managed to slip some items for ME in the basket a few times so far (including the most awesome color combo flannel shirt from the Urban Outfitters men's section...XS fits PERFECTLY...one for my nephew and one for his aunt!). I also veered way over to J. Crew's sale, not even looking for gifts for others! [giggle] So, you know what my advice would be???

tiffany said...

I know this is unrelated to your post but...figured I'd ask anyways! Do you know of anything Christmas-y going on in the Dallas area worth visiting?

Simply Mel {Reverie} said...

as lame as it may read ~ Strauss eggnog ice cream fills my bowl nightly from 12/5 ~ 12/25. No earlier, no later...20 days of really fattening goodness. love it.

Joslyn said...

kittycat -- a few things i would recommend:

1. the windows at the downtown NM are amazing...defintely worth checking out

2. there are fun christmas activities at the arboretum

3. the lights in highland park village and the surrounding neighborhood are amazing!

Anonymous said...

That necklace rocks! I'm glad you went for it!

ashley // chasing heartbeats said...

I was stalking this necklace as well, and now it seems to have sold out :( about buying things for yourself when you are supposed to be buying gifts for your list? i am guilty of that every single year. Now i am trying to buy someone on my list one of what I buy myself, but it might be not working out so well... oh well, only one person left to buy for on my list and maybe i will wrap up some of my gifts and pretend that my boy bought them for me :)