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jamesqYesterday was the 26th Annual No-Traditional Christmas Dinner party that ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
catalytic hosts. It was well attended, crowded and a lot of fun. I may have drank too much (no seriously, I was about two drinks past where I wanted to be, whcih meant I drank nothing for the last two hours of the party.
The best part for me was having people call me to find out where I was and also voicing gratitude that I had come. It gave me a warm feeling.
So why was I late, it was because I was wrapping my present for the gift war.
Step one was the present. I ordered a bunch of stuff from ThinkGeek when I went to Vegas (cheaper delivery to Las Vegas than Cowtown). I had a bunch of Geek Points (their customer loyalty program - like I can get half of this stuff anywhere else). Sadly, the program isn't that good - it's easy to get the points, not so easy to actually use them. If I could redeem more than one item in an order it would be a lot more useful. Anyway, despite already having a Star Trek bathrobe (that I actually don't use - it's for those sorely rare occasions when I have a guest in my bedroom), I decided to get another to give someone as a gift. It was basically "free".
Next up was cutting some foam board to look like a Star Fleet Insignia. Luckily I found some yellow foam core.
Like all good archers, I then "did it again".
Next up was to form-fit some sides to make it into a giant Valentine's day chocolate box.
In goes the robe, and now you see why I had to make it so big.
Then I attached the top and used the universal tool - duct tape!
Last up, use a big damn Sharpie to give it a border to camouflage the duct tape and of course add the center design that really sells it.
Total cost of materials: About $20, which is what the guideline for the presents were, so my free-but-expensive present ended up costing exactly the right amount, but got me some compliments. Bonus:catalytic ended up winning the housecoat and seemed to be happy with it.
I got some Jesus-on-the-cross dress-up doll magnets!
catalytic hosts. It was well attended, crowded and a lot of fun. I may have drank too much (no seriously, I was about two drinks past where I wanted to be, whcih meant I drank nothing for the last two hours of the party.The best part for me was having people call me to find out where I was and also voicing gratitude that I had come. It gave me a warm feeling.
So why was I late, it was because I was wrapping my present for the gift war.
Step one was the present. I ordered a bunch of stuff from ThinkGeek when I went to Vegas (cheaper delivery to Las Vegas than Cowtown). I had a bunch of Geek Points (their customer loyalty program - like I can get half of this stuff anywhere else). Sadly, the program isn't that good - it's easy to get the points, not so easy to actually use them. If I could redeem more than one item in an order it would be a lot more useful. Anyway, despite already having a Star Trek bathrobe (that I actually don't use - it's for those sorely rare occasions when I have a guest in my bedroom), I decided to get another to give someone as a gift. It was basically "free".
Next up was cutting some foam board to look like a Star Fleet Insignia. Luckily I found some yellow foam core.
Like all good archers, I then "did it again".
Next up was to form-fit some sides to make it into a giant Valentine's day chocolate box.
In goes the robe, and now you see why I had to make it so big.
Then I attached the top and used the universal tool - duct tape!
Last up, use a big damn Sharpie to give it a border to camouflage the duct tape and of course add the center design that really sells it.
Total cost of materials: About $20, which is what the guideline for the presents were, so my free-but-expensive present ended up costing exactly the right amount, but got me some compliments. Bonus:
catalytic ended up winning the housecoat and seemed to be happy with it.I got some Jesus-on-the-cross dress-up doll magnets!
