I Believe in Secret Santa!

Hey ho ladies and gents!  I am home!  

I had full intentions of blogging from Switzerland.  I brought my new camera and my laptop, as well as all the plugs and cords and convertors a girl needs... then I got there and realized I needed to enjoy absolutely every possible minute with my family that I could.  So I decided that blogging would wait until I got back to America.

It was a great trip... and to be completely honest I really wish I was not home yet.  I am still suffering for a horrible case of jet lag (despite the fact that the Swiss are just a mere 6 hours ahead of us, I have basically become nocturnal...) and I miss my family terribly.

I have tons of pictures, fond memories and cheesy stories (legit swiss cheese... and bread...) to share with you.  But guys, you will just have to wait another day for that.  

Why?!  

Because I just got my Blogging Secret Santa gift and it left me in tears.

For those of you who did not take part in this awesome exchange, here's how it went down.  I randomly found out about a blogging secret santa on a blog.  I signed up.  I forgot about it.  I got a reminder email.  I stalked a blog.  I bought her a warm present (it was a scarf) and her daughter a Minnie Mouse calendar (not knowing they were heading to Disney for vacation!).  Then I sent the package her way.  All the while, my amazing, too-good-to-be-true Secret Santa was doing the same for me!  

And let me tell you - my Secret Santa has NAILED it.  She must of scoured my blog for hours upon hours.  Or maybe she just winged it.  Either way the girl left me literally crying in my living room.

Let me preface this by saying that coming back from Switzerland, each and every time, is one of the most difficult things I ever have to do.  I leave my best friend and some of my favorite family members. I cry when the plane takes off from Zurich, and when I land in Virginia.  It has been a rollar coaster even more so this time for reasons that I cannot currently discuss... but I promise, maybe next week, I will share them with you.

Anyway - I am always sort of hesistant to do Secret Santa Exchanges because I always feel like I receive the short end of the stick when it comes to the gifts.  {One time in 3rd Grade my Secret Santa gave me a Dollar Store Barbie Doll with no hair and ugly clothes.  Secret Santa was never the same.} But to open up a present that was so incredibly perfect for me, at such a perfect time... I believe again!

Secret Santa, whomever you are... thank you.  Thank you so much.  

From left to right... Toys for the Cats, Toy for the dogs, a coffee mug with hot chocolates, chai tea, nail polish of various colors, holiday wine glasses, wine trinkets, and a sweet card.  (I'm pretty sure my Secret Santa went over the $15-$20 limit...)

So let's break this present down a bit, shall we?

Not only did she think about Chloe and the 2 Cats but she included SPARKLY tissue paper.  I LOVE anything that has to do with glitter or sparkles.  High five there Santa.

Nail polish.  I just recently decided I needed to save the salon money and start painting my nails myself.    I was literally JUST THINKING before I opened this package that I wanted to paint my nails red and green for the holiday, but I didn't have any green paint.  Sweet!  Let's make these colors even more awesome... Not only do I adore sparkles but I bleed purple as a graduate of James Madison University. Purple and gold will always have a special place in my heart.  This Santa TOTALLY rocked my socks off with JMU nail polish colors.  

You really must think I am making this up, but I promise I wouldn't lie about something so marvelous.  I LOVE hot chocolate with mint.  And when I am sipping on a caffeinated tea you can bet your bottom dollar that it is a chai tea.  

The card.  She bought this at a farmers market.  Yes, that scores points.  But I am sitting here feeling bad about not being in Switzerland anymore and I get this card that looks like Europe and it has snow and mountains in it.  As I was driving around Virginia today I reflected on how much I missed getting snow every day while I was on vacation.  :)

Last but not least... if you have read my blog at least once, you know I love wine.  How stinkin' cute are these holiday wine glasses and wine charms?!  I will definitely be using them next week at my party!

Okay Secret Santa... Whichever awesome blogger that you are... thank you so very much for this awesome present.  You did a spectatulr job and absolutely, positively got me into a happy mood.  You went above and beyond the call of Blogging Secret Santa Duties.  

Now send me an email and tell me who you are so I can creepy stalk your blog and we can become best friends. :) 

(Oh, and about Switzerland... I am thinking I will spend all of next week photo bombing y'all... but how about a sneak peek or two?

xoxo