In my family there is a bit of a tradition of creative present wrapping…pretty well everyone has demonstrated their ingenuity as some point or another over the years. This year I was responsible for getting a present for my newlywed brother Chris, and with Ian’s help, I’m pretty sure I won Christmas.
I’m bound by a confidentiality agreement not to reveal my secrets in their entirety, but let’s just say it involved an actual present, a decoy present, a case of wine, some water, and some food colouring. The finished, wrapped, and quite heavy product looked like this:
Wrapped present ©PicklesINK 2012
“Gift Tag” – to chris merry christmas love karyn
(Ben could actually read it. I was impressed!)
©PicklesINK 2012
Important note – This Side Up
©PicklesINK 2012
The present is delivered to its recipient and unwrapping begins. Ben is happy to help.
Chris and his trusty assistant Ben begin unwrapping
©PicklesINK 2012
“Ahh!” says oenophile Chris. “A case of wine! How nice!”
Chris and Ben admire the dozen bottles of red wine
©PicklesINK 2012
“They’re nice wines, too. Are you sure you stayed within budget?”
Chris examines the labels
©PicklesINK 2012
Suspicious as always (Really, I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve that! Baseless accusations, I say) Chris begins to examine the bottles more closely. Mel leans over and mouths, “Are they ALL screw tops?” and promptly collapses in hysterics.
Chris inspects the bottles more closely.
©PicklesINK 2012
On closer inspection, Chris discovers that all is not what it seems. The liquid in the bottles is actually purple and the odour is distinctly…well…odourless.
Something’s fishy.
©PicklesINK 2012
“Ah-hah!” say Chris and Ben, discovering the carefully-hidden silicone X-Wing ice cube tray from ThinkGeek. “Oh, darn! You found it!” say I in disappointed tones.
Chris holds up the decoy present, an X-Wing ice cube tray
©PicklesINK 2012
Still unwilling to take me at my word (how rude), Chris continues to search…
Chris begins to lift all of the bottles out of the box
©PicklesINK 2012
…and search…
Chris holds the box upside down
©PicklesINK 2012
…and search…
Chris discovers the false bottom
©PicklesINK 2012
…finally discovering the false bottom and revealing the real present…
Chris finds his real present in the false bottom
©PicklesINK 2012
…a Star Trek cycling jersey (also from ThinkGeek).
The real present, a Star Trek cycling jersey
©PicklesINK 2012
I swear, I picked red because he’s an engineer. I’m confident he’ll be the exception to the rule who survives the whole episode!
Remind me to watch out though because there may be some payback coming my way…
~ karyn