Christmas Harvest 2018

| Allison

Hello, dears!

It already feels kinda weird to say “2018,” doesn’t it? XD Anyway, today I’m going to show you some of the lovely gifts I received for Christmas. As I’ve said before, the term “haul” really annoys me for some reason, so I’m sticking with “harvest” for now as a more… I don’t know, polite term? 😛

Before we begin, the obligatory disclaimer: of course I’m not writing this post to brag to you guys about my gifts. Why would I do that?? I made this post because I enjoy reading these kind of things, and hopefully you do too. 🙂

Oh, and this is not an exhaustive list (because I don’t want to make you guys TOO exhausted 😛 ). Ha ha, but yeah, that would get a bit long and drawn-out. Whether all your gifts are on here or not, please know that I was truly delighted to receive them – thanks ever so much for giving them to me! ❤

Okay, onwards! (Side note: wow, a spider just appeared from nowhere and let itself down onto my keyboard. :[] Lovely.) AHEM.

featured image 52

Let’s start with some art supplies, shall we? 😉 I’m super excited about these Faber-Castell watercolor pencils from my grandparents! This is a set of 24 beautiful colors, plus a blue “Magnus” pencil… not entirely sure why it’s there, but I think it has a softer, bigger lead good for shading large spaces like sky? I haven’t used them a ton yet, but they’re lovely from what I can see so far! The pencil strokes dissolve wonderfully when you paint over them with water and the colors are bright, with plenty of pigment.

gift 6

This also came from my grandparents. I took this out of its packaging, but it’s a set of four artist-quality mechanical pencils with four different thicknesses of lead. I think they’ll be GREAT for sketching out pieces that have a lot of fine details, or even for details on finished pieces, like eyelashes on an eye. 😉 The set comes with refills for all leads, plus the erasers, which is great!

gift 9

AHHH WASHI TAPE! The first three stacks are from my grandparents, and the gorgeous and adorable copper mushroom tape on the right is from Laura. I LOVE IT ALL SO MUCH!

gift 7

This lovely thing is from Clara. It’s a 5-year journal, which means it has 365 pages with five sections on each page (to write about that same day next year, and next, for five consecutive years) so you can compare the days to one another. Isn’t that such a neat idea? Also IS IT NOT STUNNING? Ahhh, it’s SO SO beautiful, inside and out, and I’m excited to use it!

gift 10

These fun goodies are from also from Clara and Laura. Laura gave me another pretty pen, but I have that in my purse already. 😉 I love getting blank ATCs, since they’re so much more fun to use when they’re precut! And then there’s a fun mini pad of scrapbook paper… some of which is PURPLE! 😀

gift 13

This is from my pen pal Laura (a different Laura XD). I haven’t read too far into the devotional, but so far it seems like it will be outstanding! I’m planning to read one each Sunday so I can make it last longer. 😉 Also LOOK AT THOSE ADORABLE SUCCULENT STICKERS! They’re the slightly puffy, squishy kind – you know? I love them. ❤

gift 11

Aria sent me The Count of Monte Cristo for our book list exchange. GUYS, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST GORGEOUS BOOKS I’VE EVER SEEN. 1) It’s a hardback classic that I’ve been wanting to read. 2) The cover is brilliant and striking, as are the red endpapers, and 3) THE BOOKMARK! This tome is well over 1,000 pages long, so it’s kind of a necessary accessory (hey, that’s fun to say). Anyway, I loooooove it. I’m only 61 pages in, but it’s really good so far and I can’t wait to finish it!

gift 8

YAYYY, new piano music! I’ve kind of exhausted our collection, so I was quite excited to get these. The praise-and-worship book from my parents has super nice arrangements and it’s just the right difficulty level. They also gave me a gold plated (O.o XD) hymn-book-holder-opener-thingy that works quite nicely! We needed one of those.

The Piano Guys book from my grandparents is a bit more difficult – I think the songs are better for learning vs. sight-reading. It’s amazing how Piano-Guys-y the arrangements are! They even have instructions on when to bang the piano lid in “Michael Meets Mozart.” XD (Which is really fun to do.)

gift 4

My grandparents gave me the big, beautiful Bible verse monthly calendar, and my parents gave me the small, beautiful Bible verse daily calendar. 😛 They’re both so pretty and they’re both currently being used. The small one is right on my desk by my computer, actually. I love seeing a new picture and bible verse each day or month!

gift 5

Ha, so I actually got two Oontz speakers for Christmas. XD My brothers gave me a smaller black one, and my cousins gave me this Oontz Angle 3 Plus, I think? They are both a GREAT improvement on my awful laptop speaker. :’D I’m listening to music on the white one right now (“I Won’t Let You Go” by Switchfoot, which I highly recommend), and I might try putting the smaller one in my car so I can play songs from my phone. (My car’s too old to have Bluetooth, ha ha.)

Also I’m not one to gush over aesthetic technology, but this speaker is pretty good-looking, isn’t it? Plus, it matches perfectly with my studio decor. 😉

gift 15

AHH AREN’T THESE SO CUTE? My pen pal Heather sent these to me and I’ve already worn them once or twice. I love them so much. ❤

gift 12

Aria gave me the super cute giraffe mug and some delicious-looking hot chocolate packets – and Laura (the first Laura XD) gave me one too!

gift 1

HAHA ISN’T THIS GREAT? It’s a camera lens mug from Clara! I’ve seen something like this before but never had one. At first when I opened the box I seriously thought she got me a lens and I was like… O.o And then I looked again and I was like HAHA OH YES I LOVE IT. It’s so realistic, and it does actually works as a mug besides!

gift 2

Guys, I got SOOO MANY FUZZY SOCKS FOR CHRISTMAS! (Some were in the laundry so they aren’t all pictured. XD XD) They’re all so comfortable and cozy and fun to wear! ❤ I’m wearing some green ones right now, actually.

gift 14

Here we have a small sampling of the tasty treats I received from various people. My sister, Megan, gave me several different bags of dried fruit which I LOVED, since dried fruit is like my favorite snack ever. Laura (my pen pal, not the blogger) gave me the chocolates to go with the book, Heather gave me the tea, and Aria gave me the gummies. Thank you so much, dears! ❤

gift 3

And last but not least, we have… A BAZILLION PIECES OF DUTCH LICORICE FROM ARIA! Oh my goodness, it totally made my day to open up a big box of delicious candy! XD If you’ve never tried Dutch Licorice, it’s basically like normal licorice, except with some to a lot of salt added. Sounds weird, but I think it cuts the sweet and makes it better. Also there are SO many different flavors and varieties, as you can see! I don’t know why, but there’s something about Dutch licorice specifically that makes me want to photograph it as a perfectly organized flat lay. :’D And then eat it, of course.

licorice

And that, my friends, is it for now! I hope you enjoyed seeing the lovely gifts I was blessed with and maybe even got a few ideas for your next wishlist. 😉

What was a favorite gift YOU received for the holidays? Do you prefer tea or hot chocolate? Do you like fuzzy socks? And does Dutch licorice sound good or gross?

Thanks so much for reading, dears, and have a lovely day!

***Allison***

P. S. Sorry about the scattered posting schedule lately. From now on, I hope to post every Tuesday and Friday. 😉

86 thoughts on “Christmas Harvest 2018”

  1. Ah, I love reading Christmas gift posts (no idea why)! My parents got me my first washi tapes too, it’s the best. I recognize that devotional book, my mum has the whole series. And I love those earrings, I need a pair XD! Yep, fuzzy socks are cute. Thanks for the post, glad you had a great Christmas.

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  7. Washi tape!! I love the colors and patterns, they are really unique, but cool patterns.
    Clara was so creative with the gifts, I love that mug!! ❤️ And the journal is so neat!
    Aria definitely was creative as well—That mug!! 😂 How tall are you? And Dutch Licorice sounds really interesting. How did she find all of that licorice?! 😂

    Such a fun post! I loved reading this!

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    1. Yessss, same here!
      She was, wasn’t she? Me too!
      HAHA I KNOW! XD I’m 5′ 11″. O.o So are my parents.
      Dutch licorice IS interesting. 😛 Her aunt brought it down from where she lives. SO MUCH CANDY! XD
      Yay, I’m so glad you liked the post, dear! Thanks for commenting! 😀

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      1. Yes, definitely!
        Wow! I’m only 5’3, lol! I am an inch taller than my mom, but pretty much everyone I know is taller than me! 😂😂 Haha!
        That’s so neat!!
        I did! You’re welcome!

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  8. When I saw you had posted I squealed and said: ” Ooh! a Christmas post I love posts like that! ” I love fuzzy socks! 😛 Ohhh! We have that same speaker! 😀 It can play music SOOOOOO loud! XD I prefer peppermint tea with sugar in it! XD My thought on Dutch licorice: It looks kind of odd…. XD But it sounds yummy! 😛 I got a unicorn baseball cap, Unicorn cookie (Which after I ate it, my Grandma told me that she had it since before Thanksgiving. XD XD XD), Unicorn painting kit, a bike bell, and a few other things!! 😀 *plus the stuff from you guys!* I really enjoyed reading this!! 😀

    -Laura ❤ 😉

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    1. HA HA, REALLY? That’s GREAT. XD XD I’m so glad you liked this post, Laura! YES, ME TOO! Haha, really? Yeah, it’s a great speaker! Mmm, peppermint tea is delicious. HEH, you’re right about Dutch licorice. 😉 Whoa, that’s a lot of unicorn stuff! XD Sounds fun! (Also that’s pretty funny about the cookie. XD At least you’re still alive. O.o :’D) Thanks again for the comment, Laura!

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  10. Aw, the spider just wanted to read about them too. (But ew for real, I accidentally picked up a dead one today because I thought it was string or something.) I love reading Christmas gift posts! My favorite gift was probably a new book series or a really really neat Apologetics Bible I got from my Grammy.

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  11. What a lovely Christmas harvest! 😉 I love reading these types of posts! 🙂
    (oh dear… I don’t like spiders. XD Except little ones. I can handle little spiders. 😛 Was it a little spider?)
    Ooh, that looks like some nice piano music!! Have fun playing it! 😀
    I got a daily Bible verse calendar too! I really like having it on my desk. 🙂
    Those earrings are super cute, and HAHA I LOVE THOSE MUGS!! 😀 That camera lens one looks so realistic! :O
    And YAY FOR FUZZY SOCKS! 😀

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    2. It was! ❤ And thanks, Liz!
      (HAHA. Yeah, thankfully it wasn't too big. 😉 )
      It sure is! I've been enjoying it. 🙂
      Ooh, that's great! They're so fun to use and look at.
      THANK YOUU! I know, right? I love them too, hee hee!

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  13. This is wonderful! You got so many amazing things! The Watercolor pencils looks quite lovely, and the normal pencils do, too! (They both look so professional!😏) They earrings are so cute!
    Oh. My. Word. A Camera lens cup?! Who knew! That is AWESOME!
    Dutch Licorice. Hmmm… Not sure how I feel about that, but i’d definitely try it! (Well, definitely might be a LITTLE much…😁)
    Have a wonderful 5th day of 2019!

    ~theJunebugblog

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  14. Very nice!!! I hope that you had an amazing Christmas. ❤ Ahhh, I loved the camera earrings, washi tape, and fuzzy socks soooo much!!! I loooove getting fuzzy socks for Chrsitmas. lol

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  15. AHHHH YAY YOUR HARVEST POST! I love these, you know. 🙂 I LOVE that camera lens mug, oh goodness! I really want one. And the washi tape is so PRETTY, and the five year journal! I love that idea. I should get one next year.

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  17. *cough cough* I love Christmas harvest posts such as these, and it’s awfully clever for you guys who make them to use the term harvest. 😉
    OH MY WORD THOSE ARE THE MOST ADORABLEST THINGS I HAVE EVER SEEN AWWWW!! Those earrings- I would totally get my ears pierced just to wear them XD and that mug! I’d scare my mom with drinking from it! 😛
    See, these posts are very good. I’m saving it for when I need gift ideas. So glad you got all these lovelies!

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    1. Heh, well thanks, Jo. 😉
      EEEEP I KNOW I LOVE THEM! HAHA YEAH. It’s so realistic if I leave it out on the counter I might try to put it on my camera! XD
      I’m so glad to hear you liked the post, and thank you for your lovely comment, dear!

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    1. Oh dear, it’s too bad you’re allergic to chocolate. 😦 Tea is delicious too, though! I love the earrings as well. Thank you, Marion – and you too!

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  20. Thank You for sharing your gifts that you received. I love all those art supplies. You can draw some lovely things with them. Hope you and yours have a happy,peaceful 2019 filled with blessings.
    Marilyn

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  21. You got some really cute things! I have that same camera lens mug, I got it for Christmas in 2017. 😛I love fuzzy socks, I also got a few pairs for Christmas! I got books and bookstore gift cards… along with a bookish mug. Basically everything a booknerd could need.

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  22. AWE YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!! I’m SO glad you like the earrings! I know we’ve only writing to each other for a couple of months now but since I’ve been reading your blog for probably almost a year now I thought they were definitely very “you.” 😀 😀 XD And I actually totally forgot I gave you that tea too until I saw it in this post. XD XD 😛 When I read “Heather gave me the tea” I was like”…I did?? Oh yeah.” XD oops. My brain is tired. I’ve been staying waaay too late waaay too often lately. XD
    And oooooh washi tape! I love those little metallic mushrooms too, they’re so cute! And that Piano Guys piano music book is so cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn’t know that it existed! I kinda want one for myself even though I don’t play piano. XD
    Oh I got SO many books combined from Christmas and my bday which was AWESOME, and I got so many cute socks, an Alice in Wonderland tote bag, a TON of chocolate, and so many other book and Disney nerd things that were SO ME and I loved them!
    For Christmas I got these really fancy luxurious fuzzy socks with aloe in them so they are impossibly amaaaaazingly soft! Seriously, I have no idea how you put aloe in socks, but it’s like wearing clouds on your feet! XD XD I love them!
    I love tea AND hot chocolate, though lately I’ve been drinking lots of mochas. 😛
    Hmmm, I like sweet and salty things like chocolate covered pretzels, and I kinda like red licorice, but I don’t think I’ve ever had black. But I think I might like the Dutch kind if I tried it. 🙂

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    1. AHHH I REALLY DO! I love wearing them, and people have asked me about them too! Aww, that’s so great. ❤ They really ARE perfect for me! 😀 HAHA that's totally fine. I understand. :'D
      YESSSS, so do I, hee hee!
      EEP THAT'S SO EXCITING! I'm getting ready to read your gifts post right now, so… exciting! 😀 😀 Oh yes, I think I actually got some aloe socks too and they DO feel soooo silky soft and cozy! ❤ XD
      Mmm, mochas are delicious. And so are chocolate covered pretzels. 😉 Yeah, Dutch licorice is pretty great!
      Thanks for the amazing long comment, dear!

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      1. I collect journals, some are still blank pages. My daughter gave me a personalized one last with with our photos in the pages. I think I have about a dozen, all still blank.

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  24. Amanda gave me the same Piano Guys music for my birthday last year! I love it, though I’ve always been too timid to play Michael Meets Mozart with all the lid-banging and craziness. XD I think my favorite is Just the Way You Are. 🙂

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    1. Oh, that’s so neat! HAHA, it does take a little courage, but it’s actually pretty fun to do. 😛 Ooh, I should work on that one more. I like “Bring Him Home.” 🙂

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  28. Ahh, everything in this post is so neat and pretty! 😀 That speaker is amazing – we have a similar one and I love it! I really want to try Dutch licorice now. XD And I’m so glad you loved my gifts. 🙂 Heh heh, maybe I should have put a note on the mug to clarify it wasn’t real…. XD
    I always love reading your harvest posts! 🙂

    -Clara ❤

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    1. Thank youuu! Really? That’s great! I love my speaker so far too. 🙂 HA HA YOU SHOULD. XD I sure did, Clara! No, I thought it was hilarious that I thought it was real at first. XD XD
      I’m so glad you do, dear! Thanks for commenting!

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  29. Happy New Year! The 5 year one line a day book is so cool! I always hint at my family and boyfriend when I see stuff like that like ‘ooh that looks really cool’ near Christmas or my birthday but so far the hints have not been received haha! My fave present this year though was a beginner’s calligraphy set which I can’t wait to try out and write about for my blog!

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