The return of Gift it.

Whoa.  I was totally MIA last month.  We were yet again getting our house ready for renters for a week while we got out of town for the insanity that is EAA.  And you never realize just how much you have to do to get ready until like a month before when you come up with an 8 page to-do list and panic.  Not that I have experience with that or anything... but suffice it to say that last month was filled with building a patio extension, putting in a fire pit, installing shelves, putting up a gallery wall, rehanging photos and cork board maps... not to mention purging clothing and toys and scrubbing every. single. room. until they shined.  So yeah.  Anyway...

Last month, I let you know it was almost August.  Like you didn't know.  But I also reminded you that meant another Gift it. Gift it Good series!  Yeah!

Since I was on vacay for the very first part of the series, Red Ted Art already went up without much ado, but you can catch their 5 favorite handmade gifts here.

I also missed an introduction AND a round up - but I'll tack that in here somewhere, don't worry.

If you want to see past Gift it. Gift it good. series, check out 2012 here, and 2013 here.  There are some seriously awesome gift ideas you don't want to miss!

If you're wondering what this series is all about, here's the gist:

Aren't handmade gifts the bomb?  The thought?  The effort?  The time spent to make something perfect?  The personalization?  The ideal pairing of item to recipient?  Really, aren't handmade gifts - simply put - the best?!
I think so.  I also think that there's a lot of intimidation surrounding handmade gifts.  At least there is for me.  There seem to be certain occasions or persons for which I just cannot bring myself to create for.  Do you feel the same?
Even if you don't - even if you are a handmaking queen... a connoisseur of handmade git goodness - we could all use some gift inspiration now and then!

(Now, before I go any further, I'd like to address the offense that some of you have no doubt taken with the song I chose to base my series title on.  Before you get all tense and huffy about it, I would like to point out that this classic 80's song by DEVO has a whole lot of hype and total misunderstanding surrounding it's origins and meaning.  You know what I'm talking about, I know you do, or you wouldn't be all up in arms, so I won't go into details about the assumptions people have made and continue to make, but I will refer you to songfacts to get your facts straight.  Even the band admits that the lyrics have been misrepresented and the common understanding is simply "a myth."  Short story, this song is about getting off your duff and DOING something - anything.  It's about moving past the laziness and "whipping it" into shape.  Plain and simple.  And you know what?  I think that's  pretty appropriate for this series.  Get off your duff.  Make some presents.  Overcome the insecurities.  Just do it!  Ok, I'm done.)

So what can you expect from August?  Posts like crazy from your favorite bloggers and mine... oooh, you should see the line up!   All about handmade presents.  Presents for babies.  For showers and birthdays.  Christmas and Mother's Day and Bar Mitzvah?  We've got you covered.  Neighbor gifts, teacher gifts, mailman gifts, best friend gifts... by the end of August you will be confident in your handmade gift giving prowess.  Trust me.

*Be sure to check below for all the fun parties I link to!*