Connie's Kitchen: Holiday Edition-The Christmas Lamp

 This year is our first Christmas with Little Lily. She is almost 9 mos old and growing faster everyday. It has been so fun showing her our Christmas tree, walking around the neighborhood and pointing out decorations and lights, and trying to keep her from destroying all the gifts I have wrapped under the tree.

We just picked out her first Christmas gifts and it's so hard not to buy her everything I see. I mean look at that face!

 I really love buying gifts for my friends and family and I really really love finding the perfect gift for someone.
My Mom could be really easy to shop for on one hand because she made it known when she really loved something, like her Yankee Candles, Bath and Body Works lotion, the color RED, or a cute pair of flats.  On the other hand,  it was always really tough finding her that one perfect gift because she already had a ton of candles, lotions, and shoes. If you got her something she loved, she would go crazy like a little kid or scold you for spending too much even though you could tell she loved it. If you got her something she didn't really like, she had a really hard time hiding it. It was almost like she would take it personally because she hated having to pretend she liked something or explain that she didn't like something. So buying her something different and special could be really nerve wracking but when you found that perfect gift for Mom, it was so worth it! A few years ago I thought I came up with the perfect gift and I was so excited.

 My parents were in the process of remodeling their kitchen from a pretty outdated, 1970's look (dark cabinets, yellow appliances, dark wood floor). They had slowly been making updates for a long time but they were finally redoing everything from the cabinets, to the floors, to adding an island. All this time, while Mom had been making changes to update the kitchen, there was this huge hanging lamp over the sink. It was in a Tiffany style but very 1970's, yellow and brown, and out of style. I thought the perfect most amazing gift would be to replace that lamp with a beautiful new Tiffany style hanging lamp that matched the new kitchen colors.
I was nervous about getting this for my Mom because it was a big purchase, so I started to feel her out about what she would want in a new lamp. She immediately got a little weird about it when I started asking. I don't know if she hadn't decided what she wanted to do about a new lamp yet, or if she was just scared I wouldn't get her exactly what she wanted but she made it very clear that she DID NOT want me to get her a new hanging lamp for the kitchen.
Back to the drawing board....
I was still stuck on this idea of a Tiffany style lamp because I thought she would actually really like one so I thought of a table lamp instead. My parents had just added on a sun room and she was still decorating it so I thought a pretty lamp would be perfect in there.
I found a beautiful, simple, small lamp with lilies on the shade, which were my Mom's favorite flower. It was similar to the one below but the design on the shade was even more simple and I thought for sure she would love it.

I checked with my sister and she agreed that the lamp was perfect! So I ordered it and when it came I wrapped with it up with so much care and so much pride. I topped it off with a big bow and then attached the tag that said "TO: Mom-From: Karissa and Lindsay" and smiled.
I put it under the tree at my family's home on Christmas morning and was thrilled at how the wrapping looked and how large the box was. My Mom was there and watched me lay the big beautifully wrapped box on the carpet and she frowned. I could tell what she was thinking and I looked at her and said; "Don't worry Mom, I didn't get you the hanging lamp". She wasn't convinced. She starred at me with a look that said; "hmm I don't trust you Missy" and we both giggled and went on with the opening of gifts.
We had a wonderful morning unwrapping perfumes and sweaters, tossing crinkled up paper at each other and giving big hugs of appreciation.
Finally, we came to the end and Mom's big gift was the only one left under the tree. It sat there shining under the tree lights just waiting for the perfect moment when Mom would open it and delight in her new lovely piece of home decor.
I go grab the box and put it in the center of floor and call Mom over. She is hesitant and we all keep nervously laughing because she is still just 100% sure we got her some awful hanging lamp that she doesn't want.  Mom walks over to the gift and kneels down in front of it and looks up at us one more time with that same distrusting but playful look. We all hold our breath as she starts removing the green and red paper from the box. She gets down to the box and opens it to see a lamp shade and she looks up at us confused and a little angry. I will never forget her face. It was priceless! She was feeling so many things and not hiding any emotion well but mostly she was annoyed. I burst into laughter and keep assuring her that this gift is not a hanging lamp. The whole family descends on the box to get this little lamp put together as quickly as possible so Mom can see what it really is. We take out bubble wrap and Styrofoam all while she is frowning with mild hatred at this unwanted gift. I take out the lamp stand and say "See, See Mom, its not a hanging lamp, it has a stand". She doesn't believe me. My sister, Dad, and I are all laughing as Mom is getting more and more annoyed because at this point she thinks we are making fun of her.
We finally get the whole thing put together and let her look at it. Her face changes from annoyed, to confused again, to surprised, to happy and embarrassed. We all erupt in laughter and she is sheepishly smiling and promising she likes it.
The whole family walked upstairs together to the sun room to plug in the lamp and check it out in all its glory.
Mom was really pleased and I will never forget that day. She actually called me that next week to ask where I got the lamp so she could get a matching one to make it a set. I almost fell out of my chair laughing as I told her not to worry, I would order it for her.
Tell the ones you love this season how important they are to you and remember that it doesn't matter what you give them as long as its from the heart. We still have those lamps sitting in Mom's sun room and I bet she is up in heaven still so happy we didn't get her a hanging lamp.