Am I allergic to shopping? I think maybe. I'm like those people who don't eat dairy for so long that they become lactose intolerant. (Does this happen? I used to be a vegan so I've read a lot of propaganda on the subject. Who knows if it's true.)

I tried to go Christmas shopping on Saturday. I didn't have a long list, I went with someone I generally enjoy hanging out with, and there was a free lunch at the Purple Onion involved. Still, I felt a little sick. Not ranch fries sick. Spending sick.

Maybe it was different because I was shopping more for supplies than finished products. Basically, my list consisted of blank journals, a board game and fortune cookies. (And if anyone knows where I can buy fortune cookies, please pass it on. The Asian markets have turned me away.) They were all (except the game) just raw materials so that I can make the real gifts myself.

If shopping is the sickness, though, I've found an antidote: I'm truly enjoying being creative in gifting and wrapping. I'm only straight-up buying a handful of gifts (maybe five). Yes, that's more pressure, because I want my crafty presents to be good gifts that happen to be handmade, not piles of junk that're supposed to mean something just because I made them. But I'm really happy with several of my ideas, and I think the recipients will like them, too.

I feel like I'm creating something that my friends will really love, and that's the best part of gift giving. I'm so excited about my gift ideas that I want to post them here, but my friends and family read the site, so I think it's best to keep quiet. I am planning on posting them after Christmas, so feel free to revisit then and pilfer my ideas for next year.

In the meantime, I'm going to stay at home with my knitting needles and stay away from the mall. Apparently, it's literally making me sick.