These days, I know I wouldn't make it a day as a department store gift wrapper because I am not too excited by sparkly ribbons and flashy paper. I tend toward the simple. For years, I have wrapped most packages in brown kraft paper. When my kids were small, we would decorate the paper with their drawings. One year, after a way too ambitious apple picking day, we used the very small ones (gathered by very small hands), cut in half as stamps to decorate the paper. With a sharpie, I added a few green leaves and black seeds to their stamps and we called it good.
Today, I am wrapping a gift for my daughter. She lives too far away. I miss her. She misses us and the desert. This video came out this year and it is wonderful.

I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the desert or is curious about the desert. I have already bought 3 copies and I imagine I will buy more. Take a moment to watch the trailer.
I decided to wrap her present in kraft paper stamped with images of a tortoise.

We have desert tortoises that hang out around here and I know she will like this. I stamped with more intent than I usually do.

I liked the idea of lining up the images rather than the randomness I usually use.

I should have placed the present a little differently on the paper but then it left me with the perfect place for the ribbon.

Then I switched to twine. You can't beat "brown paper packages tied up with string".

I just have to give you a peek at my roll of paper. After years of picking it up here and there, I finally committed to a huge roll. It makes me happy to have it at my disposal for everything. I can't get over how often I use it. I bought my roll and the dispenser at papermart.com.

Love their ribbon too.
