All I Want For Christmas

It's just about St. Nick's day, which means it's just about time for me to email my Christmas list to Santa.

Making a list and sending it to the North Pole has always been one of the highlights of my year. The process is lengthy and involves tracking trends, evaluating pluses and deltas of big ticket items, and developing arguments for the more obscure and unique gifts, which I seem to have a knack for identifying.

Past Christmas lists have included: 

• Lee Press on Nails and Isotoner gloves when I was in Kindergarten (I was heavily influenced by hand models and marketing campaigns at an early age.)
• G.I. Joes during the Desert Storm War. 
• Pee-Wee, Chairy and the rest of the gang in his magical Playhouse until he "got weird" and my Dad put an end to my Saturday morning televiewing routine.
• Molly and pages 10-15 in the American Girl Catalog which lasted until I had every last accessory from Molly's collection and was able to dedicate an entire closet to Molly's room. 
• Items that would keep me up-to-date with my friends at Ellis like the original boxy black satin Kate Spade handbag, EB Pepper stacked crystal bracelets, Vera Bradley sleepover bags, a Northface backpack, and a blue Patagonia vest.
• THE Nokia cell phone which I received freshman year of college.
• Sports equipment like shaped skis, a PGC-quality tennis racquet, tennis whites, lacrosse gear, and layers of Under Armour to ensure that I looked the part no matter what sport I tackled.   
• Fashion in the form of dresses from my favorite boutiques, "it" handbags, dramatic jewelry, shoes, and gift certificates to my favorite lingerie store.  

I was less successful in converting a wish a list item to a present under the tree when I was very young. But over the years I learned some key tenets to making sure I was never disappointed on Christmas morning. They are:

1. Be on Brand - Meaning your brand. When I asked for Lee Press on Nails and a G.I. Joe before the age of eight, Santa was thrown off. What good little girl asks for those items? I got stick-on earrings and Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks instead. Disappointment.

2. Be specific - This was always Erin's downfall. I learned at an early age to ask for "the black sweater on the first table to the right when you walk into Gap Kids." Alternatively, Erin would ask for "sweaters." And she received every textured, clashing, bulky, fuzzy sweater from Kaufmann's, leading her to tear up year after year as she looked over at the understated black sweater that I so proudly displayed to my family.

3. Be realistic - I was never going to get a puppy in my stocking, so I didn't ask. A pound puppy was the perfect alternative. I was never going to get the Marc Jacobs handbag, so I went with Cole Hahn and to this day, I LOVE that bag, which Peter so fondly refers to as my suitcase.

As we hit December this week, I realized I hadn't even started thinking about my Christmas list. And no, it is not because I'm 28 years old and you aren't supposed to be making Christmas lists at this age. They are still totally appropriate in my family, or so I think. Instead I realized that everything I wanted for Christmas this year, already was given to me in good old fashion Miracle on 34th Street style.
I got ring.
I got a fiance.
I got a Christmas when my whole family will be together again.
What else can I ask for?
(Well, maybe a classic Burberry raincoat and a Chanel handbag, but sticking to tenet #3, I know these are not coming down the chimney.)

And besides that, I'm in the process of putting together the ultimate the Christmas list - the wedding registry! I mean seriously ... I get to waltz into my favorite stores, point a gun at Mauviel saute pans and Steuben Glass, and BAM! create the most amazing wish list ever. Whether or not I've been naughty or nice and whether or not Santa will come around in September is yet to be determined. But for now, this Jolly Old Elf is satisfied!

Lo.