What was the best Cheistmas gift/gifts you received ?Why and who gave it.Santa ? or someone else.
Mountain ash

Mountain Ash, what a thought provoking question. I have to come back to this one, hard to remember...

My best Christmas gift was when my older brother secretly decorated our home for Christmas while we were all in bed asleep. We had been involved with the Jehovah's Witnesses for a good part of my childhood and my parents had finally pulled away. (JWs forbid the celebration of Christmas, birthdays, etc). My little face must have been a picture!!

If you would like to see/read what my best Christmas was, or at least the one I can remember the most, go here:

http://www.boomerwomenspeak.com/display_stories.php?item_id=104

One gift made my my Uncle John was my blackboard and easle.My cousins got ironing board and clothes arier.My am I glad I didn't. He made these gifts when my little cousin was in bed,She gor up one night and afraid she saw "Santa" at work my aunt asked my cousin what was Daddy doing.She said he was making shavings...
That blackboard and my home made registers gave me a grounding in my career.
I got my own grown up ironing board too...as did you girls I am sure.
My Uncle was a cooper..he made barrels for whiskey to age in..clever man..
Mountain ash

My favourite gift was also hand-made - by my Dad. He was an electronics wiz and built me a beautiful record player. I think I was about 11. Having inherited his profound love of music, it was a priceless gift that gave me immeasurable pleasure for many, many years.

I wasn't wise enough to think to hold onto that record player, even though is was well worn out by the time we cleaned out the house after Dad died. But I do still have a teeny tiny doll that "Santa" gave me for my 4th Christmas. It's also one of my all-time favourite gifts. She still sits on my dresser in my bedroom. I tried to give her away several years ago, but had to humbly go back to the little girl I had given my doll to and plead temporary insanity. Thankfully the little girl understood all too well that special connection and was very happy to give my doll back to me - especially since I did give her a new one in exchange. That tiny doll has cuddled me through some very painful childhood years and been a stoic companion through many dark nights of the soul. I'll probably be in my 90's before I try to give her away again!

I"d have to say my "Snuggle Bun (doll) and Play-all Six". She came with a combination Playpen/Stroller/Highchair/Rocking Chair/Swing/High Chair.This thing transformed into all of that!!

Sadly, I was being "prepared" for motherhood...this is why I do NOT give dolls to little girls. FALSE HOPE! But I did love my Snuggle Bun!

My best gift was a new wardrobe from my husband when we first married! I was surprised and had a blast spending money all over the place, Barneys, (my favorite,) Niemans, Nordstroms, Saks! It was fabulous!

I have a separate room for my clothing from all my performances and modeling. I gathered some fine classics and one of a kinds from that. I love to collect clothing and can wear clothes well so I loved the gift so much.

It was also a first gift for only ME in so very long at that time. I had come out of an abusive marriage where all my clothing was performance clothing and nothing was bought just because I liked it. EVERY bit of my clothing up until then was watched by my manager and I felt like a freakin' barbie doll!

Strange as it is, that was it! I know it sounds materialistic but when your whole world is about your body, your job, people around you, it matters very much to you and to them what you wear. To have my own wardrobe, chosen only by me and the freedom that afforded me was excellent.
dancer

My best gift was truly...a real surprise.

About 10 years ago, my partner presented me with several gifts ..at my place. After I opened them, he stepped out onto my balcony...and dragged in the biggie...

It was 6 foot long box...and it was a wooden easel for oil painting. He had bought the thing, got it over to my place when I wasn't home and stored it right there on my balony for 3 days.

and I NEVER knew. I never looked out the balcony during that time, ..it was a big balcony. Probably because I was working during those days..and would get home in the dark.

It was a fantastic gift for myself ...that I still use..either for doing paintings or displaying multiple paintings.

When my grandmother died, I inherited from her an exquisite golden antique bracelet, set with diamonds and opal stones. It's a true treasure and I wear it on all special occasions.
Secretly my husband had earrings made to match the bracelet at the best jewellers in Muenich. They turned out so beautiful that the jeweller displayed them in his show window. To my big surprise, Hubby gave them to me after the birth of our first son. Then he secretly had a necklace made to match the bracelet and earrings and gave it to me at the birth of our second son. I was floored. I think that was about the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.
I just wonder if he would have had bellybutton piercing made to match if I had any more children?