About this Blog: Bread making recipes, knit and crochet projects, wood working, gardening, digital imaging, travel, cruise ships, Labrador Retrievers, and more....

About the Header Image: Idlebrook Wendy Darling Evensen "Wendy" one of our four Labrador Retrievers.

Click the header image to see most current posts.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Christmas Gift Baskets

Good morning,

Every year we put together gift baskets for friends and special clients of our CPA firm.  It has been a tradition since 1975 when the firm was founded to give a little gift to special clients.

We don't buy ready-made gifts;  that would be much too simple and wouldn't have the personal touch.  Catherine now owns the family firm so these days she plans and purchases all the items and I put them together on our dining room table. 

Here is what went into this year's basket:
Ahhhhh, yes, chocolate!
Each basket has two Christmas mugs filled with candy.
A holiday picture puzzle...
...candy to fill the mugs...
...and, of course, a fancy tray to hold all the items.
The cups with candy are tied with a bow in a cellophane bag, then it is all assembled with a little tissue paper to hold the items snugly in place...
...then a fancy bow is added.  Making that fancy bow is the most time consuming.
 Repeat a few dozen times, and you're finished!  ;)

This is always a time consuming project to purchase, assemble, and personally deliver the baskets each year, but it is so much fun.  Many of the clients of our firm were clients when we opened the doors in 1975 and some current clients are second and third generation of our original clients.  We have developed special relationships with them over the years and it is good to be able to deliver a holiday gift and chat for a few minutes during the holidays.

I hope your holiday preparations are going well, too!

Very best,
Lois

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12 comments:

Unknown said...

What a beautiful Christmas gift. You do a wonderful job putting them together and pulling it all up with your handed tied bow. It is good to see that appreciation of clients is still alive and doing well at your firm.

Anonymous said...

Ghee Whiz, how nice your baskets are!! and colorful too!! I'm sure each receiver will be thrilled! I would be! Very nice!! ...debbie

Montanagirl said...

What a lovely gesture! I'll bet each client looks forward to your "Basket" every year.

River Glorious said...

I wanna be a client! haha! Any corn-free baskets? :D

Marit Johanne said...

I don't know what a CPA firm is, but I am sure the clients are very happy to get this gift!

Lois Evensen said...

Great point, Marit!

For those outside the USA, a CPA is a Certified Public Accountant. In many other parts of the world, our professional credential is called a Chartered Accountant.

:),
Lois

Christine said...

Lovely baskets Lois; I bet you have lots of happy clients!

Wanda..... said...

I imagine making all those lovely gift baskets just added to your own Christmas spirit, Lois.

Kelly said...

Oh wow! That is so fun. It must feel like Santa's Workshop--very festive! The personal touch is so nice.

grammie g said...

Hi Lois ..very pretty gifts baskets ready to go to some appreciating recipients I sure!!

Elaine said...

Your gift baskets look wonderful! Lucky clients! I do several cookie trays for friends and they are always a lot of fun to put together.

Lois Evensen said...

Good morning,

Yes, the gift baskets were a great deal of fun to put together. And, yes, the sure did get me into the holiday spirit. I had a Christmas tablecloth on the table and Christmas music playing while I put those together. When finished, there were gift baskets on the top of every piece of furniture in the dining room and living room.

Thank you so much, everyone, for stopping by.

Very best,
Lois