Virago Secret Santa 2009

It's that time of the year again! So save some room on your list for the Virago Secret Santa!



So that we can get reasonable international shipping and so we can get lots of participation, the process starts early. :) Sign up between now and November 14 by leaving a private message on my profile page with your shipping address. (Only Laura (lindsacl), your Santa, and I will see your address).

Check back on November 16 to find out your giftee. When you know the name, you can ask either Laura or me for the address.

The group opening days are anywhere between December 19 and 26!

Choose whatever book(s) you think best! The selections are not limited to VMCs, although if you get stuck for ideas, remember this is the VMC group. We'll also have a "Dear Santa" thread where you can leave suggestions around November 16.

I'm suggesting a range of $15 to $25, including shipping costs. Whatever you decide--it's up to you!

I hope you all decide to participate and have fun with it!

Edited to correct errant typos

Of course I shall be in!
I think you have my address, if not, let me know.
:-))

I'm in! Thank you so much to Christina and Laura for organising again; I've been looking forward to this all year!

I haven't been here for ages and I have no idea what is going on, but I am very definitely in.

My address is unchanged, but just say if you want me to confirm.

I'm in also and thanks Christina and Laura for the time and effort you take to organise SS 2009.

I think you also have my address but if not, let me know.

I'm in. Hubby's not working, but I've been budgeting for this (just in case). My address is also still the same.

And I'll echo mrspenny in thanking Laura and Christina for all the effort they put in to make this all work!

edited to remove an extra "they"

Yes and Yes!
(I'm in and thanks to Laura and Christina!)

Hear hear, another year and tis the season for Viragos!! Thank you both, Christina and Laura, for making this excellent event happen again! What fun and we have lots of new members too!!

I very much enjoyed giving and receiving last year, and would love to do both again :)

I'm in! Please explain 'rules' clearly so I know EXACTLY what to do. eg: second hand books okay as many are not available new anyway? Check their profiles to see if they have it etc? What about people (naming no names Peggy) who have boxes of stuff in their cupboards as yet unlisted :)

I'd love to have taken part but unfortunately had a large financial blow recently and I can't even buy sandwiches at lunch (rather than make them) let alone join in with this. I hope you all enjoy and one year I'll be able to join in!

Next year LyzzyBee!~! We all have those hills and valleys. It's just called life my dear and you can enjoy this vicarious through the rest of us. How will that suit?
big hug!~!
belva

I am game and count me in.
I am excited as this is my first year and I hope I get Mother's name. hee hee!~!~!
Oh-----knock it off, you guys, it's all in "the spirit of things"!~!
hugs all round,
belva

>10 romain: Dear Barbara, the "rules" are generally lax. :) We create a Dear Santa thread so that everyone can leave hints as to what types of books they prefer (e.g., are secondhand just as good as new?, etc.) since it all depends on the recipient. If you have any specific questions to ask your recipient, you can ask through Laura or me so that you can keep your identity private.

# 12 I will indeed - I enjoyed last year's and watching everyone having fun while not participating - hah - if I'd known the state I'd be in this year, I'd have joined in last!

Thank you again Christina and Laura - yes I am definitely in - it was great fun last year and so very enjoyable, the aniticpation, the musing, the procuring, the packing, sending, receiving, the opening and hearing from everyone all around the world!

I'm in -- I'd far rather buy books as Christmas presents than anything else! Thanks Christina and Laura.

I also would rather buy books than anything else, including for myself. I'm already hunting for stuff on line to put on my list. Lyzzy, I didn't know for months last year whether I had a job for this year and no doubt the threat of layoffs will all start again in April. I feel your pain.

Dear Lyzzy, I suspect most of us have been there; I remember going without lunch for a couple of days in order to buy a book...... I'm sorry you're in that place now.
(Dear Barbara, and SS-to-be: I'll guarantee that I listed my Virago collection first. Those unpacked boxes contain mysteries, usually in pretty foul condition.)

Count me in. You should have my address, if not, let me know. It was great fun last year and I am looking forward to it this year. Thanks for organizing this again.

This sounds great, I'm in!

#11 LyzzyBee - my partner has just quit his job so I'm back to borrowing books from the library rather than buying them at present, so I don't think I should take part either (well, I do, but I think we need to save the pennies).

I'd love to join!

Thank you fellow Viragoites for your kind and consoling words.

Fortunately, my and Mr LyzzyBee's jobs are safe at the moment. But that thing I was really stressed about a few weeks ago? I had to end up paying off someone in order to stop them going to the police (which I really could not face, as I would have been dragged into an investigation, even though I'm innocent) and take on their debt basically. Mr LB paid half, I owe him the other half if we don't claw it back from the other party, and so while I'm trying to believe I will get the money back, I'm trying to *act* like I won't, to make sure the money is still there when I need it.

Really appreciate all your kind words. Am a lot less stressed than I was when worrying about the police, I just have a lot less money!!

Will enjoy your Christmas shenanigans vicariously, never fear!

I missed out on the Secret Virago Santa last year, and intend to participate this year. How exciting!

#24 - how awful Mrs LyzzyBee - sounds like blackmail to me. A lot less money but a lot of love!

I just wanted to explain that it was due to being the co-signatory on the bank account used for a series of events, the one I didn't run, the money stuff wasn't controlled so much and there were people owed money; but they way one of them went about it was not nice, he threatened the police and as a co-signatory I was somewhat liable and he told me my name would have to be given in... I would hesitate to say blackmail as perhaps other people would be happy to go to the police station and talk to them. Me, not so much!

Anyway, Mr LB has been fab and helped a lot in bailing me out, and I am fine living-wise, just trying to keep extras down to a minimum.

Husbands "can" be wonderful assets at times, can't they? Yours sound pretty awesome.
hugs,
belva

Huzzah! I am in as well. I think you have all my information but I will double check.

Oh LyzzyBee I am sorry to hear about your woes. I am glad you have support.

Delighted to be in again!

I'm in -- I think you have my address, but I'll leave it again in case.

Can't wait for another secret santa! Last year was so much fun.

Loved everything about the secret santa last year, all the messages, the planning, the choosing my books, the waiting, receiving wonderful choices from Laura and then hearing about everyone's elses!

However, I'm going to give it a miss this year because of fried brain syndrome. My head is full of work targets, course deadlines (final deadline Dec 24!) and helping my kids with exasperating homework projects involving making scale models of motte and bailey castles with old crisp packets. (Well almost!) I do still have the occasional browse on LT but am not as regular as I was and not sure I could keep on top of organising my present.

I'm looking forward to watching the fun from a distance though!

ooh, I'm in too!

bump

Don't forget to sign up by the 14th!

I am so excited!~! I have already begun my shopping!~!

Ever do Secret Pals on here?

just a thought.

belva

Belva - you don't know *who* you are shopping for yet !!!!!! What are Secret Pals?
Love Julie

Hey there Julie;
I know that I don't know who I am shopping for yet but................................................
the devil is making me do it!~!~!
"Secret Pals" are someone that you do little things for all year. On their birthday, anniversaries, Christmas, Valentine's Day...as much or as little as you wish....even sometimes just because. Then at the end of the year with whatever and whenever you do your last little treat for them (usually just fun little things), you enclose a card that you sign and then they finally find out who their secret pal was for the whole year. It might not work for us because of postage costs and postmarks. Cuz if mine came from Tennessee I FOR SURE would know who it was from. hee hee!~!~!
hugs,
belva

Christina, thanks for reminding me about the Virago Secret Santa. I would love to participate again this year. I'm sure you have my address but will repost it on your profile page.

To all: I'm afraid I've been MIA for awhile. That tends to happen once the school year kicks in. I'll never be able to catch up on past postings, but I hope to be able to check in now and then and perhaps more over Christmas break.

Oh Cariola -- I empathize -- I lurk, but add little as all I'm reading is stuff for my courses (mostly rereads) and student essays.

Cariola;
So very good to see you on here. And you do know that we are here whenever you can be. Have missed your comments so will look forward to the "nows and thens".
hugs,
belva

I've also been largely absent for ages, but am thrilled to be part of Secret Santa, which was one of the happiest parts of last Christmas, for me. I know Christina has my new address. Warm greetings, sympathy, and happy grins all around!

Just a reminder, today is the last day to sign up. On Sunday the elves will be hard at work matching up gifters and giftees (I know, those aren't real words) !

Laura - we know that you know that they are not real words ! lol :)

Thank you ladies for organising this again. It was such fun last year - it certainly reflected that in giving you receive. In fact that could be a motto of our group as people are so generous and thoughtful.

Can the IT people help this luddite out? I've seen people say that their wishlist is available on various other websites, like Paperback Swap. Does the person have to put a link on their profile page for you to be able to see their wishlist? I was thinking with the Secret Santa thing it would be handy for those participating to see these wishlists but how do we go about this?

It depends, Tui. Which site do you want to link to?

I know on paperbackswap members have a public profile page.
Here's mine, as an example: http://laura0218.paperbackswap.com/profile/
And from there one could navigate to my wishlist. I have also posted that link on my LT profile.

If you don't have a direct link to someone's wishlist but you know their member name ("laura0218" is my member name on PBS), then you could go to the main site and search for the member name.

I'm not sure if that's helpful ... ?

Nothing specific, just a generic question. Say you have a wishlist on Amazon. If I went to Amazon and typed your name in Search, would I get access to your wishlist or would you have to post a link on your profile page? I'm not too conversant with how these things work.

Typing at the same time, Laura. Yes, it is helpful, thank you. So I would have to have your precise member name but could find your wishlist if I had it. Ok...I think it would be helpful for the incredibly dull about these things, like me, to post their links in their letters to Santa to help their Secret Snoop Santa out.

Or, if you know their paperbackswap name, you can simply go to:

name.paperbackswap.com

e.g.:
laura0218.paperbackswap.com
cariola.paperbackswap.com
etc.

On Amazon, the wish list search is by name or email address. If you search for "Laura Lindsay" you'll find mine (along with several others, but mine also shows my location so you'd figure it out). Feel free to experiment. To get the full experience, you should order one of everything for me. :-)

GUFFAW!!!

For that matter, perhaps everyone here should experiment with ordering gifts off my Amazon wishlist!!

If only I needed the practice... ! ;)

#49 Just woke up to find all these delightful comments. I love it - Santa snoop! At least you know how to do the crossing out Tui!
BTW - congrats on your Wolf Hall review making the heady heights!

I'm getting as much of a kick out of the letters to the Secret Santas as anything else. We range from the very modest and humble to the trying to be explicitly helpful but always very genuine sounding. It's hard, speaking for myself, to hit just that right note so you don't sound greedy and yet you say openly what you like.

Julie, once I've been shown something, I'm ok (if I've written it down), but I could never figure computer things out for myself. Christina and Laura amaze me.

I'm with you there dear tui.

Totally totally agree, Tui.
Our dear girls are AMAZING!!!!!!!

I am all there with the three of you. Our fellow Viragoites are truly amazing and we are so very grateful to you.
hugs,
belva

oh, stop that. Every single person here has at least one amazing quality !!

Yes, let's see now...........I have the ability to..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Yep, that's a pretty amazing quality, all right.
belva

Meanwhile, (heh heh heh) books are on their way here for my dear giftee. I'm taking a LOT of joy around from this experience!

Moi aussi! I feel I've been very very clever. It turns out it is very difficult to find anything my giftee doesn't already have, but there ae just one or two little tomes....

Will be mailing off my Secret Santa gifts tomorrow. I was wondering, it being my 1st year and all if we acknowledge ourselves with a tag or note in the parcel or leave it as a totally forever "secret" Secret Santa gift? We have done it at my different work places both ways so I thought I should ask prior to shipping. This is so exciting!~!
Thanx,
belva

Ms. Belva,

Leave a message as to who you are. :) Since many here will be able to tell by the return-address who their Santa is, everyone should have the benefit of knowing.

xx Christina

Oh, yes! It's quite fun when we begin opening gifts and revealing "who had whom" !!

I love seeing that parcel arrive with SECRET SANTA DO NOT OPEN UNTIL DECEMBER 19TH written on it. It is such fun to find out who sent it and then to be able to thank them in the Gifts Arriving thread which Laura has already started.