I believe I've encountered Chinese dishes called Three Season something-or-other, and I suppose that's as good a way to categorize this mishmash as any.
We moved earlier this year, in February. It's now December, and my gift wrap table is still at the old house, which doesn't exactly speak for our organizational skills in getting rid of the old house or getting the new one completely ready to live in.
Though the ribbons, wrappings, and even the rescued milk crates I store them in did make it to the new location, they're still boxed. So any wrapping I've done since we've moved has been on a sort of offhand manner; but as the giftwrapping was in the basement, it didn't get packed till the big moving day, sometime in March. So this first gift, which was shot shortly after February 14, is presumeably a Valentine's Day gift, and thus made it under the wire, just barely. Perhaps it was raining, so rather than taking it outside, I parked the gift on the back of a sofa next to a window, and let some cloudy daylight provide the illumination:
If the first gift is “Spring”, then the second is “Summer”. I think I picked up the magenta flower in a parking lot, while selling beads in Chicago; the remainder was similarly scavenged from gifts we'd received since moving and the like. A plain white box obviated the need for wrap still packed. Despite the limited supplies, I thought it was still effective:
The last gift, which I call “Autumn Frost” was one I created at least a year ago, and more likely two or more; I probably did it for my spouse, who carefully removed the box from one end, and gave both box and wrapping back. There it sat, waiting for me to photograph it. I'd already tried to do so once, but the paper was so shiny that I was unhappy with the results. I set it aside, meaning to try again later.
Fast forward 2-3 years, and we have a 40th birthday party for a friend...I needed a quick wrap, so this box, complete with wrapping was co-opted for the task. I photographed it again, and again the sheen of the paper resulted in less than ideal results. But as it was being given away, I had no choice but tto go with what I had.
Actually, that's not quite true. The recipient offered to give it back; but by this time, having had the thing hang around for years, I told her to keep it. Thus, my three seasons for 2003; not perfect, nor even completely 03, but good enough.
Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.
