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My White Elephant Gift

Good Evening Ladies and Germs. And welcome to another edition of the NGIP White Elephant Gift Exchange Party. And by “another edition”, I mean the first edition.

A couple of weeks ago, a bunch of us bloggers swapped names and addresses and mailed (using real postmen and real postage and everything!) White Elephant Gifts to each other. And now we’re showing our gifts off!

My gift from Teri over at Snarky Mamma arrived in the following package:

white elephant gift party

A White Elephant Gift is an item that someone, say your clueless Uncle Harry, gives you and it never makes it out of the box and you can’t wait to re-gift it. A White Elephant Gift Paty is the perfect opportunity to regift that special something.

Often times it’s something tasteless and trashy, so this is also a great opportunity to use up all your tissue paper scraps because you only have half a sheet left of several colors:

tissue paper, white elephant gift

Generally you want to find the most hideous-looking thing you’ve got so as to scare the crap out of your recipient when she pulls away the tissue paper…

fish in box, white elephant gift, kids art

GAH!! What the holy freakin’ heck is that???

So here’s the thing. I am at a total quandry here. If this were made (and worse, purchased) by an adult, this would easily be the crappiest gift I have ever received.

However, if it were made by a child, this would be the cutest thing ever. And then I would have to hang it on my refrigerator. Forever.

This horribly psychedelic marine animal reminds me of a wedding present I received that I once thought was hideous and nearly sold at a garage sale (except no one would buy it) and eventually fell in love with it because of its lack of mainstream popularity. It’s so loud and so kitchy and so hideous that I couldn’t help but love it. Let me see if I can go digging in my cupbopards and find the thing so you can see what I’m talking about.

Oh, yes. Here it is…Ta da!!!

fish cookie jar, cookie jar, ugly cookie jar

Awwwwr, look at that face.

cookie jar face

Who’s a good fishee? Yesh you are. Yesh you are! Ah-boo! Ah-boo!

But seriously, don’t they look like they were made for each other?

fish and jar

The fish face was accompanied by a user’s manual:

fish and book

… which may have been full of instructions, except that I don’t read user’s manuals. I mean all that techie stuff just confuses me and goes way over my head. I read BOOKS, not user’s manuals, but thanks anyways. It also came with this:

velcro picture hanger

which you may recognize as an As Seen On TV item to hang pictures.

So I hung the fish face on the fish…face.

cookie jar and mask

Gorgeous!

Thank you Teri!

And now if you want to see what White Elephant Gift everyone else got, they will be linking up their gift posts in the Linky widget below, so check them out!

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  • http://cowpattysurprise.blogspot.com Nezzy

    Heeehehehe, a mask for your treasured ceramic fish! Girl…tell me…does it ever get any better than this???

    What fun!

    God bless and have a great day sweetie :o )

  • Melody

    I think the gift I sent was too nice. :) I was lazy. I had one…just like the one I sent but didn’t want to send mine. So I sent one just like it! Ha! I loved my goat..I got a green goat! yay! I added the link. :)

  • http://fragrantliar.blogspot.com FragrantLiar

    I think those fishies were separated at birth. And now that they’ve been reunited, this could be the first thing of the year that’s brought a tear to my eye. Well, one of ‘em.

  • http://beetle-blog.com/ babs (beetle)

    Ha hah! It’s fantastic - fantastically hideous!

  • http://beetle-blog.com/ babs (beetle)

    Ha hah! It’s fantastic - fantastically hideous!

  • RuEtta

    What the holy freakin’ heck is that???

    Haha I’m a dope. I thought it was a creepy clown (Bozo hair).

  • RuEtta

    What the holy freakin’ heck is that???

    Haha I’m a dope. I thought it was a creepy clown (Bozo hair).

  • http://www.ihatemymessageboard.com/ Tracy O’Connor

    I demand the backstory of that fish from Teri. She can call me up and tell me if it would get her in hot water to post it publicly.

    For a while, I used to work at a bank that was across the store from Family Dollar. Boy, did we get some doozies for Secret Santa. But you know, meant sincerely so I couldn’t enjoy them the way I would have had they been meant ironically. All I know is, I spent 6 months with a sparkly resin and faux brass dolphin pen holder on top of my monitor with “da fent” engraved on the faux brass nameplate because I didn’t want to hurt the girl’s feelings. But maybe if I had she would have learned to give better gifts?

  • http://www.ihatemymessageboard.com/ Tracy O’Connor

    I demand the backstory of that fish from Teri. She can call me up and tell me if it would get her in hot water to post it publicly.

    For a while, I used to work at a bank that was across the store from Family Dollar. Boy, did we get some doozies for Secret Santa. But you know, meant sincerely so I couldn’t enjoy them the way I would have had they been meant ironically. All I know is, I spent 6 months with a sparkly resin and faux brass dolphin pen holder on top of my monitor with “da fent” engraved on the faux brass nameplate because I didn’t want to hurt the girl’s feelings. But maybe if I had she would have learned to give better gifts?

  • http://www.robinmiller.us/2011/01/19/because-who-wanted-the-gifts-to-end-so-soon-online-white-elephant-gift-exchange/ Because who wanted the gifts to end so soon?

    [...] See what everyone else received for the Online White Elephant Gift Exchange by clicking here. [...]

  • http://pricillaspeaks.blogspot.com Pricilla

    I almost tossed my cud. Which would be bad ’cause I need my cud.

  • Teri C-fish sender

    lol that was great. In fact it was made by a kid and I received four fish and two horse heads ( not in bed). That is a fantastic fish set you have there. They were made for each other.

  • http://roses2rainbows.blogspot.com Linda R.

    Wow, this all sounds great. Sorry I missed out on this. Where was I anyway? Oh well, maybe if there’s a next time, I’ll join in the fun.

  • http://www.sparklecat.com Sparkle

    My human actually LIKES your ceramic fish, so if you do this again, you can send it to her. Me, I would prefer real fish, preferably sardines or salmon (wild, not farm-raised).

  • Rachele

    What a cute fishy. My kids would demand to know who made it, lol and then want to make their own. What fun. I’m off to see what everyone else got.

  • Rachele

    What a cute fishy. My kids would demand to know who made it, lol and then want to make their own. What fun. I’m off to see what everyone else got.

  • Rachele

    What a cute fishy. My kids would demand to know who made it, lol and then want to make their own. What fun. I’m off to see what everyone else got.

  • http://www.cardiogirl.net cardiogirl

    Hey Margaret, somehow I submitted my link twice. Sorry about that. I don’t think it’s twice as good as yours or anyone else’s. I guess I have an itchy trigger finger.

  • http://www.redheadranting.com/ redheadranting

    I thought it was Bozo the Clown at first but then I read the part about it being a fish. I would hang that with pride on my wall, so if you don’t want it you could send it to me or I could have my kid make one.

  • http://www.redheadranting.com/ redheadranting

    I’ve just been reading all these posts and this has been so much fun. Margaret, this had to be a lot of work so I apologize for that Mr. Linky Nazi comment, you did a great job with and it is so much fun to meet everyone.

  • http://www.thefiftyfactor.com/ Joanna Jenkins

    Wow, just wow. I wonder what you say to someone that gives you that as a seriously lovely gift. Yikes.

    LOVE this idea Margaret. I’m off to read what all the other “treasures”. jj

  • http://www.bellebeanchicagodog.com/ Liz

    How long did you keep the psychedelic fish face on your other fish face?

  • http://mommamiameaculpa.com meleahrebeccah

    Ahahahahha! I absolutely *love* that you hung the new fish face ON the old fish face!

  • Slommler

    Argh!!! That is what I say! What the heck is it? Ha! Too funny! A definite white elephant gift!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

  • http://twitter.com/MissusSmith Heather

    Oh noes! I submitted my info to participate *and* I had a humdinger of a present to pass along on some poor, unsuspecting citizen of the interwebz, but I guess it didn’t get to you! I think Disqus hates me. Sigh. Anyhow, I don’t think you oughta leave those 2 fishies in such close proximity or you may wind up with a bunch of itty bitty psychedelic fishie babies! :-D (LOVE those fish, btw - both of them!) Hopefully I can play along next year - I’ll tuck this gift away for then! Mwah ha ha haaaaaa….

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Thanks, Nezzy! This gift was too awesome. A fish mask - who’s gonna beat that?

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    I covet your green goat! And these gifts are all over the board niceness-wise. You saw the Godfather DVD collection right? Man - somebody totally scored there.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Ha! I mean, I’m sorry to hear that. Or wait. I don’t know what I mean, actually.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    I Know! It’s so perfect - I love it!

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Bozo hair! - hahahaha!!! It DOES look like bozo hair, doesn’t it.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    da fent? WTF does that mean? Is it missing a letter? Like it should have been “dalfent” which is German for dolphin? No?

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    hee hee!!!! I suppose you’d just eat it, Pricilla. :)

  • http://www.ihatemymessageboard.com/ Tracy O’Connor

    Oops, typo, I meant Da Feng. My best guess it was a phonetic attempt at
    spelling dolphin by somebody with a heavy Asian accent of some sort. You
    should see some of my mom’s phonetic spellings sometime, they are things of
    beauty.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Oh my goodness, you mean there are more??? Hee hee!

    Thank you so much, Teri - I loved it! I didn’t realize until the last minute that it totally reminded me of that cookie jar.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    I should keep a list of anybody who says that so I can invite them next year.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Ha! Of course you would prefer real fish! Still you got a real coo gift, too! Well, except for the light switch, which I thought was still great as I’m a big fan of David, but maybe not quite family-friendly.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    I wonder how they made it, now that you mention it. I have no idea.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Ha! That’s OK, I’m fixing anything that needs fixing. No problem!

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    No worries, mate!
    And thanks.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    You’re the 2nd person to call it Bozo. So there must be something to that. I didn’t even realize.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Yeah, this is turning out to be a real kick in the pants fun party!

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Well, maybe about 4 minutes. Long enough to take the picture and put the cookie jar back in the box and back to the back of the cupboard. :)

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Thanks, Meleah! Total lucky coincidence about having two gaudy fish things.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Oh noes is right, Heather! I am so sorry. I feel terrible. This happened to one other person too, so I’ve got to figure out a way to make sure nobody gets left out! Something like telling everyone if they don’t get a confirmation email right away after signing up, to let me know. Please do tuck away your gift for next year and again, a thousand apologies!

  • http://roses2rainbows.blogspot.com Linda R.

    I figured out why I missed it. That was the week I took blogging time off around Christmas, and I was not online as much. Darn!

  • http://www.weworkforcheese.com Nicky

    I think you should consider renaming your blog “Crazy Acid Flashback Nanny Fish Not Wearing Panties But Disturbing Enough To Make You Run Through The Streets Naked If You Stare At Them Too Long”

    Catchy, no?

  • Marlaahansen

    I am so mad at myself. Just when the perfect swap is held, I miss it. I mean, seriously, I am the queen of tasteless and trashy.

    Anywho, the fishies are absolute perfection, for not being goats and all.

  • http://www.4chooks.com Jenny

    I hope you don’t mind that I entered 2 links. Joy, my gifting partner does not have a blog, so I posted twice.

  • TeriC

    Oh those fish came in a school. That was the best looking one, and there were two horse heads. Some family realized I needed wall art and sent me their art stash from their kids summer camp and wall fest has begun here at my house. I was passing the puffy fish love on ;)

  • TeriC

    oh there are so many more in many more hideous shades of tempera paint…. bwahahaha

  • http://www.cardiogirl.net/the-white-elephant-that-became-a-polka-dotted-albatross/ Cardiogirl: 19% body fat 100% fun » The white elephant that became a polka-dotted albatross

    [...] You can find links to the rest of the Online White Elephant Gift Exchange posts at Nanny Goats in Pa… Margaret got a snazzy fish mask, just in case you were wondering. [...]

  • http://bitchinwivesclub.com/ Amy @ Bitchin’ Wives Club

    That is truly one of the most hideous pieces of “art” I’ve ever seen. Was it ever determined whether it was made by a child or not? If that is someone’s version of Folk Art, I am going to have to take exception. ;)

  • http://www.howiseelife.com/blog Kari
  • http://www.hundredandonethings.com Thomas C.

    Since both fish have lips, I think it would be fun if you pretended they were on a date, and then you could make them kiss. Kind of like Barbies, except with fish.

  • Rachele

    Having two of something makes you a “collector of gawdy fish”, doesn’t it?

  • http://topsy.com/www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/2011/01/my-white-elephant-gift.html?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention My White Elephant Gift | Nanny Goats in Panties — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by sue hepner, Margaret Andrews, meleahrebeccah, aLenaLoo, Sacramento Connect and others. Sacramento Connect said: Blog #Picks: My White Elephant Gift http://scnct.us/Dkkjh [...]

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Awesome! I wonder if that domain name is already taken.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    I was going to make some joke about fish in panties, but I think goats in panties is plenty.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    My thoughts exactly, Jenny. One for each of you. It’s perfect.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    So yeah, as it turns out, it was made by a child. And Teri, who sent it to me, received 4 of those fish things plus 2 other animals that escapes me at the moment.

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Awesome! Thank you! Can I feature them for Goat Thing of the Day?

  • http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/ Margaret (nannygoats)

    Oh MAN!!! Why didn’t I think of that?! So instead there’s this sick and twisted backwards kiss because one of them is kissing the other on the inside of the lips. Or something like that. It’s lip-spooning.

  • http://www.mamabirddiaries.com the mama bird diaries

    Obviously twins separated at birth. Love it. My post coming soon…

  • http://www.mamabirddiaries.com/uncategorized/theres-a-white-elephant-in-the-room/ New York Mom|The Mama Bird Diaries - humor parenting

    [...] Nanny Goats in Panties came up with this awesome idea to host a White Elephant Party. [...]

  • http://www.weworkforcheese.com Nicky

    Just checked and, surprisingly enough, it’s available.

  • Alisha Eadle

    That is hilarious! What are some people thinking when they give gifts, eh?

  • http://twitter.com/MissusSmith Heather

    Oh I’ve got it tucked away, all right! MWAH HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAA!
    :-D

    Next year, with bells on, okay?

  • http://wmljshewbridge.blogspot.com/ Lorie Shewbridge

    YIKES!! But you’re right, they do go well to gether. I’m still shuddering….
    Off to see what everyone else got.
    You so made me laugh, which I needed today.

  • http://www.wetookthebait.com Jeremy from We Took The Bait

    You now have a fish and a weird sea creature.

    You MUST consider remaking “The Little Mermaid” using ceramic figures.

    Hurry, before Tim Burton beats you to the punch.

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