It's PLAIN to see.

They tempt and taunt me. Teasing me with that come-hither stare. Begging for colorful attention.

Whether it be brown paper packaging, a shipping box, or an envelope, I have a strong compulsion to embellish it!

Those of you who have already received things from me know that I like to decorate the package's exterior.

An example of this is a small gift I mailed out to a struggling blogger earlier in the month. Because of the present's unique size, I had to use an old grocery box which was the perfect fit.

But I could not, dare not, send the gift in a box looking like this.....

*gasp* How plain and conventional!

All that labeling needed to go and the brown cardboard became like a canvas to me, screaming, "Please paint me. Color me. Decorate me, you fool!"

I carefully disassembled the box, painting it an iridescent white. While I liked the sleek, elegant look of it, I felt the painted cardboard still lacked significance and personality.

So before reassembling it, I wrote encouraging words and phrases all over the box with different colored permanent markers.....

The power of words.

What a fitting gift box!

I think it's the extra touch that makes a present that much more special.

Now if you'll excuse me, there are boxes and envelopes yelling at me for adornment!