I have an amazingly blessed life!  I really do!  At no time is it more apparent than this time of the year.  The thoughtful gifts given to me by my family, friends, vendors, clients, and employees are at times overwhelming.

It never ceases to amaze me how clever the gifts can be.  Like the “I Love Duct Tape”sweatshirt that my beloved designer gave me.

Or the handmade origami ornament that my dear friend Cherry-el created.

But there’s one friend/vendor that outdoes themselves year after year. I thought it would be fun to share their unbelievable gifts of the past three years.

A tiny bit of background, if you please….Russell Holt and Jon Retsky are not only the owners of one of the most respected and creative lighting companies in San Francisco, but happen to be dear friends of over 20 years.  As I’m fond of saying, “we started together as babies in the business”.  Russell and I have a working history that spans back to our early 20’s.  He continues to be one of the only people I can never hug enough!  Russell is a zen master of lighting, and Jonny is the enigmatic theatrical brilliance that makes Got Light shine.  I’ve known them since they were 2 guys with a rental van and borrowed equipment, through being a question (Got Light?) to being a statement (Got Light.).  The period says it all. They are a class operation...period.

For the past three years, my adorable Sales Rep (yes, my guys have grown so much that I now have a Rep) Ashley has arrived at our warehouse bearing the most remarkable gifts.  She always walks in as we are in a scramble getting out to 3 events.  But her Santa sack is always filled with such creatively over-the-top gifts that the entire warehouse pauses and anxiously awaits their gifts.

Christmas 2012 - Wine in overalls!  The wine was lovely, but between you and me, it could have been Two Buck Chuck and I would have been blown away!  For a gal who owns 13 pairs of overalls, this was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen!

Christmas 2013 - The Sophie World Rustic Light Up Sign.  When Ashley unboxed this I nearly fainted.  I’d never seen anything so personalized in my life.  The handcrafted sign now makes it’s way to all of our big events, like Maker Faire, and often garners more attention than my crafting!  

Christmas 2014 - Sophie World cookies, in both overalls and my logo!   Whoever said “You can’t have your cake, and eat it too”, never met my Got Light. team! These were the cutest, sweetest, most delightfully delicious logos I’ve ever eaten in my life!  We shared these confections with our staff and vendors at our Homeless shelter event.  Even Santa was in awe!

I don’t know how one begins to say thank you for such unbelievable thoughtfulness.  It truly defies words.  However, given that they are a lighting company, I think the best words I can say is, “Ruskie…Jonny, you guys light up my life!”

Merry Christmas everyone.  May your day be as blessed as mine!