GGE! GGE! GGE!!!

My favorite holiday party of the year is always the Girls Gift Exchange, or GGE, as we call it! It is highly anticipated with e-mails and texts and fb posts chanting nothing but GGE over and over again for weeks before the event. Friends wonder, husbands complain....whats the fuss? And honestly...I don't know.

It could be the food....and there is always so much delicious food.

It could be the friends...mostly from college and a few special collected post who truly love each other unconditionally and genuinely LOVE being together.

Maybe its the alcohol...often times obsurd amounts of wine consumed quickly and diligently and with enthusiasm and pazazz!!!

Or could it be the gifts? There is a $50 gift limit. You buy one. you think about it for months. It must be just right. The ultimate goal-to have your gift stolen. You draw numbers. You pick from under the tree in order. You can open a new gift or steal someone elses. Gifts are frozen after two steals. You want your gift to be stolen twice and getting a gift and having it frozen is for sure bragging rights! No matter what though, all the gifts are amazing. And everyone walks away with a great gift and good stories about the process- which can take HOURS!

This year the big hit was the ForeverLazy! A gift from Alicia, it had warmth, humor, coziness, and FUN written all over it. Who wouldn't want to curl up with this on the couch. And Samantha and Monica fit in it together to snuggle!
No matter why this group of Amazing women gathers- we do it every year. We love every moment. We laugh, we cry, we wear PJ's, we talk about our life and our loves and our families and our struggles. We stay up super later. We snuggle. We are just together. We love it!

This trip I arrived at 7PM and left Chicago at 6:30AM, only sleeping about 4 hours and it was WELL WORTH IT! Can't you tell....don't you love me in the Forever Lazy too?

Mon wore most of the gifts all at once to model.

And while JV won the lampshade award, hands down-Mira was the first to pass out.

Oh Jill....LOVE YOU!

Thanks Ladies for an incredible night. Erin- your home was gorgeous and the friendships I have with each of you make me a better person. Love you all!