Present Policy

Due to recent events, the House of Swank must institute an immediate change in holiday gift-giving procedure. House of Swank continues to accept holiday gifts from anyone who wants to pass something along. However, if you wish to receive a gift from the House of Swank, we ask that you adhere to the following rules:

• Family and friends who have consistently received gifts from the House of Swank can expect to continue to do so. You have been grandfathered onto the list. Congratulations!
• If you wish to be added to the holiday list, the House of Swank requests you make your request a minimum of two weeks prior to the holiday of your choice. Swank is respectful of those who do not participate in the Christian tradition, but has enough on her mind with the holidays to keep track of when the various celebrations begin, so asks for your assistance in this matter.
• If the gift to be purchased requires a large amount of creativity, or must be appropriate for any of a number of people (for example, the office gift exchange), the request must be made no later than the weekend after Thanksgiving, to give Swank time to find the appropriate gift.
• If extenuating circumstances arise and you are not able to abide to the above rules, at MINIMUM you must give Swank one weekend between the request and the gift-giving date. Swank's weeknights are full enough without going to the mall to pick up one last thing.
• In the case of non-family gifts, Swank continues to reserve the right to present the gift as late as the gift receiver's birthday in the following year.

I THINK my Christmas shopping is done for the year. Then again, I thought it was done Saturday afternoon, and learned otherwise when I arrived at work on Monday morning.