The holiday season is chock full of cocktail parties, ugly sweater soirees, casual open houses, family get togethers, and the more formal affairs. Between decorating, baking, gift shopping and meeting obligations in what always result in a jam packed December, hostess gifts can be one of those things that can sometimes get overlooked.

This season I'm going the route of quick, easy, and stress free hostess gifts -- I'm giving wine. I know, I know, it sounds incredibly mundane, but I figure it's something I know my friends enjoy. Best of all, I've found a way to dress it up in a personal manner that make it more than "just a bottle of wine." 

This holiday season, if you're considering giving a gift of wine, try enhancing the presentation with a beautiful fabric wine bag, a sprig of fresh greens, and a meaningful ornament.

In this case, I picked up several enamel Christmas ornaments from Red Barn Mercantile here in Old Town, with holiday phrases on them. I selected ones that I felt had a bit of tongue in cheek nod to the gift inside, i.e. "joy" or "it's a wonderful life."  

Assembling the gift took less than five minutes, but the finished result gives it that little something that says "I appreciate you."

Want to see what else we're up to this holiday season? Check out our steps to quick and easy mantel decor, our annual Christmas tree traditions, steps to set a holiday tablescape to remember, how we made our exterior decorations from fresh greens, our 2011 list for Santa, and the details of our first annual DIY gingerbread challenge.

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