Sanrio knew what was up from the very beginning — the pink, the cutesy-ness of their characters, the completely unnecessary bows and bells. And to top it all off, their competitive edge lies in their spectacular presentation. As a young girl, there wasn’t anything better than getting small, adorable treasures all wrapped up in decorative paper bags. The gift baskets I got from my Uncle Sosa’s then girlfriend Elaine (bless her soul) were so big that they even came with an extra goody stuck or tied onto the outside — pencils, lollipops or keychains. Entire treats in themselves!

Now that I no longer have Elaine buying me Sanrio gifts, there is something else I look forward to receiving as much as I looked forward to receiving foofy, pink stationery — presents from Jennifer. Her presents make me giddy, especially her packaging. I find her gift wrapping so stunning that I just want to sit and stare at it. Then I remember the old saying from my Sanrio-school days, “take a picture, it’ll last longer.” So I do.

Don’t you just want to eat it?