Good luck, gifted wrappers!

See tip 2. Why is this picture so blurry?

I can't believe it's already been a year since the 2012 Scotch Most Gifted Wrapper contest! There's no better way to enjoy a weekend than meeting other skilled prezzie artists and enjoying holidaytime in NYC.

Not sure who's competing this year, but I'll be following the 2013 contest, which takes place Friday, Dec. 6. Best of luck to this year's contestants. Here are my top 5 tips for the big day:

1. Get good sleep the night before. It might be tough if you get jitters, but contest day starts early, the rest is worth it.
2. Smile, and don't take yourself too seriously. That's good advice for anytime, right?
3. Relax. The atmosphere can be overwhelming and mess with your focus. It will be loud and frenetic. Be prepared to deal with it.
4. Enjoy the company. This is a chance to meet other people who share your intense interest in giftwrapping; they're really interesting and fun folks!
5. Have fun. Seriously. By all means, do your best and try to win. But remember that if you don't, it's still an awesome experience.

Game on, wrappers!

Most Gifted Wrapper contest re-cap

Photo courtesy of Hunter Public Relations

Last week I had the chance to represent Jolie Colis in the 2012 Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper contest in New York City. I didn't bring home the big prize, but I had a great time and met lots of great people who are also into giftwrapping. (Which was awesome.) Here's a picture of me wrapping a giant rubber duck and a board game in the first round. That's my timer Britney in the background. I had 10 minutes to wrap two gifts. You'd be surprised how quickly 10 minutes goes by!

In this round, eight finalists were whittled down to four, who continued to round two. I didn't make it to the next round, but had a great time cheering on the ladies who did. Those who advanced to round two had 13 minutes to wrap a tuba on a stand. In the final round, the last two contestants had 18 minutes to wrap a giant model airplane. It was an absolute hoot. Who doesn't love some high-spirited holiday wrapping chaos?!

In the end, the talented Lia Griffin of Elinee in Portland, Oregon earned the top prize or $10,000. Shelly Dozier-McKee of ConfettiStyle in Atlanta, Georgia came in at first runner-up.

The 2012 contestants: Sheryl Oberman, Michelle Beshaw, me, Lia Griffith (winner!), Michelle Noe, Brenda Guerrero, Shelly Dozier-McKee (1st runner-up) and Shasta Garcia. Photo courtesy of Hunter Public Relations.

I'm so glad I had a chance to participate in the contest this year, and if you're even a little interested in giftwrapping, I encourage you to enter next year's. It's a fun holiday-time weekend in New York with crafty wrappers just like you. :)

Countdown to go-time: 9 days until the Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper Contest!

Practicing my giftwrapping kung-fu with packages of all sizes.

It's finally sinking in and starting to feel real. Next Friday I'll go toe-to-toe with seven other prezzie masters in the Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper contest! The nice people with the contest sent me a fabulous box of goodies to practice with, so once I've stuffed myself with turkey, I'm off to my shop to practice my speed game.

I'll be tweeting and instagramming from NYC, so be sure to follow me for the latest!

Happy thanksgiving! And wish me luck!