The fur collar is detachable...

I will post more pictures of my vacation in Washington. However, while on the plane back from Seattle I read a David Sedaris book called Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim and there was one hilarious passage that reminded me of myself.

"People who have nothing to prove offer practical baby gifts: sturdy cotton rompers made to withstand the cycle of vomit and regular washing. People who are competing for the titles of best-loved aunts and uncles - people like my sisters and me- send satin pants and delicate hand-crafted sweaters accompanied by notes reading 'P.S. the fur collar is detachable.' The baby is photographed in each new outfit and I receive pictures almost daily. In them my brother and his wife look not like parents but like backwoods kidnappers, secretly guarding the heiress to a substantial cashmere fortune."

I give you Exhibit A, the baby blanket I made when P. was born:

Wherein I not only taught myself to weave on a tiny little loom - all the 48+ squares are woven - but I also taught myself to crochet so I could connect the squares AND I coordinated the colors to P's baby room.

But wait, there's more!

Exhibit B, P's baptism dress:

Made of off-white dupioni silk with an embroidered silk bodice and matching skirt border. This picture of her in my living room is still one of my favorites. I finished this dress in November when B. and P. came out to visit and the armscyes were so tiny on this dress that I couldn't fit them under my sewing machine needle so I had to hand sew them.

And then there's...

Exhibit C, P's birthday dress:

made of silk that B. brought me from Vietnam and completed with old buttons given to me by my mom. This was an easy task in comparison to the other two except the silk was thin and stretchy and the binding had to be handstiched. (it's also machine washable, unlike the other two).

So, do I win??? Am I the best-loved auntie??? LOL!

The question is, how can I possibly up the ante for any future nieces or nephews?