What's Not Under My Christmas Tree (AKA What I didn't Ask for Xmas)

I could have made a list and checked it twice, then handed it to my husband only to found out on Xmas Eve (when we typically exchange gifts with my husband, after putting our daughter to bed) that NONE of my Xmas wishes had come true. Last year I asked for 1) an iPhone; 2) a food processor (that's a dream for a husband, right? A wife who asks for a food processor for Xmas); 3) a pair of Uggs (not a NEW pair, I have been asking for a pair of Uggs for years and never got one) and just to make sure that my list would be taken seriously I also asked to renew my Barnes and Noble membership card. Guess what I got? Yes, the B&N card! I mean, not that I wanted EVERYTHING that was on my wishlist but the B&N card was clearly an add-on. He then offered to pay for "something for our beach vacation" after Xmas and I picked up a little sundress from Calypso. Why he wouldn't ge me what I really want and then pay for something that I hadn't asked for is beyond my understanding, but I have decided that it's one of those "Men come from Mars" things that you can't even try to explain.

So this year I didn't make a list and didn't tell my husband what I wanted, which generally means that I won't get anything. But he surprised me with a package under the tree and I have NO idea what it could be. My husband swore that it's not a joke (like the agenda from his office that I get every year) but a REAL present that HE BOUGHT for me. So I'm really curious. The last time that he bought me a present without a list of suggestions I got an iPod Nano (that I actually decided to return because I had already an erlier version and I didn't feel the need of another one, but it was nice of him and totally unexpected) so I'm up for something.

Anyway I have learned over the years that if I really want something for Xmas, I'd better buy it (unless is something very expensive) and what I really wanted this year is a simple one-strand pearl necklace. Now jewelry is something in the husband departement but I didn't want something expensive, as long as it was natural (and I'm not picky, if men have to help mother nature to produce a little pearl out of an oyster I still consider it "natural") and not a plastic one. I know that it's something that is generally passed on in the family but as a matter of fact I don't have one (and I don't think that my mother has one either - she has a pearl engagement ring and earrings but not a necklace) and have many outfits that would benefit from a pearl necklace. But what really decided me that I needed one is this:




When I tried the Ravine dress I really felt that it needed a necklace and not any necklace but a classic pearl strand.
So I started to look around. I don't know anything about pearls (besides the obvious difference between syntetic and natural/cultivated ones) so I didn't want to put a lot of money in it (to avoid overpaying for something that wasn't worth the price). I almost settled for one at Banana Republic, which was decently priced but then I thought "Wait a minute. Why should I buy a pearl necklace at Banana Republic? Don't do they clothes?". I know that Macy's has a large well-priced jewelry department and while I wouldn't look at their offerings for gold and diamonds because I generally don't like their designs, a pearl necklace is a pearl necklace and besides the clasp there is not much that could be improved design-wise.
There are some great deals at Macy's but the descriptions on the website lack details and basically don't help you with your choice.
So I turned to Ebay. Buying jewelry on Ebay is always a risk, but after selecting "US only" as country of origin I felt more comfortable. After a short search I found what I was looking for
directly from a producer of cultivated pearls in Florida. The price with free shipping was $16.99, a no-brainer, so I went for it.

The necklace arrived last week and the pearls are definitively a nice quality for all I can say. The clasp is a little bit on the cheap side but it's going to be hidden by my hair all the time (but that's definitively something that you want to check out before buying if you have short hair) and all in all I am very pleased with the purchase. And because of the price that I paid for it, I won't feel too bad in case there is another, more expensive one under the tree lol.

Here it is, the pearl necklace that did not make it under my Xmas tree (I hadn't the time to try it with the Ravine dress, here is with the silk posy cami that I got for $19.99 but I'm not sure about. It's just that the flower is very droopy and impossible to wear under a cardigan):




What's under your tree? Did you buy a present for yourself just to be sure that you would get it?

I'm going to try to have a "Xmas Cheer" post tomorrow but in case I run out of time, I wish you all a wonderful Xmas!