Is it a gift?

Another of today's errands was to buy a birthday present for one of my nieces.  Right by the mobile phone store, I knew there was a shop with funky clothes and jewelry, and I was pretty sure that I could find something that would appeal to her taste.  Not only did I find some things I think she'll like, but I got to answer in the affirmative to the question: "Is is a gift?"

You see, even when it's not a gift, even when it's just something for me, I'm always tempted to say that it is a gift.  Why?  Because one of my favorite things about French shops is the way that they wrap gifts.  They take paper and cellophane and maybe a little bit of string and a staple or two.  They twist it and fold it and: voilà!  A perfectly lovely cadeau.

You'll have to take my word for it, but inside this sack is another sack and a small package, each with their own ribbon and decoration, each one folded just so.

And since almost every American is probably wondering:  no, they don't charge extra for that.  It's just part of the service when you buy from a neighborhood store.