As if we didn't already have enough gift-giving guilt before the impending holiday, today's Chronicle includes a feature on gift-wrapping tips from "the second best gift-wrapper in the world," San Francisco resident Megumi Inouye. The piece is two (Internet) pages long and includes lots of wonderful inspirational quotes about the nature of wrapping gifts. It's kind of like Ikebana, but with more bows. Observe:

Wrapping, she said, is self-expression. It is an extension of the gift. It is the soul of the giver communicating to the soul of the recipient.

'The whole idea about wrapping is the spirit,' she said. 'These days, everyone wants to get right at something. Wrapping is an attempt to pause and reflect who we are and what we're giving.'

We shudder to think what our usual formula of re-used gift bags padded with recycled Safeway flyers says about us then. (Hint: everyone is getting sticks of Molinari's Salami)