#094: December, as it is, as it should be

Not a gift guide.

I have never loved December more than this year. I loved it a lot last year, too.

I like lining my lips with a bold color and dabbing just a light sheen of sparkle onto my eyelids. I get a thrill from taking off my coat, checking it at coat check, and feeling good about my outfit. I’m attending chic holiday parties in multilevel townhouses and being dressed by fashion houses my teenage self would never believe is my current reality. I have a lot of fun indulging in shopping this time of year. I feel an overwhelming sense of joy gifting loved ones things I’ve chosen for them and watching their eyes light up. I once cried watching my sister unbox a pair of shoes I gave her, and that’s when I knew: I fucking love gift-giving!!!!

December is a month rife with consumerism. There’s a lot of product pushing, a lot of content positioning shopping as identity (a conversation I absolutely contribute to), and a lot of indulgence that forces us to reckon with our relationship to stuff. I’ve outgrow…