Ah, December! The month of advent and Christmas carols, holly and ivy, cold and warmth, comfort and joy. The house is bedecked with greenery and candlelight. The evenings are long and cozy and blessed with many comforting books and marathons of Gilmore Girls. If the “My Favorite Things” song were a month of the year, it would be December.
Today I put together a collection of things I’ve been loving so far this month. For everything from my December bullet journal spread to my favorite cozy coffee table magazine, just grab a cup of hot cocoa and keep reading!
December Journal Spread
Voila! It’s been a while since I last shared my monthly journal spread with you. I loved putting December’s spread together because it’s got the whole “holly and ivy” look that I love about Christmas. The best part is that the journal spread looks really pretty from a distance, but if you look closely it’s basically just methodical scribbling (so don’t look too closely).
Bella Grace: Winter Edition
Bella Grace is far and away the most beautiful magazine I’ve ever found. It’s the perfect coffee table read, something you can flip through to be re-inspired in a matter of minutes. It’s chock full of lovely articles and photographs about slowing down, living by the seasons, and enjoying the beautiful journey of life. I don’t know about you, but lately, I’ve really needed the reminder to slow down and enjoy the season I’m in.
Keeping My Nails Red
…especially during Christmas! Red lipstick and red nails are a must, being festive and all that. Current favorite shade of Christmas polish is “Got the Blues for Red” by OPI. It’s got that perfect festive shade of merlot.
Christmas Shopping
December always feels hectic before the Christmas shopping is done. I don’t have much money to spend this year, so I’ve been picking up most my gifts from used bookstores, thrift shops, and Marshalls. Now all that’s left is the funnest part: wrapping everything all in brown paper packages tied up with string.
Fixing My Camera
This might seem trivial, but I finally got around to taking my broken camera in to be fixed! For the last year, it’s refused to focus. Turns out, the lens was broken and all I had to do was swap it out with another lens I had on hand. It’s good as gold now, so I’m excited to start filming again. I’ve got a lot of fun video projects brewing in my mind for 2020. Also, wouldn’t it be lovely to have clearer images on the blog?
“Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor Swift
One of my favorite parts of 2019 was Taylor Swift announcing to the world “hey, by the way, there’s a new single at midnight” and all the chaos that followed. Her latest surprise single, “Christmas Tree Farm” is a cozy little song reminiscing fondly on her childhood on a Christmas tree farm. It’s second only to “Last Christmas” as my 2019 December anthem.
Also: this year, I’m loving all the classic choral Christmas carols. A lot of the time, it’s easy to fall in the rut of shallow holiday tunes like “Let it Snow” and “Holly Jolly Christmas,” inadvertently letting dozens of beautiful, meaningful hymns fall to the wayside. In the days leading up to Christmas, I’ll be posting some of my favorite Christmas carols of all time on my Instagram stories. If you’re interested in more traditional Christmas music, I’d highly recommend this album from King’s College Choir in Cambridge, which is free on YouTube.
Favorite Quote
“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”
Hamilton Wright Mabie
Happy December!
<3 Olivia Grace
