| 8.5 days of pajamas and the beach and presents and family and friends and resolutions and wine and whiskey and writing and cold sunshine and books and painting and movies and life well spent |

On Christmas Eve at 1:00pm PT my holiday break started. I like to think I've been living it up since then. That is, living it up in the most calming, walk-the-city, drink at new beer bars, finish a book or three, photograph and wear lipstick kind of way.

exhibit A

I should also probably let you know that one of my New Year's resolutions (as it is every year) is to write more -- in my journal and here. Psych up. 

this is a threat

Over the past week, I've considered writing a blog post about all the wonder that is December -- pretty lights, the pine tree smells on the streets, polka-dot wrapping paper, the most merry playlists, the welcomed abundance of plaid, and ambitious New Year resolutions but this season is always so graced by generosity and warm love and I'd rather write about that.

Dec. 1 hit and strangers on the street started smiling at me (and everyone else). I'm talking genuine and long-standing teeth-smiles. The homeless were opening doors for me and strangers were buying cups of coffee for customers in line behind them. I think the ocean turned blue-er and the champagne more bubbly. It's like magic, this time of year.

Over the hugely-welcomed break, I started crafting again and put together an entire gallery wall of framed, fine paper. I redecorated our pint-size apartment a bit and discovered I actually kind of like being a hostess. That is to say, I like an excuse for buying $7.00 crackers and eating brie cheese, opening another bottle of wine and having cherry pie for dessert.

I also took a lot of walks this week. San Francisco is so wildly attractive and I find that I'm better able to discover its beauty if I walk it. So, I walked to the Haight so I could hear the hippies sing and watch them smoke out of colorful pipes, to the ocean so that I could dip my toes into the Pacific, and then I went and got lost in the Presidio so that I could be by myself. 

It's going to be really hard for me to set my alarm tonight and even harder for me to hop on that bus downtown, but, there's a lot to be excited for in 2015 and that is what I will focus on.

the dreamiest

source