Oh, December...

December crept up so quietly that I didn't even hear a floorboard creek. A little frightening that the year's end is upon us, but after all the joy's it brought with it, celebration is the order of the day. Here's all the things I'm loving this December...

Homeland yearning. Trudging through snow. Chopping down Christmas trees. Warm apple cider. Top Deck sent from home. December decorating. Lights. Cranberry & Brie. Storms and gloomy skies. Countdown until overseas friends arrive at my doorstep. The season of gifts. Ribbons on parcels. Buttoned up blouses. Faux fur. Drowning in infinity scarves. Card games and coffee. Frank Sinatra's festive voice. The sound of rain on windows. Leopard-print pants. California road trip. Hunter boots and skipping through puddles. My umbrella investment. Imagining impossible things. The whistle of the wind through the windows. Singing do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-si-do along with Julie Andrews. Empty benches in the park. The contrast of red on white. Piles of lifeless leaves only to be seen again in the spring. Rewatching the O.C, because I never need an excuse to dose up on Seth Cohen. Staying enchanted. Believing again. Hair-cuts. Plaid pajamas. The close of the finest year thus far. Etta James. Traditions. Huncal peppermint mochas. The sound of a best friend's laugh. The beauty in the Christmas carol's lyrics. Innovation, just because. Learning the lost art of hand-lettering. Doodles and sketchpads. When the sun and moon share the same sky. Glitter and glamor. Unwinding. Fireplace mornings. Seeing miracles with these two eyes. The choice, that is love. Jude Law in the Holiday, need I say more? Movie marathons and re-watching the classics. Shadows cast on brick walls. An unexpected doorbell ring. The resurfacing of friends' embarrassing teenage youtube clips. Embers. Saying little prayers for you. Pretending it's a previous era. Dreaming of a white Christmas. Tinseled trees that touch the ceiling. The way dads' eyes sparkle as they look at their little girls. Confetti. An OC new year's. High-cheek bones. Family portraits, done right. Burning logs. Assortments of home-made pies. Running through long grass at sunset. Doing small things in a great way. The dreamers, the crazy ones. Seeing friends who I haven't seen in years. Exploring California's coastline. The smell of the ocean's spray. Dinner parties and breakfast dates. Pine cones and walnuts. Antique sofas. A good book and the fetal position. Being merry and jolly and whatnot. Celebrating the birth of the one most important to me.