drawing by Mike Conway

As I sit here quietly drinking coffee and eating spoonfuls of Nutella out of a teacup, it seems mad to think that a month ago I was scurrying around like a chicken with her head cut off. I guess that's the difference between December and January. Therefore, I'm finally put together enough to share these highlights from a hectic December.

Sometimes your nail polish perfectly complements that of your bff's. Such was the case at this Big Sky Cafe brunch.

Amazing wrapping job by the amazing Erin; the rest of our family had issues this year, so we mostly threw presents into old Starbucks handlebags and haphazardly crumpled some tissue paper. Erin really stepped up to the plate; thank goodness!

A super-cool non-Starbucks gift bag from my mom; perhaps I exaggerated before.

Bathroom wallpaper at the Verdi Club in SF, where I did the Noise Pop Holiday Shop. I'd never taken a photo while sitting on the toilet before, but there's a first time for everything.

I got to hit Miette for one delicious moment. Magical!

My purses adorning the bookshelf at ISSUES during my pop-up shop! We had a great time on a rainy December night; I'm so lucky to live practially next door to a place that is so deeply awesome. They work hard to make this neighborhood more than a yuppie paradise by promoting really cool community-building events and by selling the finest selection of reading materials.

The lovely ladies of Fat Bottom Bakery! Not only are they adorably clothed, but their vegan baked goods are fantastic. I inhaled a wee Red Velvet cupcake, and it was divine.

My neighbor returned from his cross-country holiday vacation the other day, and said, "I hope my astral body catches up with me soon." I secretly laughed at the hippie jargon, but I know what he meant. I think a part of me is still in December.

Poll-i-day Christmas Blog, Day One!

Longtime readers of this blog may already know how I feel about Christmas. For anyone who's still in the dark, let me make it clear: I LOVE CHRISTMAS. I love gingerbread, wreaths, egg nog, twinkle lights, fireplaces, the pre-Jim Carrey Grinch, holly, and cats/dogs/bunnies wearing Santa hats. Every day, for the month of December, I'll be posting holiday projects, photos, craft tutorials, stories, recipes, and the most wonderfully unsettling old-timey-videos I can find.

I'll also address how to celebrate fully while on a serious budget, including making your own gifts, buying handmade, making your house smell great even if it's too tiny to hold a fresh tree, and dealing with the always unexpected but ever-present holiday stress.

Amazingly, the Poll-i-day Christmas Blog already has a spinoff! Beloved friend Squidhelmet needs your vote so that the world will finally, officially know The Worst Rendition of Baby, It's Cold Outside.

The photo above is from my old lobby when I lived in the Rena Villa during the Christmas of 2004. Helen, my elderly, chain-smoking landlady, reigns supreme as the most Christmas-obsessed person I've ever encountered. There was a special secret storage room in the building filled to the brim with decorations, which she tirelessly used to create a kitsch wonderland.

I once stumbled home drunk at 3 AM, and upon shoving my key in the front door, discovered Helen, a cigarette hanging from her lip, stringing twinkle lights around each staircase post. This level of dedication is something I'll be striving for in the weeks to come.