A bit of my Christmas List

Christmas List by abidina

Since Christmas is fast approaching (20 day countdown, woo!) and I've finished wrapping nearly all of my gifts for the season, I thought I'd share a few things on my Christmas list for anyone who may still be fumbling for things to suggest to their grandmother. I have quite a few Christmases to attend every year - immediate family, bio-dad's side of the family, mom's side of the family, stepdad's side of the family ... you get the picture. I curate little wishlists to keep separate and send to each individual family group, to try and avoid overlap. This is one of those lists!

1. Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Bold Lip, $28 - I bought myself the more neutral/pink Sephora Favorite lip set earlier in the year, but this one is more my style with brands I already know I love.
2. My Bucketlist, Journal by Axel and Ash, $40 (but $25 on Amazon!) - I have such an affinity for journals and planners and beautifully bound books, and I'd love to add this one to my collection.
3. Madewell x Saucony DXN Trainers, $75 - I tend to get myself a pair of Madewell x Saucony sneakers every year. My navy/red accent pair from 2015? 2014? are still happy, but my blush pair is about ready to be replaced - though I absolutely adore them - and I'm tempted by the gray pair. However, in high school my uniform included gray & white New Balance in an equally pale shade, so I don't know if I'm ready to embrace it. Burgundy is my favorite of the Fall colors, so burgundy it is. 
4. Rifle Paper Co. 2017 Constellations Wall Calendar, $28 - Rifle Paper Co. has multiple gorgeous calendars for 2017, but being an insatiable space nerd with a penchant for rose gold, this beauty speaks to me. 
5. ban.do Lady of Leisure Getaway Bundle, $28 - I love the over-the-top girly print on this luggage tag & passport holder. Since I am saving for international travel in 2017, I have my eye on lots of different travel "necessities" this season. 
6. Matt + Nat Hope Bag, $70 - My mouth has been watering for a Baggu Circle Purse all year, but I never bit. Now I'm glad I didn't! Matt + Nat offers a vegan circle purse, 100% of the proceeds of which go to a charity of your choosing (among the options).
7. Kensie 3pc Expandable Luggage Set, $200 - Again, since I'm making travel plans for this year, I figured it was high time to attain a luggage set. The hard shell seems like a safe bet for my accident-prone self and, as usual, I'm drawn to the rose gold. 

I'm sorry & Happy Holidays!

I haven't had much motivation or positivity since the election. It was like a light went out across the country and talking about fashion or beauty seemed petty, though I suppose it could've been a solid distraction.

However, it's December now, which is my second favorite month of the year (after October) so I am ready to savor it. I've already watched White Christmas & Miracle on 34th Street, I've wrapped a few presents, and I'm burning my Christmasy WoodWick candles.

I'm currently 3/4 through reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I just wanted something sappy after all the crime books & shows I've been indulging in. I'm listening exclusively to Christmas music, because why wouldn't I be? James & I also went on a date last week to see Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them .... and what a freaking joy.

Some articles I've appreciated recently:

1. "Newt Scamander takes every trope we know about the Male Hero — the toxic tropes that we have grown up with, that are so internalized in traditional narratives that we don't even blink at them anymore — and flips them on their head." - On Newt Scamander, Toxic Masculinity, and the Power of Hufflepuff Heroes
2. "Women talk ourselves into needing less, because we’re not supposed to want more—or because we know we won’t get more, and we don’t want to feel unsatisfied. We reduce our needs for food, for space, for respect, for help, for love and affection, for being noticed, according to what we think we’re allowed to have. Sometimes we tell ourselves that we can live without it, even that we don’t want it. But it’s not that we don’t want more. It’s that we don’t want to be seen asking for it." - Hunger Makes Me
3. Evan Rachel Wood speaking for so many through her 'confession' to Rolling Stone.

Shoes on my Christmas List:

Madewell Nealy Boot in Print Velvet // Free People Aura Ankle Boot in Sage // Madewell Lou Loafer in Smoked Graphite

Check out my Amazon wishlist for more items on my Christmas list this year. 

-- Edit --

I forgot to add that I just finished watching all three seasons of The Fall over the course of a few weeks. Oh my gosh, I can't recommend it enough. Gillian Anderson as Stella Gibson is the strongest-written female lead I have ever seen in movies or television. Being a BBC show, the seasons are only 4-6 episodes and it's recently transitioned to a Netflix series. Go watch it, then kick ass.