(I edited the Christmas Specials list to include Trading Places with Eddie Murphy- not sure how I forgot about that one! I am amiss!)
But I’ve finished my finals- finished the last one 4 hours and twenty minutes ago as of right now and I’m celebrating with a blog post and not lighting up because of who I am as a person even though I’m going home (!) and marijuana is legal there now (!).
It’s time to enjoy my respite from not-numbing-enough anxiety and round the clock studying to bathe in the golden and bedecked rampant consumerism that is one of my favorite things about Christmas. I really liked gifts. Both getting and giving. If I don’t think too much about the whole confusion that is the nature of the reciprocity social contract. But it’s kind of okay on my side because I tend to be the kind of person who, no matter what, will get the best present for someone in any given circumstance. It’s okay to hate me.
I achieve this with a two-pronged approach: I’m a very thoughtful and observative gift giver and I am also extremely difficult to buy for. Almost everything I ask for for Christmas is something that I want to pick out and buy myself. Although I’ll never say no to a nice gift of cold hard cash. I’m almost past the age when that’s an okay gift, which is terribly depressing.
One of the great things about being impossible to buy for is that, when I get an unanticipated gift that I unreservedly love, it’s that much more special. And I seriously do remember presents like that forever. Longer than I remember when and where I got the things I picked myself, and who ostensibly ‘gave’ them to me. Even if I love both just as much, there’s something special in the surprise.
My impossible to buy for and somewhat annoying wish list this year, a lot of which I bought myself:
- British Vogue Coloring Book
- Blush Colored Equipment Blouse: I’ve wanted this exact blouse for about six years and now I’m getting one (second hand, but new to me). I already unwrapped the package in the mail to check on it but my darling Mom has agreed to rewrap it and put it under the tree. Because there is so much to say in favor of wrapping paper.
- Matching Kenneth Jay Lane maltese cross cuff bracelets: I got my parents to pay for these after I spent months patrolling eBay for a matching pair being sold at the same time. Then I bargained both down in price so I could justify even getting them at all. It was a lot of work but they will be mine! They’re sooooo pretty I could drown in them.
- Eyelash curler: I want to finally try it. I have quite long eyelashes and I’m ready to inflict a new tool on my face in the name of beauty.
- Massage: It’s post-exams time and I’ve been hunching over desks and unable to relax my muscles or unclench my jaw since about a week before the election. Hoping I can find something not direly expensive with the help of groupon.
- Some fashion magazines: I used to subscribe to something like all of them when I was in high school but they’ve become a kind of rare indulgence now that I’m in college and have no time to do anything but be a miserable intellectual. Has anyone noticed that most of the American magazines have gone to shit and the good ones are all from France or Britain?
- New glasses: I’ve had my current glasses since 7th or 8th grade and I would like to add a new shape to my repertoire so I will feel better about wearing them around more. Especially since I’ve been too lazy to wear contacts for the past eight months.
Mostly it would appear that I use Christmas as an excuse to treat myself and pretend it’s not me doing it. But god damn it I’m ready to color in some pretty dresses.
Maybe I’ll post a stocking stuffer gift guide tomorrow? Once I’m home and have a lot of time on my hands when they’re not full of cats and/or pleasure reading?
Edited//: Because I forgot the beautiful calendar that I’m also getting! I call it the ‘paint chip’ calendar and 2017’s edition is even more beautiful than the 2016 edition- this coming year they’re doing gradients of two colors rather than just one (which is excellent because this while December I’ve been staring at varying shades of pewter and it’s getting me down).
List Mimsy 