moving on.

i've been so bah-hum-bug about christmas for the last few years... for fear of drowning in corny christmas music + tacky tinsel decorations.

there's just so much bad christmas out there, i feel like have to boycott the whole thing in order to stand for something... or something like that.

but this year i caaaaan't help it.

i'm decorating the house.

just a little bit.

i lit the branch... so it's officially a christmas branch.

with one ornament.

i brought out the hand-painted metal nativity set i bought from a mexican street vendor for a dollar. 

and i've been listening to mindy gledhill christmas.

christmas is on, folks.

maybe it's because i'm going home to san diego this year, unlike the last {two}{years}.

christmas is real this year because i'm going home... to spend time with MY family... the immediate one.  not the extended one and not the adopted one and not the best friend one.  MY mom and dad and MY brothers and MY nephews.

whatever it is, i've given myself permission to celebrate all the way.

the permission i subconsciously denied myself all these years as an act of self preservation and superficial holiday joy.

bring it on, yo.

29 days til christmas!