Shine, Sparkle and Glow: No Glitter

Yes, the long awaited and said to be, most joyous of all seasons, is almost upon us.

Halloween is over. I have mourned my loss. Time to move on.

Daylight Savings Time is back.

It is nearly Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever.

I know this because I have been in Marshall’s.

Apparently, we missed Thanksgiving.

This year for holiday time, I want to see lots of Shine, Sparkle and Glow. I want diamonds in the sky. I want fairy lights and enchantment.

You should understand that last Christmas I had Covid-19. The amped up version.

My hubby got the virus a week before December 25th and thought it would be a nice holiday gift for the rest of the family.

He loves surprises ………and sharing.

Consequently, myself and the adult kid, well, we both celebrated Christmas Eve with a glass of champagne, flu-like symptoms and a fully developed 101 degree fever.

Apparently, we were not alone.

Los Angeles was in the red zone.

LA had a big sign put up in place of the historic Hollywood one, that said……

Toxic: Do Not Enter

Keep Your Mask On

(even inside your home)

A Large Bold Black Skull and Crossbones emphasized the severity of the situation.

Moving forward to this 2022 holiday season, many of us just want to have some “Happy”.

We refuse to go back to a “lock down holiday state of mind”.

This year we want to get out and celebrate. We want to sing and dance.

Maybe in our underwear.

Generally, most of us do that at home, but for some, it could be at the end of a freeway off-ramp. After all we have temperate weather and people drink a lot of local wine.

To get happy, I think we need lights so blinding they will knock out all political banter, ease­­ the rising cost of everything and make people be nicer to each other. However, that is probably not going to happen unless Elon Musk decides otherwise.

Instead, I just need my little sanctuary to have lots of shine, sparkle and glow because that is what will make me happy.

Champagne too. Of course.

For me..... Shine, Sparkle and Glow essentials are:

· Candles in every size container imaginable. The bigger, the better.

(Here I come, Home Goods)

· Faceted Crystal anything because light bounces and refracts.

· Shiny silver, pewter, brass, and gold ornaments.

· Mercury glass sculptural trees.

(Holiday heck no! Not the ones that look like some kind of adult toy)

· Mirrors adorned with garlands of greens and pinecones.

· Strands and strands of sparking fairy lights.

· Perhaps tinsel or glass icicles.

However, shine, sparkle and glow come with a serious, side note warning.

A holiday word to the wise……

Besides the obvious breakage issues, we must be extremely careful to stay far, far away from all Glitter!

That synthetic stuff is relentless.

You see, Glitter comes into our world in early October. Unfortunately, it is not until

sometime in the spring that most traces of it are truly eradicated. Before then, it is on every retail sales associate, stock person and cashiers face. Every single one.

It adorns trees, cards, ribbons, wrapping paper, wreaths, and all kinds of baubles, ring-tinglers, gob-stoppers and thing-a-ma-bobs!

Kids are covered in it. It comes in all kinds of colors too.

Don’t be fooled because it’s pink.

There is so much glitter around, it’s like I am a permanent prisoner stuck in the land of

Who-ville. It just makes me want to climb up to Garbage Mountain, where the Grinch lives, asap.

I swear, you don’t even need to touch it. It just appears. Only when you next look into a mirror, will you see that a rogue dandruff crumb of glitter has anchored itself onto your eyebrow, cheek or nose tip. It has a special kind of secret glue on it. Permanent, I suspect. You try to get it off, but in defiance, it will just relocate to another part of your anatomy.

Plus, Glitter, it just looks tacky.

Performance dancers, also rudely known as “strippers”, like to spray it on themselves for their dancing parties.

Now don’t all get offended, my friends.

I’m not in any way, saying “strippers” are tacky.

Just Glitter.

So, if you care about yourself or the welfare of others, step away from the Glitter aisle.

Put that Walmart wreath down and the matching Glitter infused garland.

Walk away from the faux snow too. White Glitter does not look at all like winter’s delicate snow crystals. It just doesn’t.

Also, unless you actually live in the high north country and keep your windows open, why exactly does your tree/wreath/garland have snow on it inside your home anyway?

Well, my holiday friends, I’m off to Target for just one more mercury glass tree. Maybe a cedar- fir candle. As you might expect, I will not be purchasing anything with Glitter, either.

No glitter…all glam, baby.

Final Word….

Whatever your Holiday decorating style is ……You do You!

Do it fast though. All good holiday bling will sell out before the first turkey hits your grocery.

Don’t be afraid to go out and into the fray to open up your decorating chakras.

Cheers to us all finding our own special version of “Happy”.

* All photos curtesy of Unsplash and Media From WIX.