i am a christmas crazy person.

every holiday is big in my family- hello, 30-person memorial day cookouts and easter brunches fit for royalty. but nothing ever trumps christmas. though traditions are ever evolving, one thing remains: i come from a long list of folks who wait all year for those precious moments between thanksgiving and new years day.

so rather than doing a gift guide (i love ’em but i’m kinda over ’em), i decided to share some of my favorite non-tangibles during the christmas season. ya know the things that just flat out give you the spirit, rather than the stuff. hope you enjoy every moment of the holiday. xx

HOLIDAY SEES:

• The Holiday- my mom and I obsess over every detail of this perfect rom-com, from Cam’s amazing wardrobe and Kate’s delicious little cottage to Jude Law’s sinful smile.
• White Christmas– I caught this classic last Christmas and couldn’t get over the quick witted script and to die for costumes.
• Home Alone 2: I mean DUH, ya filthy animal ;)
• Lord of the Rings Trilogy: ok, so totallllyyy not a Christmas movie, but my family and I had a tradition of seeing the latest edition every Dec 26 so it reminds me of that fun time.
• The Preacher’s Wife– my mom has to watch it every year. Nothing wrong with annual Denzel.

HOLIDAY READS:

• I will never forget the year we spent most of Christmas Eve pouring over Eye Spy Christmas. I was finding that damn pickle!
• Feast of All Saints by Anne Rice is not holiday themed, but the story and imagery is absolute magic.
• Christmas vacay is the perfect time to catch up on mag subscriptions. My reading list: House Beautiful, ELLE & FastCompany.

HOLIDAY SOUNDS: I made a whole spotify playlist that you can follow (u: mimi_style “highend holiday”) but some of the standouts:

• Sarah Vaughn’s version of “My Favorite Things” gives me chills with the barely there guitar accompaniment and her incredible voice.
• Whitney’s “Do You Hear What I Hear” takes me straight to the 90s  days of red velvet dresses and can’t sleep at night Christmas excitement.
• “Let Go” by Frou Frou is pop perfection that just sounds like cold weather.
• Joni Mitchell’s “River” is my absolute favorite holiday song and the lyrics embody why we love JM.
• NO ONE does “O Holy Night” like Mariah- this is the only version as far as I’m concerned.
• “The Christmas Song” is riding in the Volvo to my grandparents’ house on Christmas Eve. That is priceless.