One week closer to my holiday break — only three more workdays to go. That’s it. That’s the highlight. Otherwise, there’s not much to say. The weather was hella cold, it snowed hella hard, work was hella busy, I was hella grumpy. I’ve been inching towards burnout territory for a while, and this week I tried to reverse course a little, but of course, that’s easier said than done. I forced myself to slow down physically at least, but the mind is another beast. She’s stubborn and she doesn’t always listen. Let’s just say, I’ve been leaning hard on all the lessons and progress I’ve made recently with my therapist.

My (long distance) bestie and I exchanged our Xmas presents, which is to say, we sent each other money so we could treat ourselves like the lazy, 50-year old bougie b*tches we are. [That’s a Pedro Pascal reference for those of you who don’t internet as much as we do.] She’s buying fancy soap, and I ordered myself a bunch of books. We love that for us.

The hardest thing is going to be to not start reading them before Christmas Day. I feel like I’m in a reading slump — probably another symptom of burnout, tbh — and none of the books in my current TBR pile look appealing. I’m a mood reader, so this is a real problem, ok? But I’m very excited about the ones I just ordered. Maybe I’ll allow myself one little pre-Christmas treat? Isn’t it a perk of adulthood that one can make up the rules as one goes?

I’m also very excited because I ordered a DVD of Ten Things I Hate About You for my daughter as part of her Xmas present. We’ve been trying to find this movie at the thrift store for months without success. I can’t wait for us to watch it together over the holiday break. Re-discovering old faves from my teenage years with her, as she’s starting that phase of her life, is one of the highlights of this stage of parenthood. She’s also getting a bunch of books for Christmas because we are basically the same person. Except, in her case, it’s all hockey romances, lol! We listen and we don’t judge.

Ever since Variety announced the line-up of their Actors on Actors interviews, I’ve been sat for the one between Gwyneth Paltrow and Jacob Elordi. Are you kidding me? My OG celebrity obsession and my current pop culture rabbit hole (that sounds wrong, oh well) competing for oxygen in one room? Sign me up. Well, I watched it and … meh. It was a snoozefest. Like watching two people make polite conversation in a dentist’s reception. Or paint dry. I’ve seen other interviews with them, so I know that, individually, they’re both capable of being funny and charming. Together, they somehow turned into a charisma black hole.

One of my fave anecdotes from Amy Odell’s biography of Gwyneth is about how she once explained the different types of caviar to Brad Pitt in a restaurant. [Because, evidently, he was a Midwest hick or something.] I was hoping she’d bring that energy to the interview, for dramatic purposes. It would have been fun to see that square off against Jacob’s earnest ‘I think deep thoughts’ energy. [To be clear, I find this endearing about him. People who are not afraid to talk about their intellectual curiosity, in a culture that tends to characterize enthusiasm as “cringe”, are cool in my book.] Alas, all Gwyneth did was nod a lot and make valiant attempts to get a word in edgewise. Jacob was a total chatty Cathy. Maybe he was nervous. They both looked hella uncomfortable/stiff.

Oh well. At least the Jonathan Bailey / David Corenswet interview did not disappoint. So. Much. Energy. So. Much. Chemistry.

Have a great weekend!

I’m not a big fan of gift guides because so often they’re nothing more than a marketing gimmick, but I love seeing the stuff people actually buy. Maybe you do too? If so, this post is for you. I’m going to share a bunch of things that are on my Xmas wishlist … some of which may or may not already be waiting for me under the Xmas tree.

Guerlain Insolence

I’ve had this on my perfume wishlist for a long time. I love violet-forward scents, and Insolence is a classic. I finally found an unopened bottle on Poshmark and, long story short, it’s on its way to me as we speak. It will be my dad’s gift, because we have a new tradition where he buys me perfume for Xmas and/or my birthday every year. Now that The Bay is defunct, it’s hard to find less mainstream perfumes locally. My local Shoppers stocks some Guerlain fragrances, but not Insolence. I’ve bought perfumes on Posh before without any issues, so I hope this one arrives safely.

Tripod and Ring Light

As I look ahead to 2026, I see a lot more IG Reels in my future. Sigh. Making videos of myself is NOT my fave activity (by a long shot) but it’s a necessary evil for a self-published author trying to figure out the whole marketing side of the business. My current set-up is basically, umm, me and my phone. I don’t mind having videos that feel more “homemade” than super polished, so I’m not looking to massively upgrade my tech … but it will be nice to have a hands-free set-up and slightly better lighting at least. My SIL picked a tripod/ring light for me off Amazon, so I don’t actually know the model or anything. Hopefully, I’ll be able to figure out how to use it, lol!

Day Planner

To be clear, I’m not a journaling girlie. I’m just someone who lives and dies by her To-Do list, and I like writing mine down – hence the need for a day planner. I’m very proud of myself because, instead of buying a new one in August when the new batch of 18-month planners came out, I continued to use my current one, which runs to December. Well, guess what? It’s now December. And a new planner is a great gift for one of my kids to buy for me.

Vintage Coach Bag

I don’t need another Coach bag … but I kinda want one? Specifically, another vintage XL duffle bag in a different colour. I bought a cognac one earlier this year and I’m obsessed with it, and I think a red one would be fab to have. I love red bags and this duffle style is *chef’s kiss*. I’d be open to other colours as well, apart from black. The problem is finding the right bag at the right price. The resale market for vintage Coach is insane right now, and this particular style doesn’t come up very often. I’d rather wait past Christmas, if necessary, than buy something else just for the sake of the occasion.

Uniqlo Cashmere Blend Turtlenecks

I live in turtlenecks for 6 months of the year, and I really love having lightweight wool-blend ones that I can wear right next to the skin (aka not scratchy ones). I have 2 old Club Monaco ones that I bought back in 2016 or so, which are fine merino wool and super lightweight, and they’ve been absolute workhorses in my wardrobe. I still wear them regularly, even though they’re starting to show their age a bit. A friend brought these Uniqlo turtlenecks to my attention and I feel like they might be the perfect replacement. I want at least a couple of colours, starting with brown.  

What’s on your Xmas wishlist?

Well, it happened at last: snow. Ugh. I know it’s December in Edmonton, so I shouldn’t complain, but it somehow feels worse this year because we had such a nice, long fall for once. If I wasn’t already in hermit/hibernation mode before, I definitely am now. I feel like I’ve forgotten how to dress for winter and snow. I’m, like, what’s a coat? Can I not just add an extra thick sweater under my tweed jacket and call it a day? Life is so unfair sometimes.

I kid, I kid. Life’s been pretty good, albeit it very busy, this week. The algorithm is now convinced that my sole obsession (outside of Frankenstein) is astrology, so I have been inundated with deep dives about the planetary movements of the week and their supposed impact on my existence as a speck of dust on a giant rock hurtling through space. Honestly, I don’t know how people keep track of these things — there’s like a bazillion things happening constantly. And because my brain is wired to look for patterns in everything, it has seized on astrology as a fun little side quest. So far, I’m sad to report that I have seen very little correlation between what the astrology gurus tell me is happening in my life and what is actually happening in my life. But I am definitely convinced they’re correct and 2026 is gonna be my big year 😉

Mostly because I really, really, really want it to be. I’ve got 4 books planned for publication next year, starting with A Party to Murder, so I have a lot riding on 2026 being a propitious year. The odds are ever against me (and all creatives) but I am choosing to be stupidly optimistic anyway. Here is a requisite shameless plug: if you haven’t done so already, please consider pre-ordering my book (on Amazon or from another retailer of your choice). It will be releasing on January 8, which is just about a month away — eeek!!

I heard back from my first ARC reader this week and they told me they loved the book! Ahhh, that’s the best feeling EVER!! Even better was the fact they said A Party to Murder doesn’t read like the first novel of an unknown author, which I took to mean that it doesn’t feel like amateur hour so … yay! When I decided to pursue publishing with this book, it was because I truly believed that it’s as good as the majority of books you can find in a bookstore. And, believe me, I’ve not felt that way about other things I’ve written in the past. It’s reassuring to know that I’m not the only person who thinks A Party to Murder is a pretty darn good (and fun) book.

Alright, alright, enough self-promotion. [For now. Sorry! Don’t hate me.] Now that I managed to drag myself over the finish line with my latest WIP, I have decided to take the rest of the month off from writing, bar for some editing on book #2, which goes to my editor in January. I am also taking 2 weeks off from work, and have been busy planning my days of leisure. The current plan is to binge watch a lot of comfort TV and movies, something I haven’t done in months.

To that end, I’ve been buying up DVDs from the thrift store. I hate what streaming has become, and how impossible it is to find what you want to watch (especially older stuff) on one or two platforms. I refuse to pay for half a dozen subscriptions at this point, so I’m building up my media library. I’ve got a few things lined up for the Christmas break, including Murder She Wrote and Colombo (I am SO excited!!), along with a few other ‘classics’ like Friends (planning to introduce my daughter to the show) and True Blood, and some of my older fave movies that I haven’t seen in years (just picked up a copy of Stardust, for example).

Have a great weekend!