Is It Time for Resolutions?

And so Christmas is past, or will be very soon even to those who celebrate all 12 days. The warm fairy lights are stripped off house facades, living rooms thick with greenery are cleaned and restored to simplicity. We remove so many comforts against the dark of winter, and we are left feeling a bit bewildered why seasonal depression is a thing.

But this is how society does it: The season of warmth, joy, giving, and magic in which we overindulge in treats and snacks is immediately followed by the expectation to make resolutions to do better, be better, be healthier, make the most of things. This season when animals hibernate and the trees shed leaves and sleep is when we are supposed to get on with it, get back to work. No, be even better at work and goals and self-improvement.

Resolutions to be your best self in various ways aren't all bad, I'm not implying that. It's just our culture's expectation of it right now, and not on a more personal timeline, or even one that is based on the natural world, that annoys the heck out of me. So I am leaning into the cave of winter. I am embracing the long nights and resolving to live slow while I have the chance to. Soon spring will come and snowdrops will peek out from the earth, and my plate will be full of garden work and my heart will be full of life and I'll want to make plans. But that time isn't now. And that's okay.

Another thing I've noticed after Christmas is that everyone seems so angry. Drivers seem even more aggressive, I look at the faces of other people in the supermarket and smile, and they don't slowly smile back like they did during the holiday season. I left a comment on a video my friend Jonathan Hiebert made about how his being Santa means having to embody Christmas joy because he takes on the weight of being that archetype. I talked about how wearing bright and festive holiday clothing every day during the holiday season had much the same feeling for me. I sometimes would find myself frowning, in a grumpy mood, and then I reminded myself that I wanted to live up to the joy that my clothes I was wearing represented.

I think about all the times I have seen someone during the holiday season wearing a candy cane headband, or a sweater with tinsel and a grinning reindeer, and their face is turned down into a frown. My heart goes out to them, because their sporting that headband and that sweater means that they really want to feel it. Some part of them wants to be filled with the joy of Christmas. But life can get you down. I get it.

So yeah, I don't judge anyone who can't maintain their joy in a holiday sweater. But I try all the more to do so. I catch the eye of that door greeter with her jingle bell earrings and give her a big smile. And I swear, the feeling of accomplishment I get when I can turn a frown upside down is worth all the work it takes to keep up a sunny demeanor no matter what when I'm dressed head to toe in holiday cheer.

I'm about to share all the creative work I did during the Christmas season, and I just want to clarify that that's at least 60% of why I throw myself into sharing so many things, creating and posting during the holiday month. Sure it's 40% because I love the holidays and I feel fantastic in this season of magic wonder and kindness. But the bigger part of it is really wanting to help tend and grow that feeling in other people.

One of my favorite quotes of all time is from A Christmas Carol: “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” Because Christmas really is about being kind to your fellow man, believing the best of others, and knowing that magic is real. And those beliefs aren’t just for a season.

So yes, grumpy grocery shoppers, I will continue to smile at you in 2026 when I catch your eye as our shopping carts pass each other. I’ll keep trying to make my waitress scowl less. (Through genuine kindness and interaction, mind you, not irritating quips that she should smile more.) Because gosh this world is a mess right now, and all most of us can do about it is make small decisions, take small steps every day toward how we want the world to be. This is one of mine.


Now I wanted to share all of the festive fun I got up to during the holiday season! Starting with gifts.

Firstly I found these Krampus wood ornaments after Christmas last year at JoAnn Fabrics (rip) and had such a grand time decorating them for friends. Tom got me a set of POSCA pens right before the festive season and I’ve had such fun using them already.

I made ornaments for neighbors and coworkers, and a Mari Lwyd for myself.

I created an artwork of a Green Man and grackle for my dear friend Greene. The piece was inspired by an artwork by Vinod Rams. I loved his spindly and gentle-hearted on this archetype and wanted to see how my style would interpret the same sort of being.

I laid down some pressed greenery on the frame for photos, and then realized they looked so nice on there, I should decoupage them on!

My favorite art piece I made all year was this cut wood owl silhouette for my friend Bryonie’s late December birthday.

One side represents the beauty of Dartmoor, with clapper bridges and Wistman’s Wood, and hares lifting their faces to the moonlight.

The other side represents the beauty of the Oregon coast, with seals in a curved arc atop rocks, misty formations jutting from the ocean, and a whale seeking the surface.

I used an artwork by Colorful Cat Studio as pose reference for the whale.

I altered a purchased foam pair of horns to befit a Yule goat, and took photos and video in full Yule goat cosplay. (And scared a hiking mother and daughter who looked at me like I was portraying a demon.)

We took a family photo for our (limited) holiday cards.

I hosted a cookie day with friends, and had fun decorating mine.

I dressed up as Mrs Claus on the day of our first big snowstorm, then took videos to collaborate with Jonathan Hiebert as Santa for a set of 3 duet reels / TikTok. (See them here here and here. Be sure to click in order!) Oh and the reels are written and edited by me too. (Concept developed together.) Jonathan made the flower crown and let me tell you it’s stunning. If he ever starts selling crowns, definitely snatch one up.

Then I went outside in the 10°F snow to take photos in my neighbor’s back yard. (Thanks to my husband Tom for snapping the pics, I knew I’d be too cold to mess with a tripod and remote.)

I successfully shared 25 Days of Christmas Clothes again, despite claiming I wasn’t going to at the start of the season. Ha! I think this is my fifth? year doing this.

I filmed, edited, and shared this year’s holiday house tour video. I think it’s my best one yet. Definitely the highest quality thanks to cell phone technology improvements.

And finally I wrote this year’s annual Mrs. Claus story, which is irreverent and silly.

This is not even to mention the totally new siding we got on our house in December, or meeting the real Santa at my local Macy’s, or writing and presenting a mystery night at work. This holiday season was busy!! No wonder I want to hibernate.

I hope you enjoy seeing what I’ve been up to. I’m happy to report that I also finished the first draft of my 10,000+ word novelette I’ve been working on since mid August! I wrote the last word on New Year’s Eve. I plan to get the story refined and then will be offering it for sale as a limited edition chapbook, hopefully sometime in spring.

It’s kind of ironic to end a long list of creative projects like this with a reminder to rest, retreat and hibernate, but that’s exactly what I’m doing. Whether you spent your December in an explosion of busy, or kept it low-key, now is the time to follow what your body, mind, and heart are telling you to do. And if that is to rest, then rest! Hygge is a popular concept for a reason.

As always, I love to see your comments. Please feel free to tell me about your holiday season. Share with me the different ways that you relax and make winter a magical time of calm.