December 15th, 2020

Hey!  It's Santa Sam here writing today about Christmas Accessorizing.

By now y'all know that I love Christmas.  I love every part of it. The music, the stories,  and the Salvation Army Santa ringing his or her bell in front of the grocery store.  I adore how people call out, "Merry Christmas" to total strangers on the street. And it goes without saying how I feel about the cookies.  But one of my favourite parts is Christmas decorating.

Decorating the tree inside is definitely a highlight but I also love little pops of Christmas all over the house.  An elf here, a little snowman there, just makes the smiles in my heart get bigger.   Therefore, to me accessorizing myself in a Christmassy sort of way just seems like a natural extension, right?

Of course I'm talking about jewelry.  (And the Santa Hat.  And yes I do wear it.  In public. On purpose.)

About two weeks before Christmas Day it begins.

I usually wear jewelry on a daily basis.  My wedding band is always on. Always Always Always.  And I wear earrings every day.  But lately that's kind of been it.  I'm not working.  I'm not even volunteering right now due to Covid's unwelcome existence. We certainly aren't attending any gatherings or parties.  So I've kind of been slacking off in the jewelry department. There just didn't seem to be any point. 

​ Until a few days ago.

I looked at my calendar, something I do every morning, and realized  that we were exactly two weeks out from Christmas Day! The day I usually begin dressing up ME for Christmas.   So that day, I put on my Christmas charm bracelet even though we weren't necessarily going anywhere or doing anything special.  Obviously I was  having a what the heck kind of moment and decided to just do what I normally do anyway.  And I felt Christmassy and Special all day long ;)

Perhaps I should have felt silly, a little over dressed, wearing such an overtly Christmas themed and jingly piece of jewelry, but instead, it felt just absolutely perfect. And I realized that I don't have to wait until life gets back to "normal" to follow my personal traditions.  I can do it just for me!

I generally start out  in a rather subtle way.  Jewelry that could be Christmas or it could just be a day.  

Sometimes I wear just one little piece at a time; just the red drop earrings perhaps. Looks kind of sharp with jeans and a white blouse.  Just a little nod to Christmas with the red. 

But as Christmas draws closer, I start wanting to make a bigger statement like maybe the white and crystal necklace with the snowflake earrings.   The first few days observers might wonder, are those snowflake earrings"?  Or are they just flower earrings?  Once I start adding pieces, it become more unmistakably, Christmas Accessories.

And as Christmas draws closer, it becomes more and more obvious to anyone who happens to see me.  It's stop being a question and becomes more of an exclamation. Christmas!

Wearing Christmas jewelry pops everything I choose to wear on those days.  I might wear red or green clothing but honestly even if I was wearing grey, black or white , the pop of very obvious Christmas ornamentation still brings a smile to my face. And coincidentally, also the face of the cashier at the grocery store. Or the people walking their dog on the other side of the street when Tim and I are out taking a stroll.

And by the 18th, this coming Friday, I will be wearing full on combos of Christmas jewelry, Christmas coloured clothes and combinations of jewelry.  Maybe the Santa pin with the Christmas Ball earrings and the red bangle bracelet. Or the Christmas tree necklace with the snowflake earrings and the charm bracelet.  But it will be every day of that last week until Christmas Eve Day.

By Christmas Eve day, however, all good taste and common sense will have gone completely out the window. On December the 24th, I will do my best to go over the top because it's absolutely necessary. Don't ask me why because I do not know the answer, I just know that's it's true.

The day before Christmas, when we get together with Joy and Bob to exchange stockings, I will be sporting this:

It all lights up and blinks.  Of course it does.  And I will wear it with my Christmas Charm bracelet and my Santa Hat.  If I owned an ugly Christmas Sweater, I would be wearing that too. And ugly Christmas socks (if I had them)   Because Christmas Eve celebration is one of those times when too much is just enough.

So if the question is ever asked of me, "Sam do you dress up for the holidays?"  The answer is "Yes, Yes I do!"  With a Christmas song in my heart and a Christmas smile on my face.

Doesn't everyone?