Christmas was SICK!

No, seriously… I was sick on Christmas. Boo, right?* I had a stomach virus earlier that week, and (continuing with my surfer lingo used in the post-title) it was gnarly, dude. On Christmas Eve, I felt good enough to dart into the Christmas Eve service (no worries, I didn’t give anyone hugs, just in case), but on Christmas morning I felt blegh (yes, it’s an adjective) again. Instead of feasting with the extended fam at my grandparents' house, I isolated myself all day. Woohoo! Thankfully, my family, John, and Santa were super good to me, and I got some goodies to cheer me up!

Thanks, Christina, Darci, April, and Natasha!

                         For this Five on Friday, here are just a few of my favoritest goodies!

1. Arm candy

I’d heard of Lily and Laura bracelets before from my brother’s girlfriend, but once Ryann blogged about them and I realized they were fair-trade, I fell in love. I was super pumped when John got me some for part of my Christmas present!

One of my favorite presents came from my brother, Corey. He bought my mom and me Alex and Ani bracelets, which are awesome because they are stackable, personal (ours each have our first initials on them), and they’re made in the USA!

2. Shoulder candy

Is that a thing? Because it should be, especially when it perfectly describes the new Kate Spade bag my parents gave me!  I hate carrying big purses, and this cross body is slim and stylin’. It fits my Hobo wallet perfectly, and while it may sound silly, that was a requirement for me. It also fits my phone and keys, but not much else… I’ll have to get creative with my EOS and Bath & Bodyworks hand sanitizer!

3. Wardrobe staples

There's not much to say about these Sam Edelman riding boots, other than I love 'em! I've needed new brown boots for a while, and these fit all my needs. Not too dark, not too light, not too many zippers or buckles. As for the j. crew utility jacket, I’ve already worn it a couple times, and this baby is versatile. It made an adorable peter pan collared peplum a bit more casual, and helped some coral cords seem a bit less girly-girl. Maybe it’ll make me look cooler than I actually am ;)

4. Fantasy perfume set

You know how some people have signature scents? Mine would have to be Fantasy by Britney Spears. Weird, I know, but this perfume I got in middle school (!!!) is still my absolute favorite. Through the years, I’ve tried (and loved) some Juicy Couture, Daisy by Marc Jacobs, and Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift, but ultimately, not even Taylor could compete with Britney… Weird, right? Not so weird if you smell it though. It’s like heaven. Or maybe what I think a sassy angel would smell like. Okay, now it’s definitely weird. 

5.  Leatherology jewelry case

With this gift, John really went for thoughtful yet practical: a combination of what we both love (you can guess who likes thoughtful and who likes practical heehee)! He noticed I spent so much time untangling  necklaces when we went places because I kept all my jewelry in a cute (but not super functional) Lilly pouch. This pretty leather organizer will make jewelry much less of a doozy to store and unpack! It’s gorgeous and came wrapped so elegantly. Just to make it extra special, John put a cross necklace he saw on my Pinterest board (if there are points, he gets all of them) inside. Such a keeper. 

*I do not want to sound like, "Ugh, I basically missed Christmas. My life sucks!" I realize the fact that: a. I have great health 99% of the time, and b. I had family and food to miss out on, puts me in the minority of the world, and for that, I am truly grateful. I hope everyone else had a blessings-filled Christmas this year, too!