The holiday season

Ah, the holiday season. With Thanksgiving creeping up quickly and Christmas right behind it, the holiday season is supposed to be at its peak. However, the holiday spirit is lacking this year. Maybe it is because I am more aware of the commercial side of the holidays or they are just losing their magic, but it feels like no one notices the season is upon us.

You may wonder what I mean. It is simply this: the holidays cause people to be nice. People will smile at you, open doors, hold elevators—they seem like they are in "the holiday spirit". Food drives are active, food baskets are delivered, toys are given to tots and people are ringing those annoyingly high-pitched bells for donations. Yet I feel that most people are hardly even going through the motions. Why is that?

Either way, I won't let that stop me. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas (yes, Christmas, not X-mas). To get myself into the mood, I've been working on some crafts and gifts. Look forward to some DIY entries a little later.

What I have against jewelry

I love jewelry-making. I took a metals class when I was in college and jewelry-making is a tough and difficult art. However, I cannot stand the jewelry commercials that pop up during the holiday season. I understand that the holidays are big for retailers. I have nothing against people trying to sell stuff. I do not like this terrible stereotype that all women want necklaces and rings.

So, I'm not married (too young), but if my presently non-existent boyfriend ever bought me a ring, necklace or earrings, I'd be disappointed. Mostly because I am a huge electronics fan. However, if he put some work into it and chose something that isn't covered in diamonds or gold, I might enjoy it.

You might say, well diamonds are forever, gold is precious, bla bla bla. I worked at a jewelry counter. I've seen the last minute gifts that consist of some odd carat diamond and 24 k gold. Choose something other than a diamond. Sapphires and topaz are gorgeous. Pearls are classic. Emeralds are beautiful. Even something as surprising as old soda bottle caps can become really awesome earrings. So what I have against jewelry is its commercialization. The ease of just buying something without a true meaning. But hey, I'm only one woman. Let's hear some other opinions (I'm open to them).