I have to admit, I’m a sucker for the holiday season. I like all of it – the music, the food, the kitschy crafts, the vacation days away from the office and the excuse to spend extra time with friends and family. Thanksgiving at my house means friends and family, lots of turkey, my Ma’s cornbread stuffing and pumpkin pie until it hurts, followed by laying around on the couch with unbuttoned pants.  I can’t wait!

Christmas preparations are lengthy. Our family picks out a tree together at Bayer’s on Hampton and then we impatiently wait a day or two for the branchs to “fall”  so we can decorate while listening to carols and slurping hot chocolate. I once hastily suggested that we go artificial to save time and mess, but was quickly reprimanded for my affront to the baby Jesus and all of Santa’s reindeer.  The kid is pretty convinced Christmas would be a flop without the dog drinking all the water out of the tree stand, the smell of pine and needles all over the floor.

Then there’s Elf night; one evening is always dedicated to our favorite Christmas flick. I mean really, does anything say Christmas more than a giant man in tights?

Many hours are also spent oohing and ahhhing over the holiday lights displays. Not the drive-through kind, but the homegrown neighborhood kind. There’s a street nearby that goes totally nuts for Halloween and Christmas – it’s a truly spectacular work of art.  I’ve noticed a couple folks in my neighborhood have gotten a jump on the outdoor decorations and it won’t be much longer until they’re everywhere. Let’s just hope that the early birds are equally prompt in taking down the yard full of plastic wonderfulness.  However, I don’t have much room to mock because I actually have a piece of last year’s Christmas tree in my back yard. It just never quite made it in to the dumpster on yard waste day. Now it’s been so long I figure it’s on the verge of disintegrating so I don’t have any plans to do anything but wait for nature to do its thing. I like to think I’m being green.

If you’re looking to add some extra fun to your holiday routine there are lots of fun artsy fartsy happenings around town…

Thanksgiving Day Parade - Thanksgiving Day, November 26, Downtown starting at 8:45 a.m.

Christmas Carols in the Garden - Missouri Botanical Gardens, December 12 & 13 from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
~ Caroling, snacks and a gingerbread house display.

Chanukah: Festival of Lights - Missouri Botanical Gardens, December 6 from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
~ Menorah lighting, traditional folk music & contemporary Israeli folk music

Santa vs. the Snowman – St. Louis Science Center Omnimax Theater, November 20 – January 3 Adults $8 / Child or Senior $7

A Christmas Carol – The Fox Theater December 10-13, $17 – $35 ticket
~ Charles Dickens classic Christmas play

Historic Soulard Holiday Parlor Tour December  5 & 6 from 10:00 – 4:00, $22-25 for tickets
~ Enjoy the art of architecture and design. The tour lasts approximately 2.5 hours and guests will travel via heated shuttle bus.

Holly is the Arts & Crafts Editor for Girls Guide. You can check out her site, South City Studio, to see her handmade jewelry, read about her upcoming craft shows and learn more about her artsy self. You can contact Holly by Emailing her – holly [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter – @southcitystudio.