As the days grow colder, my thoughts turn to the upcoming holiday season. It’s as if someone flipped a switch in my brain, as I move from the gardens of summer and long hikes of fall to the dazzle and excitement of December.

The focus of this emotional transition is my home, where I summon all of the decorating fantasies of years past. I’ll confess, I’m one of those people who puts up the holiday tree early (right after Thanksgiving) and takes it down in January. I pull out all of my holiday decorations, which include everything from tablecloths in exotic fabrics and luscious metal candleholders, to folksy hand-carved reindeers. It all goes into the mix, as I re-imagine my stage set for entertaining family and friends.

This flurry of decorating is so fulfilling; it has the anticipation of Cinderella dressing up for the grand ball. Cinderella had, of course, her jewels and her slippers as the crowning touch. I compare this to my jewels of hand-blown glass ornaments, which decorate my tree, fill the bowls on my tables, and hang in my windows. They glisten and sparkle, representing my dreams for a holiday of happiness and delight.

The Substance of Style
by Virginia Postrel

I have just finished reading The Substance of Style by Virginia Postrel. In this penetrating, provocative book, Postrel demonstrates that the “look and feel” of people, places, and things are more important than we think. Aesthetic pleasure taps deep human instincts and is essential for creativity and growth.

This articulate author states, “Aesthetics is not a luxury, but a universal human desire.” For example, poor people create the body of decoration that illustrates National Geographic. Poor people built the cathedrals of Europe and developed the paintings of Tibet. Poor people turned baskets and pottery into decorative art.

We all know that economic status has nothing to do with the love of beauty. Postrel goes one step further by arguing that everyone should participate in setting the aesthetic imperative of a society. After all, she says,
“Aesthetics has become too important to be left to the aesthetes.”