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Josh Hutcherson cuddles the clouds, Christmas nostalgia & camp from Balenciaga: 10 things we’re obsessed with this week

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Winter may be coming, but something about this week’s biggest LGBTQ+ stories had me feeling unseasonably… warm?!

Maybe it was the way Andrew Scott spoke in-depth about the “tenderness” in his new romantic drama All of Us Strangers. Perhaps it’s been mental trickery, inspired by Chris Pines and his summery 5″ inseams. Of course, it could be the musical debut of Dominic Fike’s brother or the intentional skivvies currently co-starring alongside Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey in Fellow Travelers.

Still, it’s probably just the fact that my landlord turned on the building’s heat. And it’s still 60 degrees outside.

Cute boys and thermostats aside, the approaching holiday means my social media algorithms have been hard at work, serving up irresistibly kitschy seasonal decor and Christmas classics I need to revisit (or watch for the first time, oops), whilst simultaneously inspiring a powerful desire to curl up on the couch with a throw blanket towel. More on that later.

Crank up the AC (or don’t), put on soothing tunes, and get ready to indulge in the internet’s best offerings. Here are the 10 things we’re obsessed with this week….

1. Trinity Ruins Christmas: The Musical

Two-panel image. On the left, a musical album cover reading 'Trinity Ruins Christmas: The Chronicles of Sister Mary Kuntz' in golden and white lettering. At the bottom, it reads the author's name 'Trinity the Tuck' in capital letters. The cover is navy blue with ornate golden swirls on the left and right sides, framing an animated Tim Burton-esque drawing of a skeletal-looking woman in a white dress and bonnet. On the right, drag queen Trinity The Tuck poses in front of a blue step-and-repeat. She wears her hair up in large blonde and purple buns on top of her head. She has purple eye shadow and pursed pink lips. Her dress is low cut and black, with a feather purple decoration on her right shoulder.
Image Credit: Trinity the Tuck/Getty Images

Nothing makes the yuletide gay quite like a drag queen. With that in mind, Trinity the Tuck, one of my personal Drag Race faves, just dropped a Christmas album and accompanying illustrated book (based on A Christmas Carol), so I’m absolutely gagged.

The album brings the holiday tale to life with contributions from drag royalty like Alaska, Jimbo, Ginger Minj, and Kylie Sonique Love. But the book really had me sold from the introduction of its narrator: Sister Mary Kuntz. Snag your unsigned or autographed copy ($35-$50 on Trinity’s website) alongside ornaments and prints.

2. Personalized Hometown Map Pint or Wine Glass

Two-panel image. On the left, two transparent wine glasses sit in front of a peach colored backdrop. They have maps of San Antonio etched, reading the city's name. On the right, two transparent pint glasses sit filled with a dark brown liquid. They feature a map of Nashville etched, reading the city's name. They're pictured in front of an off-white background.
Image Credit: Uncommon Goods

There’s nothing like going home for the holidays… and there’s nothing like not going home for the holidays. No matter how you feel about your roots, these adorable etched wine and pint glasses (going for $50-$54 for a two-pack from Uncommon Goods) are a fun way to pay tribute to your hometown or new place of residence. All you’ve got to do is plug in a zip code, and they generate the map to print.

Plus, they make the perfect gift for your pals who won’t shut up about their summer in Puerto Vallarta. (You know who you are.)

3. Josh Hutcherson cuddling with the clouds… via AI

The thirst for Five Nights at Freddy’s star Josh Hutcherson has been real. Unfortunately, our bilingual king is largely absent from social media, so one devoted fan took their hunger for Hutch to the next level… with the help of artificial intelligence. While these AI-generated pics of Josh shirtless amongst the clouds aren’t real, I would argue that they are art –– much like The Hunger Games actor himself. And they’ve certainly had gay social media in a chokehold!

4. Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Maker

Two-panel image. On the left, a black coffee maker reading "Mr. Coffee" sits in front of a blue background. Hot brown coffee pours out of its spout into a transparent tumbler cup filled with ice. A transparent lid and straw sits next to it. A circle with text reads, "Refreshing iced coffee in minutes." n the right, the same coffee maker is pictured next to the transparent cup, straw, tumbler, a transparent scoop with a handle, and a resuseable coffee filter.
Image Credit: Amazon

OK, so “iced coffee maker” is a bit of a misnomer. After all, our go-to bean juice has to get heated up to fully unlock its caffeinating properties. Still, Mr. Coffee’s single-serve iced coffee maker ($39.99 on Amazon) has got the process down. Just fill up the supplied (and insulated tumbler) with ice, pour in water, and add grounds to the filter, then press brew. Voila, you’ve got the perfect-sized –– and tasting –– iced coffee with just enough ice to keep it cold.

No joke, this gadget has saved a caffeine addict (and hot-coffee hater) like myself sooo much money.

5. This influencer declaring the start of “cozy season”

Caitlin Covington, a North Carolina-based influencer, somehow fashioned herself as a harbinger of the seasons after her autumnal pics inspired the “Christian Girl Autumn” meme. It’s a little ridiculous, but we’ve got to hand it to her for being a certified LGBTQ+ ally and supporting the meme’s trans creator. And while fall is her specialty, we do appreciate this cue to dig out the sweaters and start spinning Mariah’s Christmas album. Cozy season is upon us!

6. Nostalgic Christmas Tree Light

Two-panel image. On the left, three ceramic 12-inch tall Christmas trees are pictured with colorful lights and yellow stars atop. The left tree is pink, the middle tree is white, and the right tree is green. On the right, the white Christmas tree is pictured on a brown table next to a stack of nondescript books, a disco ball, and blue candles.
Image Credit: Urban Outfitters

Haven’t you heard? Low-key holidays are out, and kitschy, maximalist Christmas is in. And thank goodness, because I come from a long line of women who craft… and are constantly looking to clean out their garages. You can curate the same aesthetic with this ceramic Nostalgic Christmas Tree Light (available in white, green, and pink for $79 at Urban Outfitters), which provides the ideal amount of garish yet cute.

And if you’d prefer a smaller dose of nostalgia, you can snag it in a 5-inch tall ornament form for $19.

7. Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar

A triangle-shaped light-colored brownie bar, filled with cranberries, sits against a navy green backdrop. The dessert is covered in white cream-cheese frosting, red dried cranberries, and zig-zag icing.
Image Credit: Starbucks

In the words of Wendy Williams, “She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is the moment.” My favorite part of Starbucks holiday season is not the peppermint mocha nor the cutesy seasonal cups ($4.95-$27.95 in stores). It’s the Cranberry Bliss Bar, a cranberry-filled blondie cake covered in cream-cheese frosting and topped with dried cranberries.

With its festive colors and guilt-free size, this dessert just tastes like the holidays. Stop by your local Starbs and thank me later!

8. The ridiculously camp towel skirt from Balenciaga

We’ve reached a level of camp that will surely be studied in the text books. Balenciaga recently previewed their Spring 2024 collection, which includes the Towel Skirt in Beige (with a perfectly reasonable price tag of $925). Terry cloth has never looked so out of place, but bear with me here.

This lewk instantly brought me back to dressing up as Ariel from The Little Mermaid after bath time as a 5-years-old. If only I knew back then that I was a fashion icon.

9. Omsom Saucy Noodle Sampler

Two-panel image. On the right, three cardboard boxes are pictured on a pink countertop. The boxes, left-to-right colored green, pink, and red, read "Omsom" in capital letters with pictures of noodles underneath. On the right, four bowls of noodles are pictured on a tan countertop. The pink and green Omsom boxes are set in between them. The saucy Vietnamese noodles are displayed attractively, with purple, red, and green chopsticks pictured around them.
Image Credit: Omsom

When it’s cold outside, there’s nothing I want more than warm noodles. But with a shoebox-sized kitchen and a nonexistent tolerance for lengthy recipes, I’ve struggled to find something tasty and quick. Thankfully, Omsom came into my life and nothing has been the same. Once their air-dried instant-noodles arrive, they’re ready to eat within four-minutes! Better yet, Omsom is queer and women-owned and its founding sisters learned their culinary skills watching their Vietnamese mother cook as kids.

For $49, you can snag the Omsom Saucy Noodle Sampler, featuring flavors like Coconut Lemongrass Curry, Soy Garlic, Chili Sesame, and Garlic Black Pepper.

10. Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial becoming a musical by Leland

Remember Gwyneth Paltrow‘s accidentally iconic ski crash trial? From the yassified looks to her matter-of-fact responses to a starstruck attorney, the gays were captivated by the coverage. The proceedings were nearly a parody of themselves, so it’s only fitting some gays are bringing the story to the stage in “Gwyneth Goes Skiing.”

The show (which opens at at London’s Pleasance Theatre on Dec. 13) features music by LGBTQ+ producer and icon Leland and focuses on the trial, allowing audience members to serve as the jury. And in the spirit of queer chaos, it all takes place at Christmastime. Consider us gooped!

Related:

Matt Bomer hooks up with Todd Snyder, X-mas Ts & the dumbest party game ever: 10 things we’re obsessed with this week

Kick up your feet, cozy up with a seasonal throw blanket, and pretend you aren’t still ordering iced coffees. Here are the 10 things we’re obsessed with this week….

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