Illuminated Chihuly

Familiar places are new with light and dark and with sound.

The Desert Botanical Garden is a familiar place to me. 

But this month started their new Chihuly exhibit.

And I had never been during Las Noches de las Luminarias.

There were lighted paths.

And the Chihuly glass sculptures appeared in brilliance in the night beside the luminarias. 

Several spots were home to live music that echoed throughout the garden.

Two weeks ago I walked the familiar paths in new light.

No wonder the Luminarias are a tradition for so many.

Christmas Trains

Normally a winter drive by Scottsdale Road and Indian Bend draws your attention to the light-wrapped trees at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. It's the time when a long stop at the intersection is actually welcome because it gives you a chance to turn your head and enjoy the lights.

This year I decided to actually visit the park for their Holiday Lights. I've never even been to the railroad park during the day; it was time to satisfy my curiosity. Tickets are $15 for the lights and $10 on certain weekdays. So it's definitely a lower priced, less hassle option compared with some of the other Christmas events in town. 

The park appeals strongly to the toddler crowd. So admission to the lights includes rides on the train and carousel and pictures with Santa, in addition to the model railroad building. But Christmas is the perfect time to experience fun and play no matter your age (except for the Santa pictures--I didn't go see Santa).

Their train will take you first through those lit trees--but then it goes off to the side where there is a generous collection of Christmas light displays. In fact, it was more than I had expected. There were penguins and leaping reindeer and candy houses and camping bears and holiday saguaros. Along, of course, with the light tunnels you'll tend to see in their promo pictures. 

Though short, the train ride alone was fun, even without children, though of course it'll be an even bigger hit for families. And don't pass up on the carousel; carousels are classic. 

Depending on your interest in trains, the model railroad building could take up a lot of time or none. Either way, it somehow seems more special at night with all the lights glowing outside. There are a few holiday photo ops, too. For the playing. After all, playing is all what a Christmas railroad park should be all about. 

From Thanksgiving to Adoration

Decorating for Christmas is generally a day after Thanksgiving thing for me. But there can be variation in how the week is going. This year, for instance, I did the Christmas switch on Thursday night after the turkeys were all put away (including the cooked one). I took away the metal pumpkin sign on my wreath proclaiming "Give thanks for this day" and replaced it with another sign exclaiming "O come let us adore Him."

I tried to wait until it was late enough that anyone passing by would have already had Thanksgiving dinner. I don't mind lights going up a little early, but I didn't want to take away the Thanksgiving sign too soon. But as I replaced the sign of thanks with the sign of adoring, well, that didn't feel like a quick change between holidays. It felt like one holiday preparing our hearts for the next.

Besides the fact that I simply like turkeys, I also greatly appreciate Thanksgiving as a holiday because it is intended to be about giving thanks. There is such importance in being grateful and expressing our thankfulness for what we have been given--even life itself. And being in that state of thankfulness is the perfect place to begin looking to the birth of Jesus. 

We express our gratitude and we adore our God who came to save. This is why, more and more, Christmas isn't just about one day to me--it's about the holiday season. It's a time for reflection of the past year and the coming year; it's a time to remember blessings and refocus on what is important despite whatever struggles we have had. On this December 1st, I'm celebrating through it all. 

A Treasury of Classic Christmas

It is possible that I have too many of the Barnes & Noble leather-bound classic editions. But they're just so beautiful. One of the most recent ones I acquired was two years ago a few weeks after Christmas--even though A Christmas Treasury was by then out of date, I knew Christmas would come again and I could then have this volume ready for me.

This the year of less events and gatherings turned out to be a great year for some quiet Christmas reading. Though the book looks large, it is not a long read. There are ten short stories and nine poems. Essentially it is filled with the classic Victorian Christmas. The outside of the book is a good tell for the inside: besides the gold-edged pages, there are also plenty of illustrations and visual details A gift book but also a readable one.

The book begins with the obligatory A Christmas Carol. It's always good for a reread. There are also familiar stories that if you're like me, you may not have read in the original before. These would be "The Gift of the Magi" and "Christmas Every Day." While Disney shorts and such are good ways to take in stories, it's also nice to read the text that inspires so many retellings. L. Frank Baum's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus was a surprisingly intriguing read (though perhaps not so surprisingly--it wasn't by accident that The Wizard of Oz became so popular). While I'm not very much interested in Santa Claus for Christmas, this was a fun Santa Claus myth that put me in mind of C.S. Lewis's style. 

And you know, even though there were a fair amount of Santa Claus stories in here and even the ones that didn't include him also had a lot of presents and trees, there was a shift in focus to what I'm used to from modern movies about Santa Claus. The movies all seem to be about "believe in Santa Claus who gives us presents so that you can maintain magic in your life." These stories, though, were about bringing the heart and the warmth of Christmas to those around you. Presents are fun to get but it's better to see how you can bring about good things to the people in your sphere of influence. Decorations are fun but love is better. The little Christmas tree in the poem of the same name finds its place. We all have a role.

That's what was so refreshing about this collection. These stories aren't about the self. Even the stories about Santa Claus get back to the concept of selfless giving, giving for the joy of giving and helping, rather than about trying to grant your own wishes. 

Happy Christmas Eve. 

A Christmas Carol Reimagined

While I did make it through this year's A Christmas Carol directed by Jacqui Morris, I was tempted to walk out of the theatre, something I've never done before. I don't mind a slow movie and I don't mind artsy and experimental movies (I'm the one who normally likes to go out to see plays, ballets, and operas, remember?). I just didn't think this film made good use of dance (except perhaps when it came to Scrooge and his fiancée or maybe the Ghost of Christmas Present), nor of its references to the stage. And the constant voiceover narration and dialogue kept removing the viewer from the emotion of what was on screen. I would have enjoyed the movie more on mute, I think. 

Anyways. I had thought perhaps I would do a dual movie post. But as I haven't much good to say about the aforementioned movie, the rest will focus on one that is not quite new but that I just saw for the first time this year--The Man Who Invented Christmas directed by Barahat Nalluri. While it is not strictly a retelling of A Christmas Carol, in telling of Charles Dickens writing the story, you do get most of the familiar characters, dialogue, events, and themes.

In that way, it is a sort of fresh look at the familiar story. And it is interestingly composed as far as the bleeding of the fictional world into the real one. That aspect is what brings me into my topic of focus. We're all so familiar with Scrooge's story that it's easy to follow his journey from miser to ecstatic giver with complacency. But what this movie, with its focus on Dickens's own person, does is bring the focus back onto the self.

We aren't meant to see Scrooge's story to remark on what an awful person he is; we are meant to be reminded of that bit of Scrooge in all of us (though it will manifest itself differently in us each). We're not meant to simply say good for you, old Scrooge, for changing your rotten ways. We're meant to remember that we, too, can constantly be improving. And this isn't just expressed in the way in which Dickens struggles in his own person. It's also in the observations he makes.

When we see, for instance, a familiar piece of Scrooge's dialogue from a person in his own life, we see how the theatrical words can in fact live in the real world. What looks so fantastical on the page does in fact have its place in reality. We do often say and hear harsh things or do and see done harsh deeds. If that weren't the case, we wouldn't feel the need to keep retelling Scrooge's story--in every time period and with whatever class or type of characters (be they present day, historical, rich, middle class, poor, or Disney mice or frogs and pigs). It's a universal theme: remember that your actions affect your fellow Man. 

As we take the last couple of Christmas days, watch those last movies or read those last stories, curl up on the sofa with family, and get ready for the opening of presents and festive eating, let's let that be the thing that we get from it all and bring with us into the dark wintry season ahead. We need one another.

Merry Christmas

Winter Has Come

Winter and Christmastime have come to Arizona. The snows have fallen. The lights and decorations are out. 

Everything came together with Thanksgiving. There were some rains before Thanksgiving, but the big storms (the ones that brought snow to the higher elevation areas) came on Thanksgiving day. And after Thanksgiving, of course, is when everyone traditionally goes full on with the Christmas festivities. 

I welcome it all. I always welcome it all, but this year I especially do. This year has been filled with intense highs and lows. I reached up toward a spirit of thanksgiving in November and now that it is December, I am feeling remembrance, gratefulness, and rejoicing. That is the way to cap off my year.

This year, my Victorian-esque Christmas tree (it just has pinecones and glass "candle" ornaments) and my simple, white nativity set seemed the perfect dressing for the season. The theme to these decorations is light and purity. On a cold, winter night to sit with glowing lights and to remember that which is good. Hallelujah. 

The Holidays Commence

Each holiday season keeps developing anew. This year there was much more to go along with Halloween . . . and also a little less. I have a few Halloween decorations but I didn't even put them out because I simply didn't feel like it. Thanksgiving I went for in full force with my usual flocks of turkeys and Thanksgiving day itself, while nice, slipped by so quickly in favor of a very busy Black Friday weekend.

My head emerged to find that, in and out of it all, I managed to put up my tree and various other dressings. It looks festive . . . and yet it took me a moment to be able to look over and be pleased that it was festive. My eyes were at first still a little tuned out to Christmas lights and all.

I also stumbled into Southwest Shakespeare's Holiday Show. Once more, I'd been certain that I wouldn't be able to go, so I'd been in the mindset that I didn't need to see it. Suddenly, though, there I was, making my way over to Taliesin West. Taliesin. Taliesin is always worth a little trip with the way that it's nestled among the saguaros a step out away from the city. The show itself was a sort of mix of music and sketches, Christmas mainly with a touch of Hanukkah. A casual and merry concoction to usher in holiday time.

While I don't involve Santa in any of my Christmas decorations or traditions, I've realized that The Samta Clause is one of my favorite Christmas movies (along with Mickey's Christmas Carol). So some eggnog and the movie and some of the last of the Thanksgiving pumpkin pie one night also started to set the tone.

Maybe it was the Christmas shopping that set me off, too. Usually I have most of my Christmas shopping done by November; this year I had barely started. So digging in to that and getting started on, ahem, stocking things (I have always loved the idea of candy; home videos of me on Christmas morning at two years old will verify this) started to settle me in.

Not that I think Christmas is all about gifting and decorations (which is part of the reason why I like to shop early: so that by the time the season actually starts, I'm done thinking about gifts). Christmas is also about light and about new beginnings and about joy and about accepting the light and sharing the light and enjoying the light together.

This year I finally bought a star for my tree. I have a Victorian-esque tree with just "candles" and pinecones and a few berries. I'd been holding out on buying a star until I found one that I really liked. This one is from Balsam Hill. It's covered in beads and the beads catch the light from the tree.

Let's catch and spread the light this Christmastime. 

Zak's Chocolate: Christmas Truffles Selection

Last chance to get in some Christmas chocolate. I stopped by Zak's Chocolate here in Scottsdale this week to see what seasonal offerings they might have right now. Outside of the truffles case, there were things like hot chocolate sticks and dinosaur-shaped chocolate bars (dinosaurs are following me everywhere right now; they've become a daily part of my life). Inside the case, there were Pumpkin Spice truffles and the Cinnamon Plum truffles I've talked about before. The four that I chose this time were Eggnog, Candy Cane Crunch, Gingerbread, and Peppermint Mocha.

Eggnog - While this isn't my first experience with eggnog chocolate, eggnog is one of the more difficult flavors to get across both well and pleasingly in chocolate. This truffle has the plainer look of these four, built around an angled shape with a light spray of color on top. Instantly the flavor is warm with nutmeg and perhaps a dash of other spices, along with that a creamy, eggy flavor of Eggnog. The finish is light chocolate: the ganache here is lighter, therefore the overall feel of this truffle is almost more like milk chocolate than dark. It isn't exactly sweeter; it's just that it isn't so dark and again, it has that creamy feeling. So having both the heavy cream feel and the flavors of the spices, this truffle gets across that unique Eggnog experience.

Candy Cane Crunch - A circle-shaped truffle with a pattern of candy canes on top, this one quickly delivers candy cane flavor, even before you're done biting in. Not just a mint or peppermint flavor, but specifically a candy cane flavor. The taste is different than just a general mint feel; maybe it's mingled more with the taste of sugar. Either way, it's exactly the right flavor. A couple of little sugar candy pieces do reside inside the truffle, but they don't really give much crunch--which honestly doesn't detract from the experience at all. You get some creamy texture from the ganache that, even though it has a texture completely different from that of actual candy canes, somehow still feels exactly like candy canes. The candy cane flavor is strong like the candy but not strong like mint, and the dark chocolate adds a good flavor base that isn't too dark to please all palates.

Gingerbread - Another happy pattern here, this time on a thin square shape. Here you do need a second for the chocolate and the ganache to start to melt before you get all of the spices, which are primarily ginger but also a sense of cinnamon and cloves. I just mixed up a batch of gingerbread cookies that are waiting in the refrigerator to be rolled out, and the same scent that I got from that dough is what I find here in the flavors of this truffle. Instead of molasses, we have chocolate for the sweet and rich element.

Peppermint Mocha - A dusting of white over the square-with-a-coffee-bean-on-top shape creates a festive look reminiscent of Christmas cookies. The flavors come in with the following order: chocolate, coffee, then mint, and then cream. A peppermint mocha is primarily a sweet and creamy sort of beverage. I would say that this truffle is not quite so sweet as that; it also isn't so sweet as the Candy Cane Crunch. Possibly it isn't quite so creamy, either. But the coffee/peppermint flavor is balanced very much like in a peppermint mocha. The coffee seems strong but isn't really particularly strong; the peppermint stands slightly stronger. Again the chocolate here is the base, standing in for the other elements of a peppermint mocha. This truffle may in fact be the most chocolatey of the four I have today. It's bigger and taller than the others, so maybe there is just more chocolate in the shell.

Probably the Gingerbread was my personal favorite. I would, however, recommend all four of these truffles, whether for yourself or for a last minute gift. The candy cane crunch would be great for children, as well (or, you know, you could also get them one of those awesome dinosaurs). While all of these are classic Christmas/wintertime flavors, each one required a balance of individual flavor elements for everything to come across in a familiar and yet pleasing way. Happy Christmas, everyone.

Christmas Movies

I don't watch all of these every year, but when I think of Christmas movies, these are usually the ones I mean. Once I put them all in a list, I realize that there aren't really that many--and when I hear other people talk about Christmas movies, I realize that they include a lot of others that I've never really seen much of. But here's the type of movie that usually surrounds my December.

1) Mickey's Christmas Carol - Growing up, we didn't have too many movies, but this was one of them. I suppose it was my first introduction to A Christmas Carol. It was slightly creepy to me because it does have a bit of a dark, shadowy tone to it (even to the Christmas carols, I thought), but I also liked it. And who better to share the idea of the Christmas spirit than Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and the rest? This is probably my favorite version, though Patrick Stewart's is good, too; I never watched the Muppet version until a couple years ago, so I don't have that connection with it that other people have (though I did like it).

2) How the Grinch Stole Christmas - I'm referring to the Jim Carrey version. We did have the animated one (not the more popular version that has the song in it--the other one), but kind of stopped watching it after the live action movie came out. It's the right kind of movie for winter: it's funny and lighthearted but also makes you think that it had a nice message in the end.

3) The Nativity Story - I still get a kick out of the fact that Catherine Hardwicke directed both this movie and Twilight, though there is in fact a lot of common ground. And that's I think what I liked about this movie: it approached Mary as a person more than most movies of this story tend to do. Keeping it simple and maintaining focus on the right things helped, too. Overall I find it nicely done.

4) Home Alone (1 & 2) - Given what I said before about not owning a lot of movies, we would sometimes watch this one at other times of the year than Christmas: it almost felt only like half a Christmas movie, even though it's filled with Christmas scenery. I would only occasionally catch a little of the second movie if it was playing on TV; the last couple of years, though, I've tried to watch both of them because they're both good. The second one is mainly just a repeat of the first one, but in this case that's perfectly okay.

5) The Santa Claus - You guessed it; this was another of the few movies we owned (I mean, we owned more than a few, just not a huge amount). It's been good to return to this one over the years: jokes that I didn't understand when I was seven I suddenly understand years later. Another movie that combines goofy comedy with some fantasy and something of a nice message. And it's easier to watch over and over than The Grinch, I think: something about the way the plot just rolls out has that cult classic feel.

6) Fitzwilly - This isn't really a Christmas movie, but I realized that it almost can be since it takes place during Christmastime. It's from the sixties, starring Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Feldon and a lot of other great cast members from the era. I first saw it a few years ago and somehow it wormed its way into being one of my favorite movies. It also has a little of a cult classic feel to it. It's kind of quotable, if only I had anyone to quote it to who's also seen the movie ("The one with the pink eyelids." I love that line.) It's about servants who work for a previously wealthy woman who doesn't know that she's now in debt; they have an elaborate business of stealing to maintain her lavish lifestyle and are doing quite well at it until she decides to hire her own secretary (Barbara Feldon), whom the butler (Dick Van Dyke) tried to scare away but ends up falling in love with instead. It's just a fun movie that gets better once you've seen it a couple times.

7) Doctor Who Christmas Episodes - These aren't movies; they're TV episodes--but given that most of the Christmas episodes are at least an hour, you can watch them like short movies. I tried that out last year and I'm starting it again this year. I just watched "Voyage of the Damned" today, which is pretty good. "A Christmas Carol" is also actually quite touching, with a good cast.

I have this feeling like I've forgotten something but I can't think of what. Anyway, I suppose seven is a good enough number to leave on. Happy movie-watching.

What Do You Celebrate? Christmas Edition

'Tis the time when I bring to you some sort of expression not of what you celebrate or what the person sitting over there celebrates but of what I celebrate. 'Tis the time for celebrating Christmas.

Christmas, as the biggest holiday of the year, may also be the most multi-faceted. It means so many things at once and also so many different things to different people. And also what we do celebrate may differ from what we may say that we're celebrating.

I think that one of my favorite things (as in physical things) about Christmas is the Christmas tree. I love setting it up and looking at all the glowing lights and each individual ornament and building up the pretty presents underneath. I love spotting trees at the mall or in people's windows. Christmas trees are like happiness in the darkened, cold winter days. They're like beacons: they bring people together, first to set them up and then later on to serve as the mailbox for gifts to one another. It's very sweet. And, yes, I do have a preference to a star on top, though there are some very pretty angels, too.

Visually, Christmas gives you something to look at and think about when it's cold and the days get dark so early and you just need a little something sparkly to cheer you up.

Thematically, I realize that I have almost been treating Christmas like Part 2 of Thanksgiving. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Christmas, in true A Christmas Carol style, is about remembering the good things that you have been giving and returning that kindness to your family, your friends, and anybody that you pass by in your life. That's where the presents come in and the gifting of cookies (I have a tradition of gingerbread cookie giving) and such. Which is good. And it's an easy way to make Christmas universal for people of different backgrounds (or to make Christmas a public holiday, that is). But Christmas is something more than that, isn't it?

In addition to the trees, I also like the nativity sets. One of mine is a teeny, tiny, vintage one of some sort of tan plastic with many, many little pieces. I like decorating with nativity sets because they remind me of what, past the cookies and the presents and the glittering lights and the generic wishes of goodwill, I should really be celebrating. Easter is about the death and resurrection, but Christmas is simply a celebration of the birth of Jesus. Simply a grand, joyous celebration of God's gift to Mankind. It's a memory and it's a thank you and it's worship. Suddenly Christmas is not so complicated anymore; suddenly it is the simplest of holidays. I think listening to Rend Collective's Christmas album last year helped me realize that celebration should be the biggest part of Christmas: and it's really the most amazing thing to celebrate. We have every reason to be joyous around Christmastime.

November Favorites

1) Downton Abbey Holiday Cheer Tea - Time to add to my Downton Abbey tea collection with their holiday teas. I believe this one is new this year, and I chose it over the others (which I hope to get later) because it has vanilla (along with cinnamon). I didn't realize until I brought it home, however, that it's rooibos instead of black tea. I would have preferred black tea. But the cinnamon and vanilla are still wonderful, and it's a good spiced tea for winter.

2) Suede Gloves - Some people went Black Friday shopping to chain stores; I went to antique stores on Saturday (mostly just to walk around, not looking to buy something) and happened on these gloves for six dollars. They're an almost perfect fit (my green leather ones I got at a different antique store for $14 are a perfect fit, though I'm glad I have another color option now), too.

3) Downton Abbey Lady Cora's Evening Tea - This one isn't a holiday blend, but it's good for the holidays because I tend to drink more tea when it's cold, making herbal tea a good addition to the mix. Along with the chamomile and lemon balm, there are quite a few other flowers in there, too, to keep the flavor interesting.

4) Wise Man Ornament - I like camels for some reason and they're my favorite part of a Nativity set. I already had one of these ornaments; this year I got the other two to go along with it and complete the trio. Here is one.

5) Enchanted Forest Coloring Book - Actually I've had this one for a while; I just keep forgetting to include it. While this type of coloring book has been so popular lately, I think that Johanna Basford's are the best. All the detail, yet with pictures instead of just having patterns. And the whimsy and prettiness are just what I want if I'm starting back on coloring books again. I got the 50 color Crayola colored pencils set to go along with it.

6) Wise Man Ornament - Here is the other one.

7) King Leo Peppermint Sticks - I thought these looked like they would be good, and I was right. They're sort of like those chalky after-dinner mints, which I love (is that strange of me?). I found them at Hobby Lobby, by the way.

8) Wise Man Ornament - And here is the one I had from before.

9) Zhena's Holiday Tea Set - Sometimes sets have good flavors and not as good flavors; this one just has good flavors. Sugar Cookie was a surprising stand-out and maybe my favorite, packed with spices like ginger and black pepper and nutmeg. Peppermint Mocha tastes much like one of the holiday teas Trader Joe's sells, with that creamy minty flavor. Gingerbread Chai has the usual flavors, just a little smoother. English Toffee is the most basic of the four and the one where you can taste the rooibos the most (they're all rooibos except for Sugar Cookie--maybe that's why that one is my favorite).

10) Triceratops Ornament - I keep a little tree with mainly just animals (that's why the camels fit in), some of which are dinosaurs. The new one this year is this blue triceratops.

Christmas Music

Even though I profess so much love of Thanksgiving to be talking of Christmas before Thanksgiving is over, Thanksgiving always comes paired with the following Friday, which is the day that I decorate for Christmas. And to decorate for Christmas, you have to have your Christmas playlist ready. I have had the same playlist for a while, so this year I decided it was time to get a little new music. Here is most of the old and new:

• Winter Magic by Hayley Westenra - Sometimes when classical artists put out a Christmas album, it ends up sounding sad: they try and show their vocal ability, so they songs end up slower and hence more sorrowful in tone. But Hayley has a nice Christmas album. It's mostly traditional albums with a few lesser sung ones and a couple of originals. Her vocals are beautiful and smooth but also happy.
• Noel by Josh Groban - Josh is more pop crossover than classical, but when his Christmas album came out several years ago, it felt like the first time I was hearing these familiar songs sung well. He stayed with more of a traditional, decorative approach to this album that suits Christmas. It's also a generally good selection of songs.
• Holiday EP by Blondfire - Having these two classical Christmas albums, it was a little different or me to get an indie pop selection, but I was a big fan of Blondfire (I still am, just maybe not as much of all their newer music). And these four songs have made a nice addition: they're soft and cool like a snowy evening, with a touch of vintage style. They're all, I believe, original songs, which means there are less repeats of the usuals.
• "Do You Hear What I Hear" and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" by Flyleaf - I also really like Flyleaf, so I have both of their Christmas singles. A little more of a rock sound here, which, again, differs from the crowd. But at the same time, a new approach to a regular song is good.
• "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" by Norah Jones - This (along with the following two songs) was a free download from iTunes. Although I don't usually listen to Norah Jones, she does have a talent for singing. Her rendition of this song is clear and classic.
• "Christmas in the Room" by Sufjan Stevens - This song has a soft, slightly bittersweet sound that makes for a quiet, in-between moment.
• "Twinkling Lights" by Office Romance - More upbeat, this one's just a random glitzy, indie pop type of sound. 
• "Silent Night" by Forte - Included on their first album, this song from Forte has a completely classical sound, soft and strong with clear vocals.
• "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Alex & Sierra - Back to pop, we also come back to the casual, upbeat, glowing sound.
• Campfire Christmas by Rend Collective - These last four items are my new additions this year. Opening up iTunes, I decided to take a look at this newly-released album--and promptly loved the spirit of it. It's celebratory. Absolutely celebratory. It's a lot of recognizable Christmas songs with a couple of new ones, but everything feels new. The arrangements are so unique and specific, and everything celebrates everything that is wonderful about Christmas. It's one of the best Christmas albums I've come across. This is Christmas joy and Christmas spirit.
• Into the Silent Night - EP by KING & COUNTRY - I'd never heard of this group, either, but their album has a nice mix of a slight rock sound within the Christmasness without going overboard. Two regular songs and two new ones. 
• "Mary Did You Know" by Kutless - I kind of wanted to get one of their Christmas songs, but most of them either felt like repetitions of what I already had or just not interesting enough in sound. Since I like this song, it was the one I went with. More of a rock sound again.
• "Away in a Manger" and "I Wish You Christmas" by Katherine Jenkins - Now back to classical. Strangely enough, I came across Katherine Jenkins years ago when I was listening to a lot of classical and classical crossover--but I thought she wasn't the best singer. Then I watched her in that Doctor Who Christmas special from a couple years ago and was amazed at how beautiful her voice sounded. I guess it's been several years since I first listened to her, so she probably has continued with voice lessons, as any good singer does. Anyway, I had to pick out a couple of songs from her Christmas album. They're rich and melodious.

Christmas Illuminated

Within the many shops of Santa Barbara, I happened upon this artsy little book, The Story of Christmas. Being as pretty as it is, it isn't just for the shelf: it can be part of Christmas decorating each year. The text is from the King James Bible, and Pamela Dalton did the illustrations using a cut paper method. Everything, as you can see, uses a black backdrop, with colorful images of the people, angels, animals, and scenery placed on top. 

Simply as a piece of art, this book is gorgeous. It's simple and intricate at the same time; I think the black background helps with that. The images look almost illuminated, reminding me of Medieval illuminated manuscripts. That look, I think, speaks of tradition; this is, after all, a traditional folk method of imagery (the paper cutting, I mean). 

Paired with the text, this book is something to bring out every year. Read it over on Christmas Eve, or set it out on display with your Christmas cards. Three and a half days until Christmas.

November Favorites

1) New Copy of Wuthering Heights - Just have to expand my leatherbound Barnes & Noble classics collection every so often, this time with at least my third copy of this book. Aren't the branches such a pretty touch to this cover?

2) J.R. Watkins Lip Tint - This is very similar to the Burt's Bees lip shimmers. Like Burt's Bees, there are no iffy ingredients. This one might be a little grainier, though. But it has a nice minty flavor, adds a touch of color, and is low-priced. It isn't my absolute favorite, but it's alright.

3) Trader Joe's Candy Cane Green Tea - Especially for such inexpensive tea, this stuff is wonderful. I wondered how well the peppermint would blend with the green tea, but somehow it works. It tastes sweet along with the mintiness, just like a candy cane; the green tea works because it doesn't give off the strong flavor that black tea would. It's the perfect holiday tea; I love it. Also available right now is the Vanilla and Cinnamon Black Tea, which I don't like nearly as much; it almost tastes dull.

4) Tarte Lights, Camera Flashes Mascara - Sephora was selling a Tarte eyelash curler in a set with a sample-sized edition of their new mascara, which I really wanted to try. It's a good mascara, but not quite my favorite. The liquid is thick, so it really piles onto your lashes, which is good. But somehow the brush (which looks like a good shape) separates lashes a tad too much. So maybe with a slightly different brush it would be better.

5)  Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Rooibos Tea - Here is a November tea. It smells very much like pumpkin pie--perhaps too much. Fortunately, though, it has a more calming taste. There is just a touch of pumpkin and spices, along with the warmth of the rooibos. I don't usually like rooibos that much, so I was surprised that I did enjoy this tea. Instead of being thick, it's fairly delicate.

6) Fresh Sugar Favorites set - Oh, Christmas Time; Oh, Christmas Time; I bought myself a present. I just couldn't resist; I've been planing to buy this for months. If you've ever used Fresh's Sugar lip products, you know how amazing they feel on your lips. Soft, sweet, luxurious. And since they can get messy if you're not careful with them, I like the small size that's in the Christmas sets. I'm still not a fan of the purple in Berry (I'll probably use it to wear at night) and the red of Passion has to be reserved for occasional days. Cherry is a nice sprightly red alternative, and Petal is a gorgeous light shade of pink. Honey is still a nice casual, light, warm shade, and I had almost forgotten how beautiful Rose feels. Rose might be my favorite.

7) Mrs. Bridges Christmas Preserve - Oh, World Market, how I love thee. This jar of preserves tastes like Christmas: berries and spices, richness and fruitiness. It's a way of spreading fragrance onto toast.

8) Bite Beauty lip primer/liner - When winter comes and I do my occasional red lip, I really feel like I need a lip liner. But I didn't want to get one color that I wouldn't be able to use with multiple products, so I opted to try out Bite Beauty's colorless primer/liner. I'm still getting used to it and trying it out, but I think it does make my color last longer.

9) Banana Republic Skirt - Let's just pretend that I actually got this skirt at Banana Republic (actually, I don't really care; if I did, I wouldn't have said anything). Even though it's short, I feel like it has a cool weather look. I wore it with green tights, tall boots, a brown knit sweater, and a gold and dangly vintage necklace.

10) Christmas Decorating - I got a new, small Christmas tree this year; it looks colorful and happy with dinosaurs, a turkey, a lizard, beaded animals, a clay dog I made years ago, and a wise man on his camel.

The Third Day of Thanksgiving

You know, Thanksgiving is sort of like New Year's: they both, informally, cover two days. New Year's parties are on New Year's Eve, but the official day is New Year's Day. For Thanksgiving, Thursday is the day for gathering, but Friday is the day for tradition. Black Friday, that is. For some, it's a day for shopping. For me, it's always been about the decorating. And I've usually had Thursday and Friday off, so the two have gone together has a short holiday. Friday is sort of the after dinner course that follows Thanksgiving Thursday.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that Thanksgiving initiates the holiday season. Not only does Christmas decorating directly follow the Day of the Turkeys, but so do gifts. And, no, not gift-shopping: I mean bringing out the wrapped gifts. I've sort of done possibly all of my Christmas shopping already; maybe I will get a little bit more later if I see anything good, but on the whole, I'm done. Everything's wrapped, too. It's almost ridiculous. And, yes, that is the Downton Abbey wrapping paper on the present on the right side. 

Maybe it's that not only is it nice to beat the holiday crowds (it's easier to find what you're looking for when there are less people), but it's also nice to have the commercial side over when you settle into the holiday season. If you're done thinking about how much money you're spending and such like, then you can think about the people you bought those presents for and the joys of home, candy cane tea, crisply cold weather, and lights around the tree. If you take care of the details first, then you're free to enjoy and to live. 

Speaking of preparing details, tomorrow is pumpkin pie baking day. 

The Adventures of Connor & Abby: Part 12

For the second time, the team has come across a miniature Triceratops only to find that it is a cookie, a product of my silly, dinosaur cookie cutter.

Gingerbread cookies have long been a Christmas tradition of mine, one all the more endeared because few people seem to make them. And most of the ones you can buy are too crunchy or just don't taste right. I quadrupled the recipe this year so as to have plenty for sharing; since I was making so many, I thought it wouldn't be too ridiculous to make a few gingerbread dinos, too. I'm sure Connor would approve.

Happy Christmas tomorrow.

December Favorites

I don't know if I will ever do any more Favorites posts, but I want to now, so I shall. These are completely random things I have been enjoying, complete with links to buy them.

1) I mentioned my new love for Revlon's Just Bitten Lipstain (I have it in Passion and in Twilight) and Burt's Bee's Tinted Lip Balm (which I have in Pink Blossom). Add to the list Tarte's lip colors. Last month, my mom and I split a set of them (which is basically five for the price of one); I ended up with the Lip Lusters in Glitzy and Flashy. If I were choosing individually, I would go for the Matte Tints instead; as it is, I like these two for when I'm not wearing very visible eyeshadow (or maybe none at all). They have a nice feel, the packaging is pretty, Tarte is a fairly natural brand, and you can layer on either more or less color as best suits the moment. Of course, the more you add, the longer it will last.

2) My new Aldo boots, a sort of pre-Christmas gift. They're black leather, a couple inches or so above the ankle, accented with Victorian-esque details, and have black laces. I love that this is a shoe that is very "in" and is also one that speaks to me personally (I do love the Victorian things); it's also very comfortable since its heel is very tiny. This is a very wearable shoe: I can put it with jeans, tucked in or out, or add it to dresses or skirts. Wonderful.

3) A week ago, I got Starship by StarKid on DVD. I know I can just watch the musical on their YouTube channel, but it just seems so much nicer to have the DVD (and I know it helps them when people purchase merch). I was also thinking about that newish TV of my parents; almost as soon as I got to their house, there I was, putting in my new DVD and finally seeing the StarKids on a real screen. I may have to watch it again before I leave.

4) I just learned how to curl my hair with a straightener. I am in awe. What also amazes me is that the look reminds me more of what you get when you roll your hair up into little bunches overnight; it has that almost old-fashioned type of look. I was never able to experiment with this before because my straightener was several years old and therefore of the thicker variety; now, however, I have this very nerdy one. Let me assure you that I only bought it because I had been wanting a new straightener and this one was half the price of the others I would consider getting. Anyway, I would rather have a hair straightener that only I see that says "Twilight" on it than a T-Shirt that I wear outside where everyone can see it. (Not that I wear T-Shirts, anyway, really.)

5) I have been a fan of Blondfire for some time now; they recently released a new single called "Where the Kids Are" that has been getting a lot of attention. It has an airy sound, a little more like Metric than some of their previous songs. A full album is coming soon, too, and I'm quite glad because, while their music has great replayability, I have now heard their songs so many times over the years that it'll be nice to have some new things.

6) I got very behind on reading Vogue this fall, so I have been catching up on issues instead of reading other books (I'll have enough reading once the semester starts again--for now, I just need a break). I finally finished with October, now it's on to November; I hope to also finished the December issue before December is actually over.

7) The color green. Need I say more?

8) Gingerbread cookies. Every year, I make a couple batches of these, enough for the family and enough to share. Everyone always loves them, though I can take no credit for inventing the recipe: I Googled it years ago and chose one of the first things that came up. But it's a great recipe because it's sweet and rich enough, also being the right amount of soft instead of crunchy. Gingerbread cookies can be hard enough to find at all in stores; when you do find them, they usually tend to be the crunchy kind, which I don't find as nice. Yet most people don't seem to make them themselves, so I have the advantage of uniqueness there.

9) The stars. Ah, I adore being able to see more than a few from my parents' house versus in the Phoenix area. I hate not being able to look up at the sky at night and see stars; I hate it so much that whenever I'm here, I go to peer out the window in the kitchen every night before going to bed. I think I have to assure myself that the stars really are there, waiting to be seen by me.

10) I'm not one of those people who like school. Don't get me wrong, I like what I'm studying and I'm grateful, but school stresses me out. It's good to have my mind occupied, but I like a little quiet time, too. That, I feel, gives me more space to feel other, more positive emotions. I have time to stare out the window or to go outside and enjoy the tableau of the surrounding mountains. And I can think about the people who inhabit this land that I love. It's a lovely place we live in, and so is the word "we" because of the unity it stands for.