Just One More Thing: Christmas

Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Saturday, December 5, 2015

How Much is That Reindeer in the Window?

Dave gave me that look - the one he gives me when he thinks I've lost my mind - at a recent estate auction. All I did was bid $3 on a pile of thirteen old and, presumably, useless windows. Obviously, he isn't up on the latest Pinterest project fads.

Breaking the glass out of a window turned out to be more difficult than Dennis the Menace cartoons would lead you to believe. I was surprised at how many times the ball merely bounced off the glass, rather than shattering. Yes, I could have chipped all the putty away from the edges and removed the glass in tact, but where's the fun in that? Eventually, I had an empty window frame, gave it a coat of red paint, sanded half of it back off and created this decoration for the front porch. Totally worth the 23 cents I paid.

For my second window project I left the glass and chipped paint intact, then added a couple Peeping Toms . . . or Peeping Nicks? It's hard to get a good photograph. With no flash, the details don't show up, but the flash creates a glare. The plan is to hang it in the living room window, but until I make a run to the hardware store, it's propped on the sill. Who's betting that it will still be propped on the sill on Christmas day?

Back to Pinterest. I need eleven more project ideas.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Scooby-Dooby-Do, Where Are You?

I'm still here, just incredibly busy. Don't tell anyone, but I do a lot of my blogging at work when things are slow but, due to continual problems with our new computer system, I have been swamped. Time at home has been filled with holiday preparations and working on several Christmas gifts. There won't be any Christmas gatherings at my house this year so I'm taking advantage of the chance to change up my decorating a little. For the first time, I have a full-size tree in my sewing/crafting room and I am using only hand-made ornaments.

In the process, I have discovered a new obsession: origami. I frequently have lunch at the Chinese buffet near my office, and one of the ladies who works there makes and displays incredibly intricate origami creations, and they inspired me to give it a shot. Here are my VERY beginner-level creations.

Origami "bows" . . .

and snowflakes . . .

and stars . . .

and wreaths . . .

that convert to "ninja stars".

I've also made paper-pieced Santas, folded fabric Christmas trees . . .

and a Charlie Brown tree skirt.

Today we are at Mitch's for a belated Thanksgiving celebration. I'm not a fan of Black Friday shopping, but we did make a couple stops late in the day, after the crowds had thinned, and purchased a couple gifts. We'll return home tomorrow and, hopefully, l'll find time to finish making Christmas gifts and still meet you here for a chat.

How are your Christmas preparations going?

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Ho-Ho-Ho-Readathon

The Ho-Ho-Ho-Readathon has begun! A week of fun with other Christmas-loving book lovers. My goal for the week is to read at least three Christmas-themed books. In my sign-up post I posted a picture of nine un-read Christmas books I found on my own bookcases. From that stack, I have selected "O Little Town" by Don Reid (member of the Statler Brothers) and "Murder Under the Mistletoe" by Jennifer Jordan.

I also have a Christmas-themed book club selection to read during November, so that is the third book on my goal list - "Christmas Crimes" by Anne Perry ("A Christmas Homecoming" and "A Christmas Garland") On a side note - this book is actually two of Ms. Perry's earlier novels, repackaged and sold to suckers like me who don't read the fine print - one of my biggest book-peeves. But oh well, the price for the Nook Book version was very good for two complete novels.

The Ho-Ho-Ho-Readathon features seven challenges which are open throughout the week. One of them, The Purr-fect Holiday Reading List Challenge, is hosted by Melissa @ Mocha, Mysteries and Meows. Melissa asks us to share our all-time favorite Christmas books. That's not as easy as it sounds because it's a long list, but these three are on my shelves and have been re-read at least once - sure signs of a favorite book.

Shepherd's Abiding is the Christmas volume from Jan Karon's Mitford series. I adore the entire series, but of course the Christmas story is my favorite. Skipping Christmas by John Grisham is a top-pick book that has become a top-pick movie; and Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is, of course, a classic and a story that has been a fav with me since I listened to the audio version (then on a 33 1/3 LP) repeatedly as a child. I try to fit in a re-read every December.

I can't wait to get started reading, but before I head to the couch with some hot chocolate and the first book, let me tell you how you can join in the fun. Visit our hostesses, Jennifer @ The Book Shelfery and Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. Visit their blogs to sign up and read along.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

"Let's Keep Christmas Commercial"

I know Christmas is over and most of you have moved on to other things, but I tend to carry a little bit of Christmas through the year and I really wanted to share a fascinating magazine article that I didn't get around to reading until after the holiday. I realize it's a long post, but I hope you'll stick with me - I promise there's a point.

Every year right after Halloween the world becomes Christmas-conscious - and people begin deploring. If only we could have a real Christmas, they say....If only we could retrieve the holy day from the hands of vulgar moneygrubbers, they say. They say, with earnest horror, that the price tag has become the liturgical symbol of the season.

Sound familiar? Every year the stores start earlier and the nay-sayers get louder. And I become more rebellious. I have Christmas touches in my house year-round and I get frustrated at the people who try to limit me to celebrating one week, or even one month, per year. Maybe that's why I was so interested in an article called "Let's Keep Christmas Commercial." What? Read on:

They say that commercialization has made the buying of Christmas presents a rat race. God knows most of the gifts we peddle to each other have nothing to do with the infant of Bethlehem...With rare exceptions it is foolishly pompous to get scandalized and accuse manufacturers, advertisers and vendors of desecrating Christmas by trying to sell what you or I may think is silly junk...If you don't like what's being hawked this Christmas you don't have to buy it. And if you're a sucker, your problem isn't seasonal.

Some people are dismayed...because they honestly fear Christmas is being de-Christianized, made nonsectarian. They are upset when someone who does not share their faith sets up a tree and exchanges gifts and wishes them "Season's Greetings" instead of naming the holy day. They resent the spelling "Xmas". Others fret over the way Santa Clause and snowmen crowd out the shepherds. Put Christ back into Christmas, these offended people cry. As far as I know,Christ never left it. He could never be cut out of Christmas, except in the privacy of individual hearts.

Wow! That's a new perspective - and I like it. It's up to me to keep Christ in my Christmas celebration and watching secular movies, decorating cookies or singing "White Christmas" doesn't remove Him.

It's always easier...to insist that the secularizing world prevents you from devotion. Christmas is meant to be lived in the noisy arena of the shopping day countdown, amid aluminum trees, neckties and counterfeit French perfume. If all the meditation I get around to is listening to Scrooge and Tiny Tim or begging heaven for patience to applaud a school pageant, I'm a fool to blame anyone but myself. Census time in Bethlehem was distracting, too.

The author, April Armstrong, challenges every Christian to hold only themselves accountable for how they celebrate Christmas. But what really struck me about this article, and the reason I wanted to share it with you all, is where I found it.

"Let's Keep Christmas Commercial" was published in the Saturday Evening Post on December 18 . . . 1965. Yes - forty-nine years ago. The more things change . . .

I recently acquired a stack of Saturday Evening Post and Life magazines dating from the

1960's and 1970's. Based on my in-depth research (10 minutes on Ebay) they are worth several hundred dollars, but before I try to make a profit, I plan to read them and share other interesting things I find. So stay tuned for more "retro" posts.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

The Death of Norman Rockwell . . .

. . . Not the death of the actual artist - he died in 1978 of emphysema - but the death of my Rockwell-esque Christmas dreams. Mr. Rockwell's paintings depict heartwarming moments of every day life - life in a simpler world, where every one gets along and every story has a happy ending. His Christmas paintings are especially touching. Happy families gather for the holidays . . .

...smiling faces, warm embraces . . .

. . . humerous moments and treasured traditions.

Our children are coming "home" for Christmas this year. Well, actually, a few days after Christmas. They arrive on Sunday the 29th - the New Mexico clan's train reaches Topeka at 5:30 a.m. The college kids (and significant others) will be waiting to load them up and all make the 90 minute trip to Green Acres. Dave's father, sister, niece and aunt arrive a little later to spend the day. The kids will be here until New Year's Eve or New Year's Day - depending on job schedule.

Every time we plan a get-together like this, my Norman Rockwell fantasies kick into high gear and I have visions of the ten of us gathered around the table, eating delicious, calorie-free, home-cooked meals. Or gathered by the tree, reading the Christmas story, singing carols, and exchanging artfully wrapped gifts. All children are well-behaved, all conversation is pleasant, and all dogs snooze quietly in the corner. On New Year's Day we brunch while watching the Rose Parade and marveling at the beauty and intricacy of the floats.

In reality, we don't even have a table that would seat ten. Nor do we have a dishwasher, so we will be eating from paper plates on the kitchen table, TV trays or coffee table - wherever we can find an open spot. Our grandsons are amazing young men but, on occasion, they are a bit loud, rowdy and - gasp! - disobedient. The dogs - our two, plus one visitor - wrestle in the living room, growl over food bowls, and knock things over with wildly wagging tails. Some of us can't carry a tune in a bucket. My gifts are hastily wrapped with those cheap stick-on bows. And no one gives a hoot about the Rose Parade except me.

And that is when Norman Rockwell dies - again.

But we will laugh and chat and do jigsaw puzzles. We'll watch A Christmas Story, read books, play board games and have target practice in the pasture. Occasionally we'll disagree and speak harshly and hide in the bathroom for a minute of alone time. We'll eat bbq wings, drink sparkling grape juice, and blow noisemakers with the grandsons as we welcome in 2014. We'll be a family - not the idealistic families in the paintings, but a real family with highs and lows, disagreements and celebrations. With apologies to Norman Rockwell.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Pin It/Do It: Christmas Table Topper

This post is doing double-duty for October Pin It/Do It and Needlework Tuesday. I pinned this project quite awhile ago, but was undecided on fabrics. I also had a collection of 5 Charlie Brown Christmas fat quarters that I wanted to make into something that didn't require cutting them up too small or the prints would get lost. Behold the perfect combination.

The original pin called for a plastic wedge template for cutting the pieces but, because of my self-imposed $5 spending limit for this challenge, purchasing one was not an option. Instead, I printed a Dresden Plate template off the internet, enlarged to the proper size on the copier, and squared the outside edges to get rid of the scallop. It would be cute to leave the scalloped edge if you're talented at finishing. Not I! My pattern called for 16 wedges rather than 20, as in the video. This went together very easily and quickly.

The video shows a slick trick for getting the center piece perfectly round.

Tip: Be very (I mean VERY) consistent with your seam sizes. A little too big or too small and your circle won't lay flat. Of course the video calls for finishing the outside edge with bias binding. And of course I didn't do it. I hate binding. I layered my finished top with cotton batting and the backing fabric and stitched the outer edge, leaving a space to turn. If you look close, you can see that my circle puckers just a little bit in places - proving my point about consistent seam sizes.

Also, don't try to sew as a distraction when upset. I had just received news of the death of a co-worker who had been battling cancer and my mind was wandering. The finishing isn't as good as it should be. I'm debating ripping it out and restitching the outside edge, but most likely I'll just use it as is.

Here is the original Youtube video by Missouri Quilt Company:

If you missed yesterday's post, back up and check out my other sewing project this week.

Needlework Tuesday is hosted by Heather at Books and Quilts.
The October Pin It and Do It Challenge is hosted by Trish at Love, Laughter and a Bit of Insanity.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like . . .

It's September, and you know what that means . . . Christmas! Well, that's what it means to me. In my Christmas-fanatic world, September 1 means it is acceptable to listen to Christmas music, start Christmas crafts, shop for gifts . . . Oh, who am I kidding - I do that year round. But after September 1, I quit hiding it. If you are one of "those" people who want to know why stores put up the Christmas displays before Thanksgiving, or before Halloween, or before Labor Day, the answer is . . . me. I go to Hobby Lobby in June to stand in the Christmas aisle and just soak in the happy.

So you'll find it no surprise that, while browsing through library shelves for crochet books (part of the Learn 5 New Things challenge), I was naturally drawn to this book: Have Yourself a Very Vintage Christmas by Susan Waggoner. Christmas AND vintage - awesome!

"Have Yourself a Very Vintage Christmas" came about after several years of looking at old Christmas catalogues, old Christmas cards, and old family photos - my own as well as everyone else's. What I saw was a wonderful world of memory, loaded to the gills with decorations no longer made. I wanted them badly. And I didn't want the tattered, torn, and faded items that had survived in someone's attic; I wanted to see them as they might have looked hen they were new. So I decided to try to make them for myself. (p. 7)

The chapters go through the decades - 1920's through 1960's - giving history on the colors, themes and traditions that were popular in each era. Each chapter includes instructions for period-correct decorations. My vintage of choice is the 1950's, so I'll be making Christmas Matchboxes, Christmas Card Photo Holders and Ice Lights; and adding ornaments in the signature 50's colors of pink and aqua. I'm also planning a 1930's Yuletide Shelf Edger and some 1960's Ice Branches.

Along with history and crafts, the book contains recipes and an artwork portfolio that can be scanned and used for crafting. This book was published in 2011, so check your local bookstore or library and get in the holiday spirit.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Holiday Pin It/Do It: Pins No, 11 & 12

Another round of the Pin It/Do It Challenge, hosted by Trish @ Love, Laughter and a Touch of Insanity, is coming to a close. The Holiday version kept me motivated to try some new ideas for Christmas decorations, gifts and food.

#11: I wanted a centerpiece for the table. Since we don't have a dining room, we would be eating in the kitchen so I thought it called for something not-too-formal, kind of rustic. I loved this idea of using Mason jars...

from Ribbons and Bows, Oh My

... but preferred this idea of completely filling the jar with cranberries . . .

From Midwest Living

...but it needed more - like apples . . .

From Style Estate

... then I saw this idea, and wanted oranges and pine cones.

From Better Homes & Gardens

As too often happens, the ideas worked better in my head than in reality, but here's what we finally ended up with: A plank of barn board for the base, artificial greenery, mason jars filled with cranberries and topped with tea lights, red fabric bows (yeah for quilting scrap piles), apples, oranges, pine cones and -- because I was getting frustrated that the fruit was too heavy to stay wired in place where I wanted it and nearing a Christmas melt-down that involved throwing the entire thing out the back door -- an adorable cardinal-wearing-a-stocking-cap wired on top of an orange and stuck in the center. (Thank you to my sister, Teri, for the gift of the cute cardinal.) Not as gorgeous as what I had imagined, but festive and fun and colorful - just what the table needed.

#12: Random Acts of Christmas Kindness. This was my favorite pin of all! There are many versions of this idea out there, but I got mine from KatherineMaries.com. The basic idea is to do something nice for a random stranger every day during December leading up to Christmas. I read several lists of ideas and culled the ones I liked and thought I could accomplish.

There were several challenges that made this more difficult than I had anticipated. First was cost. Most of the ideas involved spending or giving money and over 25 days, that adds up. I would have loved to have paid heat bills for needy families, or paid for the entire grocery cart of the young mother in line at the grocery store, but those large ideas didn't fit my budget. The second challenge was keeping things "random". It was tempting to reward the people who treated me well or did something for me, but the idea is to give randomly, not necessarily to those who deserve it.

Here's what I came up with:

Small bottles of lotion, tied with ribbon and a card reading "You've been RACKed. A Random Act of Christmas Kindness to brighten your day." I carried them in my purse and handed them out to a couple store clerks and a post office worker. Their reactions were awesome.
Bags of quarters tied with a RACK card and taped to various pop machines.
Similar bags taped to machines at the laundromat.
$10 Wal-Mart card - Purchased in advance and sealed with a "You've been RACKed" sticker. Here again, we had trouble with being "random". We were going to give it to the checker to apply to the person in line behind us. But that customer looked prosperous enough and had a cart full of cookies and chips - obviously having a party. So we scoped out a family with three small children. Dave handed the envelope to the small child in Mom's arms and said "Give this to your mommy." And we walked away - grinning!
My largest RACK was $20. Our nephew is a Marine, stationed in New Jersey, so we mailed his Christmas gift to him. I included the small red envelope in the picture with a $20 bill inside, sealed with a RACK sticker, and a note instructing our nephew to give it to the next Marine he saw with our thanks and best wishes. I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet to find out how that went.

Those five items used up my budget of $50, so the remainder of my RACKs were good deeds - such as returning an elderly ladies shopping cart to the cart rack to save her the long walk in the cold - that cost me nothing but some time and effort.

It's amazing how many ways you can find to be kind if you look around - and how good it feels. I plan to make this a daily part of life rather than an event to save for one month per year.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Christmas Break

Our Christmas celebration has begun. We are traveling to my mom's for a couple days. When we return, our kids will be here for a few days, and we'll be adding Dave's extemded family on Christmas Day. I will return to blogging after the festivities. In the mean time, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

For unto us a child is born. Unto us a Son is given . . .

And He will he called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

Monday, December 17, 2012

Holiday Home Tour

I DON'T live here!

'Tis the season for touring homes to view the elaborate Christmas decorations and "ooooh" and "aaaah" over the homes we wish we had. The first tour I ever took was of historic homes in Ft. Scott, Kansas, with my mother-in-law. The 100+-year-old homes were gorgeous and, of course, elaborately decorated.

When I moved west, stately Victorians were tough to find. The west end of Kansas lacked trees for lumber, and the wealthy businessmen who could afford to ship it in. Home tours in our area tended to be less about the history of the homes and more about bragging on who could afford the newest home or elaborate remodel - or just plain nosiness. I skipped them.

A couple days ago, I was visiting with a fellow blogger and Twitter pal about the craft/decorating projects we found on Pinterest and tried in our own homes. She didn't want to post pictures of her creations because people would see her home and it didn't look like the pictures on Pinterest. That struck me as kind of sad. No one should be embarrassed by their home - few of us actually live in the grand houses we see online. So, I decided to start my own Holiday Home Blog Tour. It's fun to get to know the people behind the blog, so I'm hoping some of you will join me in posting pictures of your home decked for Christmas - regardless of size, age or legos in the carpet.

Our house is a 1950's ranch-style - living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, one bath, unfinished basement, and an enclosed breezeway between house and garage. Plenty of space for the two of us. We gladly sacrifice space indoors for the space outdoors. Being a rental home, we don't put money into updating (and neither does the landlord, obviously) so we have outdated carpet, wood paneling in the breakfast nook, and ancient linoleum in the kitchen and bath. But did I mention that OUTDOORS we have 2 acres, a huge garden plot and cattle for neighbors? Welcome to Green Acres!

Come on in. We have 3 trees this year . . .

The traditional...

the miniature . . .

and the retro aluminum.

The stocking are hung . . .
by the coat closet with care?

My Santa collection mixed with my favorite Christmas books.

My newest addition: The Polar Express.
Still searching for house and figurines in proper proportion, but it's a start.

In the kitchen, there are some pretty dishes, knick-knacks, an Amaryllis . . .

. . . and some ornaments and book page trees in the window.

That concludes our home tour. Thank you for visiting. If you want to add your lovely home to the tour, just post a few pictures and leave a link in the comments. I hope that more bloggers will give us a peek into their holiday decorated homes. It's not about the cost of the decorations or the size of the house - it's about home, family and Christmas traditions.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

The Sounds of Christmas: Part I

Tonight was the first of two Christmas concerts on my calendar. The Brownville Concert Series Christmas Gala was amazing! We attended the Gala last December and were so blown away that we bought season tickets for this year. For those of you outside southeast Nebraska, or who haven't heard me carry on about it before, you can read about it here. It is amazing talent for a rural Nebraska location - or for New York, for that matter. The talent this evening was beyond amazing. A young man named Scott Decker sang Oh Holy Night . . . and I just don't have words to tell you. But honestly, experiencing music is a very personal thing, and hearing second-hand about a concert never gives you the same physical and emotional rush as being there, so I'll just move on.

One of the performers was Marieann Meringolo, who looks - and sounds - eerily like Barbra Streisand. She performed a song that has been recorded by many artists, but I happen to have on Streisand's Christmas Memories album. I hadn't thought much about the song - it's not usually one of my favorites, but after the school tragedy in Connecticut this week, it became more poignant. I bought Ms. Meringolo's Christmas album, and I searched youtube for a video to share with you, but no luck. So, here is the original - My Grownup Christmas List by Barbra Streisand. May we each make it our prayer this Christmas.

As children we believedThe grandest sight to seeWas something lovelyWrapped beneath our tree.
Well heaven surely knowsThat packages and bowsCan never healA hurting human soul
No more lives torn apartThat wars would never startThat time would heal all heartsEveryone would have a friendAnd right would always winAnd love would never end.This is my grown-up Christmas list

Holiday Pin It/Do It: Pin #10 - Taco Soup

Soup is a tradition for Christmas at our house. My mother always serves soup when our extended family gets together, and soup is our usual Christmas Eve supper before we open gifts with our kids. This year, I'm hosting Dave's family on Christmas day. Since our little house has no dining room and the kitchen table will only seat six, we have no place to have a formal, sit-down-and-pass-the-food-around meal. I briefly considered borrowing another table and setting it up in the living room, but that would be crowded - not to mention block the TV - and you can't easily pass dishes between two tables. Instead, I chose to have a less formal Christmas dinner of soup and and "finger foods", served buffet-style from the kitchen counter. Folks will have to eat wherever they can find a spot - kitchen table, couch, piano bench... I even purchased TV trays for those people who don't get the spots by the coffee table.

Chili is mandatory. Dave and Mitch love chili and the want it hot! My favorite is potato soup, so of course we'll be having that. But I thought we needed a third choice for those who don't care for potato soup and don't care to have their digestive tract set on fire. I found this recipe among the pins on my Recipe Board and it seemed like the perfect compromise.

Weight Watchers Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey breast
1 (15 ounce) can stewed tomatoes (any flavor)
1 (15 ounce) can stewed tomatoes (Mexican flavor)
1 large onion (chopped)
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package hidden valley ranch dressing mix
(15 ounce) can hot chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

Preparation
1. Brown the the meat and onions and drain.
2. Mix the taco seasoning mix and ranch dressing mix into the meat.
3. Add all the other ingredients, without draining.
4. Simmer for about 1 hour.
5. Serve hot, topped with sour cream, cheese, avocado, raw onions, or nacho chips (optional).

Never one to leave well enough alone when it comes to recipes, I made a few "tweeks". I used chopped white-meat chicken in place of the ground turkey, and cannellini beans in place of pintos. I have this prepared and in the freezer so the only review I can give you is from the sample I tasted while cooking - and it was delicious. One recipe serves 10 (the web site does not specify a serving size) at 239 calories per serving, so this will be a great option for me if I haven't gotten rid of those last, stubborn five pounds by Christmas day.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Christmas quote quiz - The Answers.

1. Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to. - Miracle on 34th Street

2. Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about? - A Charlie Brown Christmas

3. In putting on the suit and entering the sleigh, the wearer waives any and all right to any previous identity, real or implied, and fully accepts the duties and responsibilities of Santa Claus, in perpetuity, to which time the wearer becomes unable to do so, by either accident or design. - The Santa Clause

4. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. - How the Grinch Stole Christmas

5. This is Christmas. The season of perpetual hope. And I don't care if I have to get out on your runway and hitchhike. If it costs me everything I own, if I have to sell my soul to the devil himself, I am going to get home to my son. - Home Alone

6. What's Christmas to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in them through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? - A Christmas Carol

7. Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window. - A Christmas Story

8. Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see. - The Polar Express

9. But I think what I've got is something slightly resembling - gumption. - The Holiday

10. You're skipping Christmas? Isn't that illegal? - Christmas With the Kranks

11. My father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well in my book, my father died a much richer man than you'll ever be! - It's A Wonderful Life

12. You're a disgrace to the outfit. You're soft! You're sloppy! You're unruly! You're undisciplined! And I never saw anything look so wonderful in my whole life! - White Christmas

13. We get one day a year to prove we're not screw-ups and what do we do? We screw it up. - Jingle All the Way

14.This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f***ing Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat, white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse. - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Bonus -

All the stockings are filled... all that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up. The stocking for the child born in a manger. It's his birthday we are celebrating. Don't ever let us forget that. - The Bishop's Wife

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Christmas Quote Quiz

Congratulations to Sprite from Sprite Writes -

who successfully named 23 of the 24 Christmas movies/shows in the Dec. 1 puzzle. (She overlooked that little shot of White Christmas at the bottom). Sprite wins her choice of the Christmas ornaments I've been making.

And to continue the Christmas Puzzling - below are lines from 14 of the 24 shows represented in the original puzzle. Can you match the quote with the movie? Here's a little help - none of the lines are from regular television shows (that knocks out Brady Bunch, West Wing, etc.) They are all from feature-length films or TV specials. There's no prize this time except the personal satisfaction of a job well done - so shout 'em out, even if you only know one or two.

Answers will be posted on Thursday.

1. Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to.

2. Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?

3. In putting on the suit and entering the sleigh, the wearer waives any and all right to any previous identity, real or implied, and fully accepts the duties and responsibilities of Santa Claus, in perpetuity, to which time the wearer becomes unable to do so, by either accident or design.

4. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

5. This is Christmas. The season of perpetual hope. And I don't care if I have to get out on your runway and hitchhike. If it costs me everything I own, if I have to sell my soul to the devil himself, I am going to get home to my son.

6. What's Christmas to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in them through a round dozen of months presented dead against you?

7. Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.

8. Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see.

9. But I think what I've got is something slightly resembling - gumption.

10. You're skipping Christmas? Isn't that illegal?

11. My father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well in my book, my father died a much richer man than you'll ever be!

12. You're a disgrace to the outfit. You're soft! You're sloppy! You're unruly! You're undisciplined! And I never saw anything look so wonderful in my whole life!

13. We get one day a year to prove we're not screw-ups and what do we do? We screw it up.

14.This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f***ing Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat, white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse.

Bonus - This line (and this movie) aren't as well known as many of the others, but I loved this quote too much to not include it. So give yourself a bonus point if you can identify this one:

All the stockings are filled... all that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up. The stocking for the child born in a manger. It's his birthday we are celebrating. Don't ever let us forget that.

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