Tag: I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

Christmas Things

LaurenLeave a comment

HARRY POTTER WEEKEND!  I mean, Christmas weekend!  Sorry, but some of us may have been binge watching the Harry Potter marathon on ABC Family since Friday and no longer know what real life is.  And for some of us, Harry Potter is more than just a silly book/movie series about magic.  It is everything!

But outside of my Harry Potter obsession, Christmas weekend is winding to an end — wah, wah! — and much recap-age is necessary.

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Christmas Eve started with breakfast at Sunny’s.  Having an awesome breakfast spot minutes from our house probably ranks among the top ten things that make me happy in life.  I had this bacon-cauliflower-cheddar-egg number and an almond milk latte and all was right in the world.

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After breakfast, we got absolutely spoiled by Lori.  She made me this incredibly thoughtful wedding detail display and I could not love it more.  Seriously, it’s amazing.  All of the stationary stuff was such an important part of our wedding so I’m so happy to have it displayed.

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We spent the rest of the afternoon at the movie theater, seeing Wild.  I’m not a huge Reese Witherspoon fan and I felt like there were a few holes in the narrative — I’m wondering if they were better addressed in the book? — but I still liked it.  Though the man a few rows back loudly snoring apparently did not…

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Christmas Eve dinner at our place was a hit!  We got back from the movie around 3 PM and felt so prepared already that we kept thinking, “what do we do until 6?!”  I don’t know how to function in life without stress.  But come 6 PM, the table was set, the house was clean(ish), the bar was set and we were ready to start the Christmas celebration.  We had so much fun and the food (Mom brought the best appetizers!) and cocktails turned out so good.  Our stew got rave reviews!  We ended the night with dessert and A Muppet Christmas Carol.  Much to Joey’s horror, my entire family loves that movie.

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Christmas morning was blissfully lazy.  We opened presents — Joey got me that KALE sweater and I kid you not, I have been living in it ever since — ate pancakes and watched Love Actually.  Twas perfect!

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At 2, we made our way over to the Thoutt Christmas celebration where I fed everyone a vegan Caesar without telling them and we did our annual Secret Santa present swap.  I got a set of mini OPI nail polishes from Joey’s aunt and now I regret getting that long lasting shellac manicure last week.

Though my mom suggested canceling our Dorsey Christmas celebration due to snow, I was having none of that so we were there for dinner at 6.  We got spoiled, as usual — new apron, new jacket, cupcake clock and the coolest leggings ever were some of the highlights — and ate well, as usual.  We ended the night with snow and Christmas in Connecticut.  In years passed, I’ve really clung onto old family traditions but this year, I realized Joey and I are our own little family now and it was fun to spend time just the two of us and starting our own traditions 🙂

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The rest of the weekend has involved lots of lounging, dinner with Hannah and Josh — they got us those cute little appetizer plates and I kinda want to eat everything off of them — Joey’s high school alumni basketball game and I think I may have mentioned some Harry Potter?

Meanwhile, Joey just called it “Harry Potter and the Dark Hollows” so clearly I’ve taught him nothing.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

10 Christmas Remakes That Don’t Suck

LaurenLeave a comment

And the award for most eloquent post title goes to!

I was just thinking about how I’ve written a Christmas music post every single year since I started blogging in 2010.  Apparently I have a lot to say about Christmas music.  And if you thought this would be the year I ran out of things to say, you’re so wrong.  Last year’s “Remakes We Didn’t Need” obviously had to be followed up by a list of remakes we do need.

1. “Run Run Rudolph” by Kelly Clarkson

I’m a closet Kelly Clarkson fan.  Hers was my very first concert, she’s the very best of all the American Idol winners (IMO) and dang, she can sing.  She kills it in “Run Run Rudolph” and I mean that in the best of ways.

2. “O Holy Night” by Lea Michelle

Okay, a more annoying Glee character never existed but girl can sing.  There’s no denying that.  It’s a well known fact that you shouldn’t even attempt “O Holy Night” unless you have some real singing chops (I’m talking to you, Leann Rimes…) and Lea Michelle does.  She fits right in with Céline Dion, Josh Groban, Mariah Carey and Johnny Mathis.

3. “This Christmas” by Chris Brown

Chris Brown sucks so bad, but I love this song.

4. “12 Days of Christmas” by Straight No Chaser

We’re probably way past the point of being shocked and delighted by this song (it did come out eight years ago), but considering how long and boring the original is, this version is a pretty amazing feat.  It’s fun, creative and includes a Christmas-ed version of Toto’s “Africa.” Yes, yes yes.

5. “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” by Harry Connick Jr.

Oh, did you think you were gonna make it through a Christmas song post without me talking about HCJr.?  That was silly.  His When My Heart Finds Christmas was the definition of Christmas time when I was a kid.  The Dorsey family wore that album out.  This song is particularly trumpet-y and therefore particularly amazing.

6. “Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Indina Menzel

Now comes the part where I admit that I hate “Let It Go.”  HATE.  The first time I heard it on the radio I thought it was a joke.  And now my ears start bleeding every time I’m subjected to it.  So here we have an already incredibly annoying song and the singer of an another incredibly song and you put them together and… I like it?  It doesn’t make sense!  Yet somehow, it does.

7. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Sam Smith

Sam Smith could sing the phone book and I would probably buy it on iTunes.

8. “Holly Jolly Christmas” by Michael Bublé

I almost wrote “Insert Song Here” by Michael Bublé. Look, some people’s voices are just made for Christmas music.  And those people are HCJr., Josh Groban and Michael Bublé so really I could’ve written any of his Christmas songs and it would’ve worked.

9. “Jingle Bell Rock” by Hall & Oates

Would you expect anything less from someone who played “You Make My Dreams Come True” during their wedding recessional?  This version of JBR is such a classic to me, that I almost forgot it’s not the original.  All in favor of pretending this is the one and only version of “Jingle Bell Rock” to exist, say aye!

10. “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” by Céline Dion

Normally, I would be opposed to remakes of anything by John Lennon (RIP), but this version is so lovely and well-done that it gets a pass.  It almost doesn’t even sound like the same song so we can escape the comparison trap.  And really, Céline can do no wrong with that voice of hers.

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What are you guys doing this weekend?  Last minute shopping?  Watching Christmas movies?  Checking the weather forecast every half hour to make sure snow is still expected on Christmas?  I’ll be doing all of thee above plus a million other things that I probably don’t have time for 🙂

Happy Friday!