Blogmas Day 6: Holly Jolly Tag(ish)!

Welcome to Blogmas Day 6! I decided to take Sundays off, just so I can focus on chilling out and being with my family. So, today I am going to do a YouTube-style tag! This is one that a lot of beauty gurus do, though it has nothing to do with beauty- related things. I also tweaked or took out a few questions, because they either don't pertain to me, or I've already talked about them in previous Blogmas posts.
Before we start, I'm here to announce a change! It's not a big change. Or even an important one, really. I'm gonna start using different fonts and text colors to make this thing more interesting!
Okay. Let's do this thing.

Question #1: Do you have an embarrassing Christmas family picture?

Why yes. Yes I do. Here ya go:

Yeah. Wow. There are no words. I don't even know the date on this one, it doesn't matter, I can't look at it anymore.

Moving on...

Question #2: Have you ever had a white Christmas?

Never. Not once. Welcome to Alabama, it snows on Spring Break, not on Christmas Break. Silly people. 

Question #3: Where do you spend Christmas Day?

The hill. You have no idea what the hill is. I don't live in a neighborhood, but on a road with a lot of my family. The road is a hill, my immediate family lives on top the hill, my great uncle in the middle, and my mom's parents at the bottom. Christmas Day usually starts off at my house, and then we go down to my grandparents' with my mom's brother and his family. This year, though, my dad and uncle (both Firefighters) will be working, so we are just staying at my house. 

Question #4: Do you open any gifts on Christmas Eve?

Who doesn't? Just kidding, I won't judge you if you don't. But, yes. We usually open one or both of our sibling gifts on Christmas Eve right before we go to bed. I think my favorite has been the 150 pack of Crayons that my brother gave me. It's awesome. It's like a whole pyramid deal. Here, I'll just find a picture of one. 

Whaaaat?? Yeah, that's heaven. I can thank my brother for that one. 

#5: Can you name all the reindeer?

Yes! Only, now that I'm writing this, I realize that I could totally cheat and no one would know. So, you'll just have to trust me. I'm not cheating.

Dasher

Dancer

Prancer

Vixen

Comet

Cupid

Donner

Blitzen

Rudolph!

Question # 6: What do you look forward to the most for Christmas?

Sadly, I may not be able to participate in the thing I look forward to the most this year. I love going to my mom's family's Christmas Eve brunch, where we eat way too much and do Dirty Santa. Only this year, I will more than likely be working Christmas Eve. Bummer, I know.

Question # 7: Do you have a real or a fake Christmas tree?

Let's make this simple. Real trees are a fire hazard. My dad is a firefighter. We have a fake tree. 

Question # 8: Do you enjoy giving or receiving more?

I gotta say, and this is not just to make myself look good, I very much enjoy giving people gifts. The satisfaction of seeing someone's face after you give them the gift you picked out specifically for them is the greatest.

Question # 9: Where would you live to visit for the holidays?

Uh, duh, New York City. I want to see the city at Christmas SO BAD. Someone take me, please!!

Question # 10: Are you good at gift wrapping?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
No.

Question # 11: What's your favorite Christmas memory?

This one is not necessarily a good memory, but it's my most vivid one. I don't remember what year it was, but I went down to our burn pile with my grandfather, uncle, dad, brother, and two cousins so they could burn all the wrapping paper. We had a tree with an old treehouse next to the burn pile, and the ladder was just pieces of wood nailed to the tree to step on. This genius, completely uncoordinated child decided to climb those steps that hadn't been used in who know how long. I got about three steps in, and one of the dry rotted pieces of wood gave out. I landed flat on my back. That was the first time I'd ever had my breath knocked out of me, and, boy. That was traumatic. It hurt. I cried. I got called a chicken.I milked that fall for days. I don't know why that's the only thing I can think of when I get asked to tell a Christmas memory, but it is.

And that's it, my friends! I actually really enjoyed writing this one! I hope you did as well! And since it's a tag, I am supposed to pick other people to do it. I choose my two bloggy friends, Giann and Kelli! Check out their blogs: Noscriptmylife and Food From My Thoughts. (Kelli, I know you're a food blog, but, hey. Just this once?)

Also, I need some help coming up with topics for the rest of Blogmas! I would greatly appreciate it if you guys would request some things!

Thank you so very much for reading, lovely people! See you tomorrow!

Blogmas Days 4 & 5: Holiday Favorites!

Okay, I've already done it. I skipped a day. But, yesterday I was basically miserable. Is that a decent excuse? So, I figured today I would do a mega-post of my Holiday/Winter Favorites!

To start off, I'll do my fashion favorites.

For the winter season, I LOVE scarves and hats. Unfortunately, this year, it hasn't really gotten cold enough yet to wear many hats, but I've donned a scarf at least once a week for the past few weeks. I also came up (with some help from Pinterest) with this awesome way to store my hats and scarves:

It's quite simple: Curtain rods and shower curtain rings! Super easy to put up, and so much more organized than the bin I had my hats in and the hangers I had my scarves on!

And, with that, my favorite scarves and hats:

Both of these came from Ling's gift shop in Chelsea. If you guys live around here, you really need to go check out this store. Sweet Ling is here from China with her son, and she owns this store for a living. If you go in there, she will do everything in her power to help you find what you need.

I got this hat for Christmas two years ago, and it's super cozy. I absolutely adore the colors in it! It is from American Eagle.

This one, my sweet cousin Lindy made for me. She runs a business making hats and photo props like this one (but usually for babies and toddlers). Check out her Etsy shop, she deserves it! http://www.etsy.com/shop/puzo2352

I don't remember when I got these, but they're awesome. I wear them with basically everything. (Though, now I'm realizing that they're starting to look a little worse for wear.)

Now for my favorite scents this Holiday season:

(Yes, it's all from Bath and Body Works. Don't judge me.)

This one's an old favorite that I rediscovered this year. So good!

I got chosen randomly on Twitter by BBW to get a free sample of their new fragrance. I got this guy in the mail a few weeks ago, and... WOW. It smells SO GOOD! I will definitely be buying the full-size version!

Surprise, surprise, I have two Bath and Body Works candles.

This guy smells like a Christmas tree. Holy moly, it's amazing.

\

I think this one may be the best BBW candle I have ever sniffed. I can't describe the scent, so here's what the bottom of the jar says: "an unforgettable blend of orchid petals, billowing white peony, and soft jasmine that's fitting for any occasion." Genius, people. Genius. 

Now for my food favorites. See, I don't exactly have this food on hand to take pictures of, so y'all are getting stock photos. You're welcome. 

Ham. I love ham. I'm not a huge fan of turkey (I know, send me to Christmas jail.)

Eggnog! This. Stuff. Is. Delicious. A lot of people don't like it, I say they're crazy. 

These things are like a holiday tradition with my grandmother. SO YUMMY.

And, of course, deviled eggs. I could eat my weight in these. 

Now, even though I did my entertainment favorites for day 3, I thought of two more things that I love:

I watched this last night and remembered how much I loved it. 

And this album. SO GOOD! If you like things that are a little different, check this out. It's amazing. 

Finally, I have two very random things.

First, this brilliant candle I picked up at Earth Bound. It's a white candle, but as it burns, it drips different colored wax. We are using it as our advent candle. I adore it! 

Lastly, I don't have a picture for this, but I LOVE getting Christmas cards! I think it's amazing to get pictures of everyone's families!

Oh... and, here's a really awkward tree ornament picture of me from 2000:

You're welcome. 

Thanks for reading! Hope you're enjoying Blogmas!

Blogmas Day 3- Holiday Favorites, Entertainment Style

Good afternoon, lovely people! Today's post is going to be kind of a "lazy one-" no pictures taken by your's truly. But I'd like to think the fact that I have a stomach bug is a decent excuse. So, Blogmas day three is going to be my holiday entertainment favorites. Let's get started, shall we?

#1: Favorite traditional Christmas movie:

Nestor! He's the cutest long-eared donkey around. This was always my favorite as a kid, even though it was actually pretty sad... My favorite part was when his mom said, "Ears, Nestor."

Oh! The memories. 

#2: Favorite Modern Christmas Movie:

Duh! How could this NOT be your favorite? So much quoting to be done! 

"I love you! I love you! I LOVE YOU!"

"You sit on a throne of lies!"

"Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

I COULD KEEP GOING FOREVER. 

#3: Favorite Traditional Christmas Song:

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer (reindeer) had a very shiny nose (like a light bulb!) and if you ever saw it (saw it), you would even say it glows (like a flashlight!)

Shall I keep going? I shall not. 

#4: Favorite Modern Christmas Song Re-Make:

BarlowGirl's Carol of the Bells/Sing We Now of Christmas. It's a killer. It's amazing. Listen to it RIGHT NOW.

 

#5: Favorite Live Entertainment: 

The Chelsea Christmas Parade! I don't exactly have a picture of this, but it's great. I very much enjoy parades, especially when people I know are in it. 

Sorry today was short and lazy-ish, I just have, like zero energy. 

I promise tomorrow will be much better!

Thanks for reading!

Blogmas Day 2- DIY Christmas Gift!

Welcome to Blogmas Day 2! CHRISTMAS IS IN 21 DAYS, PEOPLE! In light of that fact, you guys realllly need to be figuring out what you're going to be getting me for Christmas.
Kidding. Totally kidding.
Maybe.
Anyway... DIY is so in right now- it's fun (sometimes), it's cheap (sometimes), and it's so much more special to the person you're giving it to (unless they wanted a real gift). Okay, all joking aside, when done right, DIY gifts are AWESOME.
Here's the areas I'm creative in- photography, writing, and decorating.
Here's the areas I'm not creative in- sewing, drawing, general cutting things out and gluing them down...
So, naturally, I picked up some yarn and decided to learn how to arm knit. That lasted, oh, ten minutes, before I threw the yarn down and screamed, "I GIVE UP!" As I was searching Pinterest to find something useful to do with my yarn, I stumbled upon the greatest invention in the world for people that are arm-knitting-deficient: FINGER KNITTING! Guys! This is SO easy, and actually fun! So, when I learned how to do it, my creative juices started flowing, and I got the idea to make a head wrap/ear warmer. Surprisingly, my first attempt was completely successful, and I now feel the need to share my wisdom with you people!

You will need:
Bulky yarn (the bulkier the better). Here's one of mine:

Scissors

Your fingers. If you don't have fingers, this project is going to prove difficult for you.

First, you have to know how to finger knit. If you don't already, here's the video that taught me:

Now, to make the ear warmer, you have to knit two strands of the same length, because finger knitting leads to very thin strands. To get the length right, I literally just kept knitting and putting it around my head to see if it was long enough yet. 

So, once you get your two strands: 

Simply start stringing them together. Just find loops to pull the yarn through and rotate until you get to the end. 

When you get done, there will be 3 "tails" on each end. Tie those together and cut two of them down, but leave one for tying purposes. This should by your final product:

I'm still working on my technique and stuff, so I'm not down to perfection quite yet, but I'm getting there. These would make great add-ons to gifts, or great as gifts by themselves. 

I hope you enjoyed Blogmas Day 2! Here's something to chew on until day 3:

Thanks for reading! 

Blogmas Day One- It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like....

Well I'm back! I know it's been a minute... but hopefully I can make up for that. I know it's 3 days into December, but I think I'm going to do "Blogmas"- blogging every day till Christmas. It's kind of a spin-off of Vlogmas, which YouTubers do. So, I'm thinking short little Christmassy posts every day. Maybe? Let's see if I can do it. It's a challenge!
Before I start this, may I just say that I LOVE CHRISTMAS?!? So, this is gonna be real, real fun. For me, at least.
For day one, I'm going to do a decoration post! Show you all how my family and I decorate our house for Christmas time!  (Excuse the darkness of the pictures, I didn't realize they were like that until I uploaded them.)

To start off, here's the living areas:

This is one of my favorites. Mom's Willow Tree nativity with the stable that Dad made her.

The Firehouse Christmas town!

Of course, the Christmas tree...

Adorned with lots of  family ornaments!

I love this little guy! He's on our kitchen island.

Mom loves wreaths.

Lots of little knick knacks.

All of our stockings were made by my grandmother. Mom just added the wooden letters this year.

Now on to my bedroom:

This little guy has been around for about 3 years now. The ornaments are a mixture of ones I just couldn't pass up at the store, gifts, and some personal ones.

My Christmas bed! I put my crochet blanket (made by my great grandmother) over my comforter to make it look a little more Christmassy. Also, my Christmas stuffed animals, which are my favorite thing to pull out every year. (If any of you were ever wondering, stuffed animals are definitely a key to my heart)

Okay, I know that this looks a little tacky and thrown-together, but I LOVE Christmas lights and I absolutely HAD to put some up in my room. But, I am terrible at working with them, so this is what happened. 

This banner is probably older than I am, but I don't even care. I like it.

My teeny little manger scene, on display on my desk-turned-vanity table, along with me White Barn Chesnut and Clove No. 2 candle from Bath and Body Works (IT SMELLS LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE)

I bought this little guy last year when I was decorating my dorm. Isn't he so cute??

Of course, the door hangers that I made some time ago... the hand wreath circa 2000. 

Now, my car. Yes, I decorate my car for Christmas.

A wreath on the tire and two magnets! 

You got it, there are LIGHTS INSIDE MY CAR! With a lot of patience and duck tape, this happened. Yay!

Okay, now outside.

Okay, my mom REALLY likes wreaths.

...

This guy has been around for a while now. He used to have someone else's last name on him, but my handyman of a dad fixed that.

These guys have been around even longer. They used to light up, now we have to shine a spotlight on them.

...did I mention my mom liked wreaths?

Okay, so that's my Christmas time house! I LOVE IT! 

I can't wait for the rest of Blogmas! I hope you guys like it! Maybe tomorrow I'll do a DIY gift idea?

Also, if you're looking for some quality YouTube content, check out Vlogmas from my favorite people...

Jim Chapman: http://www.youtube.com/user/j1mmyb0bba/videos

Tanya Burr: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrIIH7yHQugaUuoTZDoEUuQ

Joe Sugg: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzE4rHZD7TdxGqfMzVT_p2w

Zoe Sugg: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrUbqTCagwsaP2Fmr0p1TsA

Alfie Deyes: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEn0EUV13IR-_TK7fiIp3g

Louise: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyJTVTVccnAkll5xLFFmaQg

Marcus Butler: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIHHYnpaqR8njCYf9fLEgLw

Fleur DeForce (and her precious hubby Mike): http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkxgqm7W2kJ--jb3cB0CT8Q

Luke Conard: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT890nbWOYScjaA9kqhuyw

Also, my favorite beauty guru is doing DIY December, where she shows how to make different gifts and things every day (except for Sundays) until Christmas:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5zSySQab9SA6Wz569WDgqw