12 Delights of Christmas Tag!

A little white ago, I was tagged by Miss March for this timely Christmas tag! Thankfully, I was able to get it done just before Christmas, so enjoy! (But first, scroll down to #7 for some Christmas music links to set the mood!) 

1.  A favorite Christmas tradition?

Hmmm...I think our church's annual Christmas Eve concert is a great tradition. It really puts me in the right mindset for Christmas Day, instead of focusing on the secular Christmas things like presents and parties -- of course I'm still thankful and I still enjoy those things, but having that church service the night before, full of Christmas hymns and the truth of Jesus' birth, really helps me not to get carried away in the world's way of celebrating. 

2.  Say it snowed at your domicile, would you prefer to go out or stay curled up inside?

Depends on the type of snow, you see...if it's fluffy, powdery, dry snow, then I love to get outside and just walk in it!! Especially if it's a cloudy, gray day -- the kind of snow where everything is silent, but your voice seems like it could carry a hundred miles, when everything is just a blank white sheet over the world is the BEST! But if it's too sunny and the snow is all soggy and wet, then nah, I'll stay inside, thank you very much! 

I took this picture a year or a few back...my favorite type of snow!

3.  Tea or hot chocolate?

At Christmastime? Hot chocolate, definitely. (But I do have some peppermint chocolate tea that's pretty tasty as well...) 

4.  Favorite Christmas colors (i.e. white, blue, silver, gold, red and green etc)?

Ooooh...tricky question. I really like the buffalo plaid/woodland Christmas theme, and that's half of how our home is currently decorated... but we are leaning more toward a red/gold/white theme, with plenty of evergreen sprigs around to liven things up! That scheme can include our old plaid stuff and incorporate lots more new things.

                        

These are all, sadly, not mine...but they are the kind of "palette" I like to work with

5.  Favorite kind of Christmas cookie?

Very good question. I would say "all of the above," but that would kind of defeat the question...I really like gingerbread. I don't eat it often, but homemade ginger cookies are absolutely delicious. (Honestly, any homemade Christmas cookies are absolutely delicious...) 

Some cookies from last years' baking day with my in-laws! :) 

6.  How soon before Christmas do you decorate (more specifically, when does your tree go up)?

Anytime after Thanksgiving is fair game! I usually refuse to decorate until December 1st, but as long as Thanksgiving is over, it really just depends on when I feel like decorating. 

7.  Three favorite traditional Christmas carols?

    1. "Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel" 

    2. "In the Bleak Midwinter" 

    3. "What Child is This" (yes I know Miss March already chose this one, but it deserves to be chosen again!) 

    4. There are SO MANY MORE! But I shall limit myself. 

8.  A favorite Christmas song (i.e. something you might hear on the radio)?

"The Christmas Waltz" is a good one! I like a lot of classic, Sinatra-esque Christmas music, so this is probably my favorite rendition: 

9.  A favorite Christmas movie?

The Nativity Story. I know some people who debate about this one and whether it's really good or not, but I think the depiction of Mary and Joseph as such real and tangible people is really excellent. Maybe the theology isn't the greatest, but as far as "Bible movies" go, that one is by far my favorite. (But my other favorite is It's a Wonderful Life, if you were curious...) 

10.  Have you ever gone caroling?

Yes I have! I used to carol a lot with my family -- for a few years, we had a tradition of caroling for our immediate neighbors and handing them a plate of goodies. 

11.  Ice skating, sledding, skiing, or snow boarding?

Ice skating!!!!! I could skate for hours on end if someone let me...which reminds me, I need to get my skates sharpened! 

Also not me...but those skates are similar to my own. 

12.  Favorite Christmas feast dish?

I have a soft spot for sweet potatoes...which may sound weird, but it's true. I have always loved sweet potatoes/yams...so there you have it! 

Thanks again to Miss March for tagging me! Since I've been kind of out of the blogging loop, I don't know who has already been tagged and who has not, so I'm not going to officially tag anybody...but feel free to steal this! Consider yourself tagged if you would like to answer these, and let me know! :) 

Merry Christmas!!! 

The ski lodge gingerbread house that me and my husband made! :) 

The Stationery Tag!

Hello Everyone!

As I am catching up on my blog posts, I remembered a tag that was forgotten! Quite a while back (like 9 months back, cough cough), the lovely Mem tagged me for the Stationery Tag !!!

Without further ado, I shall fill out the questions! (Sorry if the photos are a bit grainy, but I don't have a great camera on my phone...or a great camera, at all.) 

1. What's the most recent thing you've bought for your stash?

I think it would be these adorable little hedgehog notecards! I saw them in the store and just couldn't pass them up. :) 

2. What's your favorite notebook and favorite pencil/pen?

Oooh...tricky question...hmm...well, there are different types of favorites, ya know what I mean? But, overall, I think this notebook is my favorite. It's leather, very heavy and sturdy, and it's great for writing! I'll probably be able to fit a whole novel in it. 

As far as practical pens go, I really enjoy writing with TUL fine point black gel ink pens (these), but for the coolness factor, this one is my favorite! 

It's even got a little stand thingy!!

3. If you DIY your notebooks or pens, what's the best one you've done? (If you haven't, just tell us what you would DIY if you had the skillz.)

I have not DIYed any notebooks or pens... :(  But I've been knitting lately, and I saw a pattern for a notebook with a knitted cover, so I might try that someday! 

4. Do you have any cute erasers? If you do, let's see them!

Sadly, I don't... :( But that doesn't mean I don't WANT them!!!!

5. What's the piece of stationery you have but don't use because it's too nice?

Technically not stationery...but this Pride and Prejudice pen set is something that I love to have in my collection but I'm too scared to use...I don't want to mess it up!! 

6. And finally, show us your full stationery collection. If you want, you can even include numbers.

Ta daa!!! This probably isn't my full stash, but it's what I could find. Now that I'm married, it's really difficult to distinguish between my husband's stuff and mine sometimes...not to mention that some of my old stuff is in storage, so I couldn't give you an exact number if I wanted to! But that's it! 

Anyhoo, thanks for bearing with my many-month-late post, Mem and everyone else! Since it was so late, I'm not tagging anybody, but I did enjoy this post! 

TTFN! :) 

Where Has the Time Gone?

 As some of you might have noticed, I haven't been present on the blogosphere in...at least 6 months.

Why, you may ask?? 

Well, to put it simply, things just got busy. I had my brother's wedding, COVID nonsense (since I live in Michigan where all the nonsense seems to be happening), going back to school, dealing with my husband going to paramedic school, both of us working, a couple changes of my bosses at work, and...well...you get the idea. 

BUT NOW I am back!! And I'm going to TRY to be a little more faithful this time! I have a couple of tags to catch up on (that I know about), but if I've been tagged or anything and haven't seen it, please let me know here! I haven't been able to read everyone's blogs for the past months, so I might have missed some things. 

This is just a short post to let y'all know that yes, I kind of went AWOL for a few months, but I have returned! Comment below to let me know of anything important I have missed...I may spam you with a lot of posts in the near future, so be watching! :) 

Ask Me Anything Answers!

Well...

 *coughs in apology* 

 Wait, it's still before the end of July! Don't judge me so harshly! :P 

 Here are all the answers to all the questions y'all asked in my previous post! Happy delayed blogiversary to Bookends and Bwopper-Eels, and thank you all for being such lovely humans, and for all the fun questions! Now, let's get right down to business...

MovieCritic asks: 

Favorite TV show?

This is tricky. You see, the thing is, I have watched VERY few TV shows, as I prefer the general format of a feature length film better. However, the BBC Sherlock series is exceedingly good, and I think that is definitely a favorite! Even though I've not quite finished it, *cough cough*

 

Favorite STAR WARS movie?

The Empire Strikes Back! For me, Episode V has just the best story, the best assortment of characters, and is probably the most nostalgic. 

Last book you read?

Uhhhhhhhhh....

I should keep better track of these things. Since I'm working on my senior thesis for school, I have been reading collections of YA fantasy short stories (which is what I'm "studying"), so I think the latest would be The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo. It was okay. But only just okay. 

The first novel that you remember reading?

I have a vague but strong memory of reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's On the Banks of Plum Creek as quite a small youngling. Our library had two copies, and my favorite copy was the older, more battered one - I remember that it smelled amazing (I was a weird child). 

This is the exact cover I remember

Last movie that you saw in a theater (when they were open)?

 Frozen II, I think. Either that or The Rise of Skywalker. 

 A super underrated movie that you love?

 This is a really weird answer, but Hoodwinked! from 2005 is HILARIOUS and I love watching it. I think it was a formative part of my developing sense of humor, and even though the animation is rather ghastly by today's standards (and the standards of 2005, for that matter), I still always enjoy it...I always have a good laugh! (But for goodness' sake, DO NOT watch the sequel...it was awful.) 

Rakayle asks: 

 Do you like scrapbooking?

 I think I WOULD like scrapbooking, given an opportunity to try it! I have never actually made a physical scrapbook before (except when I was maybe 8 years old so that doesn’t really count), but it sounds like fun! I do Pinterest though…does that count?

Favorite outfit style?

 Ooooh, this is a good one. I think I’ll have to say that it depends on the occasion, but in general, I opt for classic, comfortable outfits—I love earth tones, cardigans, and soft tshirts for casual, and anything classic and elegant for more formal occasions. I also usually accessorize with either earrings or a necklace, depending on the day!

 Paperback or hardcover?

 Hardcover, all the way! After working in a library for two years, I have come to appreciate the durability and strength of hardcover books way more than I ever did before!

(Not mine, but pretty cool-looking!)

 MiddleEarthMusician asks:

Dark, milk, or white chocolate?

Definitely dark chocolate! I love it!!!

Current favorite fictional ship?

 Oh no…

 WhY would you aSk that QuEStIoN? I have SO MANY…but the one that comes to mind currently is Samwise Gamgee and Rosie Cotton…I have always loved the simplicity and honest love of their relationship; how Sam is always talking about her, even when he is on the brink of death—I recently listened to the “Scouring of the Shire” chapter in ROTK and boy oh boy they should not have left that out of the movie.

What was the last book that you bought?

 The same collection of short stories I talked about above…The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo.

Favorite fictional villain?

 Iago from Shakespeare’s Othello! I wrote an entire post about why I find him so fascinating, maybe a year ago…

Current favorite song?

 Ooooh dear. I can’t say that I have *one* favorite song in particular, but I’ve been listening to the Frozen II soundtrack on and off since the movie came out (guilty secret: I love singing along), even though I may be ashamed to admit it.

 Ivy asks:

 What's your favorite time period?

Hmmm…usually either the Regency of Medieval era, depending on my mood! I also like the clothing of the Edwardian era…but I think I prefer the first two.

How old were you when you started writing?

When I started writing the first novel I finished, I think I was between ten and eleven…or maybe eleven and twelve???? So, at least nine years ago!

What's your favorite thing about blogging?

I love being able to just have a free space that I can put my thoughts into; something that’s not a journal, but as I look back, I can see what was happening in my life and remember writing the posts…it’s almost like a public journal, actually! :) 

 Homeburger asks:

Out of all of the Star Wars movies, who is your all-time favorite Jedi?

Either Obi-Wan Kenobi or Luke Skywalker! Luke has just the right amount of skill and dorkiness to make him very likeable, not to mention that he is, dare I say, the more “classic” Jedi. However, how can I not love Obi-Wan? He has such class! And, as I’m watching The Clone Wars, his character is getting a bit more developed than it was before…but I still can’t decide!! 

What is a book that you would recommend to basically anyone?

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. It is a beautifully, expertly crafted story.

What is your favorite style of music?

Hmm…I like a lot of different styles of music, just in moderation! I really do enjoy light pop, I guess I would call it—stuff like U2 and Coldplay. I also like folksy music and soundtracks…if that helps!

Would the world even function if ice cream went extinct?

Definitely not.

 

And that is it! Thank you all so much for your lovely questions, I had a lot of fun with them! 

:) 

Blogiversary - Ask Me Anything!

Y'all. 

I missed it. 

The nineteenth of June was my third blogiversary!

AND in honor of that, I shall be doing an "Ask Me Anything" post!! Any questions you list in the comments below shall be answered in a follow-up post probably sometime in July (so precise, I'm very good at scheduling, cough cough). So, ask away! 

(I know I don't HAVE to say this, but of course, as always, I won't answer any inappropriate, rude, or extremely personal questions, so don't ask me what my social security number is...you know the drill. :D :D ) 

Merlin (2008-2012)

So, my husband and I have just recently finished watching BBC's The Adventures of Merlin, and, as promised, here is my review of the series! I usually review (and watch, come to think of it) movies as opposed to TV series, so we shall see how this fits into my review template! (I'm assuming nobody cares about spoilers, but...there are spoilers below.)

Quality/Aesthetic/First Impressions:

Alright, here we go. I thoroughly enjoyed this show, and it is even on my (mental) list of things to re-watch. Although it is a bit dated as far as the sets, effects, etc., the medieval, fantasy/fairy-tale aesthetic is appealing to me, and I think that there is a bit of a Narnia-like feel to the show? If you have seen the Disney Prince Caspian and enjoyed the stylistic elements of that as far as the setting and magical-ness, then I think you would enjoy Merlin. In fact, I would even dare to say that this show is executed better than Prince Caspian in terms of where the original material and inspiration came from. Showing Merlin, the greatest wizard of all time, as a gangly, dorky young man is a great change, although I will forever love old, white-bearded Merlin. I really appreciated the different perspective on Prince/King Arthur and how he and Merlin were such good friends, even though it is quite different from the original lore, if you care about that sort of thing. But anyway, I felt like this was a fresh take on worn, overused characters.


Characters:

Speaking of characters, I absolutely LOVED most of them. I like how the writers managed to fit so many different types and characters into one show, and make them all work perfectly together. While some of the acting was not quite up to a feature film standard, most of the main characters' acting and portrayal was excellent. Colin Morgan did a fabulous job in the title role, managing to keep a consistent character throughout all five seasons. Arthur and Guinevere were great, too (my husband doesn't know what an OTP is, but they are his OTP). I found Morgana good at first, but I felt that her descent to the show's main villain got a little bit overplayed and predictable near the end. She started to seem like a broken record in her futile attempts to overtake Camelot, and was only refreshed once we had Mordred on her side. Overall, however, the characters were fun, had plenty of variation, and the writers managed to give us enough backstory without overdoing it. The knights of Camelot are the prime example of this -- each one has specific traits and a specific personality, and although they are still side characters, they have enough personality to seem like real people. 

King Arthur and the Camelot Knights, a.k.a. "Me and the Boys"

Also I just found this character quiz and I thought I should share....let me know your results in the comments!! 

https://www.playbuzz.com/gueenorio10/which-bbc-merlin-character-are-you?utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_medium=ff&utm_campaign=ff&pb_traffic_source=pinterest

Content:
 

This show, in my opinion, falls somewhere right between PG and PG-13. There is barely any language, and no vulgar profanity. There are quite a few shirtless men, so if that bothers you, I would stay away, but that is where Netflix gets its "nudity" rating from -- there is no actual nudity shown at any point. There is one scene where Arthur has no clothes, but it is played as a humorous scene, and nothing is shown. A lot of the women wear rather low-cut dresses, but nothing worse than Pride and Prejudice or BBC's other period dramas. Violence-wise, this is very close to the Narnia movies, although it is more suspenseful in certain episodes. There is also a lot of witchcraft and sorcery, with potions, spells, and, in a couple episodes, mandrake roots, which are something like voodoo dolls -- there are some weird moments with connections between the living and dead (ghosts or visions), so if you are sensitive to the portrayal of medieval witchcraft, I would stray away from this show. 

Plot:

Like I said earlier, the take on Merlin and Arthur as young men is a refreshing change. I know that the show had different writers in different episodes, so it is not completely consistent, but overall, the general arc of the story is well-done and cohesive, which is impressive for a five-season TV show. I was also impressed by the amount of detail and attention to the plot was present from even the first few episodes -- everything was very obviously planned in a meticulous manner. The villains can get a little bit lame and predictable, I will admit...but the plot itself was intriguing and coherent. 

Overall Impressions: 

When people start talking about their coherent, well-plotted nightmares

I would definitely watch this again. It was something that was fun, easy to follow, and engaging, with lots of fun characters, hilarious shenanigans to outweigh the dramatic and serious moments, and even decent acting! The good definitely outweighs the sometimes laughable special effects and less impressive moments. But can we all agree that the Great Dragon was THE WORST character, ever, in the history of mentor characters???? 

So...You Haven't Posted In Over A Month....

*coughs* 

I have been pretty absent from the world of blogging lately, and it seems as if I begin every post saying something to that extent. I have a tag on my list of posts to write, I have movies that need to be reviewed, and the world is so much in turmoil that I could potentially write a "serious" post about how I view current events and such living in Michigan, where so many things are going on. 

But instead, I just binge The Clone Wars...

Oh well, there are worse things. I have never watched the series before, so it's nice to see something new, I suppose! I wasn't totally sold watching the first few episodes, but they are growing on me! And I'm already a quarter of the way through the second season! My husband and I are also watching The Adventures of Merlin, which is thoroughly fun. As a blogger, I've heard TONS about the show, but never actually sat down and watched it, and, well, quarantine is full of opportunities! It's quite fun--I could criticize its faults, but I prefer to enjoy the escapades, silliness, and melodrama, rather than dismiss it. Also, it's a great source of memes and hilarity. 

Anyway. 

What else have I been up to that has distracted me from blogging so much?? Well...since the public libraries are closed, I haven't been working, but I did finish a rewrite of my novel and I am starting to send out query letters to literary agents! It's exciting, scary, and a bit nerve-wracking...but I'm trying to be calm and positive about it. I have a tendency to plummet to the depths of despair at rejection, but as I was researching traditional publishing/agents, I have learned that rejection is normal and if an agent sends you packing, it's probably for your own good; it wasn't meant to be. I probably won't make any progress for months, but it doesn't hurt to try! 

As far as writing goes, that's about all that I've been doing. I'm planning to work on my Honors College senior thesis in June, so you'll probably hear about that, but most novels are paused except for jotting down ideas/notes, and for working on agents/queries. 

With that being said, I would love to hear any ideas for further posts this summer! I PROMISE I will get around to finishing up the last post I was tagged for, and I would really like to review The Rise of Skywalker or maybe Merlin once I've finished it. I'm also thinking of doing an "Ask Me Anything" post next month, but I am eagerly seeking out new ideas! I hope you are well...and I shall leave you now to tag yourself as a Pride and Prejudice character in quarantine: