Some Edited Pictures

Christmas TV Shows

No matter what the occasion, I always love to watch TV shows and movies according to whatever holiday or season it is, just to make things a bit more festive. It seems that I've slacked off a bit this year when it comes to Christmas, so I've been cramming a ton of stuff into the past couple days. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites from over the years and now. 

Gilmore Girls:

In the 7 seasons that Gilmore Girls was on, they only had one true Christmas episode, well technically two, but they don't really mention it all that much in the first one! This one was the season that Amy Sherman Palladino (the creator and head writer) decided to leave, needless to say, it was a little out of character for the girls. Especially since Christopher was in the picture and trying to run the show with his daughter, even though the girls usually do things their way. However, my favorite part of the entire episode is the "monkey, monkey, underpants" bit that Lorelai does in the kitchen. It's a total classic moment for her, and I realize just how much we are alike. 

Full House:

I always loved the Full House holiday shows because they were always full of Christmas cheer, as well as a moral or lesson in the end. The Tanner family was always so warm and inviting with their witty banter with one another or crazy obstacles in the middle that they had to overcome, and they always remembered the true meaning of Christmas in the end. They just always seemed like the kind of family I would want to hang out with. For so long, I kept thinking someday maybe our families would combine, because I played out many a daydream with my family, but unfortunately that never happened. I always wanted an uncle Jesse.....

 Glee: 

This is the Christmas episode from season 2. I was starting to get a little annoyed with the characters, when out of the blue, this pretty little episode comes out and just blows me away. It felt like a nice break away from the normalness of the show, yet still stuck with a storyline. And the soundtrack to this show is FANTASTIC. They picked a few classics, and a few of the lesser appreciated songs and made them extra festive with plenty of jingle bells and beautiful harmonies. That CD never fails to put me in a perky mood. 

 The Office: 

Apparently, The Office is known for its Christmas episodes, because after the first season, it put the show on the map. After watching all of them, I have to say, they know how to throw a mean Christmas party. Also, that's the kind of gathering I would want to be part of. I'd especially want to hang out with Jim and Pam as they add their commentary to everything about Dwight's crazy doings and Michael trying to pull off some crazy scheme. The chemistry these guys have are just crazy and hilarious. 

 Lizzie McGuire:

I remember when Disney Channel had the best holiday shows. I would always get so excited on Christmas Eve, knowing that they'd be playing a marathon of all of my favorite episodes from Lizzie McGuire to Even Stevens and That's So Raven. But, Lizzie was always my number one. She was everything I wanted to be (part of that might have just been with Hilary Duff being Lizzie too). I feel like she really connected to girls growing up at the same time and reminded them of what life and Christmas are really about. It used to give me butterflies just thinking about all of the excitement. 

Friends: 

They always had some of THE best holiday episodes ever! They seemed to capture the gist of how the holidays go; the baking, the arguments, the annoying habits, etc. And let's face it... The one with the holiday armadillo is just the funniest thing ever! As well as The one with the routine. The images of Ross and Monica dancing at the Dick Clark New Years Rockin Eve party just don't leave. That's something to carry around with you when you're having a bad day. I promise you'll instantly laugh. 

Growing Pains: 

Maybe it's because I'm an only child, but I just always loved the sibling relationships between Mike, Carol and Ben Seaver, especially around the holidays. The schemes were kicked up a notch, the sarcasm from Mike was heavier, and if it's possible, Jason was always even more knowledgable, which made him extra annoying, yet dad-like at the same time, and Maggie was  even more sentimental. I just loved this family.

Boy Meets World: 

One of the best TV shows EVER! This one was all about life lessons, so you can bet there were plenty to go around in the Christmas episodes. Cory and the gang just really know how to make people laugh and bring everyone together. They're a great group! 

There are a ton of others I could name off, but basically any classic 90s TV show is a winner. I think it really highlighted the best moments and the worst moments of families, and even reminded audiences of what Christmas was really all about. I grew up with all of these families in some strange way, so spending the holidays with them as I get older, still reminds me of simpler times when I was younger. 

That's all for now,

Shelby

Jonas Brothers Concert

Footage from the concert! 

I finally got around to putting together a short video of the Jonas Brothers concert together! What an amazing show that was! I can't wait to see them again live, hopefully soon.

That's all for now,

Shelby

Christmas Weekend

Well, I can't believe we're already at the weekend before Christmas. Actually, the weekend is over and we're welcoming in Christmas Eve. Where has the time gone? It feels like yesterday was just Thanksgiving and we were still getting all of the decorations, music, and movies out to put to use, and here we are already almost getting ready to put them away.

It seems like there used to be so much time as a kid to truly enjoy the season, and even a bit in high school. There were Christmas parties to plan and performances to attend, whether it was with the choir or a play at school, and the older you get, the less festivities there are to get wrapped up in. I used to look so forward to all of those things, but now that I'm in college, there aren't many things other the usual movie watching and listening to music to do, or there just isn't enough time. Its been especially hard to do a lot of things on the weekends that we might usually do, like going out to CALM's holiday lights or trying things out in LA, because my dad works, but it has still been a really wonderful season.

Saturday:
Saturday, my dad had to work, so my mom and I stayed home all day. I slept in a little bit, but still woke up way earlier than usual, which was strange for me, but nice. We didn't do anything all day; I watched Boy Meets World, made collages, and other random things, just taking it easy (as always). I tried to help my mom program our garage door opener to the button in our car, but that did not work out like we wanted it to once again. I have to say it was pretty entertaining for us just trying, though.  But, as you can see, I had a lot of time for surfing the web and finding pointless things.

Throwback when I wrote Patrick Dempsey a letter and he sent this back! :) He's awesome!

Later that night, I made a Christmas playlist to get me in the festive mood, while getting ready for dinner with my grandparents. My parents and I met up with them at Outback. We hadn't really eaten all day, so I was starving, and completely out of it. I was quiet most of the time, not really feeling like I had much to say about anything, but it was still a lot of fun. And the food was delicious! 

When we finished dinner, we said goodbye to my grandparents and came back to our house, then out again to Target. I ended up buying Something Borrowed and some festive Kardashian nail polish, so I was extremely excited. We stopped for ice cream at McDonald's after that, which meant our last peppermint treats of the season, more than likely, and headed out to a pretty well known area in town for Christmas lights. Not only are they gorgeous houses, but everyone tends to go all out for it. We listened to Christmas music and laughed a ton, whether it was crazy singing or quoting Elf. Plus, we saw Santa and one of his elves walking down the street, which is not something you see everyday, even during Christmas. 

We came home. I watched The Office, and went to bed a few hours later.

Sunday:

"This is my favorite day!"

Angela (The Office)

Yesterday was the special Christmas service at church. We sang a couple songs during worship like Joy To The World, and a few regular worship songs, which was nice. The service was incredible. Our pastor talked about how Christmas is all about hope. Jesus changed everything when He came to this earth, and that was the whole point. We can have strength, security and serenity, knowing that God has everything under control even when we have no clue what we're doing. 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you...Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." 

John 14:27

(one of my favorite verses and themes for the year)

We visited with a good family friend after the service, and headed out to lunch after that. We ate at PF Changs, which is one of my favorites, and it did not disappoint this time. And for some reason, our waitress reminded me of Emma Stone! She was fun and had a perky attitude. When we finished, we headed home, rocking out to Nsync, which was AWESOME! But, when we got back to our house, my dad realized he'd forgotten his phone, so we turned back around. Luckily, that only took about 5 seconds, then we ran into Target. It seems that we've practically lived there this week for pretty much everything we've needed. Not that I'm complaining, seeing as I love Target, just merely making an observation. It wasn't as busy as I was thinking it would be, so we were able to get in and out. 

We came home, and I spent the rest of the afternoon in a pretty relaxed state. I wasn't feeling the greatest, so I made my room dark except for the Christmas lights around my window, while watching The Holiday. I turned my phone off and simply watched the movie. That's not something I do very often, but it was nice not feeling obligated to keep checking my phone, like some big offer was about to come my way and I couldn't miss it. I forgot just how much I love the movie. 

When I was done, I joined my parents in the living room where we watched a ton of festive recorded programs from our DVR, like Lady Antebellum's Christmas concert, CMA Country Christmas, and later on, Christmas with the Kranks. We ordered pizza and just relaxed! But even I had trouble staying awake during the Kranks. I was feeling incredibly wiped out, and it didn't help that the room was dimly lit with only our Christmas tree glowing really. 

Around 10:30 or so, we ran to the store to get some last minute things for Christmas dinner. We weren't there long at all, and I got an itunes card, so I'd say it was a pretty successful trip. It was a little too empty when we walked outside. It felt like one of those moments in movies when people get mugged, because there's absolutely no one else around to witness it. Kinda freaked me out, but we were in the car again soon enough.

I spent the rest of the night buying a few things on itunes, wrapping a couple presents, watching Christmas episodes of my favorite shows, and editing pictures. I was feeling extremely sick and knew I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, so I might as well get something accomplished. I also finally watched the Christmas episode of The Vampire Diaries. I was pretty impressed, but I'm hating the Damon and Elena scenes right now. I know it'll serve a purpose later on in the season, but still...We've all just waited too long for this moment to come. Why does it have to start out like this???

Anyway, that's all for now,

Shelby :)

Favorite Christmas Movies

I really love Christmas/Holiday movies, no matter how cheesy or predictable they are. In fact, most of the time that's why I like them. They're cute and they represent the season well, and makes life just a little more enchanting for a couple hours. Here are some of my favorites:

The Holiday// The Santa Clause// Elf// Just Friends

 While You Were Sleeping// Christmas with the Kranks// Christmas Vacation// A Very Brady Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas// Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer// Frosty The Snowman// The Polar Express

I feel like I've really slacked in either paying attention to the movies I've watched this year or I haven't watched many of the classics I love at all. I have, however, seen a TON of Lifetime and Hallmark, so much in fact that I think if I didn't watch another one again, I'd be okay. Especially since Lifetime's were really lame this year. Hallmark's were fantastic, though. I really need to get cracking on watching some tonight.

What are some of your favorite movies? Again, comment below or "@" reply to me on Twitter.

With love,

Shelby

Christmas Weekend Playlist

I decided to compile a playlist of some of my favorite holiday tunes and ended up with 65. What can I say? I love music. I tried to make it a mixture of some of my favorite cheerful original tunes, as well as some of the classics that just set a calming mood. I also tried to put a variety of artists from country to pop to mix it up a little, so it doesn't all sound exactly the same. Hope you enjoy!

• Greatest Time of Year-Aly&AJ
• My Only Wish (This Year)- Britney Spears
• Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!-Martina McBride
• Tennessee Christmas- Alabama
• Christmas Memories-Alabama
• Hard Candy Christmas-Dolly Parton
• The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting)-Martina McBride
• This Gift- 98 Degrees
• Mistletoe- Justin Bieber
• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer- Alan Jackson
• Santa Claus Is Coming To Town- Justin Bieber
• Oh Santa!- Mariah Carey
• Deck The Rooftop- Glee Cast
• Don't Save It All For Christmas Day-Celine Dion
• A Baby Changes Everything- Faith Hill
• O Come All Ye Faithful- Martina McBride
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing- Carrie Underwood
• Santa Claus Lane- Hilary Duff
• Christmas Must Be Something More- Taylor Swift
• There's A New Kid In Town- George Strait (the original)
• Rockin Around The Christmas Tree- LeAnn Rimes
• Where Are You Christmas- Faith Hill
• We Need A Little Christmas- Glee Cast
• Tell Me A Story- Hilary Duff and Lil Romeo
• Away In A Manger- Brad Paisley
• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen- Rascal Flatts
• Do You Hear What I Hear- Carrie Underwood
• Silver Bells- Lady Antebellum
• Winter Wonderland- Martina McBride
• A Different Kind of Christmas- LeAnn Rimes
• My Grown Up Christmas List- Kelly Clarkson
• Happy Christmas (War Is Over)- Celine Dion
• All I Want For Christmas Is You- Lady Antebellum
• All I Want For Christmas- LeAnn Rimes
• Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)- Lady Antebellum
• Home This Christmas- Justin Bieber and The Band Perry
• Christmas Eve- Celine Dion
• Miss You Like Christmas- LeAnn Rimes
• Christmases When You Were Mine- Taylor Swift
• On This Winter's Night- Lady Antebellum
• Baby, It's Cold Outside-Martina McBride
• Christmastime is Here- Everly
• I Don't Want To Spend One More Christmas Without You- Nsync
• Christmas Wish-98 Degrees
• Same Old Christmas- Hilary and Haylie Duff
• Home For Christmas- Nsync
• I Never Knew The Meaning Of Christmas- Nsync
• The First Noel- Carrie Underwood
• Deck The Halls-Aly&AJ
• Sleigh Ride-Everly
• Last Christmas- Hilary Duff
• Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays- Nsync
• All I Want Is You This Christmas- Nsync
• When The Snow Comes Down In Tinseltown- Hilary Duff
• The Magic Of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)- Celine Dion
• Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas- Everly
• Let It Snow- Aly&AJ
• Silent Night- Martina McBride
• What Christmas Should Be- Hilary Duff
• If Every Day Could Be Christmas- 98 Degrees
• These Are The Special Times-Celine Dion
• Another Year Has Gone By- Celine Dion
• A Holly Jolly Christmas- Lady Antebellum
• All I Want For Christmas Is You- Mariah Carey
• The Most Wonderful Day Of The Year- Glee Cast

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs? Albums? Please share on Twitter or in the comments below :)

With love, 

Shelby