New Year, Full Moon, Blue Moon

Say that five times fast... then have an extra-fun night! Tonight's not only New Year's Eve, but there'll be a blue moon out, too. Don't get too excited, though, the moon won't really be the color blue... when there's a second full moon in a single month, astronomers call it a "Blue Moon." They don't happen very often, so they're actually pretty special...and the last time there was a blue moon on New Year's Eve was waaay back in 1990!

Matchy Music:

Blue Moon mp3, by Atlas Sound, (via inkiostro)

Blue Moon Revisited mp3, by Cowboy Junkies, (via Largehearted Boy)

Easypeasy New Year's Pancakes

Yum. Kidlets will lovelovelove these. Visit Martha for the brilliantly supersimple directions.

* Quick Reminder for Pet Parents: Please remember that this (and most other human food) was created for humans, and shouldn't be shared with furry friends, most especially dogs. This is a good thing... it means... MORE FOR YOU!

The Daily Puppy

Bookmark this site for a daily dose of photogenic canine cuteness :)

Top Twelve of The Past Ten

Can you believe that it's going to be a brand new year, of a brand new decade? These are my very favorite movies of the past ten years (now, I'm not claiming that these are the best movies of the past decade...they're simply my favorite movies of the past decade!)


I chose to list twelve movies just because... most lists seem to list ten things (ever wonder why that is...?) My selections are in no meaningful order (which explains why my list has wonderlandy nonsequential numbers), and I didn't have any supersnazzy selection criteria, but I did notice some universal themes after reflection. Each movie on my list, is, in some way:

*) funny

*) romantic

*) rewatchable

*) visually interesting

*) uses music in an artful way


...I think rewatchableness is the key factor that really turns a "good movie" into a true personal favorite. There were a lot of great movies during the past ten years (Once, Slumdog Millionaire, etc.), but, for me, the movies that I actually enjoy watching again & again are the ones that wind up taking an extra-special place in my heart :)



So here they are:

3) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind



1) Amelie



7) Shaun of the Dead


2) Moulin Rouge



8) Love, Actually




12) Lars and the Real Girl



6) 500 Days of Summer



4) Penelope



10) Being John Malkovich



5) Wall-E



9) The Jane Austen Book Club



11) Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day


Go see them. If you already have, maybe go see them again.

Happy Merry Everything

Hope your holidays are filled will all things wonderful...

Matchy Music:

Christmas Don't Be Late mp3; the Chipmunks-free, Rosie Thomas cover version (via the always-wonderful Coverlaydown.)

100 Holiday Crafts Links

Looking for a way to keep your on-break-big-kids from going bananasbored at home? Visit the long thread for 100 crafty links that help keep minds and fingers busybeebusy.

Mixtapery Masters Free CD Printables & Such

Don't mixtape CDs make the bestest stocking stuffers? Head over to Smile and Wave for a supertutorial on how to make an excellent mix CD... then print out the free (and gender-neutral) CD sleeve... YAY!

Brit-Critters Christmas Song

Brought to you by the BBC's Nature Site, Breathing Spaces.

Silly, Sunny, Stay Here Sunday

Actually Adorable FREE Xmas Gift Tags

Orange You lucky! has made (and is sharing!) the most lovely little holiday gift tags with supercute characters & fun, punchy colors (go take a peek...)

FREE Snowman Christmas Candy Bar Printables

Ohh... aren't these wrap-around chocolate bar labels so cute (and wouldn't they make fastandeasy classmate/teacher giftlets)? They're free for the printing on Laurie Furnell's blog :) YAY!

Warm & Safe Winter

Have you heard this Beachboysypretty Christmas song? You will lovelovelove it:

Keep Me Warm And Safe This Winter mp3, by Creaky Boards (via the indiemusicdb.)

FREE Christmas Shopping List Printables

Jinjerup's latest holiday freebies will make your Christmas a leeeetle more cheery: download her free, superpretty, superBRIGHT & superhappy listlets :)

She also has these adorable little Christmas tree treat boxes up, too:

That's Right, I Like John Denver

Best Christmas album of all time...

Ultimate Greenery: Living Christmas Trees

Does chopping down a tree every year sorta make you sad for the tree...? Then check out The Living Christmas Tree in Torrance, CA. They rent out potted Christmas trees, and you can even reserve the same tree year after year (which makes for sweet family photos; watch the tree grow as your kidlets do the same.) They even deliver your tree friend straight to your door (YAY!)

Personal Jesus Sunday

Lisa meets Depeche Mode. My own musical version of chocolate & peanut butter...

Dear Santa Stuff...

Childishy, Wishlist-Worthy Etsy Pretties:

Best Christmas Music Evvvvva

Linus and Lucy mp3, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio (via a freeman)

Cozy Christmas Fisher Price People

I used to loveloveLOVE my Fisher Price farm and house and schoolbus and...

Take a peek at how Obsessively Stitching bundled up her little people for the winter... too cute!

Winter Pretty

“On the first day of winter,
the earth awakens to the cold touch of itself.
Snow knows no other recourse except
this falling, this sudden letting go
over the small gnomed bushes, all the emptying trees.
Snow puts beauty back into the withered and malnourished,
into the death-wish of nature and the deliberate way
winter insists on nothing less than deference.
Waiting all its life, snow says, “Let me cover you.”
- Laura Lush, The First Day of Winter

Matchy Music: Winter mp3, by Jenna Nichols (via 2 U I Bestow.)

Pinecone Christmas Crafts

When I was in preschool, we painted pinecones to look like christmas trees (sort of like the snowy ones shown here, from The Light Garden.) My Nature's Gifts Workshop is coming up this Wednesday, and we'll be making little trees, too, except we'll be sprinkling ours with forest fairy dust! (yes, forest fairy dust...I have connections...) Painted pinecones look really cute as ornaments, and when we were kidlets, my brother and I used them to create a woodland around our nativity scene. Really, you can use pinecones in a millionzillion ways (just take a peek at the two cool ideas shown below from Country Living.)

Pineconey things to remember: Pinecones are pretty flammable, so use extra care around fireplaces, candles, etc. You'll also want to be sure to keep your pinecones away from curious little puppy mouths (some dogs will try to eat them... and as you might imagine, because of their pointy/resiny design, they aren't the most easily digestable snack...)

All My Bells Are Ringing

Yay for girly tunes!

Lenka - All My Bells Are Ringing

LENKA MySpace Music Videos

Stocking Stuffer Sale

YaHOO! All my little Etsy jewelry trinkets are now on sale, and just in time for the holidays! There's lots of fun puppy, pony, kitten, and kidlet-inspired indie statement rings, plus my cozy matchbox fairy house necklaces and supergirly days-of-the-week button ring sets. So start stocking up on your stocking stuffers (then say that five times fast!) Use the top secret codeword phrase in your notes during checkout and receive a free little giftlet with your purchase.

Top Secret Codeword Phrase: "Anything But Fruitcake"

Happy shopping :)

Santa's Nice Notes

Visit The Toymaker to print these free cute little cards (perfect for gift tags or maybe even for topping off stockings...)

Nice Matchy Music:

Winter Wonderland mp3, by A Fine Frenzy (via Cover Lay Down.)

Naughty Matchy Music:

Santa Claus mp3, by Belle and Sebastian (via Second Sixeyes.)

Tiny Tree Place Cards

Martha has lots of fun ideas up on her site right now for the holidays. Don't you love these tiny christmas trees? What an easily adaptable idea, and so, so cute!

Excuse Me, but YUM!

Candy cane shot glasses?...Yay for amazon :)

There's No Snow Here For Christmas

A SoCaly song...

There's No Snow Here For Christmas mp3, by Microfilm (via pampelmoose.)

Easy, Creative DIY Gift Ideas

Instead of things, consider giving an experience: