Down the little road to Bethlehem..........

Hello, you awesome peoples!

It is exactly one week until Christmas!

Huzzah!

So, things have finally started to slow down around here, so I've actually been able to do some catching up in my schoolwork, and even do a bit of drawing.

Oh, and we went and watched The Hobbit, finally!

*Giggles*

It was brilliant. Loved it. (They did add a few things, like the Pale Orc, but I found it worked really well.)

Thorin is a brilliant dwarf..... Thorin and Kili were my absolute favorite dwarves.

I think I have a thing for brunettes. *wink*

Go watch it. It's worth it. It's amazing. And the action was very faithful to the Lord of the Rings style. 

Anyway, this post was not meant to be a fangirly thing, so I'm going to move on. 

I guest posted over at the lovely Stories in the Mind!!!! I'm so 'cited about it! :)

Also, a belated Picture Saturday, because I have been awful about it lately. 

The colors are actually a bit lighter, and the paper isn't warped like that, but grrrrrr. Oh well.

 I'm quite fond of the way Our Lady and Baby Jesus turned out.

The rhyme is from Little Road to Bethlehem, by Hayley Westenra

And now I'm going to go watch The Christmas Carol with the family.

Fred is my favorite character. He's so nice, even when Scrooge was a jerk. *sigh*

Goodbye! God bless!

And Merry Christmas!

Christmas-ness!

 I LOVE CHRISTMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSS!!!!!

*Cough* 

Christmas is coming up so fast. December is just whizzing by, and I feel like I'm missing it. It's like I'm rushing about madly trying to get everything done on time, and the days are just not long enough to:

I have also had another case of blogger's block. Which I hate. 

This means that my poor bloggy has been severely neglected. I mean.... there hasn't been a Picture Saturday in AGES! But I guess maybe that's a good thing? Christmas isn't really a time for spending hours on the computer. Hehehe. But hey ho. I want to post at least once a week, because I really love blogging. =)

FIVE RANDOM FACTS ABOUT CHRISTMAS:

1.) I believe Christmas trees are like seeing magic. 

2.) Every year at this time, I either get my sister to read aloud The Father Christmas Letters by J. R. R. Tolkien or read it myself. I love Tolkien's portrayal of Father Christmas and Polar Bear. 

3.) Tomorrow I'm planning on going out with Amy and Kat and getting some pine branches - or boughs, if you want to be all old fashioned - and make wreathes with them. Christmas decorations which smell like pine are the best. I may also have a photo shoot. Photo shoots are cool. (said in my Doctor Eleven voice)

4.) My sisters and I will most likely be going caroling when we're all feeling better. (we're currently quite ill with nasty colds, *hack hack*) We all sing, and it's been ages since we went caroling, so I'm quite excited to be doing it again. 

5.) Prolly going to go to The Hobbit tomorrow. I wanted to see it yesterday and the day before, but stuff kept coming up. Sadness! I can't wait to see Martin Freeman as Bilbo, or Richard Armitage as Thorin! Squeeeee!

I will leave you now, with a few Christmas songs. I'm very sorry for the shortness and haphazardness of these past few posts. I promise to do a well thought out one soon. :) 

Best female version of this song... her notes are so pure!

This is not one of the best flash mobs I've seen, but the end is brilliant and makes me cry. =)

And now I leave you all. 

I am going now. 

goodbye. 

An Unexpected Blog Party!!

Nessima is hosting an Unexpected Blog Party in anticipation for The Hobbit. And because I don't have time to think up a fantabulistically awesome Christmas post until Thursday-ish, I will participate... And also I'm sort of..... THRILLED about the movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......!!!!! Think I used enough exclamation points?

Okay. Here I go.

1.) How did you first hear about LOTR and the Hobbit
    Always known about it.  Always. My whole family are fans.

2.) How many times have you read LOTR/The Hobbit? Or have you yet to read it at all?
     I've read The Hobbit about four times, but I haven't read The Lord of the Rings....*flinches under the horrified stares of fellow bloggers* I'm planning to read them, but they are very high fantasy and I need to be in the mood. =)

3.) Would you name your child as a character after it?
     Erm..... Prol'ly not. I love the names and everything, but the probability of me naming a girl Eowyn or a boy Aragorn is not good. I'd be more likely to use 'em as nicknames. Lalalalalalalala.

4. What are your thoughts on Tom Bombadil? Do you think he should have been in the movie?    As I said, I have not read LOTR. *cough* But from what I heard, he was a happy, happy man, but not a necessary contribution to the plot.

5. Do you have a favorite piece of poetry from any of Tolkien's books?

All that is gold does not glitter

,Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.

6. Have you read any of Tolkien's work besides LOTR and/or The Hobbit?

    Yes, Farmer Giles of Ham is a very fun book. =)

7. Can you write in Tengwar?    Ooooh. Nope. Going to try to learn however:

8. Were you at all disappointed that Prince Imrahil wasn't in the movie?

    Who? 

9. What would happen if you and Denethor were put face to face?

    Oh there would be violence going down. But first I would teach him how to eat grape tomatoes.

Really? Who eats like that!?

10. Would you rather reside in Edoras or Minas Tirith?

     Edoras. I love Edoras.

11. What do you think of Eomer's armour?

     EPIC.

12. What do you think of Boromir?
     I think he was awesome. So maybe he was weak and he fell. But he is still awesome. In the end he did the right thing.

Whaaaaaaah!

13. Which is your favourite LOTR couple: Sam & Rosie, Aragorn & Arwen, or Faramir & Eowyn?

     Faramir and Eowyn. They're just so sweet, and they needed each other so much....

14. Did you shed any tears when Theoden died?

     Yes. Every time I watch the movie. Lots of tears. Lots. Copious ones. *sniff*

15. Which is the most terrifying of the following: orcs nabbing you in your sleep, giant spiders crawling out of tunnels and forests, Nazgul standing right over where you're hiding, or a ghost army that doesn't like you very much?

     Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkk! What are you trying to do, give me nightmares? Sheesh. Anway, I'd have to say either the giant spiders or the Nazgul.

16. How would you enjoy life as a hobbit? Would it be preferable to being something like, say an elf? Or a Ranger?

     Ooh, I'd enjoy life as a hobbit so much. So peaceful, so happy, so nice... Granted, elves are more beautiful, and Rangers are much more cool, but I'd live longer as a hobbit. :)

Until The Hobbit comes out, I bid you all a very fond farewell.

Ciao!

St. Nicholas Day and otherness.....

Hippy Happy Saint Nicholas Day!

A couple random things you may not have known about Saint Nicholas: 

1.) He was... real. 

2.) He delivered a blow to the face of the heretic Arius during the First Council of Nicaea. 

3.) He had barely grazed five feet in height. 

4.) He was a Catholic bishop. 

5.) His nose was broken. 

6.) He is also known as Father Christmas.

Be honest.... that makes Santa Claus way cooler now, doesn't it?!! *Smirk*

There is a tradition that we celebrate, in which the dear wee Saint visits good children's homes and leaves surprises in their shoes. (I'm fairly sure this is where the whole presents-in-stockings thing came around during Christmas time.... *nods knowingly*) 

I am now in possession of a mood ring. 

And chocolates. 

Father Christmas is lovely person. :)

Something about this picture is just so lovely, isn't it? 

We decorated the Christmas tree today. It looks flipping fantastical, if I do say so myself. (We did have some epic problems with the lights. Grrrrr. They were blinking.... and we didn't want them to blink. And then half the lights we'd already strung on the tree went out. *facepalm*) But gaaaaaah! I so much love Christmas that it's worth having to fix bad lights!!! SO. MUCH. LOVE. 

I reached the Eleventh Doctor. 

I quite love him, he's brilliant. And, um, he's quickly rising to second favorite. =)

My sister Kat finally started watching Doctor Who as well. 

She likes it. 

I may have addicted her. 

Unfortunately, we already gave the first four seasons back to the people who loaned them to us, so she jumped right in to Eleven. I sang the theme song for her and um... I may have ruined it for her. DoooooWEEEooooooooh! WEEEEoooooWAAAH!

She's making a clay TARDIS. It's so cool!

So, I know I have been absolutely awful when it comes to commenting on everyone's blogs. And I am so very, so very, very, so very, very, very, so very, very, very, very sorry. :) But we have company up visiting, and I always feel a little awkward saying, "Ciao, people! I'm off to spend an hour or so viewing the blogger world... Tralalalally! Fend for yourselves!" Therefore, until they go, my commenting will still be rare. I am reading all the posts though! :)

For your enjoyment........

My absolute favorite version of O Holy Night. None other can compare in my eyes. It's by Josh Groban. 

And the cutest Little Drummer Boy by Tennessee Ernie Ford.... (that last part, 'then he smiled at me'... adorable.)

And now that I have rambled most distressingly I will bid you all a very fond goodnight. x

I'm baaaack!

I did it! I won! I rocked my world. *Prances about in gleeful weirdness*

FIVE RANDOM FACTS!

1.) It was hard, NaNo. But I actually enjoyed it! The novel itself is a bit rubbish.... *cough* Actually, it's pretty good, it just needs a lot of editing and tightening up. 

2.) Spoilers!Spoilers!Spoilers!Spoilers!Spoilers!Spoilers!Spoilers!Spoilers!

     I went and watched Red Dawn with my sisters and a couple of friends. It was awesome until the end. Like.... it was really awesome. 

     And then about ten minutes before the end, a certain character died. 

And then I was like....

It. Was. The. Worst. Ending. EVER. It really turned me off the whole movie. Sniffle.

2.) Ahem. It is twelve days until The Hobbit comes out. 

3.) It's the first day of Advent! 

4.) I am planning on posting a Christmas song every time I post. Here's your first. You're welcome. 

5.) This LOLcat expresses my feeling on the season..... rather perfectly. 

And now I am done. 

God bless!

  

I take a moment from school and NaNo to say............

HAPPY DOCTOR WHO DAY!!

Yep, Whovians, you read that correctly. Today is Doctor Who Day. Why? Because  November 23rd is the anniversary of the broadcasting of the first ever Doctor Who episode.

So I'm planning on celebrating this momentous occasion by watching several episodes, overusing the word 'fantastic', and drooling over this:

And this: 

And this

And this

And this

I really want that.

And this-- A TARDIS keyring that holds emergency money! =)

*cough*

I must thank Mahri for pointing it out today, or I would have missed it. 

Ta-ta, Whovians! 

Fantastic!

Allons-y!

Geronimo!

Thanksgiving!!

Hallo everyone!

Yes, yes, I know I have not posted in a while. NaNo has been getting in the way of everything. I have also had a case of blogger's block, and I am sorry. That is all the apology you are going to get. =)

So, Happy Thanksgiving! Anyone else having a hard time believing it's late November?


In keeping with the spirit of the holiday:

Five Random Things I'm Thankful For:

1.) I know it's cliche, but I'm so thankful for my family! Big Italian families are the best. Fun, silly, loud... (like... loud. EVERYONE SHOUTS AT THE DINNER TABLE TO MAKE SURE THEIR STORY IS HEARD! AND TO ENSURE THAT THEIR STORY IS UNDERSTOOD FULLY, WE USE EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF HAND MOTIONS!!)

2.) My frikken awesome friends who don't mind that I am probably the weirdest person they've met.

3.) My doggies.

4.) 'Nuff said

5.) But most of all, I need to thank God, for blessing with so much awesomeness and allowing me to be born and raised in a Catholic home.

And now, I'm going to go enjoy the rest of the holiday and spend time with my family.

God bless!