Wrapping

I love picking out and wrapping Christmas presents. I credit my best friend Marina with teaching me that well-wrapped small treasures always make the best gifts. For example, Emma's treats this year: a deck of cards with 3D images of dogs, and secret message writing pens. Here they are, ready to go.

Wish List

An Upstate New York getaway-- only $65,000

Twelve Drummers (or Synthesizers) Drumming

Q: What sounds does a drum make?
A: Ratatat

Ratatat's "Cherry"

Eleven Pipers Piping

My knowledge of video games ended when they still looked like this. Even then I wasn't good, and was excited to get to this (the 2nd) level. The basement of our house in college had a lot of exposed pipes, and I would hum the theme song from this level every time I walked on the way to do my laundry.

Ten Lords A-Leapin'

Actually, just one. But he's as awesome as ten.

Christopher Walken in Fat Boy Slim's "Weapon of Choice"

Nine Ladies Dancing

Best dance movie ever? Probably.

From Center Stage

Eight Maids A-Milkin'

Unfortunately, Hamilton & Meg Swan (aka, personal heroes of Marina's and mine) have no interest in the maids and their milkin'. Because of the lactose.

From Christopher Guest's Best in Show

Seven Swans A-Swimmin'

Here's an image from the illustrated version of The Ugly Duckling I had growing up. I was delighted to find that Emma also enjoyed this story, and she (per usual) had an especially astute observation, "the baby swan is really not that ugly. What's the big deal?"

Six Geese A-Layin'

This is the final scene from Fly Away Home, a wonderful children's movie I watched over & over again from the (appropriate) age of 13 until, well, the end of college when I finally got rid of my VCR.

Five Golden Rings

Here's a slightly terrifying (and heavily Photoshopped) photo of what Meredith looked like when she played Gollum in a Lord of the Rings sketch. Every time I hang out with her and Stiggy together, they reminisce about their thespian days, always prefacing their stories with, "We were in this sketch comedy group..." even though I'm well aware of that fact by now.

Four Calling Birds

Behold the Pylones birds. My friend Kate, who I studied abroad with in Paris, gave me one for my 21st birthday. While bringing it back to the Etats-Unis, it chirped in my suitcase the whole way. Matilda loves it and its little chirp chirps too.

Three (or More) French Hens

Well, these hens technically live outside of Seattle. This image is from kids + other pets, a lovely blog kept by a friend of Marina's. Reading it tends to make me want to just leave Brooklyn behind, move to a farmhouse, and raise chickens.

Two Turtle Doves

The most delicious of all the days! (In my version at least)

Turtles.

Dove.

Partridge in a (Peach, Plum) Pear Tree

Joanna Newsom performing "Peach Plum Pear"

This is the first song of hers I ever heard. Cheesy as it might sound, it's safe to say, it changed my life.

To: The Blog-o-sphere, Merry Christmas! From: Reappropriate This

In my theologically savvy family, we always actually followed the liturgical calender for Christmas celebrations. This means: the tree goes up the 3rd Sunday of Advent and it comes down on Epiphany (January 6th). The wise men from our nativity set usually had to hang out over on the piano or something, and wait until the 6th to join the fun. So we're a little bit strange, but it's nice to remember that there are actually twelve days of Christmas, beginning tomorrow! In order to celebrate, I'll be adding a carol-inspired post each day for the entire Christmas season.

Merry Christmas to all!

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