Enter the Holidays

We'll continue to be in and out of the office - so if you're looking for a gift subscription, don't despair! - people are still dropping by for magazines, cards, calendars - but this blog will go on hiatus now until we resume full time January 7th. Peace on Earth, Good Will to All Hands.

(Image: flickr.)

The Modern Creche: Lobsters Required

One of the many nice touches in Love Actually are the references to today's school Nativity play. You may remember that Emma Thompson's daughter is assigned to play a lobster, while a lovestruck Hugh Grant later helps escort a child in an octopus costume to the same theatrical event. When my daughter was in the primary school Christmas play, she was a space alien. The standard roles have truly evolved.

(Image: a flower Nativity from go.mexico.com.)

It's a Christmas moment - cue the snow!

Yesterday evening I was lucky enough to attend a party that was not only fun in itself, but was set on a perfect mid-December night of no wind, delicate falls of snow, and street after street of gorgeously decorated houses. Which reminds me - gotta get that perfect tree...

(Image: jonlasich.info.)

Bearing stress we wander afar

The no. 1 wish on many people's gift list is - less stress. By which they often mean less pressure, less rush, less expectations - even less gifts (given & received). Next time you find yourself in a long line-up pushing a cart loaded with canapes or doodads, thinking, why am I doing this? well, that might be a sign to really ask: Why are you doing this? Because you always have? Because you feel you should? Or because you really want to? Dial it back, keep it simple, keep (or create) the rituals that are meaningful to you. (And don't stress about not being able to de-stress! Just stop for a minute, have a nice latte, make at least a small pocket of peace.)

(Image: flickr.com.)

Festive Dos

Not being much of a shopper, I lucked into a nice Little Black Dress a while back - roughly 900 years back, in fashion time. The V-neck has a slight ruffle; the skirt has an extra skim of sheer material. I've worn it about a million times. it is my one and only go-to party frock. You may be more daring, or at least less boring, so here's a site chockablock with fashion advice for the Season.

(Image: littleblackdress.magzine.com)

Vintage Christmas

Christmas rituals carmelize in childhood - this would explain why I have such a hankering for a pink artificial tree, circa the '70s. One person's travesty is another's tradition I guess. Perhaps this vintage card (image: typed.com.) is something we can all consider fairly tasteful.

City of Christmas Lights

Paris being the City of Lights (they actually have a team of people who work fulltime designing and illuminating various Paris landmarks, which must be in the Top 10 coolest jobs ever) so a Paris of the Christmas Lights must be spectacular. Try these tips if you'd like to bring a little je ne sais quoi into the season.

(Image: expat-blog.com.)

Christmas Dos 'n Don'ts

There are lots of etiquette lists out there - do be polite, don't tank up on rum and eggnog and decide to tell your boss exactly what you think of him or her - but here's something you definitely shouldn't try.

(Image: imagebuilders.com.)

Walking in the Air

Here's a gorgeous piece of music, beautifully attuned to the season without being a traditional carol. And, unlike Bad Santa (which I still stand by as an appropriate and even necessary film under very specific conditions), this clip, and the film as a whole, is a classic for all.

(Image: allelectricproductions.)

Christmas Carols: some love 'em, some wish they would -

...while some people really love Christmas carols, I mean they truly really do, others find a seemingly endless loop of "Frosty" and "Silver Bells" intercut with "Blue Christmas" is enough to, well, get them in a sadly un-Christmasy frame of mind. And the thing about feeling this way is it's a social gaffe, and practically against the law, to admit that you're less then Ho-Ho-Happy this time of year. If you are feeling a bit stressed, or even just a bit blah, here's a great advice column (this runs at salon.com and is usually quite excellent).

(Image: from blogspot, a still from Bad Santa. If you're in the mood for it, it's a classic.)

NQs Delivered

We've just finished our retail run, dropping off packages of magazines all over town - Afterwords Bookstore, Auntie Crae's (the last issue sold out there!), Sweet Relic, The Rooms. It's a two-person job, with Circulation Manager Linda Jackman at the wheel, and myself hopping over snowbanks and running in and out of stores. Kind of like a series of stick-ups, only in reverse as we leave stuff.

(Image: blogspot.com.)

Heist Films

After running around like a fool on Saturday (made a batch of truffles, hit the gym, took some notes at the new exhibition at Christina Parker - you should see the new Janice Udell!) I did the best Saturday afternoon thing ever, which is watch a matinee. I saw Armored, which was not half bad at all, and may I now personally state that my admiration for Matt Dillon remains firm. One reason the film succeeds is that is a compact and competent heist film, a most enjoyable genre. Here's a take on the heist's Top 10.

(Image: wordpress.com.)

102.3 Mailout

Almost a go...

(Image: fiddlers.green.net.)

Magi, Stars

Some people have had their Christmas trees up for three weeks. When did this start? Maybe it was all those icicle lights that were all the rage about ten years ago...in any case it's pointless to argue over the rising tide of Christmas decore and they do brighten the early winter. I myself have been scouting for stars of Bethlehem, those sweet white flowers named for the resemblance to the bright star that guided the Magi. And speaking of which, for a classic take on the approaching fete, here's the O. Henry tale:

...But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

(Image: allthingschristmas.com.)

Abraham's Diary

If you missed this beautifully calibrated radio feature, which aired Monday and Tuesday on Ideas, Battery Radio aka Chris Brookes has a great site, lots of listening, lots of info.

(Image: batteryradio.com.)

New show @ CPG

The Christina Parker Gallery opens From the Studio III this Saturday, art from the gallery stable including Tom Hammick, whose work has an intriguing sweet depth, along with Grant Boland's lucent still lifes, what looks like some gorgeous nightscapes from NQ blog fav Laurie Leehane, and more. (The painting is by Tom Hammick, courtesy reeselliott.co.uk.)