Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah/Chanuka, or something entirely different or nothing at all, I hope you have the happiest of days and get to spend time with friends and loved ones or otherwise doing something that makes you happy. This is a short and busy week for me as well as most of us, I assume, so I am keeping today's Music Monday/4M short and simple. I have two songs to share - the first is one of my favorite lighthearted songs of the season and the other is a repeat appearance from Christmases past. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know it's just not a Christmas post from me without its inclusion:
Jose Feliciano - Feliz Navidad
Jimmy Fallon, Tracy Morgan, Chris Kattan and Horatio Sanz - I Wish It Was Christmas Today
For more music, head to Dolly's to listen - and play along!
As for me? It's usually just another day, but this time I am feeling it. This month is going by so fast, and I just can't seem to find time to get it all done.
Oh. Howdy!
This month also just keeps bringing a plethora of new things, especially on the blog hop front. There's always Music Monday, then earlier this month I participated in the Mix Tape Shuffle. Now? There's a new hop I'm excited to try to join up with called Battle of the Bands.
The rules are pretty simple - pick two recordings of a particular song to "do battle." Twice per month, on the 1st and 15th. Link up, and visitors to your blog can cast their vote for their favorite. Six days later, cast your own vote and declare a winner. I consider myself somewhat of a cover/tribute afficianado, so you know this is right up my alley! (Edited for future reference (though not part of the rules) I will probably never throw an original into the ring, so to speak).
First off, we have the legendary Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl". This is the original, and therefore not part of the "battle."
Now, I will ask you to listen to the two songs below (or at least enough of them to get a feel for what they sound like) and vote for which one you like better. Or least worse, whichever the case may be!
In 1996, Brooklyn Gothic/Doom Metal band Type O Negative covered "Cinnamon Girl" for their fourth studio album, October Rust.
Iconic 90's alt-rockers The Smashing Pumpkins also covered "Cinnamon Girl" and included it on the 2012 bonus CD reiussue of Pisces Iscariot.
Now.....for the rest of Music Monday. It's back to a Christmas song and I've been really in the mood for more from Etta James, so here she is singing "The Little Drummer Boy".
Isn't it just divine? For more Music Monday, be sure to visit X-Mas Dolly and Battle of the Bands. As always, if you have a music meme, be sure to mention it in the comments so I can participate here and pass it along!
I am so, so, so excited to be hosting a little holiday shindig of sorts here on the blog and linking up with the ladies from the Mix Tape Shuffle! There is even a linky, something I've never done on the blog before....and I hope YOU will stay here for a bit and have some fun with me, then head over to the other "parties." Or, if you've come from there, that you'll hang out here for a while. I promise we'll have fun!
So, like everything else this month, the theme is holiday music. BUT, holiday music that is open to interpretation, so my playlist - just like me - is what I'd like to consider quirky. Traditional carols and religious music (if you're religious) are an important part of the holidays, but they have a time and place...and this is not the time or place. And to those of you who know me, you'll be happy to learn that I didn't just throw on A Twisted Christmas and call it a day. (though A Twisted Christmas is awesome and I really love how they've updated some old favorites!) Since I also already shared B.B. King's "Blue Decorations" and Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Wizards In Winter", I won't be including those here. So without further ado, come on inside, grab some hors d'oeuvres and the beverage of your choice, and let's have some fun, shall we?
Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run
We have to get things rolling with some Chuck. Really. It's just the only way.
Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas
Elvis will be having a blue Christmas without you, and we can't have that, now can we? (Yes, I know he's no longer with us. Just go with me here, folks.)
Blink 182 - I Won't Be Home For Christmas
Well, that's just not good.
My Chemical Romance - All I Want For Christmas Is You
Because all MCR wants for Christmas is you.
The Eagles - Please Come Home For Christmas
Pretty please? Because that will make The Eagles happy, happy once again.
Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Whew. Because we could use a little Christmas cheer up in here.
Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby
What? Someone's got to read my list out to Santa.
Otis Redding - Merry Christmas Baby
Yeah! Now we're talking!
Brian Setzer - Rocking Around The Christmas Tree
Yeah! Now we're rocking! I knew we'd all be home for Christmas and having a good ol' time!
The Killers - Don't Shoot Me Santa
Oh, no. Who spiked the Egg Nog and made Santa mad? Brandon Flowers has been a clean living boy, he promises you!
Lemmy Kilmister (featuring Dave Grohl and Billy Gibbons) - Run Rudolph Run
No, really. Run this time, Rudolph!
Blues Traveler - Christmas
And to close out our little party, just a little nod to the holiday by one of my all-time favorite bands.
Thank you so much for stopping by - I hope you had as much fun as I did! Be sure to head to the shuffle to listen to all the other Holiday Mix Tapes!
We are now into the second day of December and here at Casa Belle, holiday preparations are being pushed farther and farther behind. I am exhausted from work and housework and trying to help get my sons ready to leave for their three-week out-of-town construction stint, and so that leaves us roughly tomorrow before work and tomorrow night after work to get the tree put together as a family. (HEY! It could happen!) On that note...
I've decided not to break out the big tree this year. There are only three of us here, none of us are getting big gifts, and as I said before, two will be gone in a few days and won't be coming back till the 22nd. It just doesn't make sense to make a big production out of decorating. So in an attempt to make things simpler, tomorrow evening we will get the Christmas music going. We will nosh on appetizer-type foods and I will have a glass of wine while I polish my fabulous mid-century bar, plunk a 2 foot tree on top of it, and hang our stockings on it via our stocking holders. Obviously, I'll fill out the vignette at some point soon, but tomorrow's goal before the boys leave is to get the tiny lights on the tiny tree and get the stockings hung on the bar. Easy peasy. Pics when I get the entire thing done. Maybe.
Today's Coffee Chat topic is "What are some of your favourite pre-holiday preparations?" And yes, this was about the closest I could get. I've never really "prepared" for the holidays other than getting a tree up bit by bit and a few presents under it. I've never hosted parties or dinners since my schedule always directly conflicts with everyone elses, but I wish I could! Because you know I could host the hell out of an amazing party!
And one of the songs you'd surely hear at any holiday party of mine is this one:
Blue Decorations - B.B. King
I do hope we'd all be feeling Christmas-y, though! Be sure to come back Thursday to see what else I've included for my holiday edition of the Mix Tape Shuffle!
Indeed. Thanksgiving has come and gone. For the first time in my life, I actually cooked Thanksgiving Dinner for myself and my two sons. It was pretty tasty, if I do say so myself! I am not a cook, but my bird turned out okay and I did not burn the house down. So yay for that! Gives me confidence to jump in for round 2 at Christmas!
Unfortunately, I did not get a good shot of the turkey, but feel free to have some dessert....
That's Chocolate Pecan Pie on the left, and New York Style Cheesecake on the right. And they were both YUMMY! (And yes, I totally used my chest freezer as a buffet. (What? You don't?) Between the approaching holidays, working two jobs, and having cable techs come in earlier in the day, I feel I did good just to get dinner done at all.) At least it was an opportunity to use some of my vintage dishes including my Pyrex Peach Lustreware pie plate and my Homer Laughlin Priscilla plates (note: image from link is not mine). And since I had to work Thanksgiving, this was dinner Wednesday night, and since it was at night, it was dark, and I didn't have any natural light to work with. But I will just go ahead and put this out there - I am terrible at staging and taking photos, especially with the iPhone. So any tips and tricks you can send my way, feel free to!
Black Friday has come and gone. I pulled a 5:30PM-5:30AM shift, and it was pretty brutal. But now things are slowly winding back down to the regular hectic pace of the holidays from the superhyperohboyholdontoyourseats hectic of this weekend.
As promised, there is music. All of the music themes this month at all the hops are holiday music, so here's some for ya -
Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Wizards In Winter
This is also a sneak peek at a new hop all my #musicmonday and #4ms cohorts may want to participate in called the Mix Tape Shuffle. I found out about it through my friend Mari at Mari, quite contrary. It is hosted on the first Thursday of each month by Marisa Mohi. I can't wait to participate, and hope to see it really take off in 2015!
For more Music Monday, be sure to visit X-Mas Dolly! And if you know of any other music memes/hops, leave 'em in the comments and I will edit this post to include them!
Chapters closed. New chapters began. Once again, I am nowhere near the same person I was just one short year ago. If I walk away from 2013 having learned just one thing, it's that it's okay to be afraid, but it's not okay to let my fear hold me back. I tried new things, both on the job and home fronts. Things I was afraid I'd hate, but turned out to be blessings in disguise. And I let go of some cherished friendships that I was afraid to see coming to an end. But I did so knowing that I tried, and hopefully I served my purpose in their lives well while I was in them.
I learned a lot about myself this year, too, the most important thing being that when faced with challenges, I am stronger than I usually give myself credit for. I think we all are.
Aside from that (well, and gaining weight - yuck!) this year has been the best! I'm still gainfully employed, have my beautiful family, and some amazing friends I can count on. I started a new blog for all things live music (go check it out! There's not much there yet, but with any luck, 2014 will see lots more content added :) )
And while we're talking about music, this is the last Music Monday of 2013. I'm not quite sure where to go with it. I did write a post featuring some of my favorite albums of the year over at The Music Mamas, and I'd be really honored if you have the time to go read it!
So much happened in the music world. We lost lots of great musicians this year. We also discovered lots of amazing new musicians. I only made it out to TWO (yes, two) shows this year! But hey, that's twice as many as I made it to in 2012. And the two I attended? They were THE ones to see: The Killers in August and my birthday gift to myself/getting-my-maiden-name-back-celebration, Thirty Seconds To Mars in September.
In addition to this being the last Music Monday post of 2013, it is my last post here for the year as well. So I raise my glass to you. To our heroes. To another year of friendship. To good health and prosperity to us and our loved ones. To an abundance of love, life and laughter. To times gone by. To new beginnings.
Now prepare to get chills as you listen to Jimi Hendrix's INCREDIBLE version of "Auld Lang Syne."
Be sure to come back and visit in 2014 - the blog is getting a nip/tuck in the next few days. She deserves it.
Just wanted to drop in for a quick Music Monday post before Christmas. Is anyone doing the Music Monday hops this close to Christmas? I hope so, because I have missed all my Music Monday people!
I haven't really gotten into the Christmas spirit this year because, just like Thanksgiving, I'm working too much to go visit family, and my son will be gone. (Visiting family, gift-giving and merriment is scheduled for Mid-January around my youngest son's birthday, so while everyone else is over the holidays and struggling to keep their New Year's Resolutions, the party will just be getting started for me!) So aside from taking a moment to reflect on the "reason for the season" when I have a day off on Christmas day, I'll just be spending late Christmas Eve and Christmas Day cuddling my furbabies, reading, getting caught up on housework, getting caught up on my tv-watching, and working on my obligatory year-end post which I really hope you'll all return for.
Christmas really snuck up on me this year - still seems to me like it ought to be two or three weeks away! Even though a tree didn't go up and cards weren't sent this year, I will still indulge in some holiday music here for a quick minute. And guess what? It doesn't even feature anything from the fake Megadeth Christmas Album! Here are a few of my over-played, certainly previously-posted-here yet beloved-all-the-same Christmas tunes:
Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
Run Run Rudolph - Chuck Berry
Or is it "Run, Rudolph Run"? According to this YouTube vid, it is. But I never knew that!
I Wish It Was Christmas Today - Jimmy Fallon, Horatio Sans, Chris Kattan and Tracy Morgan
(I guess SNL removed their official video. Boo. Hiss.)
