Jingle Bell ROCKSTAR!

By Tonya |

I love that sassy little Morgan! Do you? She’s just what I need to add a little…spark to this Christmas season. And today is the StampInsanity release of three totally sassy new Morgan and Henry Christmas sets!

I’ve put up a new Stamp Happens and StampInsanity blinkie on my sidebar. If you’d like one, please feel free to grab!

Isn’t this a cute little set? I adore it. Just the right amount of “flirt” without being over the top. And of course that is my new favorite designer paper, BoBunny! That’s from the ‘Tis the Season line. Get yours quickly before it’s all gone!

Look closely! I added Liquid Applique to make all the trim. I usually hate this stuff, but there are times when it’s absolutely appropriate!

I apologize for dark shot! Yuck!! But look at all that glitter! I used my Spicas to highlight this image.

Hurry over to Stamp Happens Shop to get yours today!!

And check out the other Stamp Sistahs designs:

Beth, Stamp Insanity

Julie, Stars Fall Designs

Jen, Deconstructing Jen

Alyssa, My Addiction

Donna, Donna’s Diary

Gayle, Little Bird Design

Leigh Ann, Stamping With Annie B.

Sarabeth, Scrap Happie

Stephanie, A Paper Buffet

You might also like:

The Insanity Begins NOW!!

Sarabeth’s Halloween Hop!

StampInsanity Stamps SNEAK PEEK!!

LinkWithin

SOURCE

Merry Christmas Noah!

No politics this time. Just one of those stories that really puts things into perspective.

Christmas came early for Noah Biorkman this year, but under sad circumstances. Noah has terminal cancer, and may not make it to December 25, so his family decided to celebrate last weekend. He didn’t want toys or the normal things a 5-year old wants for Christmas because he can’t play with them. What he wants is to get more Christmas cards than anyone has ever gotten. A local radio station heard the story:

Five year-old Noah Biorkman is in hospice and we need your help to make this the best Christmas ever by sending him Christmas cards!

Noah was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma in February 2007. He went into remission in August 2007. In September 2008, Noah relapsed with lesions in his right arm and right leg. After going through six different trials, the cancer continues to spread. Noah is an angel and we are blessed to have him in our lives.

Emails have been circulating, and there is also a Facebook page telling Noah’s story. Do not send money or gifts – just a signed Christmas card. Please send your card right away so that it arrives as soon as possible.

Noah Biorkman
1141 Fountain View Circle
South Lyon Mi 48178

Thanks to all who can help this little guy get his Christmas wish.

[h/t - Zyxomamma]

UPDATE from Noah’s Mom:

Hello Everyone!

What a week! Scott and I have had a hard time wrapping our brain around how much support and compassion we have received from people all around the world!!! Noah was the 17th most googled topic on Thursday and 12th on Friday!! Unbelievable!!!!!!!

Thank you to everyone for the support! Thank you to everyone that listened to my requests for peace. Thank you to Mindy for setting up security for my front door today!! Thank you to the South Lyon Police, Fire, and Post Office for the help and support over the past week. Today was the first day that I could relax. We had a person sitting out front guarding the door. My family and I didn’t have to worry about whether the person walking up was going to knock or ring the doorbell. Yes, I do have a sign on the door.

I just wanted to note something interesting. Last Saturday, I posted a little note on this carepage — it said that we were celebrating Christmas this week. If you would like to send Noah a card, send me an email and I will give you my address!! Our friends and family have repeatedly asked us for something to do to help. Asking for a Christmas card was something simple that many people could do. They posted it on Facebook and BAMMMMM!!!!!!! Next thing I know, we are receiving thousands of cards and packages. Tuesday — 64, Wednesday — 416, Thursday — 2,600, Friday — 5,100 and Saturday — ??????? At least 10,000. Yes, you read that right — at least 10,000.

We are opening and reading each and every card. This is taking some time. It is just humbling, shocking, incredible, astounding… the outpouring of love for one sick little boy.

Friday night, Noah loved meeting Santa. ……

Today was a very merry Christmas! Noah, my mom, and I woke to a Christmas tree in our front yard, fully decorated with wrapped presents underneath. Noah thought that was the coolest thing. Again — the smile said it all. He spent most of the day in my bedroom. No shocker there! He was stingy with his happy face today. He slept quite a bit and he seems to be hurting again.

…….
No matter how hard this is or how painful it is, Scott, my family, and I can say one thing — Noah had Christmas today. And for that, I am grateful.

Merry Christmas Everyone! The world helped make it special for Noah, my family, Scott, and myself. I can guarantee one thing — This week was a week that none of us will ever forget.”

SOURCE

At Walmart, Christmas Ads Began on

By Jim Edwards

It’s still T-shirt-and-shorts sunny across much of the nation (even in the Northeast), but at Walmart (WMT) the weather outside is frightful and fire inside’s delightful, so they’re letting it snow — with Christmas advertising.

So gird yourself, TV watchers, for two solid months of jingle-bells advertising in every break. Your mute button will be broken by the time the big day arrives.

The Martin Agency’s ads for the retailer began airing Nov. 1, the day after Halloween, apparently skipping Thanksgiving. And, again, it’s “Christmas” at Walmart and not “the Holiday Season.” In 2006, the company infamously had its ad former chief, Julie Roehm, appear on Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly show to insist that Walmart’s greeters would wish customers “Merry Christmas” and not “Happy Holidays.” Roehm was later applauded by 300 executives at an internal company meeting for the appearance.

Kmart also brought its Xmas ads forward, by 40 days in some markets, from last year’s holiday start, according to the WSJ. And Kohl’s is already keeping its doors open til midnight in the runup to the big day.

Needless to say, much is riding on Xmas retail results. If they’re better than last year (or at least flat) it will signal that the recession may be at an end. Worse? Best not to think about that.

SOURCE

A Christmas Carol': Is it coming out too early?

by Owen Gleiberman

Categories: A Christmas Carol, Christmas movies, Jim Carrey, holiday movies

I loved the new Robert Zemeckis/Jim Carrey version of A Christmas Carol — it is toasty, dazzling, touching, and spirited; rousingly old-fashioned and, at the same time, eye-tickingly fresh — yet every time I remind myself that the movie is being released this weekend, I have to do a double take. A big, lavish, holiday-cheer Christmas movie coming out the first week of November? Sorry, but that just seems too early. Memo to Disney: It’s not Christmas yet! I do realize that movie release patterns are forever changing. The summer movie season, which a long time ago used to start in, you know, the summer, then got pegged to Memorial Day, then to the week before Memorial Day, then the week before that, and now it starts somewhere in the middle of April. The goal posts keep getting moved back. But do we really want to start kicking off the Christmas movie season — or, for that matter, the holiday season itself — the weekend after Halloween?

During the holidays, when it comes to pop culture, a lot of us can find ourselves getting wistful over the strangest things. When I was a kid in the ’60s, I always marked the start of the holiday season with the appearance of a television commercial that now holds as much Proustian resonance for me as The Charlie Brown Christmas Special: It was that Norelco “Jingle Bells” spot with Santa zipping down a snowy hill on top of an electric shaver. Christmas movies, for me, provide a similar happy jolt of memory, which is why I can generally recall exactly where I was when I first saw most of them. That’s part of their nostalgic fun.

A Christmas Carol isn’t the first big Christmas movie to go early. Elf, which in the six years since it was released has become a perennial holiday favorite, also came out the first week of November. For too many years to count, though, the traditional opening day for holiday movies has, of course, been the day before Thanksgiving — and I admit that I still love it that way. That rhythm is wired into my holiday DNA. There’s something about the Thanksgiving weekend that lends even a raucous yuletide comedy like Four Christmases a bit more soul than it might have otherwise had.

The decision to release A Christmas Carol this early could possibly prove a smart commercial move. After all, it’s not as if people can’t see it over Thanksgiving, or afterwards; the studio is simply getting the jump. Yet considering that Black Friday, with its increasingly beleaguered dreams of consumerist cheer, is the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season, it seems a tad ironic — at least, in This Year Of Our Economic Distress — that a movie like A Christmas Carol, which so marvelously celebrates the spirit of Christmas, is trying, in effect, to extend that season back by a couple of weeks. Regardless of how much we may welcome the holidays, more shopping is probably now the last thing on most of our minds.

So what do you think: Should they have waited until Thanksgiving to release A Christmas Carol? Or am I making a tinsel mountain out of a molehill? And what’s your all-time favorite holiday movie memory — not just the movie itself, but when and how you saw it?

source

Branson’s Dutton Christmas Show – a Christmas treasure

by Gary J. Groman

"The Yellow Brick Road" is just one of the shows features designed for the enjoyment of children.

The Dutton Christmas Show is an exciting colorful extravaganza of Christmas cookies, toy soldiers, the Wizard of Oz, Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, the honoring of the birth of the Christ Child and so much more. This show will absolutely delight everyone from the the age of three to 103.

From beginning to end, it is like sitting around the Christmas Tree opening gifts. As each new act of the show unfolds and entertains there is an excitement and anticipation for what is coming next.

It starts off in the typical exciting and active Dutton manner with playing, picking, fiddling, piano, singing and just having fun with a medley of favorites like “Uncle Penn,” “Jambalaya,” “Rocky Top,” “I’ve Been Everywhere,” and “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas.” From that they go immediately into their “patented” Dutton style instrumental introductions while playing “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.”

The seamless way the show flows from one element to the next is remarkable. With the musical talent in this family each element is unique and special. For example, “The Orange Blossom Special” is a well known classical fiddle piece. Well that’s the way it starts out with Amy doing her usual great job, but by the time it is over Tim has joined the number with drummer Chris Libby. The result is a unique and very entertaining version of the old classic done “Dutton Style.”

The very talented Judith Dutton does a beautiful job on “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” after which the winds blow, the sets change, Tim plays and “It’s Off to See The Wizard” with some of the Dutton Grandchildren. They are led down “The Yellow Brick Road,” by “Dorothy” played by Rachel, Tin Girl played by Natalia, “Scarecrow” played by Benjamin Jr. and the “Cowardly Lion” played by Timmy” as they sing the “Yellow Brick Road” and musically introduce their characters.

The message of the true spirit of Christmas starts the Christmas portion of the show.

This is as good a point as anywhere to mention that every Branson show has content suitable for children, but, relatively speaking, very few shows make a concerted effort to have major elements in their show specifically planned to entertain children and hold their interest. This show was planned by a family for families.

Throughout the show, whether it’s the Wizard of Oz, singing, dancing, or just making cameo appearances as they do in with Dean and Sheila in the Christmas cookie scene, their participation in the show is well planned, professional, and not only enhances the total entertainment experience of the show for the audience, but gives the children in the audience something they can specifically relate to and enjoy.

At this point, about a quarter of the way through the show, Amy, easily one of the most talented violinists and fiddle players this writer has ever heard, leads in playing the classical piece “Czardus” which provides a beautiful transition into their Christmas show. The Dutton’s dramatic and beautiful rendition of “Carol of The Bells” starts a poignant, beautiful and spiritual celebration of the true meaning of Christmas. Amy’s solo of “The Gift,” Dean’s reading of the Christmas story, “Silent Night” and “Go Tell It On the Mountain” all combine into a unique Christmas blessing that ends the first half of the show.

The second half of the show gets off to a rocking start with Judith and Abby doing a cute rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock” and is nonstop Christmas fun, color, and excitement from there on out. From Dean’s musical explanation as to why he eats so many Christmas cookies to one of the most unusual Santa Claus arrivals you will ever experience the second half of this show is one entertainment Christmas present after another.

Some of the many highlights would be “Frosty the Snowman, featuring Timmy and Benj. Jr, the beautiful job young Miss Rachel did singing “Once Upon a December” and the clogging exhibition the Dutton’s put on while dancing to “Deck the Halls.” The production of “Hanakkuah’s Child” sung by Judith with violins by Amy and Abby was simply beautiful.

Even Bella Dutton’s moving and elegant tribute to Veterans has a special Christmas flavor. The background music, over which she speaks, is a harmonica version of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” specifically recorded by Joshua Dutton, who is not in the show this year. They end the show in spectacular Dutton fashion and flair with one of their most requested pieces “Boil Them Cabbage Down.”

From beginning to end this show is a Christmas treasure that will at the same time knock your socks off and fill your heart with the spirit of Christmas.

For tickets or information on the “Dutton Christmas Show” or any other Branson show or attraction and lodging information or reservations please contact the Branson Tourism Center (BTC) one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services and sellers of Branson show and attraction tickets and lodging. BTC can be reached by calling 800-785-1550 or through its

source

Music : Boney M - Happy Christmas

	Author: creativelivenew
	MP3 320 Kbps CBR | Disco, Pop | 129.33 MB 1. Little Drummer Boy 2. White Christmas 3. Feliz Navidad 4. Jingle Bells 5. Winter Fairy-Tale 6. Marys Boy Child/Oh My Lord 7. Christmas Medley: Holy Night Snow 8. Petit Papa Noel 9. Zions Daughter 10. When a Child is Born 11. Darkness is Falling 12. Ill Be Home for Christmas 13. Hark the Herald Angels Sing 14. First Noel 15. Oh Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum) 16. Oh Come All Ye Faithful Download Links Hotfile source

Starbucks wants you to think it’s Christmas already.

By Scallywag

Getting you to believe in myths that generate revenue. Making lots of money in America.

Starbucks is in the business of making money and it has figured out a swell idea to get you to spend more money- by making you believe that it’s the holiday season already. Fixating on the idea that you are only a decent human being if you buy into the holiday cheer, they have decided that rather than having to physically wait for thanksgiving to come, the better thing to do is have you believe that it already has. And if Starbucks parades itself with lots of holiday cheer and pumpkin flavored trinkets, maybe you too will buy into the idea that it’s 2 o’ clock in the afternoon when in actuality it’s only 8am. But then again why should anyone be surprised? Myths and fairy tales are things that make the world go round. Starbucks just wants to make the whole world go faster.

Says the Consumerist (who inspired to writing of this story):

An unposted email from last year has a reader who found holiday-themed cups and music at Starbucks on the 4th. He asked the barista if she thought it was weird, and was told they had just rolled out the Christmas cheer that day.

Of course what did you want the barista to say- ‘my boss is mad and trying to pull on your emotional chords and extract as much money as possible because as much as we like you, we’ll like you more if we can get you to spend more money. Also, if I have to go crazy listening to Bing Crosby singing ‘Jingle Bells’ from now until the end of December, please don’t mind the occasional look of displeasure and disbelief coming from my face. So will that be two pumpkin lattes or 6?’

What gets even more interesting is what the Consumerist notices: that the Christmas slam dunking sessions seem to be starting earlier every year. This year the hoopla out of Starbucks began Nov 3, the year before that the 4^th, and the year before that Nov 8. Of course we’re already betting that Christmas is going to somehow go on until Jan 10 because we’re sure corporate America is going to come up with a wonderful post spin called – ‘Christmas Rehashed.’ And we know that will have you all jumping ‘cause who doesn’t like Xmas! (Except for the Grinch).

Getting you to spend more money sometimes just involves using lots of imagination and the occasional strong arm tactic…

source