Playlist for You and Your Valentine

Hello, music-lovers and just plain old lovers :-)

What are you planning for your Valentine's Day tomorrow? A classy night out? A cozy night in? A crazy girl's night?

Well, this playlist is perfect for not knowing what you want to do. Just play your way through the tunes--some of them romantic, some sexy, some just plain fun--and see what happens.

1. "That's Amore" by Dean Martin
2. "Accidentally In Love" by Counting Crows
3. "You and Me" by Lifehouse
4. "Freelove" by Depeche Mode
5. "Sway" by Michael Buble 
6. "Kissed You" by Gloriana
7. "Cupid"by Sam Cooke
8. "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle
9. "When Did You Fall" by Chris Rice
10. "Always Be My Baby" by David Cook
11. "Lonely Road" by Fernando Ortega
12. "Everything" by Michael Buble
13. "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith
14. "I Will Be Here for You" by Michael W. Smith
15. "Annie's Song" by John Denver 
16. "Lovefool" by the Cardigans
17. "Open Arms" by Journey
18. "Heaven" by Bryan Adams feat. Jason Aldean
19. "Write About Love" by Belle and Sebastian
20. "Just What I Needed" by the Cars

Making the Most of December

This isn't really a to-do list, because almost none of these things are necessary for any reason. They're just a bunch of things that I think will help Josh and I make the most of this Christmas season. It's sort of like a Christmas bucket list . . . but not really because many of the items reappear on the list every year despite the fact that they've been "crossed off" every year prior.

Okay, I don't know what it is . . . but it will be fun!



There are enough items both traditional and unique for you to choose one everyday, if you want. Whatever you do, be sure to make the most of your December.

1. Go ice skating.
2. Make eggnog or mulled cider.
3. Buy children’s gifts for Operation Angel Tree.
4. Drive around and look at Christmas lights.
5. Splurge on a professional performance of the Great Russian Nutcracker ballet.
6. Cuddle up in front of a fireplace.
7. If you haven’t yet, decorate a tree. If you already have, decorate someone else’s
8. Watch the movie White Christmas with a cup of white hot chocolate.
9. Chop wood for a family that relies on a wood stove.
10. Tired of Christmas music? Try traditional Celtic music.
11. Go caroling with friends.
12. Make chili for chilly carolers to come home to.
13. See how many film versions of A Christmas Carol you can watch in a day ;-)
14. String popcorn and cranberries.
15. Go to Wegmans and Sam’s Club on a weekend for holiday samples.
16. Learn to knit or crochet.
17. Send Christmas cards or letters updating family and friends on your year.
18. Get invited to a Christmas party. This could be tricky . . .
19. Make a snowman, snow angels, etc.
20. Go to midnight showings of The Hobbit (December 14) and Les Miserables (Christmas Day).
21. Go to a candlelit service.
22. Kiss someone under the mistletoe. Warn them first.
23. Shop a holiday craft bizarre.
24. Help young relatives make a wreath or ornament.
25. Help your family with Christmas dinner.
26. Take a super late walk in the snow on Christmas Eve and see if anything magical happens.
27. Make homemade soaps with personalized scents for gifts.
28. Read A Child’s Christmas in Wales.
29. Declare a snowball war.
30. Watch at least one terrible Christmas movie. Try Kiss Saves Christmas.
31. Go for a sleigh ride

Awkward and Awesome Thursday: So Little Time

Awkward:

• The wall is the most iconic thing about Avila, and we still haven't climbed up on it after more than four months.
• I mentioned a certain Mary in last week's A&AT. This girl went to high school with Josh and I in the tiny trailer school back in northern PA. How on earth did we all end up in Spain at the same time?
• Cowering under the table in grammar class as the imperfect subjunctive mood gets the better of me--and my dear professor taking a video and posting it to YouTube!
• My little sissy having a bad day and not being able to be there for her :-(
  
• Fertility goddess statues in art class.
  
• The Spanish train system hating my friend who came to visit Monday, but she finally made it here!
• Finals coming up muy pronto!

Awesome:

• The projects my classmates put together to sum up our experiences in Spain. I laughed and cried. Mostly laughed. 
• Prezi. I haven't had an excuse to use this program in so long.
• Allie spotting me 20 euros to buy red desert boots. I am really European now!
• Having Monday afternoon coffee with choir buddy Monica Claire. Haven't seen the girl in five years, and now here we are in Spain! Talk about names I haven't heard since high school . . .
• Mary coming to visit Avila this Saturday.
• Spending time with all of our wonderful Swedish friends next week!
• Meeting up with Rob in Madrid and then giving him a tour of good ole Avila.
• Hopefully going out one of these nights with all of our Madrid-based computer engineering buddies we met in Dublin. 
• My Nuria <3. She lights up my days. Unless it happens to be grammar class . . . then I hate her.

Equally Awkward and Awesome: So many places to go and people to see, so little time.

Wishlist: A Garden Party? How Nice

 

So a snippet of this post snuck its way out of being an unpublished draft and found itself published on the blog for all to see. Sorry to spoil the surprise, lol, but here it is for real!

This is the Greenhouse Garden Party Dress from ModCloth. Don't they give their pieces the most romantic titles?

Right now, this is my fashion crush.

Crush meaning something that you lovingly ogle from afar but can't actually have. ModCloth may be indie, but it is definitely not cheap. I don't know about you ladies, but my man can buy me a ModCloth frock over a piece of expensive jewelry any day. Actually, when Josh once bought me a beautiful diamond and amethyst pendant necklace for Christmas (we were just dating and still in high school!), I was so worried that I would lose it or not wear it often enough to make it worth his money or whatever I was thinking--that I asked him to return it!

And I wonder why he's a little uneasy about surprising me with gifts . . .

P.S. Who wants to have a garden party this spring/summer? I'm in!