Christmas shopping: where to buy

Now that Thanksgiving is over, The Christmas season is here.

 

 

Here's something I've noticed about Christmas:

 

 

This is the time of year for peace on earth and goodwill towards men, yet, for some reason, here in America we have to fight about something.

 

 

The past few years we fought about Greetings. We should be grateful that someone would wish us a happy day, but no, we went through YEARS of arguing between wishing people "Happy Holidays" VS. Merry Christmas.

 

 

Now we seem the new debate seems to be where to buy your Christmas Presents: Wal-Mart or Small Businesses.

 

 

 

A lot of people, particularly people on Facebook, are talking about how they are going to be buying from Small businesses. If so, wonderful! I'm happy for you. But, like most good intentions, it's seems like some people are using this good intentions as a way to be.....well.....Smug.

 

 

Also, I've seem to notice some non-intended criticism going around to people that shop at Wal-Mart on Black Friday. Kind of snarky things along the line "If you're not a part of the salutation, you're part of the problem" kind of deal.

 

 

Look if you have the money to shop at small business, that's wonderful! I'm happy for you, but not everyone does.  What about the Single mom who works her tail off just to keep a roof over her and her children's head, and the only way to give her kids a decent Christmas is to go down late at night at wall mart, fight crowds, wait in long lines, risk getting trampled by people, just so she can give her kids a decent Christmas.

 

 

I myself make minimum wage, and I am buying my Christmas presents from various places. Online, bought some at Dollywood, and yes I have, and probably will continue to purchase from stores such as Big Lots and Wall Mart.

 

 

But I don't think we should focus on WHERE we buy our Christmas presents, but WHY we buy Christmas presents.

 

 

Whether you shop at a Small business or Black Friday at Target, you’re doing it to show your loved one how much you care. You want to show them that during this wonderful time of year, you want to get them something to show you keep them in your heart and in your mind.

 

 

For those of you that are pro small business, anti-big business, I just have to say: If a family or friend gets you something from wall mart, k-mart, target, big lots, etc. DON'T turn your nose up at it. Don't start lecturing about the cons of big box stores. You don't know the full story of that person's financial situation. And whatever happen to the old saying "It's the thought that counts"?

 

 

Who cares where they get it. And if you’re really are so against not owning anything from a major corporation, just tell all your friends and family that the only thing you want for Christmas this year is their company.

 

 

 

And if you are shopping at a big box store this year, don't feel guilty. Times are tough. The economy is still in the crapper. You are doing the best you can. The very fact that you can even afford any presents, you should feel blessed. Never let anyone make you feel guilty for doing the best you can.

 

 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

<3

The Appeal of the Victorian Era

If you know me, then it is no secret I love Victorian clothing!
Corsets, top hats, long, flowing skirts, gloves, the whole sha-bang.

I love the idea of getting in my Victorian formal, hopping into a horse drawn carriage on my way to a fancy tea party.

I love the Victorian aesthetic on the whole! To me, when I think of a real Lady, a Victorian silk vision comes to mind.

Now, when I say this, does that mean I wish I was born into the Victorian era?

Answer: NO!!!!

I wouldn't be allowed to vote, and unless I was born into a rich family, my life would be VERY tough.

The appeal of the Victorian era to me, is not really the era it's self, but the aesthetic. A romantic version of the era.

Think about it, when you think of the era, the horrible class system, insane asylums filling up left and right, and the struggle for women's rights are not what you first think about.

I have a more, shall we say, romanticized version of the aesthetic. Strolling arm in arm with a gentleman suitor, holding a lace parasol, sipping tea in the parlor, etc.

Fellow Victorian enthusiasts and I enjoy taking the good things out of the era, and leaving the bad things behind. In fact, I think many others like myself, would like to live in our world today, as progressive as it is, but use the fashions and chivalry from the era. Could you imagine being able to buy bustle skirts at the gap? Or corsets, top hats, and and petticoats at Wal mart? Or getting a prescription molecule at the eye doctors?

The Christmas Shoes

Alright, I know Thanksgiving isn't even here yet, but as we all know, Christmas music is coming!

I love Christmas, I love everything about it (accept the whole battle between "Merry Christmas" vs. "Happy Holidays" B.S.). I even love turning on the radio and listening to Christmas music. BUT, there is one song that I absolutely CANNOT stand. And that song is called "The Christmas Shoes".

To watch it, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJcPVB-we7g


Now, I won't deny that I was in fact touched and wanted to cry when I first heard the song........Then I heard it again......and again.....and again......and than after 300,000th TIME, I got REALLY sick of it, REALLY fast.


Now, I've heard many complaints about this song. One of my favorites, is the nostalgia Chick making it her most inescapable nostalgic Christmas songs.

You can watch it here starting at 5:45:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us6v_EG00Vg

Though the Nostalgia chick brings up a lot of points that I agree 100%, there is one point that she, and many others bring up, that I just like to clear up.

A lot of people think that the song is about God killing a poor mother in order to get some dude to get into the Christmas spirit again.

Let me just clear this up. NO Christian really believes that this is what the song is about, and I highly doubt that the Christian Contemporary band "Newsong" was trying to say.

In verse John 10:10 it says:

"The Enemy (Satan) has come to steal, kill, and destroy, But I (God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit) have come to bring you life, and life more abundantly."

When the singer in Newsong sings the Lyrics "I knew that God had sent that little boy
To remind me just what Christmas is all about" He is not saying God made that woman died so he could learn a lesson.

I believe he is saying that God sent the little boy, who just wants to make his mom smile one last before his mom dies, to remind him that Christmas is not all about you, but the ones you love, because you never know how long they're going to be around.

Now the problem I have with the story of this song, is that instead of the little boy spending Christmas Eve with his mother before she dies, he his out.....BUYING her something. Yes, because that is what Christmas is all about.....BUYING USELESS THINGS.

The dying mother doesn't need her soon out at a crowded mall to buy her shoes that she probably won't even be able to wear, she needs her son at her bed side, discussing fond memories of the past and telling her how much he loves her.


If the song was the story of a Little boy saying goodbye to his mom on Christmas eve, saying that he loves her, but knowing that he will see her again someday, maybe name the song along the lines of Christmas Angel, I would Bawl like a baby.

But the Christmas shoes song makes me want to bash my head into a brick wall every time I hear the firs few seconds of it. It's not just the plot of the song that's bad, but the writing is bad (descriptive, yes, but it's just bad) and the style of the song mixed with the style of the singing, just doesn't mix.
The Melody and tinkling instrumental doesn't mix with the raspy trying to be soulful blues like vocals is just confusing.

Well, I hope you all enjoy the upcoming holidays, and please, try and keep this song as far away from me as possible.

Pressure

I put way too much pressure on myself. I'll be the first to admit it. I don't know why. Whether it's at work, writing, acting, singing, etc. I know I am way too much pressure on myself.

So when I fail, it hits me hard.


When I was younger, I wasn't very good at school. I try and I try, but I just couldn't get t. I felt like a loser. My parents were stressed, my teachers were stressed, and most of all, I was majorly stressed. My school had completely given up on me. hey would pass me to the next grade no matter how matter classes I failed. They're excuse was "She's special needs. She can't help it". No, I couldn't help it for the most part, but they could have helped me.

Anyway, that's a different blog.

I guess I put it on myself to trying to prove myself. Not to the world, but to me. To prove to my own voice in the back of my head that says I can't do it, that I can. So, when I fail, eve if it's something minor, I crushes me.

This is something I need to work on.

I can't live my entire life freaking out over little things. Because when the big things happen, I'm a wreck!

Single Apple

Sorry I didn't write a blog yesterday. Something has been up. I cant really say right now what it is. Even If I could, I hardly think some of you would believe me. Trust me, I wouldn't believe it myself if it didn't happen in front of my own eyes. Don't get worried its not a bad thing, but it's......erm...interesting....
Hopefully I can explain later.

Thinking about what t write today, I thought I would write about being single.


I have been single for the past three years. I'm okay with it. I'm not out searching for my one true love and crying every night eating ice cream, but now that I have a career, a car, and feeling more like a real adult, I think it's time I enter the dating world.

There seems to be some trouble in that.

1. I seem to be way too weird for my own good.

A description of me: A christian Goth Libertarian with an obsession with Harry Potter, Batman, and the Victorian era. Yeah, that's an interesting online dating profile if I ever made one.

I don't fit into the typical mold anywhere. I mean, I pretty much realize that I was made to stand out. I was made to always be different were ever I go, but I hope that I would at least fit with one other person in the world. Someone who doesn't find my weirdness so....weird.


2. "Virgin" is not listed as a turn on to most people.

Even among a lot of Christian men, saying you have made a vow to God to remain pure until your wedding night, scares them off.  We live in a society that sex is expected in a serious relationship. Heck, it's expected in non serious relationships. But I'm not changing my mind. It's worked for me so far on weeding out the bad men in my life. I'm 23 year old virgin and that is considered a miracle, and an oddity in our society.

3. I tend to gravitate to the wrong people.

Most of the guys I've liked have either been no good or they cast me in the friend zone.

I actually had to say to myself when I was 20 years old that I had to stop dating guys with criminal records.....Yeah......just try to think about the guys I dated when I was in High school! >.<

Than, when I do find a decent guy, I'm a nice girl, and a nice FRIEND.

I understand that I am not entitled to a human being, but I hate that I am always in the friend zone. There's got to be a decent human being out there that likes me a bit more.


I believe everything happens in God's time and reason. I trust him.......but, I won't deny that I just wish that the person he created for me to say "I love you" too came a little sooner....

Why so much Anger?

I have friends of all different beliefs, sub cultures, nationalities, and sexual preferences. Everyone who knows me knows I am a Christian that takes her faith very seriously. We all have our differences, but we still love each other and for the most part, can have calm, rational conversations.

 

 

But, on occasion, particularly on Facebook, I run into something that when I see it, my reaction inside is "Wait, when have I EVER acted like that"?

 

 

I'm talking about some of the things some people say about Christians.

 

 

Now before you start rolling your eyes, I am not claiming that Christians are perfect and that we have never done anything that caused to be mocked or anything like that. But, don't we all have someone in our lives who we care about that is part of some sort group that has been, well, not has been represented the best by some of the people in that group? Muslims, Christians, Wiccans, atheists, liberals, conservatives, libertarians, etc.?

 

 

Now I know that when most people post things about certain groups, they are not always bashing the group on the whole, but the loud nut jobs in it. But, most of the things posted and said in person, are not specific. They're pretty general.

 

 

I was looking through my wall, and I saw a status from a friend of mine and it kind of took me back a bit.

 

 

The status said: "Hanging out at the church doing my part to piss the evangelical right wingers. Lol

 -seriously, all the Christians would be shock with the art work here."

 

 

 

"The church" seems to be a bar/ art gallery with some "shocking" art in it. Now, I've seen some similar statuses from this friend, and I for the most part, just roll my eyes, but this one kind of stuck out.

 

 

 

The part when the friend said “doing my part to piss the evangelical right wingers."

 

 

 

That's something I never really understood things like that. I just don't understand WHY you anyone would want to purposefully anger anyone. I can't stand westboro Baptist church, but I don't see the point of trying to anger them. I understand that they most likely will never see sense, but there's no reason to try to anger them. I just want to avoid them at all possible cost. Their angry presences would just put anger in my heart and that's the last thing I need to fester in my soul.

 

 

 

Second, my family would be considered "evangelical right wingers." My parents are conservatives. I'm a Libertarian. We agree and disagree on things, but no matter what, I love them with my heart and soul and would do whatever it takes to make them happy. And as for the "evangelical" part, yes they are that to.

 

 

 

The definition of an Evangelical is:

Of Protestant churches emphasizing personal salvation: relating or belonging to any Protestant Christian church that emphasizes the authority of the Bible and salvation through the personal acceptance of Jesus Christ•

Relating to Christian Gospels: relating to or based on the Gospels of the Christian Bible•

 

 

Well, yes, that is me and my family. So I get the feeling from my friend's status that they want to try and upset my family. I know that's not the intention, but that's the feeling.

 

 

It doesn't help that my friend said “ALL the Christians". Pretty general statement.

 

 

Maybe I'm being too sensitive, but when someone wants to piss off says they basically want to piss off my family, it bothers me.

 

I've seen similar things on a lot of few friends pages and have had things said to my face. Now, unlike what my friend says, the things that I have seen and heard, it doesn't really shock me anymore.

 

 

When you dedicate your life to a faith so much that you do outreaches and take a vow of abstinence until marriage, you hear a lot of rude things. But most of the things I hear are from strangers. People who never so much as spoken so much as a couple of sentences to mean they think because they think they "know" my faith, they know me. But they don't. They just met me.

 

 

The things that bothers me, is that when people who claim they know me, love me, and have respect for me say such awful, negative things about me, My God, and my Holy book. Makes me think "Gosh, what did I do."

 

 

 

Now, this is coming from my emotional side, but feelings do matter. I don't understand why anyone would purposely want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Whether

 

 

Why put that in yourself. All it does is fester. Makes you bitter. I learned a long time ago to just let bitterness go. Now, not to say I don't still deal with it, as this blog CLEARLY shows. But, I'm not going to make it my mission to make myself a miserable, hateful person. Not to say my friends are, but when you hold on to hate, it's what you eventually become.

 

 

Now I'm saying we have to be the P.C. police and we can’t talk about faith, politics, or hot topic issues, but there’s a way to do it. A way with tact, some class, and not trying to insult someone, even if it's someone you can't stand.

 

 

 

You just have to remember that the person who is not in your group is still a PERSON. With a heart, soul, mind, and feelings. They may not be your friend, but they are someone's friend. Someone's brother, sister, mother, father, child, etc.

 

 

 

In fact if we kept in mind that the person we were insulting was an actual human beings and not just some title our society has given them, we could actually learn to get along, despite our many differences.

I miss my Cracked Nuts

Last night was the final show of The Cold Sassy Players production of "The Cracked Nuts".

Due to various reasons, I haven't performed in a Cold Sassy Players show in about three years. I missed it so much. It felt so god to perform in front of people again.

In this performance, I played a millionaire's Punk daughter with a smart mouth and a bad attitude. I had so much fun with it. The directors and writers gave me told me that my acting has improved so much and my confidence has really come out.

For a while, I didn't really have that much confidence in myself.Whether it was acting or anything else I attempted to do.  Maybe that's why I always held back and didn't speak up loud enough.
But this year I have done a lot of growing up and changing, and I was glad it came out in this performance.

Now that the show is over, all I've been doing all day is resting up and reflecting back on the memories I have made during this whole thing.

My favorite times have been when Caity(Midnight), Kelsey(Willow), Bobby (Harrison) ,and I sat and out in the hallway, waiting for or scene in the hallway. Cracking jokes, doing weird dances to Christmas songs, doing stretches, and just pumping ourselves up.

I'll miss everyone in the cast. I spent 3 nights out of the week with this group of cracked Nuts for over a month and it's just so strange to think about how when I get off work Monday, I'm not going to be rushing back to Commerce to see them.

I'll miss us acting as our characters on and off the stage. Berry (Big Tee) messing with me, and yes, I even admit, I'll somewhat miss him tugging on my spiked choker.

I do hope to have Sana Baby, I'll be home for Christmas, and O Holy Night out of my head sometime this week, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

On the last Saturday in between shows, we had a big cast party. Some game, great food, and everyone received a lovely card from Nikki (Wyatt), Dannette (Lottie), and Susan (Laverne).
I'm not gonna lie, the things hey put in my card, about how I have come out of my shell, how much I have improved, ad how proud they were of me, made me want to cry right there at the table......but then Sean (The pianist) made a joke about tickling his nutcracker, and then I couldn't stop laughing.

That's another thing I'll miss about CSP. The laughs. I haven't laughed so much in a LONG time as I have these past few weeks.

With Rodger(Mayor) and Dana (Shirlene) on Starbucks, Bill (Richard) Laughing, and sharing addressing room with Laci (Josi) and Brittany (Carly), there wasn't hardly anytime I wasn't laughing.

I made so many great new friends, got to see some wonderful old ones, and had a blast. It's a lot of hard work, very time consuming, and VERY tiresome, but I love doing it, and I can't wait for the next production.

I miss you ll so much, and I hope we all keep in touch.
Thank God for Facebook!