Christmas Books | The SIXTH Day of Blogmas!

On the sixth day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me... two Christmas book reads Halfway through Blogmas, and I'm finally writing a book post. I don't read for fun during the school year, so today was the first day I could pick up a book I wanted to read. To get in the holiday spirit, I decided to read two Christmas books: Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris and A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd (the stories that inspired the movie).

Christmas Books |Scribbling in the Margins blog

Some of my favorite Christmas books of the past have been Miracle on 34th Street, The Polar Express, and The Legend of Holly Claus (and this book about a little girl meeting Santa and wanting her friend's dad to be cured from cancer...Googling, Googling... On Christmas Eve! Sad but heartwarming...but there's cancer in it so you knew that). But Christmas books are such a tricky genre. I don't go for the cheesy love story or sudden overcoming of hardship that Christmas makes better. I like my Christmas books like I like all my books--realistic and, at least a little bit, humorous.

Both Holidays on Ice and A Christmas Story seemed to fit the bill.

Christmas Books | SIXTH Day of Blogmas!Christmas Books | SIXTH Day of Blogmas!

I'll have reviews up on both of these soon, but for now I just wanted to share what I'll be reading the next couple of days!

What are your favorite books to read at Christmas?

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On the sixth day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me:

Two Christmas book reads, FIVEEEE FESTIVE MOVIES! Memories filled with snow, one blog tag, the best study tipsand 10 Christmas songs to sing!

Top Five Christmas Movies | FIFTH Day of Blogmas!

On the fifth day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me... FIVEEEE FESTIVE MOVIES For the fifth day of Blogmas, I thought I'd go big. No, no golden rings here; just the five Christmas movies I have to see every holiday season. Films that fill me with that "holiday glow" finals insisted on dulling down the past week or so.

(Side note: finals are over and I couldn't feel more relieved. I celebrated with a three-hour nap this afternoon.

It was delightful.)

But now, for the main event: my top five Christmas movies!

Top Five Christmas Movies | Scribbling in the Margins blog

  1. Miracle on 34th Street. I've loved this movie since I was a kid. My grandma had a VHS copy I would watch no matter when I was at her house. Whether the air was filled with humidity or snow, I sat in front of the screen in love with Santa Claus working at Macy's. "Christmas isn't just a day...it's a frame of mind." Genius.
  2. The Polar Express. The book always meant a lot to my sister and me as kids. We had our own bells that would hang on the tree every year. The movie means just as much, and I love the soundtrack. The Polar Express is that movie, the one that makes me smile and tear up every time. I love it.
  3. Eloise at Christmastime. I loved the original Eloise books and movie, and the Christmas one is just as cute! Eloise is such a fun character to watch, and the love story certainly doesn't hurt anything.
  4. The Santa Clause. Maybe now is a good time to point out that I really like children's movies... especially at Christmas! I'm actually watching this right now (thanks ABC Family!) and it's just so cute. I love Charlie. However, I've never understood why it's so bad at the beginning that Charlie wholeheartedly believes in Santa. He's 6! Let the kid believe!
  5. Elf. Cliché, I know, but it's Elf! Cute, funny, heartwarming--what's not to love?

What are your favorite Christmas movies?

nameOn the fifth day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me:

FIVEEEE FESTIVE MOVIES! Memories filled with snow, one blog tag, the best study tipsand 10 Christmas songs to sing!

Hillbrook Farm | The FOURTH Day of Blogmas!

Hillbrook Farm | FOURTH Day of Blogmas! | Scribbling in the Margins blog

Even though we were just in the farmhouse parlor, the room felt the same as all the Christmas Eve services before it. Grandma’s vintage tree flushed behind me with its faux-candle lights encircling the branches, casting a shadow of light around our circle. Specks of birthday candle light flickered from person to person. Even the farm participated in our circle, glowing from the reflection of the moonlight on the snow. Dainty icicles like thin drips of candle wax skimmed the bushes and bare tree branches.

A thin skin of slush glazed Turner Road running by outside. Not nearly as treacherous as forecasted, but not likely to be cleared until a dedicated man with a tractor got out to plow. I had to smile, thinking about the powdering of snow that kept us at the farm for Christmas Eve. I couldn't help but thank it.

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On the fourth day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me:

memories filled with snow, one blog tag, the best study tipsand 10 Christmas songs to sing!

'Bout This Blogger Tag | The THIRD Day of Blogmas!

On the third day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me: one blog tag! Happy third day of Blogmas! I hope you enjoyed the first two :) Today I'm answering the 'Bout this Blogger Tag from the blog Paper Fury. Enjoy!

Bout This Blogger Tag | Scribbling in the Margins

1. Why did you start blogging?

After suffering through a novella class spring semester, I was sick and tired of writing. I had always thought fiction was my one true writing love, and now I couldn't stand it. Writing for fun in the summer needed to happen, and so I decided "why not start a blog?" It gave me the perfect chance to write regularly and whatever I wanted, no fiction required.

2. What’s the story behind your blog’s name?

Oh, the blog name. It took me FOREVER to pick a name. I finally took a poll of my sorority sisters with several selections, most of them related to The Great Gatsby. Yet they overwhelming selected Scribbling in the Margins. I needed a name that was versatile but very me, and since I write in the margins of my school books/love to write in general, the name won.

3. How many designs have you been through since you started blogging? (Pictures! We demand pictures!)

Technically just one, since my first design was never live. I only started blogging in June, so what you see is it!

4. Have you ever switched blog platforms? What made you move? If you haven’t ever changed…why?

I had an old blog on Blogger just for friends and family. I didn't dislike it, and I've seen beautiful Blogger blogs, but my friend Jordan recommended Wordpress as the best option for growth. So here I am! I haven't had any time to dislike it yet.

5. How long does it take you to write a post? What’s your postly process like?

It depends. Book reviews take about 15, 20 minutes to write. Other posts can take anywhere of 10 minutes to an hour. What takes me the longest is photography, since it's not really my thing and I can never seem to make them as beautiful as I want. So typically what I do is write the post, take the pictures, edit the pictures, then insert the pictures. I think that's what the question means by "postly process" :)

6. Have you ever been super nervous about a post? Why?! What was it?

I was nervous about my e-book/real book post. I didn't want to come off as rude, just defending my position in a relatively humorous way. But since so few people read my blog, I figured in the end one little post didn't matter that much.

7. Do you have a blogging schedule?

I used to. Book related posts would be Tuesday and then my college/life/anything I wanted posts were Friday. Now I post whenever I can. My plan for next semester is to post once a week (haven't picked a day yet--suggestions?) and then see if I can get back up to twice. I miss blogging!

8. Do you tell people In-Real-Life about your blog? Their reactions?

Yup. They've been part of the process since I said to my mom and sister "I want to start a blog!" My friends and family aren't really surprised; they know I love to write and most of them knew about my old blog so I think it's a natural continuation for them.

9. Top ten blogs you read/comment on the most! Go! Go!

I have a confession to make... I don't comment on blogs nearly enough. I barely have time to read them, let alone comment on them. So I will list my top five favorite blogs, in no particular order, and get better on the commenting in 2015 :)

  1. Paper Fury (formerly known as Notebook Sisters)
  2. Essiebutton
  3. Unfancy
  4. Sally's Baking Addiction (um food? yes please)
  5. Allison Anderson

10. If you could change/improve things about your blog, what would they be?

I would, you know, post more often... I wish I had a more personal design, one unique to me. But I have no money/skills so that's on hold for now. I'm hoping with the upcoming semester and next summer I'll really be able to make my blog look exactly what I want, but stay tuned on that front.

And so that concludes the third day of Blogmas! I will see you tomorrow.

nameOn the third day of Blogmas, Leeann's blog gave to me:

one blog tag, the best study tipsand 10 Christmas songs to sing!