holiday

Desert Island Christmas Music Addendum

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

sufjan stevens christmas

 

Since I last posted on my favorite Christmas, I’ve come across some additional Christmas albums worthy to take their place in the illustrious Christmas Island Christmas Music Hall of Fame. If you get stranded on that odd island with unlimited batteries but no electricity, you may find these picks useful.

1) Silver & Gold- Sufjan Stevens. It’s gloriously weird and wonderful. I never know what to expect from one track to the next, but I can definitely tell you it’s not the same ol’ renditions of the same ol’ holiday fare. This one is only for the musically adventurous folks who like to venture outside of top-4o-land from time to time.

2) Andy Williams Christmas Album- This one’s a classic from 1963 that deserves a place in any holiday music collection. Andy Williams’ passing earlier this year makes this one a poignant choice for the season.

3) Straight No Chaser- Holiday Spirits. This one’s a fantastic acapella album that I like to call traditional-with-a-twist. It’s worth the investment if only for the fantastic live version of 12 Days of Christmas. I don’t remember who recommended this one to me, but thanks to you, whoever you are and wherever you are.

As always, these lists are subject to change, especially if I run into an especially good Christmas album. I welcome your recommendations and suggestions. The more off-the-wall and eclectic, the better.

 

Tacky Christmas Sweater Update

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

bridget jones christmas sweater

I just wanted to update you on my quest for the perfectly tacky Christmas sweater. I got nothin’.

I’ve been frequenting the Goodwills and other thrift stores in the 15-mile radius and haven’t seen anything that meets my exacting standards. Not even close.

I found a really awesome one on ebay (the one pictured in my last blog about Christmas sweaters), but it was selling for somewhere in the neighborhood of $90, which is entirely too much to spend on something that I might wear once or twice a year.

In my mind, I was going to walk into Goodwill and there it would be, standing out with a mysterious spotlight shining on it. Kinda like the Christmas tree in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. It was going to be my size and it was going to be ridiculously cheap.

Unfortunately, hardly anything ever works out in reality like it does in my imaginings. So here I am, Christmas sweater-less and getting more and more desperate.

Here’s my plea to you, gentle readers. If you have a tacky Christmas sweater you’re willing to part with, let me know. I can make arrangements and give you details (like where to send said holiday apparel) and even work out some sort of bartering system.

I know I can count on you. But just in case this falls through, I have a back-up plan. Technically, it’s not a sweater, but it captures the essence of the whole tacky Christmas sweater spirit. And it came from Target for the very reasonable price of $5.

yoda elf