the stars are brightly shining

Okay, it's officially starting to feel like Christmas, so it's time for a post reflecting that.

Let me just say, I LOVE CHRISTMAS MUSIC.

Seriously, sometimes I start listening in September. It's just some of the most uplifting, fill your heart with warmth, smile from ear to ear kind of music. And though I'm not very religious, I appreciate all kinds of Christmas music from the playful Jingle Bell Rock to the eloquent God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

I don't understand people that hate Christmas music. It's like hating puppies. Or Harry Potter. It's just not normal.

Here are some of my favorites:

Baby, It's Cold Outside
Ever since my beloved Zooey sang it in Elf, it has been in my top ten. I know it's not necessarily a Christmas song, (I don't think anything related to Christmas is ever actually mentioned), but it's still fun and it makes me happy.

What Christmas Means To Me.
I see your smiling face, like I've never seen before. And though I love you madly, it seems I love you more.

Love, love, love. It always makes me want to dance around and sing at the top of my lungs, (which I refrain from for the most part--you're welcome). And I'm not going to lie, I prefer the Hanson version. Sue me, (though the Stevie Wonder version isn't too shabby either)

Good King Wenceslas
Good message, excellent linguistics style. I remember memorizing this in the fifth grade as part of our learning about Victorian Era Christmas. It's stayed with me since and I always look forward to hearing it this time of year.

Carol of the Bells
I mean really, how can you not like this song?


And now for my all-time favorite song of the season:

O Holy Night
Not only one of my favorite Christmas songs, it's one of my favorite songs overall. It doesn't matter how bad of a day, how angry or sad I am about something, this song can always brings me back. I feel instant warmth and happiness wash over me when I listen to it. It's beautiful, so pure and calming.

Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices. Oh night, divine...Oh night, when Christ was born.

Merry Christmas, y'all.

this is my kingdom come

I'm in a weird place right now...

I was going to do a holiday themed post, but it just doesn't feel like the holidays yet, so you're getting a hodge podge of all the songs I'm digging right now that aren't Taylor Swift's 'All Too Well.'

Ghosts That We Knew--Mumford & Sons
So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light, 'cause oh that gave me such a fright. But I will hold as long as you like, just promise me we'll be alright.

Can anyone promise that? Is forever truly attainable? Am I a cynic? I don't think that's the point M&S were trying to make, but that's all I hear. So if I don't know if I can believe in forever, how long can I really hold on? Jesus, I'm toxic.

But the ghosts that we knew made us black and all blue, but we'll live a long life. 

And the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view and we'll live a long life.

I really hope so. My arms are already tired.


Angels--the XX
LOVE this album, one the best of the year. I thought Sunsets would be my favorite song on it, but Angels snuck up on me I've changed allegiances. It's a simple love song, and it's absolutely gorgeous.

And with words unspoken, a silent devotion. I know you know what I mean and the end is unknown, but I think I'm ready as long as you're with me.


Love is Greed--Passion Pit
My Passion Pit obsessions come in spurts. I have no idea why I'm so fixated on this song at the moment to be honest, but I'm okay with it.

Don't want to love, don't wanna hurt. If all that loneliness requires is just another's comfort. Better off being a lonely road, 'cause there's beauty in being alone.

While I don't completely agree with this, there is a ring of truth in the words...

Love is just greed and it's almost taken me.


I For You--The All American Rejects.
I just saw them for the second time last night, and I was once again impressed. They have such a great energy and honestly, the show was just a really fun time, a much needed distraction. It only half worked because in prep, I've been listening to their newest work, and this song won't leave my head.

Was I good enough? Was I bad enough? When I wanted more, yeah, you had enough. But nobody's gonna try for you. Nobody's gonna do like I for you.

I don't feel like that's a stretch either. When it comes to liking pretty much anything, I don't half-ass it. I really love it. Friends, boyfriends, books, fandoms. When I commit, I commit. And so to feel like you're trying your hardest to show that love and getting barely half in return is disheartening and it makes you feel about five inches tall. Maybe I should take a page form Phil Dunphy's book and set my expectations lower, so the disappointment isn't so crushing.

Somebody's getting by for you. I don't bend, I just break in two. Somebody like me, I'd die for you.


Demons--Imagine Dragons
I didn't intend on jumping on this bandwagon, but it happened. And I'm so glad it did.

Don't want to let you down, but I am hell bound. Though this is all for you, don't want to hide the truth. No matter what we breed, we still are made of greed.

I told you I was in a weird place.

It's where my demons hide.