Blog Award!

I've been awarded the Sugar Doll Blogger Award by Krista!

The rules are that I need to share 10 interesting facts about myself and then pass this award along to 10 other bloggers. In the spirit of the season, I thought this might be more fun if I posted 10 interesting (or humorous) facts about me that have to do with Christmas or this time of year!

Let's get started:

1. I was born in Indiana and lived there until I was 9. I really miss the snow at this time of year - I used to love making snowmen and snow forts!! Of course, since I was so young I never had to shovel the sidewalks or anything fun like that, so my memories are just of childhood snow fun.

2. Once I was old enough to assist, I have loved decorating Christmas trees! In fact, when I was a teenager, my Mom would often stand back and just let me have at it. My sisters would try to help, but most of the time I would move whatever ornament they hung to a new and "better" location on the tree. See, it's all about balance, people. You don't want two large ornaments right next to each other, and you don't want two of the same color right next to each other!!

3. One time, in high school, while I was up in the attic looking for more Christmas decorations, my foot slipped and I actually fell through the ceiling and into the garage! How embarrassing is that?? Luckily, I was young and had good reactions! I was able to catch myself with my arms so that I was actually hanging through the ceiling, holding on the the rafters. I was able to drop myself down safely, but my Mom didn't believe me when I went inside to tell her. Still to this day, I'm not really sure what she thought I meant when I said "Mom, I just fell through the ceiling."

4. One of my earliest memories was receiving a pair of ice skates for Christmas. Of course, I was super disappointed because they were black double-runners (they had 2 blades instead of 1), and not the pretty white single-blades that the GIRL ice skaters wore on TV! My Dad tells me that I straight up told him that I couldn't wear them because I was a girl, and girls didn't wear black skates. Those were for boys!

5. One year for Christmas, my crazy aunt thought it would be *cute* to get my sisters and I matching sleep shirts and socks. The problem was that 1.) I was in high school and had no desire to "match" my younger and way-uncool-er sisters, and 2.) The shirts had the (very realistic) line drawing of a pig on them! The front of the shirt showed the face of the pig, and the back had the rear. The socks?? Oh, they had hooves on them. Yeah. Best present ever.

6. My favorite holiday movies are "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" (the one with Herbie the Dentist and Yukon Cornelius, naturally) and "A Christmas Carol". Both make me tear up and cry. I'm a big baby when it comes to all the Christmas love.

7. I love holiday music! I have a couple of mix-CD's (cause I'm a dork like that) of Christmas music, and about the week before Thanksgiving I can't wait to throw them in! My favorite songs?? Mariah's "All I Want for Christmas is You", "Happy Christmas (War is Over)", Band-Aid's "Do They Know it's Christmas?", Elton's "Step Into Christmas", "Holly Jolly Christmas", "O Holy Night" (the "real" version AND the one by Cartman!), "Little Drummer Boy"...... really, I could go on and on, but I'm sure that this is enough for you all.

8. I love real trees, especially Frasier and Noble firs, but Chris bought us a pre-lit tree on sale after Christmas a couple years ago and I must admit that it is pretty nice to not have to put on the lights. Plug in and go.

9. My grandmother used to make the best watermelon-rind preserves. We'd have them every Christmas, and since she's been gone I kind of miss them. Memories are strange - watermelon rind preserves = my Grandmother's house at Christmas!

10. Chris and I argue every year about when most people out there open their presents - I say Christmas morning (duh!), and he says Christmas Eve. I was always brought up opening my presents on Christmas Day. His family has the present bonanza Christmas Eve (sometimes really late at night). So I want you to leave me a comment and tell me WHEN you open presents for Christmas - this year I'm taking a poll!!

And for the nominations:

Linda (Silly Little Mischief)

Jenny (Jenny.Lee)

Bean (Without Adornment)

Jen (Mrs. Life Accounts)

Erika (Wine-Oh!)

Christin (of the Nicholas clan - my SIL)

Jenny (My Favorite and My Best)

Kate (the Neo-Traditionalist)

Emily (Wiley Wifey and the Culinary Couple)

Marianne (Haven and Home)

Ladies, feel free to post or not... but know that I really enjoy reading your blogs!!