I stole this meme, and the cute title, from The Chaotic Crafter.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Wrapping paper! Gift bags are mostly a cop-out, in my opinion. They have their place, but honestly, they’re not as pretty, they’re not as mysterious, they’re not as fun to open… The only thing they’ve got going for them is that they make wrapping ‘easy’.

2. Real tree or artificial?

Artificial, baby. I’d love to have a real tree… in my fantasies. In reality, real trees suck. My fake trees, granted, aren’t the cream of the fake tree crop, but at least they don’t shed pine needles all over the place. Nor are they a huge fire hazard. Nor do they cost me an arm and a leg every single year. And most of all… real trees here are like, limbs off a tree, okay? They’re piddly, they’re weak-limbed, they’re total Charlie Brown trees. Pathetic in every way. I hate.

3. When do you put up the tree?

Usually get it up within the first week of December. I always want to get it up Thanksgiving weekend, but it never really happens.

4. When do you take the tree down?

Last year, mid-January. The year before, it ended up hanging around until nearly Valentine’s Day. *lol* I love my tree, what can I say?

5. Do you like eggnog?

I like it all right, if it’s spiced. Spiced, people. Not spiked.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

The My Little Pony Palace. It was my dream for years. And I finally got it. And it was good.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?

I have one, but I didn’t put it up this year. It’s a Precious Moments nativity, and quite dainty and cute. Not my religion, but I can sort of, uh, mold the myth to fit my own thing. But this year… I just didn’t put it out. Nowhere to put it, really, and it just doesn’t fit with my theme all that much.

8. Hardest person to buy for?

My father. Or my brother. Either one is difficult as hell.

9. Easiest person to buy for?

A, usually. She likes tons of stuff, and needs tons, too.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

My grandmother has given me some pretty awful gifts in the past, but the kicker was the cheap polka-dot purse with a pack of 8 crayons and some of those fluffy pony-tail-holder things. When I was 13 or 14. Wouldn’t have been quite so bad, but my brother scored a sleeping bag and a golf bag that same year. Wtf, anyone?

11. Mail or email Christmas cards?

Mail. But this year, I sent nothing. For reference, I HATE emailed cards, 99% of the time.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?

Ohh… that one about the reindeer that gets hurt and lost and the little girl cares for him. What the heck was that called? Prancer? Could be… In general, though, I’m not a fan of Christmas movies. Too sickeningly sweet.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

November, usually. Sometimes I’ll make something in advance, or buy something in advance, but all the hardcore things get purchased in November or early December. But after last year’s post office snafu, where Denver got dumped on with like ten thousand feet of snow, and all the mail was stuck there for weeks on end, I try to shop early, since most of my shopping gets done online.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

I don’t recall anything specific, but probably.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Cookies. And ham. Or whatever. I like to eat everything, all the time, really.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?

I’ve always used clear, my themes usually being red/white or blue/white, but someday, I’ll do a multi-colored tree, and probably will use colored lights then!

17. Favorite Christmas song?

My favorite song tends to be God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, in almost any flavor.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

Stay home!! But only because all my family is right here, I imagine. I certainly wouldn’t travel to some vacation spot at Christmas, anyway. Not so cool, I don’t think. Christmas is a homey-time.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen; Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen! And do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer! *sings it* The only way I can remember it, really.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?

Never liked angels on tree-tops. And I’m not too fond of most tree-topping stars, either. They’re so… gaudy most of the time. I have been using those giant tree-topping bows for a few years now, and I really like that!

A really disliked it the first year I used it. Too… materialistic and secular or something for her taste. Perfect for me, though!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

We generally open gifts Christmas Eve. In fact Christmas Eve is really our “Christmas Day”. Always has been. We had our family dinner that night, we visited relatives. The next day was our ‘relaxing’ day, and our second family dinner with the other half of the family. But we always open gifts Christmas Eve.

But honestly, when I have kids, I might make them wait till Christmas Day, except for maybe one gift… Well, we’ll see. Maybe, when I have kids, we’ll all open gifts on Yule instead. Hah.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?

Bellringers. Hands down.

23. What I love most about Christmas?

Everything. The weather (hopefully snow), the merry-making, the gift-giving and prettily wrapped packages perched under trees, the good-natured spirit, the festive lights, the decorated trees, the scent of cookies, the mystery of Santa Claus… I could go on for pages, but I won’t.

Speaking of Santa Claus… does anyone actually ever give their kids nothing or coal for Christmas from Santa if they’ve been bad?

2 Comments »

1. My husband put coal in my stocking last year, but he wrapped it up in packing tape so it wouldn’t ruin my hand knit stocking lol! My mom used to threaten to not get us anything but I think the only year she came through on that promise was when I moved out and she was mad at me.

   Loved your answers :D

   Comment by Christine — December 15, 2007 @ 6:45 am

2. I’m spoiled. I could have been the devil incarnate and never gotten coal. :) Also, I’m totally jacking this meme. LOVE YA!

   Comment by amber — December 15, 2007 @ 10:17 am

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