Free Merlin and Arthur Crochet patterns!!!

   Good evening!

   So, I found this awesome BBC television show via Pinterest that I have thoroughly fallen in love with. It has everything I could possibly want in it. Knights, swordfights, dragons and plenty of good, clean magic. It's name is... MERLIN! Yes, BBC's Merlin is absolutely my favorite TV show of all time ever. E-V-E-R. I love it so much, that I, being the nerdy crocheter that I am, decided to crochet a Merlin amigurumi. But, there is a surprisingly small amount of free crochet Merlin patterns out there. And, I have grown to quite enjoy making my own patterns. So I present to you my FREE crochet pattern for not just Merlin, but also the king himself, Arthur Pendragon! 

   Ta da!! Here's a picture of both of them. :) ((Unfortunately, the picture quality isn't very good. I'm not a photographer, just a crocheter!))  

   But, you are probably looking for your free patterns. And I shall give it to you, but not after I issue a warning. I haven't actually shared any of my patterns before, so there might be a few mistakes. If you happen to notice any, please let me know so I can fix them. :) 

Pattern number one: 

Merlin

Materials

Worsted weight yarn in the following colors: Tan, dk. brown, color for shirt (Red, blue, purple), lt. brown, black. Small amounts of white, brown, and color for scarf (dark blue or red).

Size F hook

Tapestry needle

Stitch marker (optional)

Black 9mm safety eyes

* BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING *

You are going to need to do some preparation for his hair. Get some black yarn and wrap it around something that is between 3-5” long roughly 150 times. I actually used a book that was about 8 or 10 inches, and his hair was very long and required a lot of unnecessary cutting. Mind that you don't use something too small, or you won't be able to cut it correctly. Next, you are going to cut the strand connecting the yarn to the skein, then unwrap the yarn from whatever you used. DO NOT CUT THE YARN FROM THE OBJECT AS YOU NORMALLY WOULD AT THIS POINT WITH NON-CURLY HAIR. Then you are going to take your F hook and, using the yarn you wrapped, crochet a square of whatever size you feel like until you run out of cut yarn. After you've done this, take your square and wet it thoroughly. Now you have to hang it up somewhere and let it dry. ((It took a little while for this to dry for me (about a day), so I got impatient and took a hair dryer to it. After that didn't work, I stuck it in the dryer for ten minutes and voila! All dry! So don't be afraid to use these methods, because they do work.)) Doing this will make his hair curly. Now you can start your Merlin!

Head and Body

Rnd 1: With tan, ch2, 6sc in 2^nd ch from hook (6)

Rnd 2: 2sc in each sc around (12)

Rnd 3: * Inc, sc * around (18)

Rnd 4: * Inc, sc2* around (24)

Rnd 5: *Inc, sc5 * around (27?)

Rnd 6-10: sc around (27?)

Rnd 11: *Dec, sc 2 * around

Rnd 12: *Dec, sc * around

Insert safety eyes on top of rnd 8, about six sts apart.

Rnd 13: Dec around (7)

Rnd 14: Sc around (7)

Rnd 15: *Inc, sc * around (11)

Change to red

Rnd 16: *Inc, sc 2 * around

Rnd 17-19: sc aound

Rnd 20: *Dec, sc3 * around (12)

Rnd 21: FLO, * Inc, sc2 around * (16)

Rnd 22-24: Sc around (16)

Slst into next st, FO. Stuff to Rnd 21.

First Leg

Rnd 1: With off-white, ch2, sc5 in 2^nd ch from hook (5)

Rnd 2: * Inc, sc * around (8)

Rnd 3-7: Sc around (8)

FO, change color to dark brown

Rnd 8-13: sc around (8)

Slst in next st, FO. Stuff

Second Leg

Repeat pattern for first leg, but do not fasten off at end. Stuff leg.

Rnd 1: Join with slst to first leg, sc around both legs (16)

Rnd 2: *Dec, sc 2 * around (12)

Rnd 3-4: sc around (12)

Slst into next st, FO, leaving long tail for sewing. Stuff, and sew onto free loops of rnd 21.

Boots

(Make 2)

Rnd 1: With brown, Ch4, sc in 2^nd ch from hook and in next ch, 4sc in next ch. Working on opposite side of ch, sc in next 3 chs.

Rnd 2: sc2, inc in next 4 sts, sc in last 2 (13)

Rnd 3: sc in next 5 sts, inc in next 4 sts, sc in next 4 sts. (17)

Rnd 4: sc in next 5 sts, dec 4, sc 4 (13)

Rnd 5: sc 3, dec 4, sc 2 (9)

Rnd 6: sc4, dec, sc3 (8)

Rnd 7: FLO, inc in each st around (16)

Slst in next st, FO, leaving long tail for sewing. Pull first st through flap, boot and into leg. Sew through the remaining loops of rnd 7 for the rest of the boot. Repeat for second boot. Remember to leave a little white showing for Merlin's bib socks. :)

Arms

(Make 2)

Rnd 1: With tan, Ch2, sc 7 in 2^nd ch from hook (7)

Rnd 2-3: sc around (7)

FO, change color to red

Rnd 4-10: sc around

Rnd 11: sc3, dec 2 (5)

FO, leaving long tail for sewing. Stuff and sew onto body.

Neckerchief

With chosen color, ch 22, slst in 2^nd ch from hook, and in next 5 sts. Sc, hdc, 2dc, tr, 2dc, hdc, sc in next 9 sts, slst in remaining 6. FO, leaving a long-ish tail for sewing. Wrap around neck and sew ends together.

Belt

With dk brown, ch 40, FO. Tie around waist, specifically where you crochet in the front loops. Sew onto body.

Jacket

Row 1:   With lt brown, Ch 15, sc in 2^nd ch from hook and in each ch across (14)

Row 2: Ch1, *inc, sc 2 * across, sc in last ch. (19)

Row 3: Ch 1, *inc, sc 2 * around (26)

Row 4: Ch1, sc 3, skip 7 sts, sc in 8^th st and in next 6, skip 7 sts, sc in 8^th and in last two. (12)

Row 5-10: Sc across (12)\

Row 11: Sc across, 2 sc in corner, sc up side of jacket, 2 hdx in corner, hdc across top (making collar), 2 hdc in corner, sc down side, join to first st. FO.

Sleeves

(Make 2)

Rnd 1: Join lt brown yarn in pit of sleeve caps. Sc in same st and in each st around (11)

Rnd 2: Sc in 9 sts, dec in last 2. (10)

Rnd 3-7: Sc around (10)

Slst in next st, FO.

Ears

(Make 2)

With tan, ch 3, sc3 in 2^nd ch from hook, sc in last ch. FO, leaving long tail for sewing.

Assembly and Such

Put on jacket. No need to sew it on, just in case Merlin gets hot and wants to take it off. :) Now sew the ears on. I attached them near the front of his shoulder and about five rows up from where his head joins his body. I sewed the second ear about 15 sts on the other side of his head.

Next is his hair. After your square is dry, unravel the entire thing. The yarn should now be curly and bouncy! Then you are going to re-wrap it around the same 3-5” thing, but when you are finished, you are going to cut all of the yarn in half like you would normally do. Now you're going to sew the hair on. I used this ( http://amiguru.tumblr.com/post/84454254398/doll-hair-tutorial-bilbo-edition ) tutorial I found for attaching the hair. But I didn't separate the yarn like she did, since the yarn was already curly. Of course, feel free to do what she did! I just wanted to go for a thicker look with Merlin's hair. Just kind of follow the picture for attaching it. Next, you have to cut it. Be careful with this, because if you cut it too short, there is no going back! I kind of layered it so that it was a little bit longer on the bottom than on the top. I also left a little more length on the hair in front of his ears to give him some sideburns. :) And I cut the hair on his forehead and on top and behind his ears a little shorter than the rest of his head.

If you'd like to, you can make a little indentation on his face for to suggest his cheekbones. Just take some tan yarn and sew a little st directly below and one st over from his ear on both sides. You can make it a little bigger or smaller or not even do it at all!

And there you go, little Merlin all done! 

Pattern number 2: 

Arthur

Materials

Size F crochet hook

Black 9 mm safety eyes

Golden button

Small amount of yellow material

DK weight yarn in the following colors: Red, gray, dk brown, brown, Tan, golden/blonde, small amount of lt gold.

Head and Body

Rnd 1: With tan, ch2, 6sc in 2^nd ch from hook (6)

Rnd 2: 2sc in each sc around (12)

Rnd 3: * Inc, sc * around (18)

Rnd 4: * Inc, sc2* around (24)

Rnd 5: *Inc, sc5 * around (28)

Rnd 6-10: sc around (28)

Rnd 11: *Dec, sc 2 * around (24)

Rnd 12: *Dec, sc * around

Insert safety eyes on top of rnd 8, about six sts apart.

Rnd 13: Dec around (7)

Rnd 14: Sc around (7)

Rnd 15: *Inc, sc * around (11)

Change to red

Rnd 16: *Inc, sc 2 * around (15)

Rnd 17-19: sc around (15)

Rnd 20: *Dec, sc3 * around (12)

Rnd 21: FLO, * Inc, sc2 around * (16)

Rnd 22-24: Sc around (16)

Slst into next st, FO. Stuff to Rnd 21.

First Leg

Rnd 1: With dk brown, ch2, sc5 in 2^nd ch from hook (5)

Rnd 2: * Inc, sc * around (8)

Rnd 3-13: Sc around (8)

Slst in next st, FO. Stuff

Second Leg

Repeat pattern for first leg, but do not fasten off at end. Stuff leg.

Rnd 1: Join with slst to first leg, sc around both legs (16)

Rnd 2: *Dec, sc 2 * around (12)

Rnd 3-4: sc around (12)

Slst into next st, FO, leaving long tail for sewing. Stuff, and sew onto free loops of rnd 21.

Arms

(Make 2)

Rnd 1: With tan, Ch2, sc 7 in 2^nd ch from hook (7)

Rnd 2-3: sc around (7)

FO, change color to red

Rnd 4-10: sc around

Rnd 11: sc3, dec 2 (5)

FO, leaving long tail for sewing. Stuff and sew onto body.

Boots

(Make 2)

Rnd 1: With brown, Ch4, sc in 2^nd ch from hook and in next ch, 4sc in next ch. Working on opposite side of ch, sc in next 3 chs.

Rnd 2: sc2, inc in next 4 sts, sc in last 2 (13)

Rnd 3: sc in next 5 sts, inc in next 4 sts, sc in next 4 sts. (17)

Rnd 4: sc in next 5 sts, dec 4, sc 4 (13)

Rnd 5: sc 3, dec 4, sc 2 (9)

Rnd 6: sc4, dec, sc3 (8)

Rnd 7-9: Sc in each st around (8)

Slst in next st, FO, leaving long tail for sewing. Put on foot and sew boot onto leg.

Chainmail

Row 1: With gray, Ch 28, sc in 4^th ch from hook, * ch2, sc in 2^nd ch from hook * to end of ch. (13 sc, 13 ch2)

Row 2: Ch 3 * sc in next ch2 sp, ch 2 * to end of row. Slst to ch at beginning oh row, making a circle. (13sc, 13 ch2 sps)

Row 3: Ch3, sc in same ch2 sp as join. Ch2, sc in ch2 sp one time. Ch 6, skip next 3 ch2 sps, sc in 4^th one. * Ch2, sc in ch2 sp * twice. Ch6, skip next 3 ch2 sps, sc in 4^th sp. Ch 2, sc in next ch2 sp, ch2, sc in ch2 sp joining rnds, slst to first ch3.

Row 4: Ch3, sc in same sp as join. Ch2, sc in next ch2 sp. ch2, sc in first ch of ch6. * Ch2, sc in 2^nd ch from hook * 2 times. * Ch2, sc in 2^nd ch from hook * twice. Ch2, sc in first of ch6. * Ch2, sc in 2^nd ch from hook * 2 times. Ch2, sc in next ch2 sp. Ch2, sc in last ch 2 sp,ch2, join.

Row 5: Ch3, sc in next ch2 sp. * Ch2, sc in next ch2 sp * around. Ch2 Join with sc.

Row 6- 8: Repeat row 5.

Row 9: Ch3, sc in next ch2 sp, * ch2, sc in next ch2 sp * 6 times. Ch2, turn, sc oin next ch2 sp, * Ch2, sc in next ch2 sp * to starting ch3. Ch2, turn. ((You will now be working on just the right the right side of the armor.))

Row 10-11: Ch2, sc in next ch2 sp. * Ch2, sc in next ch2 sp * to end of row.

Row 9 (Of other side): Slst down side of rows 9-11, slst in same ch2 sp of first sc of row 9. * Ch2, sc to end of row. Sc in same ch2 sp of last sc of rnd 9.

Row 10-11 (Of other side): Ch2, sc in next ch2 sp. * Ch2, sc in next ch2 sp * to end of row.

FO.

Sleeves

(Make 2)

Rnd 1: Join gray to armhole in any ch2 sp. * Ch2, sc in each ch2 sp * around. Ch 2, join with sc to join.

Rnd 2: * Ch2, sc in each ch2 sp * around. Sc in first ch2.

Rnd 3: Repeat row 2. FO

Belt

With dk brown, ch 50, FO. You aren't going to sew the belt on. That way, when you take his armor off, you cant take the belt off too and tie it to his shirt. :)

Excalibur

I used the sword pattern I found on this website (http://www.oneandtwocompany.com/workshop/free_medieval.html ) for Excalibur but I made a few changes and additions. Instead of using brown yarn for the hilt, I used black. I then took a piece of gold sport weight yarn and wrapped it around the hilt of the sword in an X pattern. Then using two strands of the same golden sport weight, Ch7, slst in 2nd ch from hook and in each remaining ch. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing, and repeat. These little strips will represent the golden inscription on Excalibur. Sew the gold strips onto either side of the sword.

Ears

(Make 2)

With tan, ch2, sc4 in 2^nd ch from hook. FO leaving long tail for sewing. Sew ears four stitches over from eyes on either side of head.

Cape

Row 1: With red, ch25, dc in 3^rd ch from hook and in each ch across. Ch 2, turn (23)

Row 2-10: Dc in each dc across, ch2, turn.

Fasten off. Cut out the Pendragon symbol from yellow material. ((I just used Google images to find a good reference and free-handed it)). Using Tacky glue, attach the symbol to the front left side of the cape.

Cape Latch

Join dk brown yarn to top right corner of cape .Ch8, slst in 5^th ch from hook and in each remaining ch. Slst to join, fasten off. Sew gold button to other side of cape.

Crown

With lt gold, ch 51. Slst in first ch to join. Ch1, * sc in next 5 sts, (Hdc, dc, picot, hdc) in next st * around to last five sts. Sc in last five sts. In first sc of rnd, hdc, dc, picot, dc. Slst in next st and fasten off.

Hair and Assembly

Put the chainmail on Arthur and tie the belt around his waist. Then slide Excalibur into the belt, and button the cape around his shoulders. Now you have to do his hair. First, you will wrap your golden/blonde yarn around a 3-5” object about 150 times. Now cut the yarn down the center. I used this tutorial for attaching the hair, but I didn't split the yarn into two parts since Arthur doesn't have curly hair. :) (http://amiguru.tumblr.com/post/84454254398/doll-hair-tutorial-bilbo-edition) When you cut his hair, I did the same thing I did with Merlin's and cut it in layers, as you can probably see in the picture. Although, I think Arthur's hair would have looked better if I hadn't done that and kept it all kind of one length. But, you do whatever you think looks best when cutting it. :) Oh, and remember that Arthur's ears aren't quite as big as Merlin's, so don't cut as much hair around them as you did with Merlin. When you're all finished with that, put the crown on his head, and embroider his lips on. I used a lighter pink on Arthur then I did on Merlin. I also made his smile a little crooked. :)

And there you go! Little Arthur is all done and ready to go!

Well, there you have it! A little Merlin and Arthur pattern just for you. I hope you enjoy it, and that it makes some semblance of sense. :) I hope to work on a pattern for Guinevere, Morgana, and possibly Freya next. 

Until next time!

           MR

Likes and dislikes of Battle of the Five Armies **SPOILERS**

   Greetings readers and followers of this blog!
   Christmastime, alas! is now over. For some, the tree might be down and the decorations and dishes put away for another year. But not for my family. We prefer to keep such thing up and out until the start of a new year. Which, fortunately, has not yet arrived. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! But that is not the purpose of this post.

   For my birthday, I decided to go see the third and final Hobbit movie, Battle of the Five Armies. This being our last venture into Middle-Earth (Tears!), I had hoped that it would be something awe-inspiring and amazing and worth the wait. I was not disappointed. There were many, many things I liked, no, loved about this movie. Many little things that didn't make it onto this list, even. But there were also a few things that I didn't like about it. A few deviations from the book that went a little too far. That is the purpose of this post. The list of dislikes, by the way, is much shorter than the list of likes though. That would be because it is a great movie that you need to watch, if you haven't already. Speaking of which, this post is fraught with spoilers upon spoilers for BotFA, so I would advise you to not continue reading if you haven't yet seen it. But enough of my rambling! Let us begin...

Likes

   1. Bard shooting Smaug down with a real bow

   When Peter Jackson first mentioned the windlance, I was a little nervous. I have always loved Bard shooting down Smaug with an actual longbow in the book. I really hoped that Peter Jackson wouldn't change that. And he didn't! The entire scene was breath taking! Even though Bard's son wasn't involved in the shooting down of Smaug in the book, I loved how Peter Jackson put him in. I loved Bard's family! I loved Bard! I loved this scene! 

   2. Lady Galadriel fighting back Sauron

   I loved this. I loved getting to see a little bit more about the Necromancer, AKA Sauron, and how he returned to Mordor, and everything. Lady Galadriel using her powers against him was just... So cool. Lady Galadriel coming to Dul Guldor to help Gandalf... So cool. Lady Galadriel saving Gandalf... So cool. Elrond and Saruman and Lady Galadriel fighting back the Nine... So cool. Oh, and Saruman saying that he would deal with Sauron? Yeah, that was cool. And also a big fat lie. 

   4. Thorin overcoming the dragon sickness

   Everything about this! Everything! From Richard Armitage's acting, to the special effects, to the sound effects. It was brilliant! I loved how Thorin could "see" Smaug swimming in the bottom of the golden floor, and how he could feel himself being sucked into it, the greed, the lust for more, the very sickness itself. And his casting aside of the crown and his title of King and going back to good old Thorin Oakenshield.

   4. Thorin killing Azog, his death, and last words to Bilbo

   I absolutely wanted Azog and Thorin to receive mortal wounds from each other, and that is what I got. I was very happy with this. And the way Thorin died, after taking a last look at his home, and breathing his last with his friend Bilbo. It was beautiful! His last words to Bilbo were mostly taken directly from the book, which is always a good thing, and I mean they were just..... Amazing!!! And Bilbo's reaction to them! And the way he started crying after that. Everything about this scene I loved! And I would also like to mention the acorn was an amazing idea that I loved whole-heartedly. "Plant your tree..." Ugh! This scene just really got to me. I was a mess in the theater. 

   

   5. Bilbo's departure and return to the Shire

   Bilbo saying goodbye to everyone was wonderfully done. And seeing him all decked out in Dwarven gear and hauling around a chest that was presumably full of gold! And his return to the Shire and seeing everyone hauling off his stuff! I loved this part in the books, and I loved it in the movies. They even made mention of Lobelia and her spoons! And then when asked who Thorin was, Bilbo saying he was his friend.... Yes! Loved this scene so much... 

   6. The ending

   I had seen something on the internet about someone wanting the movie to end with Gandalf knocking on the door and Bilbo shouting at him to go away and that he didn't want anyone around and then Gandalf asking him "Well what about very old friends?" It would take us in one great big beautiful circle. After reading it, I realized that that was exactly what I wanted. And Peter Jackson gave it to me. THANK YOU PETER JACKSON!!!! THANK YOU!!!



7. The Last Goodbye
   Tears. Great big tears tolled down my cheeks and muffled sobs shook my shoulders as I listened to this song in the theater. So beautiful. And the absolute perfect ending. I can't describe it. Just listen to it!  

   

Dislikes

   1. Kili dying for Tauriel
   Now, okay. Even though she's not in the books, I really like Tauriel. A lot actually! I didn't even mind the bit of romance between her and Kili. But the fact that Peter Jackson had Kili die for Tauriel, a random (albiet cool) elf maiden, and not his uncle Thorin, his FAMILY, didn't make me very happy. I had actually seen something about this on the internet as well before the movie was released. Someone was just speculating, and saying about how horrible it would be if this happened. I hadn't even thought of or considered it would happen. But happen it did. I was so upset about it that it even stopped my flood of tears for a moment. But, I suppose what's done is done, and nothing is perfect, right? 

   2. Fili's death
   Fili's death was okay, but I feel like Peter Jackson could have done a better job. I really wanted to see Fili and Kili fall defending a wounded Thorin against Azog. And then when wounded Thorin saw the dead bodies of his sister's sons, he would pull himself up from the ground and kill Azog with his dying breath. But I'm not the writer, am I?


    And that's it. I told you the list of dislikes was far shorter! All in all, it is an amazing movie, and I loved it more than words can say. I cannot WAIT for it to come out on DVD so I can buy it and watch it over and over again and have a huge Hobbit/LotR marathon! Again, that is. That's actually what I did for my birthday and the next few days after it, and it was THE BEST THING EVER!
   So, I hope you enjoyed this movie as much as I did! Do you have any likes I missed? And dislikes? I love comments, so please leave them! In the words of Smaug himself, "Come now, don't be shhhyyyy..." :)
   Have a hobbit-y, er, happy New Year everyone!

                          MR

Note: Again, none of these images are mine! :)

Christmas Poems

   Poetry! I love it! Love it so much that I actually write some in my spare time. I also happen to love Christmas! It is the most wonderful time of the year, after all. :) So, why not put the two together and make some Christmas poetry? I don't see any reason against it!

"Light of the World" by Mark Missman

   This first poem is called "The Reason Why". I actually got the inspiration for it in Christmas season of 2012, but after chewing on it and trying to write it down once, it just wasn't working out how I had planned. So I gave up until Christmas of 2013. Which after about 2 more tries, I got it right. Or at least, that's how I felt at the time. Now I'm not so sure... Nonetheless, here it is!

   The Reason Why 

   By Maggie Rice

   A still and peaceful silent night,

   Fingerprinted stars above,

   A light shone down on Bethlehem,

   And God gave to us His love.

The world lay sleeping, unaware,

Of the holy, precious gift,

The Thread God sent to mend anew

The tattered, blackened rift.

The prayers of millions of souls

Were answered on that night,

When God sent to the Darkness,

The searching, saving Light.

Hymns of praise were sung abroad,

And reverent men fell down,

At the feet of baby Jesus,

Whose glory shone around.

Two-thousand years have come and gone,

And still men worship there,

Giving their all to the Holy One,

And casting aside their care. 

Never forget the little manger,

Where Jesus Christ was born.

Never forget the Reason why,

We celebrate on Christmas morn. 

   And the second one,"Sleeping On". This is one that I wrote this year, and no one but myself has laid eyes on it as of yet. You, reader, whoever you might be, are the first person outside of, well, me, to read it. Not that it's some deeply moving powerful thing that I was saving for the perfect time to reveal. I just haven't gotten around to showing it to anyone yet. 

Sleeping On

By Maggie Rice

For millenia we've waited,

Looking forward to the King,

The promise of the virgin birth,

The salvation it would bring.

A scarlet thread through history,

A blood-lined Roman's Road,

Into the womb of Mary,

This seed of love was sown.

Our expected King was but a child,

A tiny babe in manger lay,

Great conqueror, our salvation,

Quietly sleeping in the hay.

The snow white Lamb, the Sacrifice,

Slept with sheep and ox that night,

The Lord of all, Redeemer,

Was warmed by a lantern's feeble light.

How lowly, oh how humble!

Was the Messiah's birth!

The waiting world lay sleeping on,

Unaware he'd come to earth. 

   There you have it! Two Christmas poems for your reading pleasure! Or, just your reading. Pleasure is optional. 

   Anyhoo, I hoped you enjoyed them, and that they helped to remind you what Christmas is really about. I know it's hard to remember sometimes with all of the beautiful Christmas things to distract us. But try to remember why we celebrate this wonderful holiday. Take a minute to think about what Christmas really means, in general, and personally in your life. Is it just another holiday, or is it the birthday of Jesus Christ, the Son of God? What does it mean to you?

   And can you believe that it's almost here? Just three more days! Wowzers! Where does time go? But, I sincerely hope that you get to spend some time with your loved ones, and that the season was beautiful, and that your Christmas is too! Have a very merry Christmas everyone! 

MR

P.S. For those of you who have seen the latest Hobbit movie, I am going to be posting a little something about the things I liked and didn't like about it sometime after Christmas and before January. Though, 'little' is probably not the most accurate word to use. A big something is closer to the mark...  

 

Favorite Christmas Traditions

   Merry Christmas once again!
   Well, I'm here to talk about my five favorite Christmas traditions, as promised! Let's get started, shall we?


1. Christmas Eve Service

Every year, my church has the most amazing Christmas Eve service. There's beautiful Christmas music, the Christmas story is read, and at the end we all light candles and sing a Christmas hymn together.  The very atmosphere just gives you chills. It's solemn and reverent, but joyful and happy at the same time. Honestly, you'd have to be there to really understand what it's like, but there is a reason it is my favorite Christmas tradition.






2. Twelve Days of Christmas

This is something my mom found a few years ago, and we've done it ever since. So basically, you choose a family you know, whether it be someone going through hard times, someone in need, or just for fun, and you give them these little gifts. We usually start on the thirteenth and give them their last gift on Christmas Eve. Every day is a different gift, with a fun little poem to go with it. At the end, you're supposed to reveal who you are, but we like to keep it a secret. So shh!! Don't tell anyone! ;)

3. Reading the Christmas Story

I really enjoy personally reading the Christmas story. I usually start about a week before and go through the main points up until Christmas day. But this year, I found a really cool schedule that spreads it out from the first 'til the twenty-fifth! Some of the daily readings are only two or three verses, but others are longer.
   <--- Here's the schedule if you wanna check it out. :)
   And here's my shorter schedule, just for fun!

1. Luke 1:26-38
2. Luke 1:39-56
3. Luke 1:57-80
4. Luke 2:1-7
5. Luke 2:8-20
6. Luke 2:21-40
7. Matthew 1:18-25
8. Matthew 2 
















4. Opening a Present on Christmas Eve

Who doesn't enjoy opening a present early? I certainly do! Our parents usually have us open a game or something to help keep us entertained during the long hours of waiting on Christmas Eve. It does help! Especially last year, since one of the games we happened to get was Dutch Blitz. As a side note, if you've never played this game before, you need to. It is the funnest game ever. But anyway, yeah, we like to open a present early! :)



5. Prime Rib

So, this is our traditional Christmas Eve meal. Much better than your average turkey, or goose, or what have you. Our whole family looks forward to this treat every year! Yum!

Ooooo!!! Just LOOK at it! My mouth is watering already.... 

   So concludes my favorite Christmas traditions! I do hope you enjoyed them, though I've probably made you hungry for some prime rib. :) Do you share any traditions with me? Have some of your own you would like to add? Feel free to comment! I love hearing from the brave few who look at this blog.

   I'm not sure what I should do next week, which also happens to be the last week of this little Christmas series. Can you believe that we only have nine days until Christmas? Where does the time go??? But, I'm thinking I might post one of my Christmas poems. Anyone have any other ideas?  

   Well, I must bid you all adieu! Have a great day, and Merry Christmas! 

                         MR

Note: Non of these images are mine! They belong to various talented photographers on the internet. :) 

Favorite Christmas Movies

   Merry Christmas readers!!
   I'm back, just like I said I would be! Wow! Hopefully I can make a habit of this. :)
   Another thing that really helps to get me in the Christmas spirit is watching Christmas movies. There are all kinds of them! Ones about Jesus, ones about Santa, humorous movies, heart touching movies, and ones with a little bit of everything! But, all of the ones on my list are all more on the heart-touching side. Or, at least heart-warming. :) Though I love plenty of funny Christmas movies, my top five favorites happen to not include any of them. Guess I'm more of a 'Drama' genre kind of girl. Hmm...
   Anyway, here's the list!


1. It's a Wonderful Life

   Okay, so this is seriously the greatest Christmas movie of all time EVER!  If you haven't seen this, stop reading this and GO AND WATCH IT! It always touches my heart and gets me ready for Christmas. I look forward to watching it all year long! 

2. The Polar Express

  Another one that if you haven't seen you need to go watch right now!! Something about this movie just gets to me every time I watch it. It is so beautiful! 

3. The Nativity Story

   An amazing story of Jesus' birth and the events leading up to it! 

4. It's a Meaningful Life

The two main reasons I love this movie would be because 1.It's a spin-off of 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 2.It's VeggieTales. Enough said. 

5. Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas

   This movie is just so sweet! It never ceases to bring a smile to my face and, since I am an emotional sop, tears to my eyes. :) 

Well, those are my favorite Christmas movies! Do you share any favorites with me? What's one of your favorites? Feel free to tell me! Tune in next Monday to hear my top five favorite Christmas traditions! 

Merry Christmas again everyone!

MR

Christmas Music!

   Hark, dear readers! I hear the sound of sleigh bells jingling down the hill! The air is ripe with the smell of cocoa and cinnamon and cookies! I see the colors of red, green, gold, and silver everywhere I look! That can only mean one thing... Christmas is FINALLY here!!!

   Ah yes, the most wonderful time of the year is upon us at long last! Decorations are going up, trees are selling and the joyous sound of Christmas music fills the air. Which brings us to the subject of this post. Christmas music, one of my most favorite parts of the season. The old Christmas hymns have such deep, powerful lyrics that vividly describe Christ's birth and the events surrounding it. A lot of the newer Christmas song help to reawaken our Christmas spirit and remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. Just listening to them sends a thrill of joy through me! So, I thought I'd take the time to share with you five of my favorite Christmas songs, to help light up your Christmas spirit! 

   

1. Oh Holy Night!

This is my number one favorite Christmas song! It is sung by Josh Groban, and written by Adolphe-Charles Adam and Placide Cappeau. 

2. O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Such a beautiful song that captures the longing of Israel for their Saviour! I have always loved this one! It was written by John Mason Neale and Henry Sloane Coffin. This particular version is sung by Bebo Norman. 

3. Just a Girl

This song always brings tears to my eye!. It is the touching story of how the innkeeper denied Mary and Joseph a place to stay, and his realization of what he had done. The song is written and sang by Brandon Heath.

4. Believe

   I have always loved The Polar Express, and this song is one of the reasons why! It is beautiful, and never ceases to get me in the Christmas spirit! It is sung and written by Josh Groban. 

5. Where Are You Christmas?

   Another song I love! It is sung by Faith Hill and written by Mariah Carey, James Horner, and Will Jennings. 

6. Peppermint Winter

 

  BOOM!! Surprise sixth song! :D I had to share this because it is Owl City, and it is awesome! Enjoy! This was written and sung by Owl City (<3).

   I hope you enjoyed this little marathon of Christmas musics, and that they helped to get you into the Christmas spirit! Check in next week to see a list of my five favorite Christmas movies! 

Merry Christmas, dear reader! 

MR

Disclaimer: I own neither these songs or these videos. And I just googled the singers and songwriters, so please feel free to correct me if my information is wrong. :)