Bathroom Renovations - Week 3 & 4

WHEN: February 2012
WHERE: The Brass Residence

We've made it! The final week(ends) of our bathroom "renovation".  Not that the experience was particularly difficult or unenjoyable, it's just nice to see the results that you could only see in your head.

But let me make sure we are on the same page.

This post contains work from two weekends ago (Week 3) and last weekend (Week 4) and was published at the beginning of what would be "Week 5".  OK, as long as we all understand nothing I do here is punctual.

Next order of business...this is my 200th post!  And at the rate I publish posts these days, I expect post #300 to come sometime in 2016!  Stay tuned.

But on to the bathroom.  Although it still isn't 100% complete, it is complete enough to post pictures.  And if I wait until everything is finished, I will never write a post about it.

Why not start with the toilet paper?  It IS a bathroom after all.

The new vanity light

The new faucet, which we both loved in the store and love installed even more!

We've had these shell mirrors for a few years and they have been all over our past residences.  With the coastal theme we have adopted and continue to implement in this bathroom, it is a perfect home for these mirrors.

 

The view from the entryway

We are still waiting for our canvas print to be finished at Michaels and are still working on the decor and touch-ups along the floorboards and ceiling.  With how indecisive (and sometimes disagreeable) we are about decorating, I can't believe we have "finished" this project in 4 weekends.  We quickly learned what was easier than we expected and harder than we expected.  We have experienced the time, thought, and money involved.  Subsequent (larger) projects seem more daunting but also worthwhile and achievable now that we have our first project under our belt.

Even though we have a three-day weekend ahead of us, we have no plans for any additional "renovation projects".  However, our bedroom is most likely next on our list as we have already bought a new bed and furniture.  The paint and decor have yet to be decided on.  When they are, I will be back here to highlight (most likely a week or two late)!

Summer In February

WHEN: August 2011
WHERE: Charleston, SC

**re-published 4/20/2013**

I noticed I had a post from last August that I never posted because I had never really finished writing it.  I posted it today along with some added content I wrote today.  However, before you rush back to read it (control your excitement), I will warn you it is mostly about the weather.  OK, it's ALL about the weather.  But not just any weather...summer weather (the best kind)!  And I figured deep in to the winter, a little summer sunshine and warmth may be just what you were looking for.

And so you don't have to bore yourself with all the content in that post (I'll be honest, those posts are really just for myself), I have outlined the highlights of that post, below.

I took this video at our house during an intense thunder shower on August 6.  Doesn't it make you long for summer all the more?  Green grass, thunderstorms, the smell of rain...ahhhh!

 Don't you miss these days too?  The heat index in northern Virginia (in Stafford County, the county adjacent to where my sister lives) was the warmest heat index (129°F) in the world on this particular day (July 22).  The heat index had reached 117°F there before 9am!

Highest indices reported in the world on July 22 (2:53EDT).  Most were in Virginia.

I generated these temperature and dewpoint curves for Charleston AFB (June-August 2011).  The heat indices (purple line) were even higher than this in downtown Charleston, closer to the coast.

The heat index reached 128°F in nearby Kiawah Island on July 13.

It's old news that my favorite season is summer.  But it's months like February that really make me appreciate what summer means to me and how much I dislike it being any season but summer.  It can't come soon enough!

Bathroom Renovations - Week 2

WHEN: January 2012
WHERE: The Brass Residence

Our goal this weekend was to finish priming the bathroom and get all of it painted.  I am happy to say that we achieved that goal.  Even though there are remaining components preventing the project from being stamped "complete", having it all painted seems like most of the battle (physically and psychologically).  We went with Valspar's vintage blue for the color in the bathroom and we are more than pleased with how it turned out.  The blue does have a grey tint to it but it appears more blue in person.  It was hard to accurately capture the true color in the pictures below.

The first order of business this past week was choosing new wall art for the bathroom.  This was not something we intentionally sought to incorporate at the onset of the project, but it more or less presented itself once we got started.

Have you ever heard of or used Groupon?  Launched in November 2008, Groupon is a "deal-of-the-day" website that provides daily "coupons" for merchandise/services/travel/etc. for larger city markets (list of markets by state).  In our case, we get daily emails for Groupons in the Charleston, SC market.  Those Groupons are often for deals within or around Charleston, but some are also for deals online.

We first heard about and joined the Groupon fad when we lived in Virginia Beach, but never purchased any Groupons until we lived in Charleston.  One of the first Groupons we bought was last July, for a 16x20" gallery-wrapped canvas print ($39 for a normally $125 print - which ironically happens to be today's deal in Charleston again).  That Groupon from July expired last week and somehow we had put off selecting a picture to have printed until last week.  Turns out we now have a perfect place to add the canvas print...our rejuvenated bathroom.

This is the picture we submitted to have printed on the canvas.  I took the picture last July (coincidentally), at the Charleston Harbor Marina.  I have come to find out over the past year or so that Stacie really likes sailboats, and given the blue/coastal theme of our new bathroom, this seemed like a great picture to use for our canvas print.  I don' think I can count on there being a Groupon for purchasing an actual sailboat.  Hopefully this print will suffice her tastes!

Stacie finished priming the bathroom on Friday...well almost. :)

I removed the toilet tank on Saturday so we could prime and paint behind it, then we grabbed our brush and roller and battled the walls with a vengeance.

With door.  No paint.

No door.  With paint.

This sight threw me for a loop every time I walked around the corner.

A large hole (where the old towel ring was mounted) needed 3 applications of spackling before it could be sanded and painted.  This patch, some final touch-ups, and trim work were finished on Sunday.

We bought new light switch and outlet covers, to match the brushed nickel hardware throughout the house.

They look much better than the original plastic, off-white covers.

Unfinished but functional again.

The next goal is to get everything (mostly) finished this weekend.  That includes installing new hardware (faucet, TP holder, towel ring), hanging the wall cabinet and canvas print, adding a window valance, finding a new light fixture, and adding some shells and other decorative accents.

This has been a relatively fun and pain-free starter project and we've already learned a few new things.  I believe it has given us some confidence to tackle larger rooms in the house.  I'm looking forward to projects that involve more sawdust and power tools!

Bathroom Renovations - Week 1

WHEN: January 2012
WHERE: The Brass Residence

Fashionably late.  OK, just late.

I figured I needed to bring my blog into 2012 before spring rolled around.  And since I'm struggling to blog anymore, I figured I could at least blog about those things taking precedence over my blog.  Either that or surely watch my blog slip into an assumed "retired" or "abandoned" status.

Christmas is over.  A new year has begun.  The Packers are not headed to the Superbowl.  We don't yet have children.  We've recently become first-time homeowners...

....sounds like an excellent recipe to begin renovations!

That's just what we have begun here at the Brass household.  We have owned our house for almost 5 months now, but have lived in it for almost 18 months.  That has proven ample time for the 'honeymoon effect' of the house to wear off and led us to start complaining about the imperfections of the house, even though we know it's a blessing just to own a home (regardless of the economy).  Now that we own the house and a new year has arrived, we have begun taking "renovations" seriously.  I emphasize "renovations" because we're not necessarily tearing down walls here (an act which appears so innocent, simple, and inexpensive on HGTV).  Thankfully, our house was built in 2008 and therefore needs little work in terms of maintenance, efficiency, or "safety", so our main goals so far are simply the aesthetics.  Not to mention legitimate renovations would not be within our budget!

Our aim has been to paint walls (which are a buff color - in every room, floor to ceiling, on both floors), update furniture, replace hardware, and clean floorboards and other unsightly dirt-traps that have accumulated not only our dirt but the dirt of the not-so-cleanly owners before us.  So that we didn't get in over our head, we decided we would start small on our projects.  Neither money nor experience are in our favor when it comes to renovations, so we narrowed our plan down to what would be the least amount of cost and work.  The small half-bath on the ground level was a perfect place to start.

The bathroom (about 6x6ft.) is the smallest room in the house and it seems apparent that bathrooms and kitchens are big selling points in a house (looking down the road).  Those characteristics made the bathroom an obvious choice for us to try our hand in home renovations.

While renovations for this bathroom have been in our minds for a couple months now, we only began to act on those thoughts this past week.  Saturday was the first real day of actual labor, after spending Friday night at Lowe's beginning to buy supplies for the "reno".  We covered a lot of ground over this first weekend, but that's only saying so much for a room that's less than 50 square feet.  Even still, it was encouraging just to get started on a project that was only in our heads up to that point, and it was nice to see progress.

Our stash of bathroom hardware we picked up last week.

This is how our downstairs bathroom looked last Saturday morning, before we began work on it.

The view from "the can" (I couldn't resist).

Building the cabinet in the garage.  Any excuse to get out in the garage and work with my tools!

Measuring the wall for the cabinet

Hello, white!

All taped up and ready to be primed

We brought home over a dozen paint samples we were serious about to compare in the bathroom.  We're both very indecisive and I don't think either of us have a good eye for how a 3x3" sample translates to an entire room.  Not the best situation when renovating. :)

These are the three final choices we had painted on the wall on Saturday night.  I'm not going to give away what color we chose until it's up on the walls.  (I'll leave you in suspense until my next belated post.)

We took turns priming the bathroom on Saturday and Sunday and got most of it done.  I didn't take any pictures of that and was too lazy to take any last night when I was putting this post together.  As you likely know, it's nothing exciting.  It turned the walls from a buff color to white.  Boring.

Stacie is planning on finishing the priming this afternoon and we would like to get it all painted this weekend.  We hope to be done with everything by next weekend - but then you never know what might slow you down, related or unrelated.  

So, as week #2 begins today, I am finally posting week one's progress.  Hopefully I can get this weekend's progress up earlier next week.  Of course, I see it as a success that I even got a post done before February!

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs (Day 12)

What don't I like about this song?

To be honest, this song was not initially at #1 when I started these countdowns.  But in the end, it had every component of a great song and I couldn't find anything I didn't like about it.  There are very few voices that could rival Josh Groban's, for starters.  The instrumentals in this song are excellent too and nothing less than what I would expect from Josh Groban.  This song is off his 2007 Christmas album, Noel, the highest selling Christmas album that year.

Then there are the lyrics...including the title itself.  There has been nothing more special about December 25 these past 5 Christmases, than coming home for Christmas.  This song would have meant much less to me just 5 years ago.  But the reality of "There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays" (Day #5) did not resonate with me until we moved away from our families.  Since then, I've personally experienced 5 times now that "...no matter how far away you roam...for the holidays you can't beat home sweet home!".  A song and lyrics like these speak to exactly what Christmas Day has meant to me these past 5 years.

Finally, and something that only Josh Groban's rendition offers, is the tribute to and story of Christmas in the lives of this great country's service members and their families.  As much as it is difficult to be away from our families, it pales in comparison to the sacrifices and distance many of our troops have endured over Christmas.

Every year we fly home, the airports are flooded with service men and women in their uniforms, on their way home for the holidays.  They are an unavoidable reminder of the current condition or our world and a direct link to those sacrificing their lives for our freedom and liberty.  It is humbling to travel each December and walk in the presence of those who may be returning home after months of service overseas, away from their families - not to mention those still serving over the holidays, away from their families, unsure if they will ever see them again or see their children grow up.  This song is an excellent tribute to their sacrifices and a reality check for those of us who are fortunate enough to spend the holidays with our family and friends.

I am very cognizant of the blessing it is that Stacie and I will, yet again, be home for Christmas.  We are thankful for that opportunity that God has given us each year.  We are even more thankful for the greatest Gift and greatest Sacrifice we could ever ask for, Jesus Christ - the reason for the season.  Born that we may have life!

Because He lives, Merry Christmas!


Josh Groban - I'll Be Home For Christmas

Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (vocal)
1- Josh Groban - I'll Be Home For Christmas
2- Darlene Love - All Alone On Christmas
3- Mavis Staples - Christmas Vacation
4- Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
5- Johnny Mathis - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
6- Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
7- Brandon Heath - The Night Before Christmas
8- Perry Como - Home For The Holidays (There's No Place Like)
9- Matthew West - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
10- Bing Crosby - White Christmas
11- Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
12- Celine Dion - Don't Save It All For Christmas Day

My favorite instrumental Christmas song is also the main title of my favorite Christmas movie, Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009).  Surprise, surprise!

Even though this movie is only two years old, it became my favorite Christmas movie the first time I saw it.  It is my favorite movie for a number of reasons.  For one, it was the first movie Stacie and I ever saw in 3D.  And it's actually a movie meant for 3D, if that makes sense.  The scenes in that movie are full of acrobatic fly-overs of quaint English villages, whisking the viewer through time and space, literally! (See official trailer below.) Avatar is often credited as re-igniting the 3D craze in movie theaters over the past couple of years.  However, Disney's A Christmas Carol was released in theaters in 3D in November 2009, a month before Avatar.

Second, I love that time period in the U.S. (~1830s), before the Civil War and the "modern age" (pre- planes, trains, and automobiles), yet a period removed from the infancy of America and the Revolutionary War.  It may be the period Americans are most unfamiliar with in their country's history.  It seems like the perfect period for a Christmas setting.  The history of Christmas, such as this time period, is really interesting to me, and something we rarely learn about.

Charles Dicken's classic story, A Christmas Carol (published December 19, 1843), piggybacked a series of literature pieces from authors of the same period (1820s-1830s), which helped spark a re-interest in Christmas in England.  Dicken's Christmas story, which introduced some secular aspects to Christmas, was the most influential in this Christmas revival which spread through England, and shortly thereafter to the US.


And finally, it is my favorite movie thanks in part to the excellent film score, composed by Alan Silvestri.  In addition, Alan Silvestri has also composed music for Father Of The Bride, Back To The Future, and Forrest Gump.  His work is bested by other contemporary composer greats, but it was his work on A Christmas Carol and The Polar Express that has earned him the top two spots on my instrumental countdown.

Happy first day of winter!



Alan Silvestri - A Christmas Carol (Main Title)


Disney's A Christmas Carol (official trailer, in HD)

Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (instrumental)
1- Alan Silvestri - A Christmas Carol (Main Title)
2- Alan Silvestri - Suite From The Polar Express
3- John Williams - Home Alone (Main Title)
4- John Debney - Elf (Main Title)
5- Mannheim Steamroller - Carol Of The Bells
6- Michael W. Smith - It's A Wonderful Christmas
7- James Horner - A Change Of Heart
8- Celtic Woman - Carol Of The Bells
9- David Foster - Carol Of The Bells
10- Vince Guaraldi - Christmastime Is Here (Instrumental)
11- Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve
12- Boston Pops Orchestra - Sleigh Ride

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs (Day 11)

I have little to say about my second favorite Christmas song.  A large part of that is due to the nature of the song.  1) I'm not a fan of Christmas "love songs" and 2) I'd hate to be all alone on Christmas.  How do you go about explaining that it's your second favorite song then?

Somehow neither of those facets of this song seem to have an effect on my affinity for this song.  It does have an uptempo and happy tune to it (despite the title and lyrics), which counts for positive points in my book.  But I know the biggest component of this song and the reasoning for placing it at the #2 spot, is because of its presence in the movie Home Alone 2.  Not only is that one of my favorite Christmas movies, but the song is played during one of the best parts of the movie...when Kevin is touring New York for the first time, including the World Trade Center towers.

It just IS my second favorite.  That's all I can say.

Darlene Love - All Alone On Christmas

View Larger Map
Street view of 671 Lincoln Blvd., Winnetka, Illinois (aka- "The McCallister House")
(Yours for $2.4 million)

Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (vocal)
1-
2- Darlene Love - All Alone On Christmas
3- Mavis Staples - Christmas Vacation
4- Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
5- Johnny Mathis - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
6- Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
7- Brandon Heath - The Night Before Christmas
8- Perry Como - Home For The Holidays (There's No Place Like)
9- Matthew West - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
10- Bing Crosby - White Christmas
11- Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
12- Celine Dion - Don't Save It All For Christmas Day

Actually, I am also somewhat surprised by my choice for the #2 spot on the instrumental countdown as well.

Given some of the uncertainties of why I chose some songs on these countdowns, you must think I really don't know what songs I like.  But I will assure you, once again, that 4 months is a long time to analyze every choice, and I stand by those choices.

Obviously I think this song has some clout, to place it just one spot below my favorite.  I've only seen The Polar Express twice, including once just last week; and it's not even one of my favorite Christmas movies.  What I believe makes up for the movie's lack of sentimental value to me, is found in the raw composition of this song.

Even if you've never seen the movie, this is one of those songs you may think sounds like it could be the theme song to any Christmas classic.  It is that caliber of song.  Listening to it sounds like the soundtrack to all your memories of Christmases past, mixed with the wonder of Christmases yet to come.  Maybe that sounds cheesy, but I really think this song has it all (and I'm not a good enough writer to relay that meaning in words - sorry).  It has everything, that is, except for that "special something" that would make it my absolute favorite.  You'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear what that is though!

I know.  You can't wait.

Alan Silvestri - Suite From The Polar Express

Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (instrumental)
1-
2- Alan Silvestri - Suite From The Polar Express
3- John Williams - Home Alone (Main Title)
4- John Debney - Elf (Main Title)
5- Mannheim Steamroller - Carol Of The Bells
6- Michael W. Smith - It's A Wonderful Christmas
7- James Horner - A Change Of Heart
8- Celtic Woman - Carol Of The Bells
9- David Foster - Carol Of The Bells
10- Vince Guaraldi - Christmastime Is Here (Instrumental)
11- Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve
12- Boston Pops Orchestra - Sleigh Ride

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs (Day 10)

"You couldn't hear a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant!" 

What you can hear (below) is the theme song of one of my top 3 favorite Christmas movies, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  Though not one of the traditional Christmas songs you hear on the radio, this is one of those songs that so many people recognize the tune to.  And part of what makes it my third favorite Christmas song (and Christmas movie, coincidentally) is that it IS so rarely heard.  I can't emphasize how much Christmas music appearing on my favorite Christmas movies has effected the songs I've chosen for these countdowns.  Can you relate?  Even songs I've heard a hundred times on the radio don't compare.  The song is so much more infectious ('Christmas-ly' speaking) when it is associated with your favorite Christmas movie/s.

Enjoy some classic scenes from the "hap-hap-happiest" Christmas movie ever!

Mavis Staples - Christmas Vacation

Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (vocal)
1-
2-
3- Mavis Staples - Christmas Vacation
4- Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
5- Johnny Mathis - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
6- Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
7- Brandon Heath - The Night Before Christmas
8- Perry Como - Home For The Holidays (There's No Place Like)
9- Matthew West - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
10- Bing Crosby - White Christmas
11- Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
12- Celine Dion - Don't Save It All For Christmas Day

Speaking of my favorite Christmas movies...

Home Alone 1 and 2 came out at the perfect time for me.  The first movie was released in 1990, and the second in 1992.  Macaulay Culkin, just three years my senior, was a very relatable figure to many boys my age, engaging in heroic and hilarious acts of courage that many boys that age (myself included) aspired to.  Subsequently, those movies became Christmas classics and I suppose there is still some part in every guy my age that can still relate to.  Our boyhood adventures, lived out in a movie which was also centered around a young's boy's favorite time of year.  

That was the movie, of which we all are familiar with.  What you may be unfamiliar with is the man who composed the music for those films.

If you've watched or even heard about movies in the past 50 years...OK, that's everyone (just to make my point)...then you are familiar with John William's work.  Just who is John Williams exactly?  Well, for starters, the only other person in history to be nominated for more Academy Awards (45) was Walt Disney himself.  John William's career spans nearly 6 decades and he is one of only two composers ever to win 5 Academy Awards for their work.  In addition, he has also won 4 Golden Globe Awards and 21 Grammy Awards.

You name it, John Williams has composed it...

Over his 6 decades of work, he has composed music for: 4 Olympic Games, the theme song to NBC Sunday Night Football and the NBC Nightly News, as well as film scores for the top movies of our lifetime.  He has composed music for all but two of Steven Spielberg's feature films. He has composed the music for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., Harry Potter, Schindler's List, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Superman, Hook, The Patriot, Fiddler On The Roof...and of course Home Alone.  Just to name a few!

It was never a question of if I would include Home Alone's Main Title on my instrumental countdown.  It was just a question of how far up.  And since I couldn't choose between both movie's Main Title (which are slightly different), I just chose both!

Be sure to check out the interactive street view map below of "The McCallister House", made famous in these movies.

John Williams - Home Alone 1 (Main Title)

John Williams - Home Alone 2 (Main Title)

View Larger Map
Street view of 671 Lincoln Blvd., Chicago, Illinois (aka- "The McCallister House")

(Yours for $2.4 million)

Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (instrumental)
1-
2-
3- John Williams - Home Alone (Main Title)
4- John Debney - Elf (Main Title)
5- Mannheim Steamroller - Carol Of The Bells
6- Michael W. Smith - It's A Wonderful Christmas
7- James Horner - A Change Of Heart
8- Celtic Woman - Carol Of The Bells
9- David Foster - Carol Of The Bells
10- Vince Guaraldi - Christmastime Is Here (Instrumental)
11- Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve
12- Boston Pops Orchestra - Sleigh Ride

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs (Day 9)

I love Christmastime and everything it brings.  I wouldn't listen to Christmas music in June or for 4 months in a row if I didn't.  However, I cannot agree that this is the most wonderful time of the year.  But I like this song so much, I would (and do) listen to it during the real "most wonderful time of the year"! :)

The song was written in 1963 by George Wyle, the same guy who wrote the theme song for Gilligan's Island.  I wish I could fit more of Andy Williams Christmas music on this countdown, but this is my favorite one of his. It's (almost) the most wonderful time of the year!

Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (vocal)
1-
2-
3-
4- Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
5- Johnny Mathis - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
6- Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
7- Brandon Heath - The Night Before Christmas
8- Perry Como - Home For The Holidays (There's No Place Like)
9- Matthew West - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
10- Bing Crosby - White Christmas
11- Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
12- Celine Dion - Don't Save It All For Christmas Day

Who doesn't like the movie Elf?

And if you like film scores as much as I do, it's even better!

The movie, just 8 years old, has already become a Christmas classic and even the film score ranks up there with some of the best Christmas tunes.  Sure, I'm biased because I've placed it at #4 on the countdown. But listen to the song below and try to tell me - aside from the whirlwind of your Christmas festivities - that it doesn't put you in an instant Christmas mood.  If you haven't seen the movie than the song may not have the same effect on you, but you'll still enjoy it.  More importantly, if you haven't seen this movie, WATCH IT! :)

John Debney - Elf (Main Title)

This is the (longer) Elf suite.

Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (instrumental)
1-
2-
3-
4- John Debney - Elf (Main Title)
5- Mannheim Steamroller - Carol Of The Bells
6- Michael W. Smith - It's A Wonderful Christmas
7- James Horner - A Change Of Heart
8- Celtic Woman - Carol Of The Bells
9- David Foster - Carol Of The Bells
10- Vince Guaraldi - Christmastime Is Here (Instrumental)
11- Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve
12- Boston Pops Orchestra - Sleigh Ride

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs (Day 8)

I imagine a video of young children, awakening in their beds, running down the stairs, and tearing into their presents on Christmas morning.  This song has that kind of happy sound to it, as if it's a sunny Christmas morning and everything is buried under snow outside.  It is simply one of my favorite Christmas songs and I don't have a lot more to explain about it than that.

Johnny Mathis' version is my favorite because his song appeared on one of my favorite Christmas movies, Home Alone 2.   That was probably my first exposure to the song and it has reminded me of that movie and my childhood at Christmas ever since.  I haven't seen either Home Alone in their entirety yet this season, but I hope to remedy that before next Sunday (Christmas Day, for those of you not paying attention!) :)

The first video below is the full song.  The second video is a 10-minute clip of the movie, with this song beginning exactly at minute 2:00.

Johnny Mathis - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Johnny Mathis - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas (as heard on Home Alone 2)
(click here to view video)

Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (vocal)
1-
2-
3-
4-
5- Johnny Mathis - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
6- Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
7- Brandon Heath - The Night Before Christmas
8- Perry Como - Home For The Holidays (There's No Place Like)
9- Matthew West - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
10- Bing Crosby - White Christmas
11- Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
12- Celine Dion - Don't Save It All For Christmas Day

How do you go about choosing the best Christmas song from Mannheim Steamroller?  Their work spans 40 years and encompasses 12 Christmas albums.  Eight of those albums sold over a million copies (platinum) and four were certified multi-platinum.  The 3 top-selling albums accounted for over 16 million copies.  No other artist has come close to selling more Christmas albums in the past 20 years (i.e. my memorable lifetime) than Mannheim Steamroller.

Even without those stats, I knew it was going to be hard to choose my favorite from their Christmas songs.  Mannheim Steamroller was another Christmas artist I remember growing up listening to as a child.  Their music not only reminds me of Christmas but of Christmases during my childhood.  It's hard to top that excitement and wonder that Christmas brought as a child.  And it was from the songs I knew the best, songs I remember from my childhood, that I began narrowing down my favorites. I narrowed it down to my top 5 and from those I made the tough choice of choosing one - this song.  Though not planned, this song (a different version) also appeared in Home Alone 1.

So, for the third time on my instrumental countdown, Carol Of The Bells has claimed a spot.  Spoiler alert: this is the last time Carol Of The Bells will appear on either countdown.  All three versions were on the countdown early on and I never was able to replace any of them, a decision I still wouldn't change.  Perhaps Stacie's most disliked Christmas song...is my favorite?  I guess opposites really do attract!

The video below is of Christmas lights programmed to the tune of Mannheim Steamroller's Carol Of The Bells.  While making these countdowns, I have found that homemade videos of Christmas lights synced to Christmas music, are a dime a dozen.  There's nothing special about this one, but it was sadly the best I could find for this song.  It has amazed me how few LIVE versions of these great Christmas songs I have been able to find.  I initially did not think I would have to settle for so many amateur videos to use on my countdowns.  But like I said in my introductory post, the music is what counts!

Mannheim Steamroller - Carol Of The Bells

Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (instrumental)
1-
2-
3-
4-
5- Mannheim Steamroller - Carol Of The Bells
6- Michael W. Smith - It's A Wonderful Christmas
7- James Horner - A Change Of Heart
8- Celtic Woman - Carol Of The Bells
9- David Foster - Carol Of The Bells
10- Vince Guaraldi - Christmastime Is Here (Instrumental)
11- Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve
12- Boston Pops Orchestra - Sleigh Ride

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs (Day 7)

I know this one is going to take some explaining.

Why has Jimmy Eat World made it into your countdown?  Who is Jimmy Eat World?  Do they even have a Christmas album?  You do know Wham! is the original artist of this song, don't you?  And really, Last Christmas is #6 on your countdown, above the plethora of Christmas classics?  This makes no sense!

Well, let me try to add some sense to this.

Yes, I am well aware that Wham! was the original artist of this song and that was the first version I ever heard.  I like their version as well, even though I'm not big into Christmas "love songs".  I also know that the lyrics (besides the chorus) are completely changed in Jimmy Eat World's rendition.  What I don't know, is much about Jimmy Eat World.  Besides their one-hit wonder that peaked the week I graduated from high school, I don't know anything about them or their music.  And 2002 was the last I had heard from them, until 7 years later.

In November 2009, I was doing the same thing I've been doing for the past 4 months...listening to Christmas music of course!  In 2009, we lived in Virginia Beach and I think it was the first time I actively and consistently listened to Christmas music via online radio.  Most days that Christmas season, I would listen to Christmas music at work through the web player of the local radio station 2WD.  That station is one of those that dedicates airtime 100% to Christmas music, beginning each November.  I not only finally learned the various artists who sang the songs I had known for many years, I also learned many new Christmas songs and artists that year with the onscreen display of each song that was playing.

As you might guess, that was when I first heard the song, Last Christmas, by Jimmy Eat World.  What I've also learned since, is that they released the Last Christmas single in December 2001, before their one-hit wonder that was released in January 2002.  What has made their version of Last Christmas special enough to me to place it at #6 on my countdown is directly related to listening to the song on 2WD almost every day that Christmas season.

I remember that season as being especially nostalgic.  More than just memories of Christmas vacation itself, but everything leading up to it as well.  The Christmas season was very festive in Virginia Beach and the only Christmas season we spent in that city.  It's almost like it never happened in a sense, which makes it more nostalgic, as if a figment of my imagination.  The Christmas parade, the lights, the stores, the music, the entire ambiance stands out in my mind in fresh detail.  Listening to Christmas music everyday that year was just part of the nostalgia of that memorable Christmas season. 

On a different but related note, since we moved away from Iowa in 2007, Christmases have been more special and memorable than when we still lived at home with our families.  It's not that they weren't special before then; just the opposite in fact.  But Christmas has been especially important and sentimental for us these past 5 seasons, as we are reunited with our families we have spent all year apart from.  In addition, every year since we moved away we've had a white Christmas in Iowa.  We always took snow for granted when we lived there but now we can't wait to get home to it at Christmas.  We fly home from the warm (but brown) South each Christmas, to arrive in the cold and snow-covered ground of Minnesota and Iowa.  I can never help but turn into a kid on Christmas Eve night, as we make our final approach into the Minneapolis airport at night.  The foreign snow covers everything in sight and brightens the clear, northern night sky.   Houses with Christmas lights and softly-lit windows enhance the magical effect of the snow on the ground below.  It's like we're descending into the alpine village inside our favorite snow globe.  The whole scene and experience is magical to me.  For some reason, this is where my mind is taken whenever I hear this song.

All of this, from the Christmas ambiance in Virginia Beach, to memories of flying over the snow and houses at night, to being home at Christmas, to the Christmas season as a whole, comes to mind whenever I hear this song.  It is the musical embodiment of all the things I have written about above.  This song would put me in a Christmas mood any day of the year!

Unfortunately, this is probably the worst video on either of my countdowns.

Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas

Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (vocal)
1-
2-
3-
4-
5-
6- Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
7- Brandon Heath - The Night Before Christmas
8- Perry Como - Home For The Holidays (There's No Place Like)
9- Matthew West - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
10- Bing Crosby - White Christmas
11- Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
12- Celine Dion - Don't Save It All For Christmas Day

I like Michael W. Smith's earlier music, music I grew up with in the 80's and 90's, more than his recent work.  That is, except for his It's A Wonderful Christmas album he released in 2007.  That album became part of a larger (3-disc) album release in 2009 titled The Ultimate Christmas Collection.  If you ever thought MWS was a talented artist or enjoyed his music, his work as a composer is even more impressive I think.  These Christmas albums were born out of his love for composing and are full of songs that ooze Christmas.

There are many great songs from this Christmas collection that could have held respectable spots on this instrumental countdown.  There are some really excellent instrumental Christmas songs I could not omit from mentioning in my countdowns, so I made a playlist of a few of my favorites.  My favorite is the title track to the initial album, It's A Wonderful Christmas.  Even the first time I heard it, it sounded like a song I had known most of my life.  It has such a timeless sound to it, as if it is a remastered instrumental Christmas song from the 1940's or from the film score of a classic Christmas movie.  If you had never heard the song before, you would not know it was by Michael W. Smith.  It sounds like something more associated with Mannheim Steamroller or Hollywood.  As with other songs on the album, this title track was recorded with a 65-piece orchestra, which offers a full and festive track that fills a room with Christmas spirit.  Watch the video below and see/listen for yourself.

Michael W. Smith - It's A Wonderful Christmas

 Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (instrumental)
1-
2-
3-
4-
5-
6- Michael W. Smith - It's A Wonderful Christmas
7- James Horner - A Change Of Heart
8- Celtic Woman - Carol Of The Bells
9- David Foster - Carol Of The Bells
10- Vince Guaraldi - Christmastime Is Here (Instrumental)
11- Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve
12- Boston Pops Orchestra - Sleigh Ride

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs (Day 6)

This is the song that started it all.

The song that first gave me the idea to compile these countdowns, almost 4 months ago.

The lyrics are simple yet powerful, familiar yet inspirational.  The story of God's greatest Gift to man is not diluted amongst the usual festive overtones.  Instead, Christ's birth and the eternal hope that it brings, is sung with words that methodically highlight the reality, purpose, and hope of the night Christ was born.  I have never heard the true story of Christmas written in the lyrics of a song, so raw and poignantly.  The song chronicles the pain, despair, and humility of the night before Christmas, with the takeaway message instead being of hope; a hope resulting from the gift of eternal salvation offered and embodied by the King of Life, lying in a manger.

I first heard this song last year, though the single was released a year earlier for the 2009 Christmas season.  I first heard the song on one of the local Christian radio stations here, and so far that is the only place I have ever heard it.  Surprisingly, the instrumental component of the song has no Christmas theme and instead sounds like many of the songs on Christian radio.

Coming in to this Christmas season (which for me was August), I thought this song was my favorite.  I thought it would be fun to come up with my favorite twelve Christmas songs and so these two countdowns were eventually created.   This is my favorite "spiritual" Christmas song, but I'd be lying if I said it was my favorite Christmas song.  This song wouldn't put me in a Christmas mood in June; maybe not even today for that matter.  What it does offer is a vivid picture of the night Christ was born and the reason we celebrate Christmas.  The truth of Christ's life, death, and resurrection are relevant year round, regardless of season or song.  The song is a story of God's perfect love for us, a hope for eternal life with Him, and a truth that will never change.

Emmanuel, God is with us.

The song that started it all...

Brandon Heath - The Night Before Christmas

Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (vocal)
1-
2-
3-
4-
5-
6-
7- Brandon Heath - The Night Before Christmas
8- Perry Como - Home For The Holidays (There's No Place Like)
9- Matthew West - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
10- Bing Crosby - White Christmas
11- Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
12- Celine Dion - Don't Save It All For Christmas Day

This is the only song on my countdowns that if you do like it, you may be a Grinch.

This song is one of the tracks found on Universal Pictures movie, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey.  I don't know when I first saw this movie but it was one I have slowly come to like as the Christmas seasons have come and gone.  I don't think I saw until it had been out for a few years but each year I seem to enjoy the movie more.  And I have enjoyed the film score even longer than the movie

I love film scores.  I enjoy them more than their respective movie sometimes.  My favorite movies are the Pirates of the Caribbean series and I own all four of them.  I owned the film scores to each respective film before I ever owned the movie.  I have developed a great interest in the contemporary composers over the years and am quick to scan the end credits for their names.

James Horner is no small name when it comes to film scores.  He has been responsible for composing and producing music for a number of popular films over the past 30 years.  You may not have known it but you have heard his music before if you've seen any of the following movies: Titanic, Braveheart, Avatar, The Perfect Storm, Troy, The Mask of Zorro, or Jumanji, to name a few.  And of course, he also composed the music for How The Grinch Stole Christmas, a contemporary remake of the Christmas classic.  From that movie's score, this is my favorite song and I have placed it at #7 on my instrumental countdown.

James Horner - A Change Of Heart

 Jesse's top 12 favorite Christmas songs (instrumental)
1-
2-
3-
4-
5-
6-
7- James Horner - A Change Of Heart
8- Celtic Woman - Carol Of The Bells
9- David Foster - Carol Of The Bells
10- Vince Guaraldi - Christmastime Is Here (Instrumental)
11- Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve
12- Boston Pops Orchestra - Sleigh Ride

Twelve Days of Christmas Songs