Gift Ideas That AREN'T Books For The Bookworm In Your Life

Julia's Gift Suggestions for the Bookish Person:

Who on this site doesn't know what to get that person who already has hundreds of books on their TBR pile? I've found some gift for the writer or reader on your list that may not immediately jump to mind. 

Bookend Vases

• Bookend Vases - Signals
• These are the CUTEST bookends that are also vases! You can hind them among some of your other displayable books in the living room. This would look so cute on an end table or the top of a smaller bookcase.
• A similar cool way to display your books is this clear shelf from UncommonGoods. It makes them look like they are floating on your wall. 
• Book Text on Shirts, Posters or Totes - Lithographs
• There are a lot of sites out there where I've seen people put text onto posters and put cool shapes into the text. Lithographs is by far the one with the largest selections of books and the most unique designs. I've just fallen in love with the Phantom of the Opera poster, but there is everything from Walden to The Picture of Dorian Gray. It was very easy to window shop on this website!
• Typewriter Key Necklace - UncommonGoods
• There are a ton of cool typewriter things over at UncommonGoods. I personally thought this necklace was so cute, and awesome throwback to the first days of typing. 
• They have more fun typewriter good there too, like this typewriter accent pillow and this "So My Story Begins" typewriter onsie! 
• My Life Story So Far & Christmas Memories Book
• These are both really cool guided journaling. The first "My Life Story - So Far" I can't preview too much other than what the book shows in the picture, but it looks like it would help classify memories for posterity reasons. 
• The Christmas Memories Book is actually something I just purchased on a trip to Bronner's Christmas Wonderlandin Michigan. It a book that contains two pages for 20 Christmases to chronicle memories from that year. I can't wait to be able to fill this out for the next 20 years and reminisce on how things have changed and stayed the same :)

Paula's Gift suggestion for the Crafty Reader in your life

• Do you have a reader in your life that also hoards as much fabric as they do books? Spoonflower might just be the place for you to look. In their market place you can find lots of book themed fabrics that anyone would love to add to their stash. Some of my favorites are: Book Damask (which has a variety of colors to pick from), Alice in Wonderland Vintage,  and Dictionary Page with Birds.
• And if fabric isn't their thing- Spoonflower also offers wall decals, wall paper, and gift wrap (which can be used for quite a lot of crafts actually) 
• AND if you aren't quite sure what fabric they would like- there is a Welcome Pack option. The welcome pack includes a gift card and a *gasp* book about designing your own fabric. Which is pretty neat and helps get new designers started.

Disclaimer: I, Paula, work at Spoonflower. This is not a paid ad or anything like that. I just think my company is kind of awesome and thought I might share it with you. And maybe if you order something- I could be the one to ship it out to you- how cool is that!

Jamie Shares Some Ideas For The Harry Potter Fans In Your Life

Love this sweater!

For the wee Harry Potter fan in your life!

Pick up this necklace for the Harry Potter fan in your life who is still devastated they haven't received their letter.

Love this keepsake box!

Raise your hand if you are going to buy something off this list for yourself! *raises own hand* MAN I really want those bookend vases!!!

Lori's Book Buying List For The Various People In Your Life

 These are actually on my to buy list for Christmas.  I am so excited to give these because I think that the recipient will really enjoy reading them.  Plus there are a few I wouldn't mind perusing myself...OK, all of them.


1.  For the nature lover--Extraordinary Birds: Essays and Plates of Rare Book Selections from the American Museum of Natural History Library by Paul Sweet.  I think that this will be a wonderful blend of beautiful pictures and information that any nature enthusiast would enjoy.  The book includes birds around the world.  I am totally afraid of birds, but I am really looking forward to looking through this book!








2.  For the music lover--All The Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release by Philippe Margotin, Jean-Michel Guesdon, Patti Smith.  Most (not all) music lovers that I know enjoy The Beatles.  I can't say that I blame them.  I really enjoy most of their songs.  Every song has a story behind it and I think that this collection will be really fascinating.  I am really interested to see what the authors' sources are for this information.  I may have to temporarily steal it from the recipient.

3.  For the Civil War buff--Mathew Brady: Portraits of a Nation by Robert Wilson.  Matthew Brady is very well-known for his amazing pictures of Civil War battlefields (even though most of them were actually staged because you don't just die neatly on your back, but I digress...).  The book goes beyond just being a collection of his photographs with a biographical note attached--it's a full-fledged biography of the man, in addition to showcasing his work.  I thought that this would be a great book to buy for the Civil War buffs in my life.

4.  For the comedian--Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings by Ron Burgundy.  The sequel to Anchorman is almost out, so this is a great pick for lovers of that movie.  Ron Burgundy has finally written his autobiography.  It's actually a decent sized book (224 pages), thus worth the money in my opinion.  I actually enjoy humor books like this--Henri Le Chat Noir and Grumpy Cat have collections out--but I am happy to see that this one really has a story to is and is not a collection of sayings with pictures.  Not a whole lot else to say except "Stay classy."

5.  For the baseball lover--The Summer of Beer and Whiskey: How Brewers, Barkeeps, Rowdies, Immigrants, and a Wild Pennant Fight Made Baseball America's Game by Edward Achorn.  I have a lot of baseball fans in my life and I think that this will be a great addition to their collection of baseball literature.  In so many ways, the history of baseball is closely tied to the history of the US.  And there's just something special about the beer and whiskey leagues...






Hope this helps you with any last minute shopping you might have for those hard to buy for people on your list! 

Holiday Shenanigans - Favorite Books To Read During the Holidays

Julia's Favorites:

 

Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I start to taper my book habits from the dystopia that usually permeates Fall into super sappy and lovey-dovey romances. I don't have one that I read yearly or anything, but I seek out ones with "Christmas" or other seasonal word in the title. I haven't yet read any this season, but my favorite from last year was A Kiss for Midwinter by Courtney Milan.

In a more traditional sense, I love children's Christmas stories. Some favorites that I remember from my childhood that I can't wait to pass on are, The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell, a series of popup books that were about Christmas carols, and of course 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Tahleen's Favorites:

 

I have a couple of books I try to read at some point during the holiday season, though maybe not every year. The first is Jostein Gaarder's The Christmas Mystery, which after reading about it years and years ago, I finally found at a used book store in Wales when I was studying abroad. It works perfectly as an Advent calendar, since each chapter is actually part of a story found in an Advent calendar. It is about the true meaning of Christmas, dealing specifically with the birth of Christ.

On a lighter note, the best book to read at Christmas IMHO is Dave Barry's The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog. It's funny, nostalgic, and has a dog. Plus it's a super fast read and has pictures from the 1960s sprinkled in there.

Jamie's Favorites:

Two recent YA holiday themed books that I liked are Dash & Lily's Book of Dares and Let It Snow. Dash & Lily was a really fun book that I could see myself reading every couple of years. Let It Snow is 3 novellas and it's been a few years since I've read it so I'm definitely going to again. I remember them being cute and fun!

Some classic favorites are Little Women and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Little Women is just the perfect book to cozy up with during the season and How the Grinch Stole Christmas was my favorite as a child -- I plan to read it to my kids if I have them some day!

If you are wanting a laugh and feeling a little snarky, pick up David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice. I didn't love all of the stories but some of them were hilarious!

Jana's Favorites:

 

I really love Snowed Over by Angie Stanton. It's a new adult romance all about two people getting stranded in an abandoned cabin during a blizzard. It's very sweet, and quite a cozy, sexy story.

I'm seconding Jamie's Let it Snow, because it is my all-time favorite. I'm trying to get to it again this year, but we'll see.

I also love The Unlikely romance of Kate Bjorkman by Louise Plummer. It is an adorable YA, and you really need to check it out.

Lori's Favorites:

I don't do a whole lot of themed reading around the holidays, but there are a few books from childhood that I just can't help going back to!  The first is Trinka Hakes Noble's Apple Tree Christmas.  These two girls love this tree in their yard and then there is a horrible winter storm and the tree is damaged, then there is a happy ending.

Next up is A Little House Christmas:  Holiday Stories from the Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I love these short little quaint stories about Christmas.  They make me want to live in a cabin.  And then I remember that I am most definitely a warm-weather person.

My mom and I also love The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado.  It gives a good message about how you aren't perfect, but you should offer what you can and it might just turn out to be the perfect thing.

My last favorite is A Wish for Wings that Work by Berkeley Breathed.  It's just a quirky, fun, happy story about Opus, a penguin who wishes he could fly.

What books have you read that are holiday themed? (I, Jamie, am dying for a good Christmas/winter romance!!). What are some of your classic favorite holiday themed reads? Do you gravitate to any certain genres or types of books during the holidays? I know that some people gravitate towards lighter books or romances. 

Holiday Shenanigans - Favorite Movies To Watch During The Holidays

Today we are chatting about our favorite movies to watch during the holidays! There's nothing I (Jamie) love more than staying in on a cold December night with our tree all lit up, some cocoa in my hand and a Christmas movie!

Tahleen's Picks:

 

I've got to watch A Christmas Story every year, even if it isn't until the 24-hour marathon on TV. But seriously, I could watch this any time of the year.

I'm also a big fan of Elf, which is an annual must-watch, and all those Rankin-Bass claymation masterpieces. Oh, and White Christmas.

Lori's Picks:

 

There are SO many great movies this time of year!  I have to watch the old versions of Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Charlie Brown Christmas.  I always try (and usually succeed) to watch The Muppets Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life.  A recent favorite is The Bishop's Wife.  My mom and I also love watching the first Harry Potter movie (and sometimes wind up watching more than the first one...)

Jamie's Picks:

I watch A LOT of Christmas-y movies during the holidays but my 4 favorites that get watched EVERY YEAR are Love Actually, Elf, Home Alone and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Watching How The Grinch Stole Christmas is even more important to me now because I used to watch it with my mom every year before she passed away in 2006.

Julia's Picks:

 

Usually what I try to do is just catch the specials as they air on TV, but the movies I go out of my way to watch yearly are The Muppet Christmas Carol and Love Actually. I've already watched Love Actually this year! But apparently I am also behind the times and there are a few Christmas Movie Classics that I have yet to see, Christmas Vacation being the main one and I guess Elf being the other. So this year those two are on my watch list. I also try to catch A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve when it is on marathon, It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas (which I saw this year in the theater!), and any of the awesome animated movies!

Jana's Picks:

I always watch The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. It's definitely one of my favorites, because it has Henry Winkler in it! I love The Fonz, not gonna lie. I also love The Santa Claus, The Holiday, and I just watched A Princess for Christmas last night and really loved it! Can you believe I have never seen Love Actually, White Christmas, or It's a Wonderful Life? Seeing as how I am a Christmas movie connoisseur, that should change this year.

 

What about you guys? Are any of your favorites on our list? What movies are on your list of movies you love during the holiday season? We want some recs!

In Which Jamie Shares 2 Christmas Playlists With You - Holiday Shenanigans

Welcome to our week of holiday shenanigans posts! We will be posting fun things like gift guides, talking about the holidays and more!! Here's to getting in the holiday spirit!!


I'm sorry if you hate Christmas music because this post is all about Christmas music. So much of my (Jamie's) Christmas memories involve the music -- singing loud in the backseat of the car every Christmas Eve as we drove home from my grandparents, the 24/7 Christmas radio station, Christmas concerts at school, my mom playing some of her favorite Christmas records, the Christmas music in the background while decorating the tree, the stores playing Christmas music while I shop, caroling in our neighborhood on the coldest night of the year, being appalled and secretly happy that my mother went out and bought the Hanson Christmas album, baking Christmas cookies with my stepmom and listening to her favorite country Christmas music, etc.

So to start out our Holiday Shenanigans week, I'm sharing two playlists with you --



My Indie Christmas playlist: I hate classifying music but this would be more of the indie/alternative artists and bands that I love -- more modern takes on classics and a few not typical Christmas songs. I love this playlist to death! (You can find this playlist here on Spotify! Oh and follow me (username: itsahitinsweden) if you also have Spotify! Also, you have to hover over the playlist to see the scroll bar -- there's 36 songs)

My "classics" list (90's and earlier): These are the songs that have always been in rotation in my house when I was a teenager. I will seriously never forget how much my mom played the Hanson Snowed In cd or how she was obsessed with Grandma Got Run Over by A Reindeer and we'd play that record so many times. These songs are my childhood basically. (Here's the link to this playlist)

Enjoy!! I'd love to hear some of your favorite Christmas memories involving music! Some of your favorite songs from my list and ones that I don't have on here! I have a HUUUUUGE playlist with a zillion songs Christmas songs here!