My Top 5 Christmas Movies:

5. Bridget Jones' Diary. Okay, so it's only partially set around the holidays, but it begins with Colin Firth in a reindeer jumper and ends with him and Renee Z kissing in the snow, so I'm not sure what else you could ask for.

4. The Holiday. Basically this is two movies and one is good, and one is very boring. When the ( Read more... )

Let me tell you all about the time (which was today) when I gave blood. With all the zeal of the newly converted (actually, of the lapsed lamb who has returned to the fold for the first time in many years), I urge you to give blood this holiday season if you can. Red Cross's marketing hook here is that your donation can save up to three lives. It's ( Read more... )

You will remember that in The Santa Clause Scott Calvin learned responsibility and generosity as part of his transition to Santa Claus, the most advanced and self-actualised magical being on earth. During his twelve-month transition period Scott's physical transformation mirrored the change in his inner self; as his pot belly and beard grew so did ( Read more... )

Still being afraid of reading a new book, I turned to Corfu while travelling this weekend. It is the perfect travelling book, being itself about journeys, and it was also the perfect accompaniment to my weekend contemplation of nostalgia.

Corfu is by Robert Dessaix, who writes beautifully, with sensitivity and a firm touch; it is just the ( Read more... )

...and some of its principles ( Read more... )

Dear Matthew Newton,

I hear on the news that you trashed a hotel room. Now, look, either you commit to this whole bad boy thing properly, or maybe you should just grow up, hmm? This is probably not the best way to get your parents to notice you. Trust me, I'm a middle child.

Concernedly yours,
saffronlie

Dudes! I'm writing my Christmas cards today (check it, I'm so organised), but if you didn't leave your address on my earlier Christmas card post there's still time! Reply here or there, and comments are screened.

It's a hot one, but I can smell someone in the building cooking onions.

The end.

I recently decided that it was all very well whinging about how I didn’t read much for pleasure any more because I was busy and it wasn’t pleasurable and was like work and I’m in this years-long reading funk and the wine has no taste any more and blah, blah, blah, but if I seriously missed reading so much then why didn’t I just pick up a book and ( Read more... )

Okay, so I finished exams today and have a small window in which to breathe before moving on to the 10,000 next things. And this window is to say: CHRISTMAS CARDS! If you would like to receive a Christmas card full of glittery joy from me, please leave your address in a comment. Comments are screened so only I will see your address ( Read more... )