Music Monday - "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole (1961)

What is your favorite Christmas song? Mine is "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole. No other song more perfectly captures the nostalgic feeling of childhood Christmas to me. 

"Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know that Santa's on his way.
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly" (lyrics to the song).

This song was written by Bob Wells and Mel Torme in 1945.  According to legend, Mel Torme wrote this song on a very hot day in order to think cool.   Nat King Cole recorded several versions of the song over the years, the first in 1946.  The one that most of us remember was recorded in 1961 in stereo.  It is the version you hear on the radio today, and the version in the video, below. 

Do you also enjoy this Christmas classic?  What is YOUR favorite Christmas song?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.
 

Weekend Window Shopping at Birdhouse Books - Christmas Cards and Children's Books

Hi all!

I've been busy with lots of Christmas listings this week - children's books (old and new) and vintage Christmas cards.  I'm including just a few pictures of new items here.   You will find them all - and more! at Birdhouse Books on eBay.

Please note that I am running a 15% off sale on Christmas items this weekend:  Weekend Sale (ends Sunday at midnight).

The Night Before Christmas is a 1953 vintage Whitman Tell-A-Tale with illustrations by Zillah Lesko.

 Little Benjamin and the First Christmas is a 1964 vintage Arch Book for children.

Pop-Up The Night Before Christmas is a spectacular Mid-Century vintage pop-up book.   The illustrations and pop-ups are so bright and colorful!

Who's Getting Ready for Christmas is a lift the flap book that functions like an advent calendar.  It folds out and is especially cute.

 The Littlest Snowman is a vintage children's book by George Tazewell, who also wrote The Littlest Angel.

 The Christmas Nativity - A Manger Scene to Cut Out is an especially nice 1981 vintage cut out activity book for children.

 We Wish You a Merry Christmas is a lovely big book with a musical element - and a special pop-up scene on the last two pages.

 Christmas Magic by Margaret Perry is a 1964 Mid-Century vintage Christmas craft book.  The crafting ideas and photos are fabulous!

 Merry Christmas Curious George is a big, cute picture book for children.

Richard Scarry's The Animals' Merry Christmas is a lovely big picture book for children.

 I love this sweet tiny die-cut vintage Christmas card from 1925.  It features Santa Claus, a child playing a toy piano, and an elephant pull-toy. 

 This unused vintage Christmas card for a child features a cute little bear in pajamas marching off to wait for Santa.

I hope you find some treasures at Birdhouse Books - and have a lovely weekend!

Dear Abby - Dachshund Christmas Videos

Dear Friends,

I'm in the mood for some holiday fun, so went looking for some Christmas videos to share with you.  Naturally, I like dog videos the most.   I found a few that I think you will enjoy.

The first video stars Crusoe the Dachshund (he is a celebrity in the dog world!).  It's short and sweet, and he plays "The Little Drummer Boy."



You can also see Crusoe opening a Christmas present in this video. He sure gets excited about that gift!   Go, Crusoe, go!



In this video, Riley the dachshund opens his Christmas stocking. He is a handsome boy with a frosted face, and reminds me a little bit of my late brother Barney Fife. This little mini-movie even has pretty music.



Momma says this is her favorite of all. Mazie is a 14 year old dachshund who has limited vision. She finds all her gifts by smell (among all the other gifts under the tree!) and then opens them one by one. Wait for the end of the video. It is really sweet!



I hope you enjoy these videos, and hope they put you in a holiday mood! I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Love and happiness,

Abby xoxoxo 

 

Throwback Thursday - Christmas Angel Chimes

Do you remember Christmas angel chimes? These little chime sets were brass. They had lots of little pieces that needed to be put together each year. (I loved doing this as a little girl!) Once you put the set together, the candles provided heat that caused the little angels to spin.   This was an annual part of Christmas during my childhood - I still have my angel chimes.   

I found a magazine advertisement for the chime sets, although I recall them being sold at dimestores and local stores.  

I also found a video to share with you, showing the chimes in action (below).  Do you remember these?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.
 

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Maury C. Moose and the Facebrook by Adam Baker

Book Synopsis:

Fresh off his adventure where he saved Forest Noel from the evil G.R. Inchworm, Maury Chris Moose is back and facing another struggle. When a new social media site invades the forest, Maury, Mikey & the rest of the gang learn an important lesson on how to use social media and cell phones. Find out what causes two best buddies to get into a fight and follow Maury as a flip-flop-wearing bug teaches him what is takes to be a pal. The second book in the Maury C. Moose series continues its fun use of parody, puns, and rhymes to teach kids the value of appropriate use of technology. Join Maury and friends and find out what can happen when we jump to conclusions and do not pay attention to those around us. This chapter book features the perfect mix of humor for adults and childhood whimsy to create a story that kids and parents will love reading together.

Purchase Link:
Maury C. Moose on Amazon

About the Author:
Adam Baker likes pretzel bread, sleepwalking & lists that include three examples. He first wrote a published story at age 3. The story was titled "Batman & Ghostbusters" and by published we mean that his mom stapled a few pages together and called it a book. This helped create a love for writing that led him to create the Maury C. Moose Series.

Connect with the Author:

www.MauryCMoose.com

Facebook.com/MauryCMoose

Instagram.com/MauryCMoose 

Giveaway:

One lucky winner will receive a print copy of the book.  Giveaway ends 12/10.   Winner will be notified by email, and will need to respond within 48 hours.  The prize will be sent directly from the author.

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