A few of my favorite things . . .

Guess what is on t.v. at this very moment, not far from the midnight hour? Guess! Guess! Guess!

Shakespeare in Lub.

I LUB it when Shakespeare is in lub! Especially when Joseph Fiennes pretends to be Shakespeare in lub.

Do you think this is a message from the Universe that I am going to get this Good Mood Blog gig?

And that I'm going to play tennis and eat Pad Thai and listen to Mozart until I live happily ever after?

I think so too! (unless, as Shakespeare in lub would say, the story ends as stories must sometimes. With tears. And a journey.)

(I can do tears. And a journey. If I must.)

(If you didn't get all this Shakespeare talk, click here. And hey, watch my video and cast a vote while you're at it.)

Okay, just in case I win, I've written a list of things that make me smile:

1. Power

Power. is. awesome.

Particularly power that comes from being able to speak your mind. And be heard.

There is nothing more powerful than raising your voice. Especially when that voice is put to music.

Tonight I went to a living room concert at Tiffany's house. Tiffany is my cute friend who fell into a swimming pool in the process of cleaning it. Fully clothed. In November. Seven months pregnant.

(I know what you're thinking. Who cleans their pool fully clothed?)

So Tiffany hosted a living room concert starring Herod the Fink, a delightfully witty, whimsical, smart, sassy, folksy Christmas band.

This is what they sound like in Tiffany's living room when they're making us laugh and clap: (That's me laughing and clapping, btw.)

And this is what they sound like in the studio:

And here is what their fingers and feet look like next to an Australian Rockbox.

And here is what my son's feet looked like when he showed up to the living room concert after basketball practice. In the middle of November.

Check out Herod the Fink if you want to schedule your own living room concert before Christmas, (they only have six spots left so get a move on) or if you want to buy their latest album, Back to 337, for Christmas (hint hint). Look to it.

And if you'd like a free signed CD of their latest release, you're in luck because they just so happened to donate one. Alls you have to do to be eligible is vote for me. Tweet me. Facebook me. Blog me.

One entry per each good deed.  (This is the good deed, btw.)

Don't forget to leave a comment so I know you're in.

2. Mountain Dew

(Mountain Lightning works too, since it only costs 77 cents as opposed to the $1.25 that the real deal costs.)

Mountain Dew/Lightning is one of my favorite things because of the way it heightens my already quivering contest-fatigued innards.

This is exactly what my innards look like right now:

Mostly because this morning I began sipping some Mountain Lightning ever so delicately and gently from the cap. But by this evening I was chugging it straight from the 2 liter bottle. And then wiping my mouth off like a man.

J/K peeps! I'm a lady through and through. I never wipe my mouth like a man after I chug straight from a 2 liter bottle.

3. Lulu

Lulu is better than power OR Mountain Lightning put together. I would give up blogging for Lulu if I had to choose. I would even give up Shakespeare. And all because of one three letter word.

I LUB Lulu so dang, stinkin', friggin' much.

BTW, not to be rude, but Whyoming is not very smart. It can't even spell. Look at this gas station I snapped photographic evidence of on my way to Colorada:

4. Starving Art

Art. is. power. (which is probably why I dig it so much.)

And artists. are. powerFULL. Especially starving artists.

I recently read a captivating little Christmas book called What Think Ye of Christmas, written by Ester Rasband and illustrated by Jana Winters Parkin. (Do you think they asked Jana to illustrate it because her middle name is Winters?)

Another one of my favorite things is wielding my power to support starving artists. Especially when I see something special in them. And I don't mean special as in, "you have a nice personality" special, although I'm sure Jana does have a nice personality. I mean special, as in unique and gifted and A. MAZE. ING.

What makes Jana's Christmas water color illustrations so special is her use of the color purple. And I don't mean the color purple as in Alice Walker and Oprah Winfrey.

I mean the color purple as in rich and royal and romantic. (Told ya I could alliterate.) The whole book is full of this rich, royal, romantic . . . esque . . . ness.

If you want to know more about this poignant book, Miss Heidi said it best here. (And while you're at Miss Heidi's read this because her sequel to Miss Delacort Speaks her mind is up for pre-sale.)  

This book would make a lovely Christmas gift for grandmas, mas, visiting teachee ladiez, friends, SILs, MILs and CTDs.  

To find out how you can order it, I lifted this right off Jana's blog: (Is that bad?) 

You can order the book on my website, and still get a killer deal! If you order ten or more, the quantity discount lets you steal these books at less than $8 apiece. On top of that, if you enter the discount code CHARRETTE you get an additional 5% off your entire order, reserved only for my blog friends. So go crazy!

Miss Jana, can I give one of your books away?  Hows about you, Miss Heidi?  Or Mr Donald J. Carey? Can I? Can I? Can I?

5. Sick People 

 

If I had my druthers, I would outlaw the "s" word, but since it's inevitable let's roll up our sleeves. And put our shoulders to the wheel. And stamp out the "s" word.  Especially in children. Children should NOT be allowed to be the "s" word.  

I can't wait until Lulu is old enough to become a magic dog. Imagine how many children with the "s" word she'll be able to heal! 

DeNae over at Back Ordered Life has started a foundation for a little boy named Matthew Blanchard who is suffering from the "s" word.

Click here to read about him and to donate. (I donated and I only have $70 in my bank account.)

If you donate I'll give you one more entry into the giveaways.  

BTW, pay attention because I'm going to call for flannel fabric soon over @ my Magic Quilt blog so I can make Matthew a magic quilt with my very own two hands.    

6. Famous People Who Read My Blog 

Anyone who is everyone knows that I lub famous people. And I lub them even more when they read my blog. 

You all remember when Jack Johnson asked if he could read my blog, right? And then there was the time Ellen Hopkins read and commented on my dad's drug addiction post. And then there was that time yesterday when Brandon Sanderson asked permission to eyeball it. 

Well I have photographic evidence that Jacob and his wolfpack read my blog. You heard me right.  Stay tuned because I pinky promise I will share it tomorrow.