Set the Mood (for Christmas)

So I'm sitting here right now, finishing a re-watch of Star Trek, contemplating baking pumpkin muffins before we leave for the in-laws' house for the holiday, and getting ready to turn my Christmas playlist back on in iTunes. And I've just realised that I haven't shared some of my favourite Christmas songs this year! Highly remiss of me. Anyway: let's take a look at my top 10 picks for this year...because with the end of the working week, it's officially Christmastime, people.

1) Fun. Sleigh Ride. I freaking love this song. The ascending baseline after the second line of the second verse is possibly my favourite part. It makes the music nerd in me get all giddy everytime. Plus, it's a lovely updating of this song. To be honest, for me it's right up there with Ella Fitzgerald's version of the tune. Seriously: get on that.

2) Jona Lewie. Stop the Cavalry. Yes, this song is weird. And very 80s. But I only discovered it after moving to the UK, and so now, it doesn't feel like Christmas over here without this song. Plus, I defy you to get that 'dubba dubba dum dum dubba dubba dum' lick out of your head after listening to it.

3) Pentatonix. Carol of the Bells. Having sung in an a cappella group in university, I'm definitely something of a fangirl for awesome part harmony, sans instruments. Plus, I love anything that showcases an awesome bass singer. It's the deep voice that does it for me, people: it's just too awesome to hear someone drop the other shoe like that. And these guys do an impressive job with only 5 people. Props.

4) The Lower Lights. I Saw Three Ships. Really, I recommend the whole of their album, Come Let Us Adore Him. It's awesome. Yes, it feels a bit hipster to go in for something so folksy, but I do love this. The feel of it captures all the warm, rustic, sheepskin, flannel plaid, straw goat, wooden ornament decorating that is how I do Christmas. I mean, the angel on my tree wears a beanie, for crying out loud! I have to own my hipster tendencies.

5) Michael Buble. It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas. This just feels slick. Like, minimalist studio flat, mid-century modern cocktail dress, martinis under the mistletoe kind of slick. Or snazzy office Christmas party slick. It's just effortless and chill and ought to be on in the background while you bake dozens of Christmas cookies in a black angora jumper without breaking a sweat or getting flour on your sleeves.

6) Bing Crosby & David Bowie. Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy. It IS NOT Christmas without some Bing Crosby on. I'm sure that's somewhere in the Nicean Creed. I simply repeat: it IS NOT Christmas unless you listen to Bing Crosby. So make that happen.

7) Maroon 5. Happy Xmas (War Is Over). Usually, I'm a purist and generally detest most covers of anything originally written or performed by The Beatles: either as a group or individually. That said, Adam Levine works this minimalist recording of John & Yoko's original. And to be honest, I think the track benefits from the exclusion of Yoko and the warbling children. This song is one of my faves, and I think the update definitely serves it well.

8) The Fray. Oh Come All Ye Faithful. I've been digging my acoustic Christmas songs this year, and The Fray really deliver on their version of this traditional carol. Sometimes it's just nice to hear the usual carols and hymns without a 500-voice choir, clanging tubular bells, and a pounding pipe organ. This way, you really get to hear the music and the lyrics without getting overwhelmed.

9) Folk Angel. Deck the Halls. I had to hunt this one down on Grooveshark, but it's well worth the extra search. This carol gets a more relaxed feel and let me tell you, the 'fa la la la las' really benefit from it. The whole song still feels very Christmasy, but without the need to wonder how seriously you ought to take it if you're singing along. I recommend putting this on a playlist if you have a ways to travel to visit family this weekend.

10) I had some serious internal debate going on as to which song needed to make it onto this list in the #10 spot. There were two heavyweight contenders, and they both have a special place in my heart as Christmas songs whose loveliness is entirely contingent upon their cheesiness. But, in the end, the 'Bad Grandpa of Christmas' as Marcus Bridgestock's character named him, won out, and #10 simply had to be:

Bill Nighy as Billy Mack. Christmas Is All Around from Love Actually. Can you feel it in your fingers? Can you feel it in your toes? If not, I suggest listening to this on repeat...or just go and watch Love Actually: there's never a bad time to do that. Maybe then, Christmas really will feel like it's all around.

Have a wonderful and fun-filled holiday everybody! Oh! And if you're not music'd out by my post already, I highly suggest wasting some time on this lovely corner of the interwebz:

Ah! Love it! Definitely just wasted 10 minutes with my toddler jamming on this thing. MOO | Festive Funk Machine http://t.co/gUEb0LYi7u
— Bryony Dick (@beginningbryony) December 18, 2013

E and I had loads of fun making our own Christmas jam on this interactive player. It's definitely worth 5 minutes of your day if you're looking for time to kill.

Merry Christmas!

Screen Style: The Truth About Charlie

I know I've been a bit fashion-heavy the past few days, but I promise there are other tidbits to report on in life here as well. I'll be back again today, I think, with some of those goings-on. Anyway: on to the movie!


Can I just say? I know it's got a pretty rubbish IMDB rating, but I love this super-quirky remake of the old 1960s Charade! with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. The best part? Thandie Newton takes on Hepburn's role and Marky Mark Wahlburg fills Cary Grant's shoes. I love them both: they're adorable...and Thandie Newton is so gorgeous! Forget the cinematography or the script: aside from the nostalgia value, I love the movie purely for its soundtrack and the costuming.

I'll freely admit that this movie may not be everyone's cup of tea - it certainly has its weirder moments - but some of the style in it and the overall ambeance of a rainy, early 2000s Paris is definitely worth looking at.

I also submit for your perusal, this entirely unflattering but hilarious review. Yes, you have to have seen the movie for it to make sense, and I'd also try to ignore the brutal mid-90s style of the page (black Times New Roman on a cyan background with no formatting), but there are some gems within the text.

1) Charles Aznavour's music isn't the only thing that makes a guest appearance in this movie: Aznavour himself has a random, slightly trippy, dream-sequence cameo as well! I've picked this album because it's the one featured, and also has the best song on it: Quand tu m'aimes. Lots of fun and worth a listen. Check the whole album on iTunes.
2) Whether you want a normal picnic out-of-doors, or you go for the "I've just been robbed, so let's eat on the floor" vibe that Regina and Joshua rock, this picnic set from John Lewis is a cute and classic way to get all the gear you need...except the baguette and bottle of wine, of course.
3) The French Connection navy fedora is one of the cutest I've found. If you want to have a statement hat that's at home in any snazzy weekend in the city of your choice, this is definitely the way I'd go. At least for the autumn and winter.
4) Granted, this knitted beret from H&M is sold out, but it's one of the only examples I could find that wasn't A) silly, or B) modeled on the creepiest mannequin head found on the internet.
5) The Sequin dress from MICHAEL by Michael Kors is gorgeous! If I felt like enough of a grown-up (read: had enough money!) to shop at Herrod's, I'd snap this up in a heartbeat for every date night and wedding in my foreseeable future.
6) Milly's Stella Lace Contrast Dress isn't quite as crazy and awkward as the one Thandie Newton sports in Charlie, but it definitely makes a statement. I'd like to think of it as an updated take on having a cocktail dress that's mostly black, but with a fun pop of colour.
7) Once you see the movie, you realise that stamps play a big role in the plot. This stamp-themed lampshade is tonnes of fun and could look fantastic on a monochrome table lamp. It comes from The Purple Stitches on Etsy, which is an awesome shop filled with lots of pillows & lampshades in fabulous fabrics...go have a peek.

Actually, after doing the research for this post, I was seized by the desire to make some stamp-themed art to hang over our couch. I swear I need to do something with that blank space. Once I finally get round to it, you know I'll share all the fun here on the blog.

Teethses, Precious...and other things.

After catching sight of the progression of E's baby fangs the other night, we couldn't resist this Hobbit-themed joke:

The holidays finally feel like they're over for us. We took my sister back to the airport on Sunday, E's baby group restarted on Tuesday, I'm officially in the midst of my new running schedule for the Fleet Half, and the last of the Christmas cookies are being slowly devoured with copious amounts of Nutella. (Seriously: speculaas and Nutella: get on that jam ASAP!)

So with the holidays over, and real life at last reasserting itself, I suppose I ought to get to grips with my New Year's resolutions...such as they are. I'm sure I've already pointed out that I'm not really a resolutions sort of gal. I tend to forget about them by Valentine's Day - if I've been particularly virtuous and committed - and go the rest of the year without so much as remembering that I made resolutions; let alone feeling guilty about not keeping them.

Here are a few of the things I'm tentatively committing myself to doing this year: and they all fall under the heading of, "being happier/enjoying my life".

via, Sunkissed Dreams at Tumblr

1) Have painted nails more often. I have plenty of cute colours of nail polish, and I don't wear them nearly enough. If I can mange to keep it from getting chipped after 24 hours, I feel just a little bit more put-together even on days where I don't give my appearance much effort.

via, Preposity at Tumblr

2) Make more time for fun reading: fiction and non-fiction. So far so good on this one: the Husband and I have both committed to having 30 minutes of Book Time before bed on nights when we're in (read: pretty much every night). Once I'm done giving the pithy and eloquent Christopher Hitchens a good read, I think I'll move on to Richard Dawkins's The Selfish Gene, give Elizabeth Cline's Overdressed a once-over, and reacquaint myself with Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, for old times's sake. If you have other suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

via, my Pinterest

3) Run a half marathon. Technically, this goal came with a caveat attached. When I suggested running a half marathon to the Husband, I stipulated, "I want to do it before we have another baby." Well, since we're not currently incubating Baby Dick #2, I'm on track with this one, so long as I finish the Fleet Half Marathon in March.

via, Design*Sponge (a great post about de-cluttering!)

4) Be more organized. The Husband and I would both like this to happen. We're not quite on the level of being packrats, but we could definitely stand to reduce the amount of clutter in our home. (I could also stand to dust more, but that's a challenge for another day...) We really would like to be the sort of people who legitimately have "a place for everything, and everything in its place". Since we're planning a huge tidy-up for one of the coming weekends, here's hoping it won't be too long before this goal starts to take shape.

via, Google image search

5) Practise more often. I'd love this goal to read "be as good as I was back in college"...but I'm trying to be realistic. I have a kid now, and he takes up quite a lot of my time. Then there's running, keeping a tidy house, errands, friends, church...I know I don't have the time to commit to my talent that I had as an undergrad. As much as I lament that I can't just shut myself away for 2 hours to bash through some Bach or Faure, I love my life now...I just need to work my music into that more than I have to date.

via, Anoushka Matus

6) Spend more time playing & teaching. E is, without a doubt, the best thing I've ever done. Though, obviously, he's far from "done" in any sense of the word. So especially as he develops more and more skills and more of his personality, I want to make sure I'm really actively helping him to become whoever he wants to be. More trips out of the house, more time playing with blocks and stacky cups, and more books read together: that's what I want for him out of this year.

And in the end, all of these things are really just me working towards my ultimate goal:

via, Fox on the Run at Tumblr

Halfsies, part 3: Easy on the Ears

Last night since the weather was still nice (and apparently today is meant to be intermittently rubbish. Le sigh, England) I decided to go for another run instead of taking a day off. I did a 4-mile circuit that included a nice stretch of the Southwood Woodland that's nearby.

Absolutely lovely, especially just before sunset. But tragedy struck before I'd even reached the idyllic confines of some suburban woodland. My iPod battery died. Okay, so really that means that my own ineptitude struck because I neglected the low battery icon on my past 3 runs/workouts. My bad. While it wasn't nearly as brutal as I'd thought, there's definitely a distinct difference to me in running without music. Unless I play mind games like breaking up my run into tiny stretches ("Just to the school crossing sign...just to the train tracks...just to the tiny roundabout..."), running without music feels slow. I mean really slow. Sure, I'm still moving at the same pace, but I notice Every. Single. Second.

This is why my general motto is that every good run needs a good playlist. At least, as far as I'm concerned it does. Which is why I've been trolling iTunes and Teh Interwebz for fun songs to which I can pound some pavement. From here on in expect nothing less than extreme bias, nerdiness, and excuse-making.

Scream - Usher
I do love this song. But then, I've always had a soft spot for Usher. Especially now that I'm supposed to be an adult and some of his older songs remind me of being a tween (...and then remind me of just how long ago that was!).

That's Not My Name - the Ting Tings
I know this song is ages old, but I can't get over it. The Ting Tings have sass: there's no other way to put it. This song has a brilliant beat if you're looking to actually pace your run to the music, plus the rhythms and the lyrics are catchy enough to take your mind off the punishment you're giving your body in the name of fitness.

What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction
Don't judge me. Yes, I'm old enough to remember when "boy bands" meant New Kids on the Block and Mark Walhberg's older brother (back when he was still Marky Mark!), but this song is catchy. It's bouncy and cute and generally inoffensive. I listen to it to run. I say again: don't judge me.

The Sourcerer's Journey (Kung Fu Lemon Remix) - The Eagles
So technically the Eagles don't really deserve the credit for this one, but it's an anonymous internet remix. Check the YouTube video: the video itself you can take or leave (personally I'd leave it as its interchangable with the visualiser in iTunes or Windows Media Player), but the song is fun. Nerd moment: this is the theme song to Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It was done up as a series of BBC radio dramatisations and this song was used as the theme tune. Okay, nerd moment done.

Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
Yeah, I could have picked loads of other things to include on this list, but again: I find songs I like and then it doesn't matter how old they get. Every now and then, even in a whole playlist of up-tempo songs, you need something to kick-start you again and help you find that second wind. When I need that, I need a song with a bit of attitude. This definitely fits the bill. And yes, I have been known to run along the canal in our neighbourhood yelling, "This shhh is bananas: B-A-N-A-N-A-S!"

Want a few other suggestions in case the above selection doesn't exactly float your boat?

Next on my list of training To-Dos? Probably: new shoes. After some painful pins and needles in the pads of my toes last night, I think the bell may be tolling for these babies. After all, I've had them for about 3 years of running now. Definitely: see about PT or just some general advice about that pesky pelvis of mine. It'd be nice to be able to run more than 3 miles without feeling like someone took a baseball bat to my groin. In the meantime, I'll be getting some more music ready in case - you know - my body decides to cooperate with this whole running lark again.

Put on Your Dancing Shoes

I found this cover weeks ago and - this may sound terrible - I like it in spite of myself. Yes, it's a bit country-pop. Really, something about the feel of it vaguely reminds me of Provo and the mountain west in general...but in a good way. There's something quaint and charming about this guy and his one-man cover of some Whitney Houston.

Otherwise, this past week and a half, I've been keeping true to my New Year's goal to read new books despite being at home with Ethan all day. It keeps me from watching too many back episodes of random shows on Netflix. I'd been slowly picking my way through the Complete Illustrated Short Stories of Sherlock Holmes, but after about 5 cases in a row, I needed to give Dr. Watson a rest for a bit before diving back in. Thankfully, Sebastian had just made his way through 1/4 of one of his Christmas presents: the first four books of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. The first book, Game of Thrones, is brilliant. Martin has a huge and well-rounded cast of characters, and manages to keep up very well with nearly 10 or 11 character viewpoints to tell his tale. That scope of perspective only gets bigger in book two, A Clash of Kings.


I'll be honest, in my own small way, I'm a fantasy nerd. Don't expect me to dress up and play D&D or anything any time soon (or ever, for that matter), but I can appreciate the imagination that goes into creating worlds for series like Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings, or Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series. So since the nerd stigma of the genre didn't turn me away, I had no qualms about diving into Martin's 900+-page opus. Nine days later and I'm nearly done with about 1800-pages of epic storytelling. If only my weight loss goals were as easy to keep on top of, I'd be back to pre-baby weight by now!

In the meantime, it's time to whip up some mac & cheese for dinner tonight. I have ingredients in my fridge to use up before the weekend comes...

Getting in the Spirit

We went on a walk today. A nice long one, too. What does that have to do with getting into the Christmas spirit? My iPod and the attendant podcasts and songs. I've been struggling to feel like it's finally the Advent season and that Christmas is right around the corner. As it turns out, what I needed wasn't so much my Advent Santa counter, or my Grandma's Nativity, or even my tree. I needed Christmas music! So, I got out into the seasonal chill with Ethan in his jogging stroller and popped in my headphones to enjoy some decent Yuletide tunes and really start getting into the swing of things.

Hey you: keep walking.

Mommy and son catching some mid-winter rays.

With that in mind, here are my current top 12 Christmas listens. Why 12? Because there are12 days of Christmas, fool! And why "listens"? Because one isn't a song, but rather a testament to my super nerd status (a.k.a. a Christmas podcast). PS- this is where I insist that you follow the links...for your own good and all.

1. Gabriel's Message - Sting 
2. Gaudete - Medaeval Baebes
3. O Come, O Come Emmanuel - The Fray
4. Happy X-Mas (War Is Over) - Maroon 5
5. Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid
6. This Christmas - Chi Rho
7. In Dolce Jubilo - Medaeval Baebes
8. Mistletoe and Holly - Frank Sinatra
9. Christmas is All Around - "Billy Mack" aka Bill Nighy
10. Ave Maria - Jewel
11.  I Saw Three Ships - The Lower Lights
12. A Christmas Primer - Mormon Matters Podcast

The podcast I highly recommend to those with a strong mental constitution. I make that caveat because there is lots of academic banter and discussion about the intricacies of the Christmas story in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke and a decent amount of concentration is required to get something out of it. The nice thing is that at the end, the conclusion of the discussion reaffirms everyone's faith and their wholehearted enjoyment of the Christmas season and its message no matter the historical vagaries of the scriptural account.

Gotta love having a baby as an excuse to catch up on all sorts of interesting listening and watching during the day. Here's to jingling bells, dashes through the snow, one-horse open sleighs, and continuing to get into the mood as Christmas approaches!

Say It With Firecrackers

"On this Day of Independence, on this Independence Day"...how about you watch one of my favourite clips from one of my favourite movies?

I don't remember when we first found Holiday Inn, but my mom and sister and I have loved it ever since. This clip is from the 4th of July celebration in the movie, and essentially, it's just Fred Astaire being a boss. It kills me how easy he makes this whole routine look.

My own 4th of July is going to be a bit less exciting than all that. The Husband is off at a workshop for a BS business course he has to take through work, so rather than stay home alone all day like a pregnant loser, I'm imposing on the hospitality of my friend Kari. Good thing there's another ex-pat around here that I like! Don't get me wrong, I love the friends we've made over here, but it's times like this where I realise that I'm surrounded by English people! People who don't get the importance of a pancake breakfast in the church parking lot followed by some patriotic sing-alongs and then a family cookout in the afternoon fuelled by burgers and root beer. Who don't know at least some of the words to "You're a Grand Old Flag." (Go on, keep singing it in your head...you know you want to.) People who reserve fireworks for the winter with New Year's and Guy Fawkes Night. Who laugh when you talk about the 4th and crack jokes about why anyone should care. People who don't get that you yell "Oh!!!" at the top of your lungs when we get to the line "Oh say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave..." But then...I suppose that last is basically anyone who isn't from Maryland.

So, in the spirit of being as patriotic as I want to be, I'm joining ranks with another American to don my red, white, and blue and talk about cookouts and cute 4th of July craft projects, and the old "50 Nifty United States" song that we used to sing in elementary school (not primary school as it gets called over here!). And yeah, I totally just went there with the song...now you'll be singing that, too. (I also purposefully found the most annoying version of it possible on YouTube...which is much slower than I remember singing it.)

Happy Independence Day, people!

The Sound of (new) Music

With the completion of my storage bench project, I think my crazy-pregnant-lady DIY-athon has reached a small break. After all, there's only so much I can tackle without A) wearing myself out, and B) wearing out the budget...definitely the more serious of the two. Don't get me wrong: nesting and decorating our new home is definitely still a big part of my life right now (which is why you get to hear all about it!), but until we rustle up some more essentials for the piggly wiggly (like a crib...and a dresser...and a high chair...and a baby gate...hmmm...), I'll focus on working with what I have and getting on with some things I've been neglecting lately. Like my music!

To clarify: some of this is legitimate neglect that needs curing. It's been ages since I mentioned it, but Seb and I are performing at his cousin's wedding in September. He'll play piano and I'll sing. We're doing Hymne a l'Amour, which - if I remember right - was first an Edith Piaf song, but was more recently covered by Josh Groban. Needless to say, with the moving and DIY-ing and working and church activities, we haven't exactly made practising a priority. Oops. (Bigger oops? I lost the sheet music during the move...) Guess it's time to get on with that.

But the other point of neglect has been my music collection. When you're either at home or at the gym most days, you pretty quickly wear out even the most diverse music collection. And since I'm really not in the mood to dive into the random assortment of Beethoven in my iTunes, I need some new grooves to get acquainted with. Technology to the rescue!

My first resort has been Grooveshark. Gotta love free internet radio. In fact, just yesterday, it randomly found me a great cover of Adele's Rolling in the Deep done by none other than John Legend. A cappella John Legend? Yes please! (In case you can't tell, I'm suggesting you hit up Grooveshark and listen to this.)

Oh, and because I can't get away from it, even in a post about music, I have to give some props to Young House Love. I painted my nails last night. Exciting news, I know...we're going to a swanky dance tonight and Seb is breaking out his tux for the occasion, so Yours Truly really needs to make an effort, here! Anyway, while I was waiting on the nail polish to dry, I decided to keep occupied by watching a few cute how-to videos on the YHL blog. Most of the time lapse videos (like this one on painting the kitchen) have pretty fun and bouncy music in the background. The video I linked to had a song called Built to Last by a band called Fall Walk Run. The best part about this discovery? The band's URL is included at the end of each video where their music is featured...and Fall Walk Run has their whole latest EP available for free download. Who knew that learning how to DIY would get me cool new music?

My other resort for new music is to turn off my iPod in the car or at the gym. I milked that in-car iPod adapter for all it was worth when I'd commute to Chawton every week, but for trips around town, I tend to just leave BBC Radio 1 on. I'll be honest, half of the time the music falls into the categories of "meh" or "not again!!!", but the other half is pretty fun. First recommendation to hunt down on iTunes, YouTube, or Grooveshark? The A-Team by Ed Sheeran. It's a bit James Blunt/Jason Mraz: very good for background music to chill to.

Now where has the gym come in handy? Basically half of the music I exercise to, I heard at one gym or another during my past 5 years' worth of various and sundry gym memberships. A sampling of the stuff I've collected after having heard it at the gym?

• pretty much anything that features Pitbull. (I Like It with Enrique Eglesias, Give Me Everything with Ne-Yo, Hey Baby with T-Pain...)
• Hollywood Tonight and Hold My Hand by Michael Jackson. (Say what you want, MJ was a good performer.)
• Fireflies by Owl City. I'd nearly forgotten about this song until I heard it again in B&Q.
• Run the Show by Kat DeLuna with Busta Rhymes. I think my mom knows this one from zumba class.

Considering that most people I know around here can't hang out for huge periods of the day because they either have their own kids, and/or watch other people's kids, I need something to keep me occupied when I'm on my own. I mean, I know pretty soon I'll be joining the club of Ladies with Babies, but until my little kickboxing master is an outside baby, I need ways to keep myself entertained. I'd ask about what good books people are reading, but we've already had the discussion about how abominably crap-tastic our public library is. (It's taking an effort of will not to start this tirade all over again...)

So with that thought: does anybody have any good music suggestions I may have missed? I'm sure there's tons considering that whatever's popular in the UK at the moment hasn't necessarily made it back to the US. If you find me good music, consider that like your good deed for the day!

Christmas Music

For me, this is one of the best things about Christmas. I love the cookies and the sweater-worthy weather, and when it isn't too hectic I *do* enjoy going shopping for people. And of course, Christmas isn't *really* about all those things - it's about Jesus and the amazing gift He gave to all of us - but the cookies and presents and family time are all pretty awesome. Not to mention decorating the tree. I'm a shopaholic when it comes to Christmas decorations.

But the music...the music is what really brings the Christmas spirit for me. Anything with jingling sleigh bells in the background, or lyrics about angels and mangers and shepherds. So here, in no particular order, are some of my favourite Christmas songs.

20. Christmas Eve - Sarajevo Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This rings in the Christmas season for me every year. It's not Christmas until this song has been played.

19. Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth Bing Crosby & David Bowie. Same as above...and I sort of love Bing Crosby.

18. Happy X-mas War is Over Maroon 5. Before the cries of blasphemy start, I pay all tribute to John Lennon, but Yoko and those kids... She has a voice fit to make ears bleed. Not to mention, Maroon 5's lead singer does excellent justice to this song in a paired-down, nearly acoustic version of John Lennon's Christmas classic.

17. Wonderful Christmastime Paul McCartney. Paul has always been my favourite Beatle...even when he delved into the cheesily sentimental with things like "My Love" or "Silly Love Songs" he makes up for it with tracks like this or "Growing Up Falling Down". Having heard this song on the radio as far back as I can remember, it's a requisite Christmas tune.

16. Last Christmas Jimmy Eat World or Darren Hayes or Wham! I cannot explain how much I love the 80s-tastic nature of this song, with or without George Michael. Each artist has a very individual take on the song, which makes it worth listing 3 times.

15. Do They Know It's Christmas? Band Aid. Who can fail to feel nostalgia for hearing Bono, Boy George & Culture Club, George Michael, Duran Duran, Paul McCartney and David Bowie - along with countless other 80s wonders - repeat the cry to "Feed the world! Let them know it's Christmastime again!"? Who cares that there's never snow in Africa at Christmas? Who cares that the images of African children crying bitter stinging tears in fields barren of crops (because, as we know, nothing ever grows and no rain or rivers flow) are trite and probably fairly inaccurate? Not me. It was a well-meant message, and one that ought to be played at full-volume in the car so you can shout along at the top of your voice.

14. All I Want For Christmas Is You Mariah Carey. As one of the reasons I wanted to learn to sing, Mariah Carey holds a special place in my heart. At least, her early to mid-90s music does. And what's more benignly cheesy and romantic than saying that the rest of Christmas can sod off if the person you love can't be with you?

13. Mary Did You Know? Chi Rho. The Christian all-male a cappella group from Wake Forest: Chi Rho is amazing. These boys have a fantastic Christmas album on Amazon (shameless plug!) and do justice to many Christmas songs, but this gets my biggest vote. I severely disliked this song before I heard my friends do this cover, and now their version is one of my favourites.

12. Winter Wonderland Jason Mraz. Slightly hipster and understated in all the best ways. It makes this over-done song palatable again.

11. Gabriel's Message Sting. It feels very vintage Sting & The Police with the electronic backbeat and is a carol I think doesn't get enough play. The minor key and slightly modal melody make it wonderfully interesting to listen to, and Sting makes sure the tempo doesn't drag.

10. O Come, O Come Emmanuel Sufjan Stevens. Again, simple is better and Sufjan gets that with his version of this song. The melody remains clear and un-muddled and the lyrics are able to speak for themselves. A powerful song done well.

9. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear Sixpence None the Richer. I first found this in the season 1 soundtrack for Grey's Anatomy and it's been a favourite ever since. The alternative melody gives a new feel to this carol, and I approve.

8. Greensleeves Sarah McLachlan. Really, it's the same as above. Simple, with a lovely alternative to the original melody line.

7. The Christmas Song Nat King Cole. Among other things, this song IS Christmas. And Nat King Cole has one of the most beautiful, silken male voices ever. Full stop.

6. O Holy Night *NSYNC. Oh yeah, I went there. I dragged a boy band into it. To be fair, of all the boy bands (Backstreet Boys, 98*, OTown, *NSYNC) of my childhood and early teenage years, the guys of *NSYNC were the only group talented enough to do true a cappella and make it sound good. Their a cappella 5-part harmony in O Holy Night makes this one of my favourite versions of one of my favourite Christmas songs.

5. Sleigh Ride Ella Fitzgerald. This woman is amazing, and her version of Sleigh Ride has soul and a catchy swinging beat.

4. Good King Wenceslas/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Chris Casswell & Friends. Really, I recommend the whole of the Celtic Yule album: I'm a sucker for a flute and fiddle in the Scots/Irish style of my ancestors, and this album delivers on every track a lovely rustic-feeling Christmas sound.

3. Jingle Bells The Puppini Sisters. An updated Andrews Sisters-like sound. Their a cappella 3-part harmony really jazzes up this song.

2. Ave Maria Jewel. Her other albums wouldn't have given the impression of it, but she has quite the impressive set of pipes. As a departure from her normal style, this song is powerful and beautiful and her voice is wonderfully clear.

1. Christmas is All Around Bill Nighy as Billy Mack from Love Actually. I think nothing else really needs to be said about this song. Bill Nighy is hilarious as a washed-up rock star, and his Christmas cover of Love is All Around conveys that hilarity in the best possible way. And any song that can use a sitar, sleigh bells, chimes AND a George Harrison-style guitar solo gets an A in my book.

Merry Christmas!