Christmas Jams, annotated

It's December, which means that I can finally listen to my Christmas music loud and proud (I'd been sneaking around since before Thanksgiving).  I'm about as secular as they come, but some of my favorite music is holiday-themed.  I've been working on this playlist for a couple of years now, and it's close to perfect.  I'm always looking to add to it, though, so if you know a great song that I don't, please share. Here are some of my favorites.

Doing it Myself

When we moved into our house eight years ago, it was very much an if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it situation.  We replaced the hideous carpet, and of course, after years of rental whites and beiges, we painted the walls.  That was pretty much it, though.  Did I love (or even like) the weird kitchen wallpaper and the shabby oak (-looking) cabinets?  No, I didn't, but I could tolerate them, and that was enough.   And the less said about the dated parquet floor in the dining area, which was so scuffed that it looked like it regularly hosted tap-dance battles, the better.  Still, it was structurally sound, so I wasn't spending a dime on it. So there, HGTV-industrial complex!  It's not like I don't care about having beautiful surroundings, but when you're broke and not exactly handy, you just count a lovely home as one of those nice things you can't have right now.

The OG kitchen. Not a good look.

Several years later, something momentous happened: in December of 2013, I visited Ikea for the first time, and it was a quasi-religious experience.  All of a sudden, I wanted a beautiful house, and I wanted it immediately.  It all seemed within my reach, and I was determined to make it happen.

...And the livin' is easy.

Summer!  It's here!  Well, no, it isn't.  Reality says that it's still spring; I still have a full day of work left, and then I have training next week.  Still, I'm not getting up at five anymore. so that's something.  Though it feels so near yet so far, I will be enjoying my awesome summer vacation soon (though Pat McCrory and his merry band of assholes may try to take that, as it's the last remaining perk of a teaching career, and some of them mistakenly think that they pay us for it).  However shall I spend my time?