{ialsolovechocolate} Saturday Sing Along Songs- Christmas Favorites!

Thanks to this year's Camp Christmas Shoots, I've been in the mood for Christmas since October!

 And finally it's here!

 

I have my favorite Christmas songs, from years gone-by 

{Sing Along Songs of Christmas' Past can be found here!}

but I'm always on the hunt for new ones to add to the mix.

Here are a few of this year's favorite discoveries.

Ahhh... The Piano Guys!  Carol of the Bells.

Jason Mraz- Winter Wonderland

Lindsey Stirling- Celtic Carol

Naturally, we have to have an Eric Whitacre masterpiece!

Light and Gold

Light, light
Light, light
Light, light
Warm
Warm
And heavy
And heavy
And heavy
Pure
Pure
Pure like gold
They sing and sing and sing
To the newborn babe.

http://lyricstranslate.com

 

And Scala & Kolacny Brothers!  

In my next life, I will be born in Belgium and perform with Scala & Kolacny Brothers when my schedule permits.  :)

Christmas Lights {by Coldplay}

River {by Sarah McLachlan}

 

 

What new Christmas favorites have you discovered?  Please share!  Please share!!

Oh and if anyone has heard the new Jewel Christmas CD, 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!  I have yet to listen to it!

Merry Christmas and happy singing, everyone!

Photography Equipment Recommendations!

Hull's Spring Hills Farm, Christmas Tree Season, 2013

It's that time of year when I receive many questions about photography equipment recommendations, for Christmas gifts.

Woohoo!!

Some people are going to be EXTRA happy, this year!!

Here is a list of the items that I recommend most, based on my personal experience (for the most part): (prices listed are as of today, December 9, 2013, based on Amazon pricing)  There are many more GREAT choices available, but I try to recommend products that I have used myself.


For a basic DSLR starter camera- the Canon Rebel t3i is the most affordable. ($437)

With an upgrade in ISO, the Canon Rebel t4i is a better choice, but has a higher price tag (worth it, in my opinion). ($679)

*The Canon Rebel t5i doesn't appear to be worth the added cost.  Do some review searches and comparisons, if you are on the fence.

New to me is the Canon 70d.  I haven't used one, but it has gotten some nice reviews! ($1,199)

I really loved my Canon 7d.  ($1,449)  But comparing the two (70d & 7d, I might opt for the 70d, now?  Hard to say, without having used a 70d).

A GREAT starter lens (excellent for low light) is the Canon 50mm, 1.8.  I LOVED this lens!!!  ($108.31)  It is the best value out there!  Be aware- this lens is a prime lens, it does not zoom.  You need to move your body to get a wider or closer shot.

I also really enjoyed the Canon 17-55mm, 2.8 lens with my 7d.  ($779- considerably less than when I purchased mine!)

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Moving into the full frame cameras & better lenses, I highly recommend the following. 

The Canon 5d mk II is excellent!  ($2,749- body only)  You can find these used for even better prices!

And my favorite, at the moment is the Canon 5d mk III!  ($2,899- body only)

*Of course, there are more costly cameras available, but my personal experience is with those listed above.

My go-to lens is the Canon EF 24-70mm 2.8.  ($1,850)

For weddings and sports, I use a Canon EF 70-200mm 2.8.  ($2,075)  There is a new version as well.

I also have a Canon 85mm1.8, which stays on my back up camera, for the most part. ($319) This is a fantastic lens for portraits and detail photos.  It can handle low light like a champ!

As for external flashes, I would recommend a Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlite. ($499)

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For editing, I 100% recommend Lightroom 5.  (on sale till January 11th for $119!)

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For an easy to understand starter book, I recommend How to Photography Your Baby, by Nick Kelsh. 

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And for instructions on how to shoot in manual, I recommend Kim Winey's Bootcamp {Manual Settings Simplified}.  ;) 



Happy photography gift giving!

A Christmas Styled Shoot!

I know!

Can you believe it?!

I haven't done "Christmas Pictures" in yeeeeears.

But, Hull's has once again inspired me!

Did you know that Hull's Spring Hills Farm is a Christmas Tree Farm?

So you know what this means, right?

Picture it {pun intended}...

Christmas trees + rustic/awesome props + yummlies (yes, treats!) + Lemon Daisy Boutique clothing + Gurliglam + fabulous interns + Kim Winey Photography!!

The dates are:

Monday, October 28th and Tuesday, October 29th.  Props and treats will be appropriate for ages 3 -7.

Monday, November 4th.  Props and treats will be appropriate for 6 1/2 months (must be sitting up) to 3 years old (or there-abouts).

Sitting fee: $150 for the first child.  $25 each additional person.  Prints, digital files, discs and cards sold separately, in password protected online gallery.

A $75 deposit is required to secure your session.

Sessions will last approximately 1 hour, with more time given for larger families.

Call 717-689-3277 to secure your date and time.  

{ialsolovechocolate} Christmas Break- A thing of the past!

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas!

With seven celebrations in nine days, our family... OK I, was poised for a stressful time of year.   Thankfully, an insightful radio show helped me put things into perspective, before the craziness began.

A simple change of words has given me a renewed spirit.  Instead of calling it a "Christmas Break", which conjures up images of rest and relaxation, I'm thinking of it as the "Christmas Visiting Season". 

oooOOOOOoooh...  Why didn't I think of this years ago?? 

Now I'm excited about prepping for parties and seeing people that I don't get-together with, often enough!  Rest and relaxation may happen here and there, but this year, the emphasis is on the people we will get to see.  And I'm hoping that this will be enough to make the crazy... feel crazy good.  :)

Ask me next week, if it worked!  haha


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And now a bonus sing along song!

We heard this for the first time, on Christmas Day.  It was a really interesting to think of the birth of Jesus, from Joseph's perspective.   Enjoy!

{ialsolovechocolate} Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies!!

Ahh... my favorite cookies are socially acceptable, this time of year!

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies!

Obviously, I wouldn't be satisfied with just photographing the cookies on a plain white plate.  ;)  So I propped out this wooden tray, to snazz things up.  As I did it, I thought- "Oh!  Wouldn't this make a nice surprise for my next door neighbors!!"

Rosemary tied with twine on the milk glasses.

Ornament in an egg cup.  Why not?!

Pearls and ornaments too feminine for your taste?  Keep it simple, with some rustic pinecones.

Be right back.  Cookie break time.

 

I originally discovered this recipe, from the untouchable, cooking guru- Martha Stewart.

However, I never actually read the recipe thoroughly and only today realized that I had been skipping some steps and altering some ingredients!  hah!  But they're still fabulous AND my version takes less time, so at the risk of peeving Ms. Stewart, I give thee... 

Kim Winey's Chewy Chocolate  Gingerbread Cookie Recipe.

 Ingredients

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (don't over fill)
• 1 generous tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment.  In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
2. Beat together- butter and brown sugar. Add molasses; beat until combined.
3. Mix together flour mixture, butter mixture and chocolate chips, till well blended.
4. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar.  Place on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
   
   
   *This recipe only makes about 2 dozen cookies.  CLEARLY not enough.  I recommend doubling the ingredients, to avoid extreme sadness, at the site of the wee little cookie yield.
   
   
   
   
   
   

{ialsolovechocolate} Saturday Sing Along Songs, the Christmas Playlist!

One of my favorite repeat themes on the old "ialsolovechocolate" blog was Saturday Sing Along Songs.

Typically, I would add one song, per week and accumulate a nice little selection of tunes, by the end of the year.  But since we're really close to Christmas (aahhh!!!) and I want to post a collection songs, I'm adding a link to a pre-filled,  playlist.

Click here to hear some our family's favorite Christmas songs.

Sadly, playlist.com is missing some KEY songs.

If you like "outside of the box" or unique songs, I strongly, strongly urge you to also give a listen to the following favorites!!

For Seabird fans (Don't you know you're beautiful) -

 Seabird- Joy to the World  (exactly 1:07 seconds into the song is joy to my ears!)  You'll need to buy it to hear it all, as I can't locate it on the internet, anywhere.  :(  Be warned- this is not your mama's "Joy to the World".


Priscilla Ahn (creator of the song "Dream", that plays on my pro site) gives a beautifully, haunting rendition of Silent Night.

Straight No Chasers (male vocals, tight harmonies, exquisitely executed), Christmas Can Can-  (Cman's Favorite)-

Jazz fans, check out Harry Connick Jr's Frosty the Snowman-

I'm still not sure if this is officially a Christmas song or not, but I first heard it on a Christmas disc, so ...?  Oh Happy Day, by The Edwin Hawkins Singers-

*Note to my family members- this is a "must have" for my future funeral.  In fact, I think having it blasted at the grave site, as the casket is carried to the hole, so people can sway & clap without intimidation, while they walk to the site... yes... that seems appropriate.  I'm. not. kidding.*


And the most sweet and sassy version of Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer, you'll ever hear comes from Jewel:

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?  And what should we add to our playlist, for next week?!