flag

santa brought me a mini flag for christmas. 

guess which country.

seven

all i wanted for christmas was matt saracen.

and i got the next best thing.

what's up julie!? 

thank you, kylie, for getting me a rockin christmas present.

friday night lights all day every day all the time always.

the christmas times

{christmas eve is a really good day for the guy in charge of the pajama industry. and, just noticed kirsten attempting to strangle kaity. cool.}

it's been such a fun christmas break so far, and yesterday was really rad. i can tell you that there's nothing better than hanging out with my family 24/7, playing games, eating so much crazy delicious food (and also slow-clapping for my mom when she pulls off the freeway to take us to in-n-out), singing to t-swift in the car, and finding out my dad is a BIG spiderman fan. and how about utah's blizzard, huh? all good things.

yesterday, i was transferring all my contacts from my old phone to my new christmas phone (holla), and i was reminded that i'm most grateful for all of the people in my life. i have the most stellar family and friends. it was weird to see that a large portion of the contacts in my phone are all my guy friends out on missions right now. that was a little sad, but i'm also so incredibly happy they're all out there helping people and serving the lord. it was also fun to add in all of my old friends from high school, and then to add my new friends i've met since being in college. i've been so blessed to be able to know so many amazing people.

i'm also so thankful for my heavenly father and jesus christ, which is the whole point of this holiday! i know they live and love us.

hope you all had a kool kristmas. thanks for reading!
xoxo -jess

it's christmas eve!

typical sufjan

there's too much wonderful christmas music, i'm getting overwhelmed trying to listen to it all!

but i'm pretty crazybonks about sufjan's christmas albums.

i listen to his o holy night and sister winter multiple times daily.

you can listen to songs for christmas here, and silver and gold here.

my face when i woke up and remembered it was the last day of school:

this has been the best semester of all time ever. more on that later. but. 

i'm excited for christmas break when all i have to do is eat christmas-y treats and play monopoly.

the break

january 2nd. and we ate outside at in-n-out.

what the warm?

danny wishes there was snow. just look at his face.

this break consisted of sleeping in way too late, eating many cheeseburgers and brownies, playing hundreds of board games, hanging out with danny every day, listening to about today over and over, watching 30 rock, losing every game of "hanging with friends", winning every game of "words with friends", not doing any homework (or working on my film major application, yikes), and quoting bad lip reading videos.

maybe my best christmas break ever.

new camera

i got a beautiful little instax camera for christmas (thank you santa!).

so get ready for some nice instax prints on this here blog.

i'm so excited.

tradition

every year on the 23rd of december, we have a christmas movie marathon.

this is our line up tonight.

i also watched some christmas-y friends episodes last night.

remember the holiday armadillo?

merry christmas everyone!

christmas music

I'm in the process of making my christmas music playlist.

So, I'm wondering. What is your favorite christmas song, artist, or album?

I want suggestions.

This is one of my all-time favorite christmas albums. Love it.

Beach Boys. I recommend it.

Tell me what you like! So I can like it too.

Please and thank you.

"the big jolly day"

Merry Christmas!

sisters + me visiting santa last year.

i think he's talking directly to me in the photo,

that's why i'm not facing the camera.

he's nice, but scary.

please toby, it's christmas

tree

Isn't this tree in our yard so cute?

I've always liked it.

And I especially like how it looks with snow on the branches.

One year I want to get a real Christmas tree.

It'll probably have to be when I have a house of my own.

double-feature

I'll be watching these tonight.

I love Christmas Break!

it's time

for gingerbread houses.

or in my family: cardboard houses with frosting and candy on them.

this year's edition

hogwarts. built by me. decorated by everyone else. (click to enlarge. do it. i went into detail)

we even made a cute little dumbledore outfit for our santa.

harry potter is a pretty big deal at our house.

All my friends,

I've returned to Sister Winter.

oh, sufjan. you are awesome.

p.s. one of those kids is my grandpa.

here's what i'd like for christmas

1. this movie + soundtrack

2. panini griller thing

3. zachary levi. ahhh.

my name is Jessica

And it came from the 1970's wooden puppet movie Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

Kylie, the 3-year-old, liked the movie a lot.

She suggested the name, after her favorite character: Miss Jessica.

She's probably the best part of that movie. Not that I'm biased or anything.

**Spoiler Alert: Miss Jessica later becomes Mrs. Claus. Pretty proud to be named after her.

this post about a bedroom tent turned into a movie review.

You know that part on The Holiday, when Jude, Cameron, and the little girls are all in that tent in the girls' room? With the cut-out stars hanging down? I want that tent in my room so bad. Berry kiss.

Also, I love that movie. I connect with it on so many levels.

A) England. I like England. It seems so magical, especially at Christmas.

B) Kate Winslet is a babe. She is such a believable actress; so good at what she does. And her character radiates goodness. She is so sweet. You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for goodness sake! She has some good monologues too. Like the one at the beginning about unrequited love. And when she's talking about how it can actually ache in places you didn't know you had inside you... I feel her pain. But that's another post.

C) Arthur Abott, he's the cute old man that reminds me of a prophet. I like him a lot. And I like when he gives Iris the corsage. He cuts a nice suit!

D) Cameron Diaz is still a ditz, at least to me. She's real pretty, and I guess she plays the part well. But all in all, she's not my favorite actress. She sort of has my dream job in the movie though-- editing movie trailers.

E) John Krasinski is in it! For like 4 minutes. But hey, it's him. Happy red.

F) There's a part when Amanda first gets to England and she doesn't know what to do with herself, so she blasts Mr. Brightside. I love that part, for some reason... Choking on your alibi!

G) I don't really like Jack Black, either. But I like him in this movie. Iris, if you were a melody... I used only the good notes. Oh, and I like the part when he kisses Iris on the cheek, twice. Sorry, I didn't mean to kiss you twice and linger on the second kiss. It's awkward, but that's Jack Black for you.

H) Amanda's house is rad. I want those dark things that roll down in front of the windows.

I) Christmas fettucini!

J) I don't think Rufus Sewell knows how to play a good guy. Jasper, ew. What a jerk.

K) That bedroom tent. I already talked about it up there. But I want it so bad. That kinda goes along with Mr. Napkinhead. It is so funny, you will fall off your chair.

L) Hey Jude. He's unbearably handsome. I like his glasses. and his mannerisms. and when he shows up at the door in the middle of the night and flashes his charming smile. Aww yeah. I can't figure out the mathematics of this. I just know I love you.

The Holiday. It's a dang good movie. I recommend it.