fashion

women

fashion

Christmas

shopping 

Prince Harry mistaken for Christmas tree salesman as he went out tree shopping with Meghan Markle

[email protected]_84 , , , , , , , ,

Prince Harry mistaken for Christmas tree salesmen as he went out tree shopping with Meghan Markle

Duke of Sussex Price Harry was reportedly mistaken for a Christmas tree salesman as he went out tree shopping with his wife Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle.

According to reports, Prince Harry was mistaken for Christmas tree salesman by a little boy, who was not familiar with the Duke.

The royal couple was spotted shopping for Christmas on Wednesday and reportedly bought their Christmas tree for the season.

A twitter user, who works as a salesman at Christmas tree lot confirmed in a tweet, later deleted, that the royal couple came to them and they sold them Christmas tree.

He further said there was one another family in there alongwith their little son at the time when Meghan and Prince Harry were inside. The boy, who was not familiar with the royal family ran through trees up to Harry and asked if he worked there.

The salesman described Harry as a ‘chill lad’ and Megan as ‘very kind’.

The royal couple is set to celebrate this year Christmas in their Montecito home with son Archie.

Source Article …

Read more
gift 

Carrie Underwood Sings With 5-Year-Old Son Isaiah for ‘My Gift’ Christmas Special

[email protected]_84 , , , , , , , ,

Carrie Underwood is gifting fans with some serious Christmas cuteness. The celebrated songstress decided to turn to her adorable son to sing a duet on her new album, My Gift — and the recording is featured in her new streaming TV special.

Underwood took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a sweet snapshot of showing her singing with her 5-year-old son Isaiah as part of her new My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood, which dropped on HBO Max on Thursday.

“So happy we captured the sweetest voice in this special moment in time,” Underwood wrote alongside the photo of herself and Isaiah recording their duet. The celebrated country crooner shares Isaiah with husband Mike Fisher, as well as 1-year-old son Jacob.

“My own Little Drummer Boy will be a part of the #MyGift Christmas Special beginning this Thursday on @hbomax! #MyGiftHBOMax 🥁🎁✨” Underwood added in the caption.

The adorable nickname is clearly appropriate given their duet is “The Little Drummer Boy,” which Underwood recently told USA Today is “a central song” on My Gift.

“Thinking about what would make it special, I have a very special duet partner, my son Isaiah. He loves to sing,” she shared. “I just thought his sweet little voice would sound perfect.”

Apart from her collaboration with her son, Underwood also performs a duet with John Legend as part of the album and the TV special.

Together, the two perform a stunning rendition of “Hallelujah,” as Legend plays the piano and an angelic Underwood joins him in belting out the emotional, stirring tune.

ET’s Rachel Smith spoke with Underwood in October, and the songstress excitedly reflected on her collaboration with her little boy as part of the holiday album, which dropped in September.

“He loves to sing…and he has such a giving, loving heart about him and I could just hear his voice on it,” she told ET, explaining how at first she didn’t know if he would want to do it. “So he goes in there and he just gave it his all and it’s so pure and it’s so special and he’s throwing his hands in the air and just so expressive when he was singing it.”

“I was so proud of him, just for giving it his all and the love in his heart because he does love Jesus,” she continued. “At 5 years old he knows, and he was giving all the love. I’m very proud of him.”

My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood is available on HBO Max now.

This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

RELATED CONTENT:

 

Source Article …

Read more
gift 

Weekend Sip’s 12 bottles of Christmas has gift suggestions for everyone on your holiday list

[email protected]_84 , , , , , , ,

Let’s put aside all the problems of 2020 and turn our attention to the holidays. That means it’s time to joyfully head off shopping for friends and family, for colleagues and neighbors and maybe even for ourselves.

And that means it’s time for a Weekend Sip tradition: the 12 Bottles of Christmas.

Once again, we’ve compiled a list of a dozen bottles, covering the categories of wine, beer and spirits. (And ice cream, too!) We’ve selected items at varying price points, so you can gift anything from a simple stocking stuffer to the sip of a lifetime. Needless to say, the list doesn’t strictly apply to Christmas — the picks will generally work for any holiday or occasion.

Need more suggestions? You can always refer back to our picks from 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Oh, and one more thing: Happy holidays!

The ugly sweater bottle (er, can)

We’ve never quite understood the ugly Christmas sweater thing. Such apparel may represent a gleeful way to subvert the season, but it’s still, well, ugly. But we can embrace the ugly sweater when it comes in liquid form. And that is the idea behind Almanac Beer Co.’s Ugly Sweater LOVE Hazy IPA ($16.99 for a four-pack). The Northern California craft brewer, which specializes in what it calls “farm-to-barrel” beer, describes this super-tasty IPA as a “jolly” sip with notes of mango and cantaloupe. But it’s the image on the can of an ugly sweater that may be the real selling point for some. Almanac also puts together other festive holiday items, including a 12-can Christmas sampler and an eight-can Hanukkah one.

The red bottle

You’ll need to have deep pockets for a bottle of Beringer’s Eighth Maker Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon — it’s a whopping $400, which is pricey even by California trophy-bottle standards. But this sip, from the producer that calls itself California’s longest continuously operating winery, may just be worth it for its hearty taste (think blackberries and black cherries, says the Beringer team) and yet surprisingly delicate texture (the tannins are “fine grained,” the producer notes). The packaging is as superlative as the bottle, with the glossy wooden case almost worthy of being used to store prized jewels. The bottle’s name refers to Mark Beringer’s role as Beringer’s eighth winemaker — the company was founded in part by his great-great-grandfather Jacob.

Mijenta ($50) is a clean-tasting tequila with a variety of flavor notes, from honey to pineapple.


Mijenta

The green bottle

In this case, we mean “green” not in the color-minded sense, but in the save-the-planet one. And Mijenta, a small-batch tequila producer, says it takes the environment seriously. The company’s sustainable practices include ensuring all of its packaging — the label and box — utilizes the waste from agave, the plant that goes into making tequila. It’s a laudable mission, but the tequila itself — in its “blanco” (meaning un-aged) iteration ($50) — deserves praise as well. The sip is clean-tasting with a variety

… Read more
gift 

FAMILY AND MARRIAGE: Don’t let Christmas gift giving stress your marriage | Features

[email protected]_84 , , , , , , ,

“For it is in giving that we receive.” — Francis of Assisi

“Who (Jesus) gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father…” — Bible (Galatians 1:4)

As we approach Christmas most of us are thinking of gift-giving and receiving. When we receive gifts, our biggest challenge is having the right attitude, no matter what we think of the gift. We want to believe the gift comes with a sincere heart and a desire on the part of the giver to please us.

Perhaps the bigger challenge is giving gifts with the right attitude. Consider why we give gifts at Christmas in the first place. Whether the world realizes it or not, Christmas should be about the greatest gift any of us can ever receive: the gift of a relationship with God the Father through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. God gives us that gift with no strings attached; He gives it because He loves us.

Often with our spouse we tend to get something without a lot of thought, knowing that it’s expected of us; they would feel bad and we would feel guilty if we didn’t get them something. We tend to take them for granted and give out of obligation. Vance Fry, in an article for Focus on the Family, suggests some ideas as we consider gift giving and receiving at Christmas time.

Spend more time learning and less time shopping

I’ve been on those shopping trips where I wander through a department store with no prior preparation hoping my eye will land on the right gift for someone. Although it may be a little late now, give some thought to things our spouse has shown an interest in through the year. Consider what your spouse’s hobbies and special interests are. This may not guarantee the perfect gift, but at least your spouse will know you made a sincere effort to please them.

Don’t expect your spouse to read your mind when it comes to receiving. Since there is the expectation of giving and receiving between husband and wife, give a few hints as to things you would appreciate but don’t have. Keep in mind appropriate price ranges. Men in particular have a hard time knowing what their wife might like. (We husbands don’t think like our wives and we often haven’t been paying much attention anyhow.) I always appreciate the not-so-subtle hints. I like to know the general gift category and then I can surprise her with the special personalized selection.

Get on the same budget page

It helps if both husband and wife are in general agreement on how much can be spent on gifts. After all, we have to keep in mind our budget for the rest of the year. We often hear of people who spend so much for Christmas gifts that they are paying for them the rest of the following year –

… Read more
gift 

Where to shop for Christmas gifts and more this holiday season

[email protected]_84 , , , ,

After a tumultuous year, the holiday season is finally upon us.

Whether you’re buying for a child, spouse or best friend, we’ve created a list of locally made items and places to visit. Check it out.

Clothing and Jewelry

Bittersweet Ivy Boutique sells woman’s clothing, jewelry, shoes and more ranging from $6 to $119. Receive 10% off your first online order and free shipping on purchases of $40 or more. 6990 Main St., 469-475-8001, bittersweetivy.com.

Blue Door Boutique sells jewelry, home décor, candles, furniture, wall art, special-ordered tennis racquets, tennis accessories and more. Lake Tennis Academy, 4000 Legacy Drive, 214-705-7701, laketennis.com/bluedoorboutique.

Dancing Starfish Designs sells handmade leather earrings, customer design earrings, spirit wear earrings and more. DancingStarfishDesigns.com.

Tumbleweed Texstyles sells Texas-based items, including clothing, hats, drinkware and more. The website has a “soon-to-retire” section with various sale items, ranging from $14 to $20. 7511 Main St., Suite A120, tumbleweedtexstyles.com.

Spirit Sprinkles is an online woman’s spirit wear store. The store is currently offering 12 Days of Christmas deals with a different deal each day and free shipping on purchases of $49 or more. spiritsprinkles.com.

Cookie Society of Frisco is owned by Jeff and Marissa Allen.

Food and drink

Cookie Society’s holiday gift crate was featured on Oprah’s list of favorite things in 2020. The crate comes with a dozen cookies for $55. 9320 Dallas Parkway, Suite 160, 214-618-0651, cookiesociety.com.

Huckle Bee Farms of Celina offers raw unfiltered honey infused with various fruits and vegetables. 724-747-7855, hucklebeefarm.com.

Poparella’s Gourmet Popcorn & Treats sells more than 60 flavors of popcorn, candies, fudge and candied nuts. A regular three-cup bag of popcorn ranges from $3.09 to $8.59, depending on the flavor. The large Holiday Wood Panel Wagon can contain up to three flavors of popcorn for $12.69. 8873 Coleman Blvd., 214-705-9666, poparellas.com.

Game Day Style founder Brittany Cobb models a jacket for a photo at her shop across from The Star in Frisco.

Home goods

Heart’s Desire is a widely stocked gift shop with clothing and jewelry, Yeti cups, stationery, home décor, soaps, candles, seasonal decorations and more. 4760 Preston Road, Suite 200, 972-335-1800, heartsdesiregifts.com.

The Sample House and Candle House has thousands of scented candles, home décor items, pet accessories and more. 3231 Preston Road, Suite 6, 972-668-6208, samplehouse.com.

Storied Roots sells furniture, statuary and home décor made of natural rattan, wood and stone. 7227 Main St., 400, 972-266-2479, storiedroots.com.

The newest Tiff's Treats is located at 1070 South Preston Road in Prosper.

The Community Grill is a casual dining restaurant with various dishes. 2525 Main St., Suite 400, 214-494-4548.

Didi’s Downtown serves a range of food, including the grilled Atlantic salmon salad and chicken noodle soup. 7210 Main St., 469-888-4020.

Eight11 is a locally owned wine bar with a food menu of shareables, soups and salads, artisan pizzas and more. 7080 Main St., 469-888-4037.

J. Theodore Restaurant and Bar is the former Bonnie Ruth’s. It serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch dishes — and has dozens of martinis on its bar menu. Next door is a secret speakeasy, owned by the same couple. 6959 Lebanon Road, Suite 110, 214-705-7775.

At Luminova Holidays, a new festival at Globe Life Field in Arlington, visitors can skate on a 10,000-square-foot outdoor ice rink.

Experiences

KidZania is an indoor city for kids with real-life experiences. Tickets are free

… Read more
model 

Tesla Model 3 owner helps remind us Christmas lights on cars are no good

[email protected]_84 , , , , , , , ,

Tesla with Xmas lights

Yeah, don’t do this.


Burnaby RCMP/Twitter

The holiday season is upon us, and in many places around the world, Christmas lights are ready to find a home on shrubs, awnings, gutters and so many other places. But, you may or may not be aware, the lovely lights often aren’t permitted on vehicles. Unfortunately, this Tesla Model 3 driver in Canada dished out a seasonal reminder.

The Burnaby Royal Canadian Mounted Police tweeted Wednesday after pulling over a Model 3 absolutely decked out with Christmas lights, and noted the driver was issued a ticket. “Please don’t do this, it can be dangerous if they fall off in traffic, never mind the distraction,” the tweet reads. 

While this incident happened in Canada, this applies to the US as well. There isn’t any sort of blanket regulation that bars Christmas lights from cars, but local jurisdictions oftentimes frown upon the distracting lights. If you want to really pick nits, there are plenty of specific colors drivers can not display on their vehicle either. Those will draw their own kinds of citations. Think red and blue lights, which could be confused for a police vehicle.

To play it safe, keep the lights at home. Plus it’s way cooler to funnel your energy into an at-home display. 


Now playing:
Watch this:

Take a look at the best electrified cars, from Prius…



3:28

Source Article …

Read more
gift 

Carrie Underwood’s ‘Gift’ to Fans: Creating ‘Light in a Dark Year’ With New Christmas Album & Special

[email protected]_84 , , , , , , , , , ,

Fans can see her perform “Hallelujah” with Legend, as well as other holiday treats on her HBO Max special My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood, premiering Thursday. She’ll also reveal behind-the-scenes moments during the recording process of “Little Drummer Boy” with her 5-year-old son Isaiah to spread much-needed holiday cheer from her family to others.

“I really hope people watch it and just feel at peace. It’s the kind of thing that you can watch with your family. Hopefully, people sing along with me on their couches and just get a sense of hope and peace and love and joy and all of the good things that are about Christmas,” Underwood tells Billboard via a phone interview.

“Silent Night” and “Hallelujah” from your album are among the top five most-streamed holiday songs this year. Why do you think your fans have particularly gravitated to those songs from your Christmas album?

You never know how people are going to react when you record something or write something or whatever it is. You just kind of throw it all out there and just see. But I think with “Hallelujah,” it’s just a beautiful song. It covers a lot of ground in Christmas song land. It’s got some spiritual aspects to it, it’s got kind of this love story thing to it, it’s got all of the tactile [elements] … winter’s chill, candles. It paints the scene really well, so it kind of puts you into that time of year. And I’m glad to see people are digging what we’re doing.

Your HBO Max special is officially being unwrapped this week. What’s the most heartfelt moment you’re looking forward to fans seeing as you perform your original and traditional Christmas carols?

We went about this whole special just wanting it to be beautiful and timeless. And the way it’s shot, the scenes that are created around me, are just that. I got the chance to watch it back in a theater and sit there — it was just four or five of us watching everything. And I was singing — not literally, but with my body, like tensing up singing every note with myself, and just the way it’s shot is just beautiful. I really hope people watch it and just feel at peace.

How did it feel recording “Little Drummer Boy” with your 5-year-old son Isaiah, who made his Billboard chart debut with the track?

It was so great. He came in, I asked him if he might want to do it. I definitely wanted it to be his choice and didn’t want to force him into it or make it feel like work or anything like that. And he, at 5 years old, I feel like has just such a heart for the Lord. He is so compassionate and so sweet and so giving and so loving. He is what I think of when I think of the “Little Drummer Boy.” So I asked him if he wanted to

… Read more
gift 

Creating ‘Light in a Dark Year’ With New Christmas Album & Special

[email protected]_84 , , , , , ,



Carrie Underwood taking a selfie in the snow

Carrie Underwood

The Christmas tiding of “peace on earth” can’t ring loudly enough in 2020. From the deadly COVID-19 pandemic to Black Lives Matter protests calling for racial justice, peace has been in short supply. Carrie Underwood is hoping to “create light in a dark year” through her holiday album and TV special. 


MSN Money

Not even the acclaimed Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey lets her Lambs sing her No. 1 holiday staple “All I Want for Christmas Is You” until Nov. 1. But on Sept. 25, Underwood delivered a special early present: her first full-length Christmas album, My Gift, which  contained 11 traditional and original jingles. My Giftdebuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart (dated Oct. 1), bestowing the country singer her eighth consecutive No. 1 album on the tally.

Not only did My Gift kickstart Christmas early, but it spawned two of the top five new streaming holiday songs of the year, through Nov. 26, according to MRC Data/Nielsen Music, with “Silent Night” at No. 3 (6.3 million on-demand streams) and “Hallelujah,” featuring John Legend, at No. 5 (4.1 million). “Favorite Time of Year,” which is streaming exclusively on Amazon and appears as an extra on the album, comes in at No. 4 (5.9 million).

Fans can see her perform “Hallelujah” with Legend, as well as other holiday treats on her HBO Max special My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood, premiering Thursday. She’ll also reveal behind-the-scenes moments during the recording process of “Little Drummer Boy” with her 5-year-old son Isaiah to spread much-needed holiday cheer from her family to others.

“I really hope people watch it and just feel at peace. It’s the kind of thing that you can watch with your family. Hopefully, people sing along with me on their couches and just get a sense of hope and peace and love and joy and all of the good things that are about Christmas,” Underwood tells Billboard via a phone interview.

“Silent Night” and “Hallelujah” from your album are among the top five most-streamed holiday songs this year. Why do you think your fans have particularly gravitated to those songs from your Christmas album?

You never know how people are going to react when you record something or write something or whatever it is. You just kind of throw it all out there and just see. But I think with “Hallelujah,” it’s just a beautiful song. It covers a lot of ground in Christmas song land. It’s got some spiritual aspects to it, it’s got kind of this love story thing to it, it’s got all of the tactile [elements] … winter’s chill, candles. It paints the scene really well, so it kind of puts you into that time of year. And I’m glad to see people are digging what we’re doing.

Your HBO Max specialis officially being unwrapped this week. What’s the most heartfelt moment you’re looking forward to fans seeing as you perform

… Read more
gift 

Goodman Theatre’s ‘Christmas Carol’ audio play review: a heartfelt gift to all

[email protected]_84 , , , , , , , ,

This is Larry Yando’s 13th year as Ebenezer Scrooge in the Goodman’s “A Christmas Carol” — he’s been at it nearly twice as long as Jacob Marley’s been dead (as a doornail) when Charles Dickens’ Christmas ghost story begins.

If you’ve seen Yando’s Scrooge, you know that he and the rest of the Goodman’s repeat cast members and designers have set a high bar for themselves with past productions. It’s unfair to compare director Jessica Thebus’ audio play version this year with the “Christmas Carols” of Christmas past. But it’s difficult not to. What’s lost this year, along with the opulent visuals, is the grand sense of scale created by a sprawling ensemble bustling about (and sometimes literally flying over) London.

That’s a comparatively small price for what the audio play gains, arriving as it does in the context of a pandemic that has decimated the economy and thrown millions out of work, live theater artists among those hit the hardest. The food insecurity and dire health-care straits of Tiny Tim (Vikram Konkimalla ) hit with acuteness in 2020. So does the call to connect with fellow humans, lest ye be doomed like poor Jacob Marley (Kareem Bandealy).

Like its live stage predecessors, audio “Christmas Carol” is rich with compelling drama and well-drawn characters. There are real stakes, memorable performances and glorious music. Before it ends, you will feel you are curled up with a plate of gingerbread before a roaring fireplace and a pile of presents even if none of that is remotely in the cards this season.

Tom Creamer’s stage adaptation has been adapted for audio by Neena Arndt, Thebus and sound designer Richard Woodbury. They’ve beefed up the exposition, giving the Narrator (Andrew White) a lot of the heavy lifting. White is fabulous with the adjectives, even when the script itself lays them on thick. The visuals he creates are vivid.

Sound is obviously in the spotlight, so to speak. Not to worry. Woodbury, composer Andrew Hansen and music director Malcolm Ruhl are, as the dialogue describes the house-band at the Fezziwig office party: “people who know their business.”

Larry Yando records the role of Scrooge for the Goodman Theatre’s audio play of “A Christmas Carol.”

Larry Yando records the role of Scrooge for the Goodman Theatre’s audio play of “A Christmas Carol.”
Frank Ishman

The music paints pictures: A Copland-esque surge of elation crescendos as Scrooge takes flight with the Ghost of Christmas Past (Aurora Real de Asua, delivering a childlike spirit luminous with ancient wisdom). A rollicking jig provides a glitter bomb of merriment at the Fezziwig’s (Penelope Walker, Cindy Gold) party. The soprano of the lone child (Asher Alcantara) singing carols in the dark is as piercing as an icicle. The wailing wraiths closing out Jacob Marley’s visitation are haunting. And make sure to listen for the “Noel” carol sung at the “Christmas Present” party hosted by Scrooge’s niece Frida (Dee Dee Batteast). It’s as gorgeous as the first snowfall.

Yando’s

… Read more
style 

Celebrate Zelda Style with A MERRY HYRULE CHRISTMAS

[email protected]_84 , , , , ,

If you’re a child of the ’90s, chances are some of your favorite holiday memories involved getting the latest The Legend of Zelda game as a gift, and then promptly playing it for the rest of the holidays and ignoring the rest of your family. The holidays and characters like Link and Ganon are tied together in the memories of so many. So it’s only fitting that someone finally release a proper The Legend of Zelda Christmas album. Honestly, how did this take so long?

Celebrate Zelda Style with A MERRY HYRULE CHRISTMAS_1

Materia Collective

The folks at Materia Collective are mashing up classic Christmas carols with the world of the classic Nintendo game for A Merry Hyrule Christmas. Produced by Eric Buchholz (Hero of Time) together with a merry band of arrangers, this festive collection is sure to bring a smile to your face. These clever arrangements will bring cheer to both Christmas music lovers and fans of the kingdom of Hyrule. With grandiose orchestra and choir combined with epic rock stylings, A Merry Hyrule Christmas has something for pretty much everyone.

The full tracklist is as follows:

  1. Kakariko Village
  2. O Sacred Light
  3. Clock Town Sleigh Ride
  4. Silent Knight
  5. Carol of the Goddess
  6. Dragon Roost Hymn
  7. Din Rest Ye Merry Deku Scrubs
  8. The Twelve Days of Christmas

In a statement, producer Eric Buchholz said “A Merry Hyrule Christmas is the first album to combine music from The Legend of Zelda franchise with classic holiday tunes of various genres. We have Zelda music with a Christmas twist, as well as Christmas music with a Zelda twist!. My goal was to create an album of videogame music that could blend in seamlessly with classic holiday tunes. I love the idea of folks being able to ‘trick’ their parents, grandparents, and family into listening to videogame music—without them realizing it!”

A Merry Hyrule Christmas is now available on all storefronts and streaming platforms.

Featured Image: Materia Collective

Source Article …

Read more