Handmade Christmas Gifts!

Happy 3rd Birthday to my Etsy store! Here's a coupon!

 

It's my 3rd Etsy Birthday! In honor, I'm doing a one day sale, today through 11/26. Use HAPPYBIRTHDAY33 for 33% off at www.etsy.com/shop/LadyJaneDarcy. Thank you!

Ready to start some early Christmas shopping?

Can you believe Thanksgiving is almost here? Then it will be Christmas! Plans to do my Christmas shopping early never work out but I have started writing lists with a couple of little items. This year, though, I will probably give family and friends things I have knit just for them. If you aren't a knitter then I have got you covered! Visit my Etsy store for lots of great, hand-knit things. Below you will find some of those items. I'll be adding more over the next few weeks and I do custom orders, too. Cheers! xx

Happy Christmas!

Luke 2:1-20

"For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord."

Happy Christmas!

Luke 2:1-20

"For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord."

Josh Still #1!

From E Online: Groban's Gain, Blige's Pain on Charts---

Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, meet the King of Christmas.

Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains stood out as the final marquee release of the year, but Josh Groban's record-breaking holiday run proved to be the soul singer's spoiler. For the week ended Sunday, Groban's Noël bounced back Blige and extended its chart-topping reign to five straight weeks selling another 757,000 copies, according to recent SoundScan numbers.

Groban now claims the year's second-best sales week, trailing only Kanye West's 957,000-copy Graduation bow, and the album's current 3.5 million tally keeps Noël on target to become the bestselling album of the year. The singer also extended his record for the most consecutive weeks at number one with a holiday album, having already broken Elvis' 50-year-old record of three straight weeks.

(Emphasis added)

Congratulations, Josh! This is absolutely extraordinary!

To recap, the week's Top 10 were as follows:

1. Noël, Josh Groban
2. Growing Pains, Mary J. Blige
3. As I Am, Alicia Keys
4. Long Road Out of Eden, the Eagles
5. Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus, Miley Cyrus
6. Now That's What I Call Music! 26, various
7. Carnival Ride, Carrie Underwood
8. Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift
9. High School Musical 2 soundtrack, various
10. Exclusive, Chris Brown

Happy Christmas!

Luke 2:1-20

"For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord."

Monday Hero

This week's hero was suggested by Cindy & Kathi


Each year, around this time, since 1992, the Arlington National Cemetery has something happen to it. It gets covered in vibrant green Christmas wreaths. The wreaths are donated by a man named Merrill Worcester who is the owner of the Worcester Wreath Co. in Maine. From the Worcester Wreath Co.'s website:

Each year Worcester Wreath donates Maine wreaths to adorn the headstones of those who serve and those who sacrificed to preserve our freedoms. In 2007, over 10,000 wreaths are destined for the annual wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington. In addition, 2,500 wreaths will be sent to Togus National Cemetery in Augusta, Maine. Worcester Wreath also donates ceremonial wreaths that will be used as part of the Wreaths Across America events at over 230 State and National veterans cemeteries all across the Country.

Sometimes a hero is one who sacrifices everything in their life to help others. And sometimes a hero is one who sacrifices nothing more than their time.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

Items of Interest

From NRO: Laura Ingraham remembers our war wounded and their families this Christmas Eve.

Star-Telegram.com: 1st Cavalry home for holidays

Michael Yon: Step Forward---

I had a seat on a jet filled with British soldiers en route to Cyprus. It’s strange how secure one feels on a flight full of American or British soldiers. I do, anyway, especially after spending as much time in combat with American or British soldiers as I have; my respect will never diminish.

Do read the entire thing.

And OMJ (Grobanites will get that!): I made The Corner!!!! Happy Christmas to me! Thanks K-Lo!

And, Show Your Support for our troops and those who are recovering from wounds sustained in the course of preserving our country!

AP: Bush makes holiday calls to troops

Josh Breaks Elvis' Record!

Congratulations, Josh!

He's on the front page of Yahoo with this headline:

E! Online: Groban Grabs Elvis' Holiday Crown---

Holiday sales might be depressing, but it's no blue Christmas for Josh Groban. He just broke a chart record Elvis set back when Eisenhower was President.

Josh Groban's Noël claimed an unprecedented fourth straight week at number one, a feat never before accomplished by a holiday album. Elvis Presley set the previous record, three weeks, half a century ago with 1957's Elvis' Christmas Album.

For the week ended Sunday, Noël topped the chart and rewrote the record books by selling an incredible 669,000 copies, according to the latest Nielsen SoundScan numbers.

Groban, whose single "I'll Be Home for Christmas" topped the AC charts this week as well, has sold nearly 2.8 million copies of Noël in its 10-week run. That puts Noël in the lead as the year's bestselling album, and if the trend holds, it'll become the first holiday album to top year-end sales in the SoundScan era.

Furthermore, the disc's 669,000-copy week is both a career-best for Groban and a 2007-best for a nondebuting album. Even factoring in first-week debuts, Noël chalked up the fifth-biggest sales week of the year.

Though his sales will drop sharply once Christmas Day hits, Groban still has a full shopping week to try to extend his number one run and further cement his place in chart history. His biggest challenge next week comes from Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains.

If you haven't already, go buy Noel! It is gorgeous!

Joyful & Triumphant!

Marketwire: Josh Groban Fans & Warner Bros. Records Joyful and Triumphant as Holiday Season Brings Explosive Sales to Artist's Huge "NOEL" Album---

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - December 10, 2007) - Josh Groban's faithful fans are growing by the millions; it was confirmed today by the news that copies of his Christmas album "NOEL" are flying out of record stores in unprecedented numbers. The runaway success of Groban's magnificent collection of holiday classics will be Groban's fourth multi-platinum album in a row. "NOEL" sold well over one million copies in the last two weeks and remains the Number One album in America after eight weeks on the pop charts.

"NOEL" is also the first Christmas album to reach No. 1 in 13 years with industry buzzing that it may be one of the biggest-selling albums of 2007 and the biggest Christmas CD of all time. The album is also the No. 1 Digital album, the #1 record at Amazon and the No. 1 record at Barnes & Noble.

According to Chuck Gorman, vice president of music for Barnes & Noble, "Josh Groban's 'NOEL' has already sold more copies than any holiday CD in our history. The numbers are staggering."

With upcoming TV appearances -- "Rachael Ray" on Dec. 20th, a re-airing of "Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Things" show on December 24th, "Larry King" and "Good Morning America" both also on December 24th and the "Disney Christmas Special" December 25th -- Groban's sales are expected to continue at this pace through the end of the year and may reach a record-breaking four million units.

"Josh Groban's talents continue to grow along with the quality of his work as an artist. His last album 'Awake' and the new one 'NOEL' are both masterpieces. The entire Warner family is so proud of this success," stated Warner Bros. Records CEO Tom Whalley.

(emphasis added)

Oh! Makes me so very joyful and triumphant! Noel really is the most beautiful Christmas album! Josh's voice is so rich and exquisite. If you haven't got it already, rush out and buy a copy or 10!

One of the reasons I love Noel so very much, other than Josh, is that Josh chose to record mostly traditional, classic Christian carols, which really bring the Spirit of Christmas alive. His voice would be wasted on songs like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (though I do enjoy that song!). You can hear a couple of the songs and send a Christmas e-card at JoshGroban.com/Noel.

And congratulations, Josh!

"We Support You During Your Recovery!"

This is important:

There is an email going around encouraging people to send cards to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, but unfortunately they won't accept them. But if you want to help, here is what they have posted on their website:

Walter Reed Army Medical Center cannot accept packages, letters, and holiday cards addressed to 'Any Wounded Soldier' or 'A Recovering American Soldier'. The U.S. Postal Service is no longer accepting "Any Service Member" or "A Recovering American Soldier" letters or packages. Mail to "Any Service Member" that is deposited into a collection box will not be delivered.

However, through a unique partnership between the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Inc., communities across America are invited to mail cards along with personal messages of support to wounded service members at military hospitals around the country.

With the support of the U.S. Department of Defense and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and with help from Pitney Bowes Government Solutions, the American Red Cross will collect, review and distribute holiday greeting cards to wounded military personnel. For security reasons, the Red Cross will be able to accept only holiday cards but not packages. Red Cross volunteers will receive and bundle the cards, which will be shipped by Pitney Bowes Government Solutions. Then, Red Cross volunteers at the medical facilities will distribute the cards throughout the holiday season.

Please address your holiday cards to:

We Support You During Your Recovery!
c/o American Red Cross
P.O. Box 419
Savage, MD 20763-0419

Be sure to affix adequate postage. Cards must be received no later than December 27. Cards received after this date will be returned to the sender. Again, senders are reminded that "care packages" are not part of the program--send only cards and notes. Also, please refrain from using glitter or any other inserts that would not be appropriate in a hospital environment.

People who want to express their appreciation to American service members may also consider making a donation to one of the more than 300 nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping our troops and their families listed on the "America Supports You" website, www.americasupportsyou.mil

Other organizations that offer means of showing your support for our troops or assist wounded servicemembers and their families include:

http://www.usocares.org/
http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/tooursoldiers/
http://www.redcross.org

The outpouring of gratitude and encouragement from the general public, corporate America and civic groups throughout the past year has been incredible. Our Warriors in Transition are amazed at the thanks and support they receive from their countrymen.

Josh Groban TV Appearances

Josh Groban will be making a lot of tv appearances soon, to promote his cd Noel (if you haven't already, go get it!).

Here's a list. (UPDATED)

From FOJG.com:

11/27- Oprah Winfrey Show - Behind the Scenes of Oprah's Favorite Things on ABC
11/28- Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center on NBC
11/30- Good Morning America on ABC
12/10- Regis and Kelly Live on ABC
12/17- Oprah Winfrey Show (Re-Airing of Oprah's Favorite Things) on ABC
12/22- Good Morning America on ABC
12/24- Larry King on CNN
12/24- Oprah Winfrey Show; "What's on Your iPod?" on ABC
12/24- Good Morning America on ABC
12/25- Disney Christmas Special on ABC

Check your local listings for showtimes.

Exciting!

Let it snow!

It's snowing! I'm freezing! I took some pictures outside, but, as it is dark, they don't look quite as fabulous on the computer as they do on the camera. Still, I had to post this!

"CD For the Troops!"

Via Michelle Malkin:

American Forces Press Service: Artists Create CD to Thank Troops---

Just in time for the holidays, 13 major recording artists have created a musical “Thank You” for the troops.

“CD for the Troops” will be available for anyone with a valid military identification card to download at no cost from the Army and Air Force Exchange Service Web site, www.aafes.com, beginning tomorrow.

“We’re thankful to all the artists who have agreed to lend their name and talent to this special CD,” said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and community liaison. “To have ‘CD for the Troops’ produced and dedicated in special honor to our active-duty military members and veterans is just another demonstration of the support so many people in our nation have for our troops.”
[. . .]
Getting this project, which combined the music of Billy Joel, Brooks & Dunn, the Goo Goo Dolls, Jewel, Josh Groban, Los Lonely Boys, Melissa Ethridge, the Neville Brothers, Sarah McLachlan, the Lt. Dan Band, Montgomery Gentry, The Fray, and Five For Fighting, to troops’ ears took true teamwork. John Ondrasik, the singer-songwriter who performs under the stage name “Five For Fighting,” was intimately involved with making sure that happened.
[. . .]
Ondrasik spearheaded the CD after being asked to write a forward and contribute a song to a compilation of local bands sending music to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I thought it was a wonderful gesture,” he said, explaining his belief that music is a unique medium that can affect morale and mental health. “I started making a few calls to friends of mine, and six months later we have the CD for the troops.”

A staunch supporter of the nation’s troops, Ondrasik said he is grateful for the sacrifices of American servicemembers. He said he knows men and women who made and are making those sacrifices have ensured his family’s liberty and enabled him to pursue music as a profession.

“Let’s be honest, there would be no songs of consequence without the soldiers who allow us a voice,” he said. “I can’t speak for anyone but myself, (but) I think it’s important to recognize that artists from across the political spectrum came together to make this gesture of appreciation and thanks to our troops.”

What a marvelous project! I am especially excited to see Josh Groban on that list!

“CD for the Troops” is a compilation of songs from 13 of today’s top musical artists. Active-duty servicemembers and veterans with a valid military identification card will be able to download the CD from the Army and Air Force Service Exchange Web site for no cost, beginning Nov. 17, 2007.

Spread the word about this project!

A Week Until Noel!

Only a week left until Josh Groban's first Christmas CD Noel comes out! I just got an FOJG e-mail containing information that the cd is available for advance purchase on JoshGroban.com or FOJG.com or Warner Brothers and you can only buy the special edition ornament on one of those sites. It is a very beautiful ornament, so if you are a Josh Groban fan, I would get one!

Here is part of the news release:

Recorded in LA and the famed Abbey Road Studio in London in between performances of the 26-year-old Groban's "Awake" Tour, the collection of holiday songs on 'Noel' includes such classics as "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" with Josh on acoustic piano, "Silent Night," "Little Drummer Boy," "The Christmas Song," "O Come All Ye Faithful" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and "Ava Maria." Groban duets with Faith Hill on "The First Noel," with a choir under the direction of gospel legend Kirk Franklin. In addition, singer Brian McKnight adds his vocals on "Angels We Have Heard On High" and the haunting version of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" features messages from troops stationed overseas.

I think it is wonderful that Josh put messages from the troops in that last song. What a beautiful tribute to the men and women who are fighting for our freedom around the world.

I cannot wait for this cd to come out! Only one more week and it will be in stores. Here are the different versions/sales:

For all of Josh's international fans, Noel will be available in November in all countries that carry Warner Music product.
Noel - The regular edition CD with 13 tracks will be available at all retailers on October 9th, 2007.

Noel - The Special edition CD with 13 tracks and DVD "the making of the CD" footage will be sold exclusively at Target Stores available on October 9th, 2007

Noel - Two versions available only through the Warner Bros. Records online store, FOJG and JoshGroban.com. The regular edition CD with 13 tracks selling for $14.98 plus s&h and also a “special packaged” regular CD with custom holiday ornament which will be available for pre-order soon. Both available to ship on October 9th, 2007.

Don't forget to buy a copy (or three!) on Tuesday!

Here is the cd with the ornament:




UPDATE-3 October 2007:
Barnes&Noble.com has sound clips from the cd. Gorgeous!!! You can listen to them here!!!