holiday poll

I've started writing a post all about the wonder that is the Christmas season, but for now, I'm just going to post this little poll: I'm curious what are your favorite holiday movies & albums. Every year, I try to purchase a new movie or two, and perhaps a new cd, but I'm running out of options! I've got all the old standbys, & am starting to branch out into some random titles.

Some of my favorite holiday movies aren't necessarily "Christmas" movies, but may just be set around the holiday, like The Family Stone. Now, if you have not see this movie, I insist that you do. I love it more & more each time I watch it. I don't think I own another movie that evokes so many emotions. I started out hating Diane Keaton (like it's even possible to hate Diane Keaton!), to realizing she just loves her kids with all her heart, and that sometimes parents really do know best. Okay, I'm not going to say anymore; you just have to see it for yourself.

Also in my collection is A Christmas Story, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, which I usually watch at least one other time throughout the year, It's a Wonderful Life, The Holiday and a couple other random movies that I've bought from Amazon but can't remember their titles. I also love Home Alone, which I don't own, and I'm sure I have others but am drawing a complete blank.

What are your favorite movies? Maybe they're just movies you associate with the holiday season, like Sleepless in Seattle or You've Got Mail?

And the holiday music ~ the stuff that makes me happy just thinking about it! At the top of my list are Harry Connick's two albums, but my favorite is When my Heart Finds Christmas. Putting aside that it's Harry Connick & he's just plain dreamy, that album has both an orchestral & a jazzy quality that I love. The best song is I Pray on Christmas, which to listen to properly, must be turned up very loud. There are certain songs that move me to tears or produce goosebumps, and this is one of those songs. It makes me rethink my attitude about Christmas & life in general whenever I hear it. When Adam reads this, he's going to think I'm nuts, but I don't care.

I also love Christmas with the Rat Pack, the Time Life Treasury Collection, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Manheim Steamroller, and one of my new favorites is Ray Charles' Christmas album. (most of these have been purchased on Amazon) The Ray Charles album has the song that plays in the part in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation when Clark gets stuck in the attic & is watching old family movies ~ you know that part? And it also has the version of (I think it was) Jingle Bells from When Harry Met Sally, where Sally is trying to pick out a Christmas tree and Harry watches on in frustration. (PS, that would be the equivalent of me trying to pick out just the right tree while Adam is hoping that this one is the right one, and we won't have to make another trek up & down the isles of trees) Anyway, I know I have other Christmas albums but since I don't have them in front of me, I can't list them all.

I'd love to hear what your favorites; the things that you can't go without watching every year, or the album you look forward to listening to first. And by the way, am I the only one who loves the "24 hours of a Christmas Story" that they play on TV every year?