On Doctor Who's Christmas Special This Year

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Christmas Day was incredibly busy in my household. Amidst all the joy,  we totally forgot about the Doctor Who Christmas Special.

Thank goodness for iTunes.

I bought the episode the very next day and set up my laptop so my Mom, my Grandmother, and I could watch the special without those pesky commercial interruptions.

Oh my goodness, it did not disappoint.

From a frosted version of the intro/theme song to the inclusion of Santa himself, this special just made me so, so happy. It has the adventure and suspense every Doctor Who episode is required to have, but it has the warm and fuzzy feeling a Christmas special should definitely have. The fact that it's well-written doesn't hurt, either.

Peter Capaldi also really shines here. His portrayal of the Doctor has been really interesting to watch over the past season, and I thought it was the best during this episode in particular.

Clara Oswald (played by Jenna Coleman)'s plot arc was very nicely written, too. (But I can't give anything away because...spoilers. ;] )

Honestly, if this special is a preview of how next season will be, I'm all in.

Did y'all watch this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special? What did you think?

Merry Christmas! ♥

Pattern by Rifle Paper Co.

"For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." 

- Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV

Merry Christmas! I hope your day is blessed, merry, and bright. :)

Love,

Savannah

An Instagram Roundup of Pre-Christmas Joys!

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone!

Because Christmas is happening tomorrow - GET EXCITED - I want to share some of what's been going on lately through my iPhone camera lens! December has been incredibly busy, but I've absolutely loved this time of year and the blessings this season brings. So, without further ado, here are the photos! :)

1. This is what it looks like when you order a small coffee from Dunkin' Donuts. The small coffee cups are tiny and adorable, and perfect for if I want an extra cup on a road trip.

2. My friends and I had brunch at Noshville when they came down to see me. This place is one of our favorites in the city. :)

3. I went to a Nashville Predators hockey game for the first time in years. I used to go to Preds games a lot when I was little, so the nostalgia was pretty strong that night. (I still have a hard time with the actual rules of hockey, though...ha!)

4. It's tradition that I get Rainbow Ice Dippin' Dots at Preds games. The really cool thing about this snap was that Dippin' Dots actually regrammed my image on their account! To say I was excited was an understatement.

5. Nashville is awesome. Need I say more?

6. This polish by Essie is GORGEOUS. I usually wear it around Christmastime. It's called "On a Silver Platter", and it's gold with blue/holographic glitter.

7. This is a Pantone mug. It's wonderful, it's lavender, and it's fabulous for my morning coffee.

8. My family and I tried a new place for Sunday brunch. It's called The Egg and I. My recommendations are the Eggs Benedict and their Hazelnut coffee. :)

9. Last, but certainly not least, I put my hair up into a Gibson Roll for a Christmas party I attended this week. I love how it turned out! I used a combination of this tutorial and this tutorial, plus some improvisation and a TON of bobby pins.

Favorite Parts of the Holiday Season

I love December. Red and green are everywhere, people are excited and cheery, and anticipation is building for this coming Wednesday.

The Christmas season is special to me for so many reasons. If I listed them all, this post would probably wind up being a novel. So, here's my Top Five Christmas Favorites. Or, my favorite parts of the most wonderful time of the year.

5. ALL the Holiday Drinks

I've loved ordering Holiday drinks from Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, or just using holiday coffee for my Keurig at home. Favorites: Starbucks' PSL and Chestnut Praline lattes, and Dunkin' Donuts' Salted Caramel hot chocolate.

4. Decorations

Whether I'm in my hometown or at the mall, I love seeing the red and green ribbons, Christmas lights, and everything else that's festive covering the interior or exterior of buildings and shops. And, of course, I love the decorations inside and outside my home. (Not to mention houses near mine do an excellent job at decorating their porches and yards with lights.) :)

3. Parties & Festivals

This season is the season for festivities. From Dirty Santa gift exchanges to family gatherings, I always get so excited for the parties this season. Also, I love the Christmas Carol-themed festival that my hometown puts on every year. My friends and I went this year, and I documented our adventure in this post. Speaking of friends...

2. Seeing Friends and Loved Ones

I usually get to see so many people during the season. Whether friends come up from school, or my family and I go down to see relatives, I love seeing everyone.

I also like to partake in traditions with folks I love, whether it's amazing cinnamon red-hot cider or watching the same Christmas movies we love every year.

1. Giving

Most of all, I love the joy that comes from giving gifts to family and friends this season. I believe giving is better than receiving, and there's nothing quite like sharing happiness with others. Also, I find even more joy in giving others my time. Spending time with people you love - making memories, enjoying the season - is the best.

However, the greatest joy of all comes from celebrating Jesus' birth. I'm so thankful that God sent His Son to us here on Earth to give the gift of salvation to every one of us. Maybe that's why I love giving gifts so much; it's because I'm so thankful for the gift He gave me.

What's your favorite part of this season? :)

A Dickens of a Christmas!

Two dear friends of mine from college came up to Franklin for the weekend to visit. At the same time, there was a festival going on titled "Dickens of a Christmas". What did we do? We checked it out, of course! :)

"Dickens of a Christmas" is Franklin's huge winter festival that takes place downtown. There are plenty of vendors who sell all kinds of wares, from crafts to really, really good food. The fun part about "Dickens of a Christmas" is that it's what would happen if Main Street time-traveled to Victorian England. Not to mention the fact that characters from "A Christmas Carol" walk the streets, including the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, and Scrooge himself.

This year, the festival was a lot more crowded (see image above...Marley's Ghost was in that crowd somewhere), so re-enactors and street performers were more spread out amongst the festival attendants. Nevertheless, it's always so much fun to bring my friends back to my hometown to see it in such a unique way. :)

Top 7 Christmas Tracks

I love Christmas music. It's the icing on the cake that is the holiday season, and listening to it brings back memories from my childhood and just gets me excited for Christmas in general.

So, from a dubstep remix to acapella to sweet winter ballads (and one that gives me chills every time I hear it [read: track two]), here are the Christmas tracks I've been loving this season. If you have Spotify, just click Play on any of these tracks to listen. :)

1. Carol of the Bells - Capital Kings

2. How Many Kings - Downhere

3. I'll Be Home - Megan Trainor

4. Winter Song - Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson

5. The First Noel - Tobymac feat. Owl City

6. Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World

7. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Pentatonix

What songs have been your favorite this Christmas season?