Better than letters abandoned to the North Pole...
I've pretty much avoided this kind of thing in the past... for some reason ,this year seems determined to pull me into the collective holiday spirit thing, so...
Here's my holiday post.
The RULES [which I'm sure you know...]
STEP ONE - Make a post (public, friendslocked, filtered...whatever you're comfortable with) to your LJ. The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fandom-related ("I'd love a Snape/Hermione icon that's just for me") to medium ("I wish for _____ on DVD") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.") The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.
- If you wish for real life things (not fics or icons), make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you. [Note: Your home address is not required!]
- Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ, or link to this post (it'll be public) so that the holiday joy will spread.
STEP TWO
- Surf around your friendslist (or friendsfriends, or just random journals) to see who has posted their list. And now here's the important part:
- If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it.
You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not--it's your call. There are no guarantees with this project, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.
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I do like the 'chance to be a holiday elf ' part of this... so link me to your holiday post too, okay?
What I'd like:
The spendy 'me' stuff
1) Mike Doughty's chapbook, Slanky. Barring that- is there a local poet who rocks your world? A rock star or personal hero who rocks the art of haiku? Send their work my way! I'm a great poem pimp!
2) This My Chemical Romance hoodie: I can't even express how badly I want this hoodie. I also love all their gas mask motif gear.
3) Threadless hoodies [yes, and t-shirts] are made of awesome. Here's the link to Threadless. In general - hoodies are the best bet for me. I live in a very cold climate , and really don't have enough warm clothes. Because I'm a bonehead, in that way. [Long johns- I've got. Outer layers... I'm really lacking. *shivers*]
The spendy 'other people' stuff
4) Donate a couple bucks to a local charity. And I really do mean a couple bucks. You have an extra five dollars? Give it to your local food shelf. I'd love for you to give some cash to charities that feed people - both by keeping their bellies full [ buy an couple extra canned goods at the grocery store!] and by feeding their souls [lots of not-for profit art groups are struggling right now. A couple of bucks can go a long way for them...]
5) This holiday season, Buy Handmade. Indie craftspeople are having a hard time in the current economic climate. Please take the opportunity to support your local small scale artist. It helps bolster your local aesthetic AND the economy. No craft fairs in your area? Then check out Etsy.com. There are all sorts of quirky, amazing things available there. [But please do check out your local craft art scene first].
Not so spendy stuff
6)Postcards/letters - from you and your home. I want to know what your home looks/feels like! It doesn't have to be a tourist postcard [though it can be!], but I really want a story/rumor/piece of trivia/memory that defines your home locale. The Northlands have all sorts of stories - I know your environment does too! Tell me a teeny tale, to keep the winter at bay, my lovelies!
7)Icons. I have just one 'crowgirl13' icon. I'd love to have more. Need inspiration? Check out my interests.
8) Stories about Bob Bryar. Or Sawyer's adventures in alternate Universes. Or Spike's travels in a post-Angel world. Or Chris Larabee, tales of a gunslinger, before Four Corners. OR Draco Malfoy, the snarky anti-hero in a world beyond Voldemort. Yeah, so this holiday? I don't want a White Christmas - I want a Blonde Yule. Help me out?
9) Fanmixes. Mood music. Loose translations of your favorite fanfic. Aural takes on the perfect January day -there's nothing I love more than a mix CD. Unless it's an overly explained mix CD. [No opera, or hip hop please! And I loathe Joni Mitchell.]
10) Just plain ol' love. Hug your sister. Tell your SO that they rock your socks. Buy some gold star stickers and hand them out at work, at school, randomly at the mall. Give out smiles for no reason at all. It seems silly and basic... but you never know how much impact a grin can have. Small magics, common miracles make all the difference.
That's all, really. Though frankly? You guys are gift enough for me. EVERYTHING else is just frosting.
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Oh, and if you missed it? My Holiday card post - with my addy - is here.