One Love - Marianas Trench

Song of The Month!

One Love
by Marianas Trench

For the last month or so I've been listening to Marianas Trench nonstop, so I decided to put up one of my favourite songs from their newest album Astoria, as the Song of The Month. This song is called One Love, which was the first single released from the new album. I love Josh Ramsay's voice and this song is a great example of why. It's a really beautiful song and if you haven't already, I definitely recommend it! This is a slightly slower, sadder song than a lot of the other songs on the album, but it's really good.

Anyways, check out the song! Are there any Marianas Trench fans out there? I'd love to hear what you think of the new album!

~The Elf

Update!!

Update!!

Hey everyone,

This year's been pretty awful, in all honesty, but we've posted about ten more posts this year than last year, so I think it's progress. Hopefully 2016 is going to be a much more fun and relaxing year for us. 

Either way, thank you to everyone who keeps tuning into our blog and for reading our posts, no matter how irregular they are.

Merry Christmas from everyone here and we wish you all a happy New Year!

~The Elf

Flashback Friday

Deacon Blue (1985)

Formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1985, Deacon Blue are a pop-rock band that really began their climb to fame in 1987, after releasing their debut album Raintown. They've released a total of seven studio albums and a studio/compilation album, many of which have been at the top of the UK album charts. 
Their first album peaked at No. 14 on the UK album charts and even managed to stay on the charts for a year and a half. After that, the band only seemed to become more successful. Their next album When the World Knows Your Name was their most successful album, reaching the No. 1 spot in the UK albums chart. The album after that, Fellow Hoodlums, managed to reach the No. 2 spot. The one after that, Whatever You Say, Say Nothing, reached No. 4. 
Although the band began to work part-time after that, they have still released and continue to release some amazing albums.

(Note: I've decided not to include their Compilation albums, their Live album or any of their Greatest Hits albums, just because that would take forever to write out.)

Studio Albums;
Raintown (1987)
1. "Born in a Storm" - 1:33
2. "Raintown" - 3:50
3. "Ragman" - 3:08
4. "He Looks Like Spencer Tracy Now" - 3:50
5. "Loaded" - 4:29
6. "When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring)?" - 5:05
7. "Chocolate Girl" - 3:18
8. "Dignity" - 4:00
9. "The Very Thing" - 3:34
10. "Love's Great Fears" - 3:42
11. "Town to Be Blamed" - 5:19

Bonus Tracks;
12. "Riches" - 2:39
13. "Kings of the Western World" - 2:39

The 2012 reissue of the album included songs such as;
14. "Which Side Are You On?" - 2:58
15. "Angeliou" - 6:18
16. "Just Like Boys" - 3:15
17. "Church" - 3:16
18. "Shifting Sand" - 3:18
19. "Suffering" - 2:43
20. "Ribbons and Bows" - 4:16
21. "Long Distance from Just Across the Road" - 2:54
22. "Ronnie Spector" - 3:33
23. "That Brilliant Feeling No.1" - 3:17
24. "Punch and Judy Man" - 3:52
25. "Disneyworld" - 2:58
26. "S.H.A.R.O.N" - 4:16

The legacy edition also included;
27. "Souvenirs" - 2:41
28. "Don't Let the Teardrops Start" - 3:22

When the World Knows Your Name (1989)
1. "Queen of the New Year" -3:36
2. "Wages Day" - 3:09
3. "Real Gone Kid" - 4:03
4. "Love and Regret" - 4:48
5. "Circus Lights" - 4:59
6. "This Changing Light" - 5:02
7. "Sad Loved Girl" - 1:11
8. "Fergus Sings the Blues" - 3:54
9. "The World Is Lit By Lightning" - 4:57
10. "Silhouette" - 3:18
11. "One Hundred Things" - 3:53
12. "Your Constant Heart" - 4:10
13. "Orphans" - 3:33

The 2012 reissue of the album included;
14. "Little Lincoln" - 3:06
15. "Born Again" - 3:23
16. "It's Not Funny Anymore" - 3:10
17. "Take Me to the Place" - 3:12
18. "Take the Saints Away" - 2:50
19. "Trampoline" - 3:40
20. "Long Window to Love" - 3:16
21. "London A to Z" - 3:35
22. "Back Here in Beanoland" - 3:04
23. "Down in the Flood" - 4:33
24. "Undeveloped Heart" - 3:38
25. "Dark End of the Street" - 2:06
26. "My America" - 4:11
27. "Las Vegas" - 3:56
28. "Love You Say" - 5:34
29. "Let Your Hearts Be Troubled" - 6:30
30. "Is It Cold Beneath the Hill?" - 4:04
31. "Killing the Blues" - 3:49
32. "Gentle Teardrops" - 3:14
33. "That Country" - 3:41
34. "Christine" -2:28

Fellow Hoodlums (1991)
1. "James Joyce Soles" - 3:50
2. "Fellow Hoodlums" - 3:20
3. "Your Swaying Arms" - 4:10
4. "Cover from the Sky" - 3:34
5. "The Day that Jackie Jumped the Jail" - 3:42
6. "The Wildness" - 5:42
7. "A Brighter Star Than You Will Shine" - 4:32
8. "Twist and Shout" - 3:34
9. "Closing Time" - 6:10
10. "Goodnight Jamsie" - 1:47
11. "I Will See You Tomorrow" - 3:20
12. "One Day I'll Go Walking" - 5:00

The 2012 reissue of the album included;
13. "Fourteen Years" - 2:44
14. "Faifley" - 1:41
15. "Good" - 3:08
16. "Golden Bells" - 2:27
17. "I Was Like That" - 4:29
18. "The Friends of Billy Bear" - 2:40
19. "Into the Good Night" - 3:43
20. "What Do You Want the Girl to Do?" - 5:04
21. "Wild Mountain Thyme" - 3:45
22. "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" - 2:46
23. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" - 4:16
24. "I'm Down" - 2:36

Whatever You Say, Say Nothing (1993)
1. "Your Town" - 5:21
2. "Only Tender Love" - 5:10
3. "Peace & Jobs & Freedom" - 4:52
4. "Hang Your Head" - 4:05
5. "Bethlehem's Gate" - 4:47
6. "Last Night I Dreamed of Henry Thomas" - 3:45
7. "Will We Be Lovers?" - 3:56
8. "Fall So Freely Down" - 4:17
9. "Cut Lip" - 3:36
10. "All Over the World" - 3:26

The 2012 reissue of the album included;
11. "Almost Beautiful" - 4:15
12. "I've Been Making Such a Fool" - 2:23
13. "Sleeper" - 3:49
14. "Paint It Red" - 3:15
15. "Pimp Talking" - 2:48
16. "Cracks You Up" - 3:32
17. "Freedom Train" - 2:54
18. "Here on the Wind" - 5:04
19. "Indigo Sky" - 2:50

Homesick (2001)
1. "Rae" - 4:46
2. "Out There" - 3:46
3. "This Train Will Take You Anywhere" - 4:48
4. "Every Time You Sleep" - 4:06
5. "Now That You're Here" - 4:00
6. "Silverlake" - 4:36
7. "A is for Astronaut" - 3:03
8. "Beautifully Still" - 4:12
9. "Homesick" - 4:14
10. "Even Higher Ground" - 3:52
11. "I Am Born" - 4:22

The 2012 reissue of the album included;
12. "Hey Craig" - 3:52
13. "When You Were a Boy, You Were a Beautiful Boy" - 4:16

The Hipsters (2012)

1. "Here I Am in London Town" - 2:59
2. "The Hipsters" - 3:19
3. "Stars" - 3:42
4. "Turn" - 3:19
5. "The Rest" - 3:37
6. "The Outsiders" - 4:05
7. "That's What We Can Do" - 3:53
8. "She'll Understand" - 3:38
9. "Laura From Memory" - 3:25
10. "It Will in Tears" - 3:39

11. "Is There No Way Back to You?" - 4:22

A New House (2014)

1. "Bethlehem Begins" - 4:06
2. "For John Muir" - 3:07

3. "A New House" - 3:37

4. "An Ocean" - 3:19

5. "The Living" - 3:53

6. "I Wish I Was a Girl Like You" - 3:34

7. "Win" - 3:18

8. "Wild" - 3:04

9. "March" - 3:20

10. "Our New Land" - 3:57
11. "I Remember Every Single Kiss" - 4:15

I guess you can see why I decided not to write out every single song on every single album, considering how many are on these. Either way, if you want to listen to or find any more of their songs, they're relatively easy to find online. I personally haven't heard that many of their songs, mostly just the hits, but they're a good band with a good sound and I would certainly recommend checking them out for yourself!
~The Elf

Flashback Friday

Friday Flashback!

Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

Movie Information:

*Warning, this could (obviously) contain spoilers*

"For the first time, Luther Krank (Tim Allen) and his wife Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) are about to celebrate the holidays without their daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo), who has just left for the Peace Corps in Peru. Luther sees a Caribbean cruise poster in a Chicago travel agency window, and he begins to plan the trip. First he must see how he will pay for the trip, so he comes up with an idea that if they skipped Christmas, they could go. He will save money by not buying a tree, having a party, or putting up decorations. The neighbors think he is crazy and want him to at least put Frosty the Snowman on his roof for the local decoration contest. The battle begins between the Kranks and their neighbors. Then Blair calls and tells her parents that she is flying home for Christmas with her fiancée. They have twenty-four hours to put up all the decorations and prepare for the Christmas party. The movie was based on a John Grisham book, 'Skipping Christmas'." - Douglas Young (the-movie-guy)

My Review:

I've watched this movie like five times. It's really, really cheesy and lame, but it's still got it's good moments. When it comes to Christmas movies, I feel like this is one of the classics. It's pretty funny and it's a great family-friendly movie, which a lot of people like. It's predictable and the humour is exaggerated, but it's still an alright movie, if you don't die of some of the more cringe-worthy moments.

If you're looking for a family-friendly movie, then you've found one! What are your favourite Christmas movies?

~The Elf

Christmas Tale: Part 2

Christmas Tale

Part Two

'Twas the day of Christmas,

And all through the house,

Every creature was stirring,

Even the mouse.

All kids were grounded,

For their late night,

That gave mum and dad,

A bloody big fright.

The Greek went home,

For he was a dick,

He decided to ditch,

What a bloody big prick.

Santa Claus was hungover,

But all gifts were there,

All four felt great pride,

as they gave them a stare.

"We did a good thing," Merlin laughed aloud,

The Elder smiled, "Santa would be proud."

The Elf's lips' corners lifted,

As she gave The short Dwarf a look,

They then said in time, "This should be in a book."

And that's how the story of drunk Christmas began,

With a tipsy 'Claus and a bloody great plan.

Merry Christmas to all,

And to all a bloody great night.

THE END OF PART TWO

What did you think of part two? Should I do a part three?

-The Dwarf

Update!!

Update!!

Hello everyone!

Merry Christmas to all and we hope you've all had a fantastic day, we know we have. 

This year was actually even busier than last year, so we have been worse than ever at keeping things updated and posting often. We are very, very sorry about that, but we're definitely going to pick up the Christmas spirit for the rest of the month and, as our New Year's resolution, we're going to try to post at least five times every month from now on.

Unfortunately, most of these posts will still be by me, since I have internet access most often and am available to do things on a more regular basis. Next year, The Dwarf and The Elder will be posting more often, I assure you, but probably still not as often as we would like. We all have busy lives, but we will definitely try to be more consistent. If we still can't post very often, we apologize in advance, but we are aiming to have more regular posting by June next year - at the latest.

The Friday Flashbacks have been very inconsistent, but hopefully from next week on wards, we'll be posting every Friday. We also plan on doing as many new reviews as we can in the next few weeks, before we have to get back to school and work, etc... Otherwise, we plan to do more things for the blog next year, which we're quite excited about.

Hopefully, we'll have everything sorted next year and be much more organized.

In any case, we hope you all have a lovely Christmas! Best wishes to everyone and we hope you all get the things that were on your wishlist this year.

We love you all very much, and thank you for checking out the blog!

~The Elf

Update!!

Update!!

Hey everyone,
Hope everyone had an amazing Christmas and New Year!! The Dwarf is still having internet troubles, but hopefully that'll be fixed in the next couple of days.
I just wanted to let you guys know, I've published all chapters up to Chapter 16 already on Wattpad. I hope everyone likes it! If you haven't checked it out, please do; http://www.wattpad.com/
I'd love to hear from you guys, so just message me or comment.
Thanks guys, please vote if you like it!
Byyyeeee
~The Elf

Christmas Tale: Part 1

Christmas Tale
Part One

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all things were dark,
Except for one house, near Burnside Park.
The lights were turned on, inside and out,
Then two cheering girls decided to shout:
"Merry Christmas my dear friend! And let the season never end!"
The pair were joined by a group of three,
The signs on their faces were showing nothing but glee.
The Elder jumped up and onto the bed,
"Best Christmas so far." He finally said.
All of a sudden outside was a roar,
And the five ran out, and into the door.
"Ouch!" They all cried and yelled "What the hell?"
As their yelling was stopped by jolly red bells.
"Santa?" Merlin asked, "But, you aren't real?!"
Then his lips were magically sealed.
"'TIS I!" A drunken Saint Nick replied,
"Oh God, he's drunk." The Greek boy sighed.
Santa tripped over and out of his sleigh,
in a very informal and drunken way.
He waved his hand and gave his fingers a snap,
and not a second after, Merlin's voice came back.
"Santa can not deliver presents like this!"
"Not when he's currently on the piss!"
"We should be Santa!" The Dwarf hit The Elf's arm,
"Well, we've done worse, so I don't see the harm."
The Dwarf dug through her bag and pulled out a red hat,
then onto the sleigh the five of them sat.
"This will be stupid." The Greek said with a grunt.
"Shut up, Greek boy. No body cares."
Moaned Merlin, who received multiple stares.
The Elf turned round to give them a slap,
Then turned on the radio to Eminem's rap.
As the five of them cheered, the sleigh lifted up,
And coffee spilled out of The Elder's cup.
House after house, the presents dropped in,
"This is quite fun." The Elf said with a grin.
Five hours later, with lots of complaints,
They headed home to watch Boondock Saints.
They went backwards and forwards, trying to find their way,
But navigation was difficult, in the red sleigh.
After a while they were back on track,
And The Elf and Dwarf said back to back:
"See, I told you this Christmas would be fun."
"Yes, but drive faster, I can already see the sun."
They parked on the driveway, as quiet as a mouse,
And tried to sneak into the Christmassy house.
Their mum opened the door and said, "You're all grounded."
"WHAT?!" They all screamed, rather astounded.

THE END OF PART ONE

What did you think? We'll be posting part two next year ;)
-The Dwarf

Christmas

Dear Viewers,
We wish you all a merry Christmas and happy New Year, hope to see you all next year!
We hope that next year we will get more involvement from the viewers through comments, and so on.
Have a happy holiday and best of luck for all your New Year's resolutions.
Next year we are going to try to post more often and the Dwarf apologizes for her lack of involvement due to technical difficulties. We are going to try to update more with guest bloggers, too.
Once again, merry Christmas and happy New Year!
From The Elder, The Elf and The Dwarf!

Letter To Santa

Dear Santa,
I've been good, I swear! Don't listen to the others. I haven't done much bad things... Just a few disagreements with Merlin, The Greek and The Elder. We're getting along now, though! Promise, not my fault.

ANYWAY, all I want for Christmas is (yooooooooooooou) uhm, my mum to get money and buy me books >:)
Yeah, that's pretty much it....
The Elder wants a big red button, so if you could deliver that too, that would be great.
OH, and could you get everyone to do the whole 'clean slate' thing? Then we could all get along and have a meeeerrryyyy Christmas.

Okay, please get me that and thanks, bye!What do you guys want for Christmas?
~The Elf

Letter To Santa

DEAR SANTA,

I am the Dwarf, and I'd like you to know I have been good this whole year, a part from a few minor incidents... ANYWAY, compared to my last years of being "naughty" this year I have been nicer than usual. I hope that means something...


For this Christmas, I wish for a few minor things:
-World Domination
-A nuke, preferably targeted at the moon, it makes a beautiful light display
-A big red button for the Elder
-A reindeer, preferably with a big red nose to deliver the big red button
- And finally, money, a lot, like trillions.

PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

-The Dwarf.

Christmas Cookie Recipe

Christmas Cookie

Ingredients:

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough, and chill for 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F). Grease cookie sheets. On a clean floured surface, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes sing cookie cutters.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. If you've tried it, how did it go?

~The Elf