La Vida Loca De Flores

My favorite Holiday find of 2008...and perhaps of all time....is this awesome wrapping paper depicting some of our favorite scenes from the greatest Christmas movie of all time....A Christmas Story!

A Christmas Story is quite simply THE greatest Christmas movie of all time!

I will extend my condolences to those who are fans of such great classics as It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street, because there is just no contest! The sad-turned-joyful "Life" of George Bailey can in no way compare to the trials Ralphie deals with in order to make it through the Christmas season...bullies, school, Santa, parents...not to mention uttering his first curse word and being subjected to a bar of "LifeBoy" with the ever present fear of becoming blinded by soap poisoning!

The "Miracle on 34th Street" is just not as miraculous as the beautiful glow of a lamp in the shape of a leg glowing from the front window of Ralphie's house.

Ralphie's quest for an "Official Red Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time" simply dwarfs George's search for meaning in his life...I mean was George crafty enough to leave a message for help tucked away in his angel's favorite magazine or write an amazing theme detailing his Christmas Wish, and little Susan doesn't even believe in Santa Claus so she wouldn't have waited in line and climbed up a slide backwards just trying to let Santa know what she wanted for Christmas...only to be told she would "shoot her eye out!"

And when that wonderful day arrives, and every Christmas Dream comes true...other than the Pink Bunny suit made by Aunt Clara...and Ralphie shoots his Red Ryder BB gun for the very first time and "shoots his eye out"....I just don't think little Susan, although quite intelligent, could have concocted such a fabulous story about an icicle hitting her in the eye to cover it up and George Bailey...well that little incident just might have put him back into therapy! In the end little Susan finally believed in Santa Claus and George realized his life was "wonderful"....and neither of them had their turkey eaten by the Bumpasses' dogs and were forced to have a duck smile at them during Christmas dinner while being serenaded by Chinese Christmas Carolers!

"Deck the hars with bowrs of horry....fa ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra...Tis the season to be jorry...fa ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra..."

Our family just cannot go a year without watching the "24 hours of A Christmas Story" event every year on TNT, as well as popping the video in 2 or 10 times! It is a classic like no other and in my opinion hasn't been beat yet by those before it or after it...I mean where else can we learn such important lessons like....Don't stick your tongue to a metal flag pole in winter...even if someone "Triple Dog Dares" you!