Dec. 10-25, 2011 Welcome to the Songs of the Season music hop! You're invited to join us every day from December 10-25, to enjoy a virtual round of caroling.
Every day, you can visit a different blog to find another wonderful music selection, handpicked by a variety of great hosts.
Here's our selection for your enjoyment!
Title: I've Got my Love to Keep Me Warm Artist (original): Kay Starr Artist (remix): Stuhr Available at: Amazon Commentary: This is a sunny remix of a delightful vintage song. This is a cheerful song of the season which could be nice as part of a mix for a gathering. The original is nice, and the remix adds a fun spin on it. You might also like...
Commentary: The movie clip shown in the video is from classic film, It's a Wonderful Life.
Title: Here We Come A-Wassailing Artist (original): Traditional Artist (modern): Kate Rusby Available at: Amazon
Commentary: This is another fun and cheery song you might enjoy, it's a modern rendition of a traditional carol. More info on the tradition of wassailing can be found here.
(optional - goodies)
Goodies
Through Dec. 31, 2011: Win a pretty box of stationery, featuring quotes by writer Charlotte Brontë and her sisters, who were also novelists. Browse details
Through Dec. 31, 2011: Win a book-and-DVD set of a romantic drama set in the Gilded Age of Old New York. Browse details
Available starting Dec. 25, 2011: Win a book-and-DVD set of great classic film, Little Women (trailer shown above). A chance to win this delightful gift will be available at the Dec. 25 session of Bookie Brunch, hosted at Jennie's Corner (@joaniefontana).
If you've enjoyed your visit, please feel welcome to click on any of the badges below, to find another great tune, selected especially by the host to share with you for the Songs of the Season music hop. If you have a favorite song, feel free to share in the comments. Thanks for stopping by, and hope you have a chance to enjoy a cup of cocoa on the way to your next stop on the hop!
- LikeBookie Brunch Halloween,except like virtual caroling. Instead of candy, treating people to a listen to a song you really like.
So, basically - it'd be kind of like going from blog to blog, caroling. but could include all winter holidays, even songs for atheists or pagans, or just songs that are nice for winter, to have the most freedom in picking songs.
***** Basic sketch: ***** - Would be sort of like Halloween trick or treat - there's minimal scheduling, just so there's something every day, but not too much to have to post.
***** RMT will take care of: ***** - Provide event header image - Provide cut-and-paste 'about this event' blurb - Schedule from dec. 15-25, maybe one person posting per day. - Provide linky so everyone can have their souvenir badges in one place, making it easier for people to browse and visit
***** - Optional but really appreciated: ***** Have included RM trailer all over, trying to include more cover art, so if you could drop in a little 'about RM' at bottom of post, would really be helpful, can see it here.
So, it's small but sharing the cover art. Sometimes busy having a nice time with events and forget, oh, yeah, also should think about book mentions, too... just don't want to make it all about RM, because an event like this is basically more for fun and the music and your message for visitors should take center stage because that's kind of the point!
***** What you'd be doing: ***** - Select one song you love for winter season. can be religious or spiritual or jazzy or vintage or remix, basically anything you like. It just has to be a winter song (in feeling or in lyrics, etc.) - Put in link so people can stream song online, or watch youtube video. - Provide title and artist credit - Link to someplace that visitors can buy the song, as a courtesy to the artist. - Commentary: Just informally say why you like the song or think it's a wonderful song for the winter, doesn't have to be a paragraph, can just be a sentence or so. but just so your post has your take on things and a bit of a personal touch, you know? - Since the idea is to kind of go door to door with caroling, you only need one song to participate. but if you'd like to add more, it's up to you, can just list them under 'encore' or 'bonus'
***** Optional: ***** - Can include section below main post, saying something like: 'Other features and events' or 'You might also like,' in case you might like to spotlight some cool events you're also doing, or something cool you might have heard about. Something like Book Nooks with main text and image, then anything you might want to add under 'You might also like,' this way it's very flexible.
And then everyone just has one song, everyone has direct link to post in souvenir badges, and there's a cute event with lots of interesting things to enjoy - because, of course, no one will know what everyone else is posting, will be nice surprises to browse.
Thinking around Dec. 10-25, and everyone just has one day to themselves.
Can picture it in format sort of like bookie brunch trick or treat, only might have an actual schedule. ALTHOUGH, can just fill out entire schedule at RMT and you can just link to that, instead of you having to actually post a separate schedule. That way, you can just grab image and do your own write-up if you like, saying it's coming up and so on, that might actually be much easier.
If you can include a credit for RM, it'd be really appreciated, but it's optional.
Planning for something around Dec. 10-25, to leave some planning time. Dates not finalized, but Dec. 10 is the very earliest you'd be posting, and Dec. 25 is the latest.
Know people will be traveling and so on, so can auto-post or just post on early dates, maybe Dec. 10-20, let's say. Can post for Dec. 25, so that day's covered.
There isn't much planning time, so would have to know schedule for Dec. 7-8 at latest.
Goodies (Avail. at Bookie Brunch, Dec. 25)
Book and DVD set, Little Women Bookie Brunch goodies, Dec. 25
What you'll need: 1. Image header 2. Intro text 3. Whatever you like for featured content 4. Linky code
Materials below:
- Image, event header (standard)
- Image, event header (medium)
- Image, sidebar
- Intro text - Linky code (TBA on Oct. 21-22) - Sample post
Modifications: Vloggers If you don't have matching blog for your video channel, please just feel free to use the event header image at start of video, and just put event schedule below video. You can add direct link to your video into linky, and everything's fine, you're fully included in and participating in the party.
Vloggers - What you'll need: 1. Image header 2. Intro text - Can just use this as script to explain briefly in vlog what the event is about 3. Whatever you like for featured content 4. Linky code - Just add direct link to your video in any of the linkies shown in any of the BB posts, you only have to add direct link once, the software will add each person everywhere. 5. Add your own blurb about the event under your video, can also link to schedule if you like: Schedule (http://tinyurl.com/3glfga6) (Link is not live but it will be after Oct. 23)
[Event header]
[Event header - slightly smaller (medium)]
[Event sidebar]
[Bookie Brunch small badge]
[Intro text info]
(Please just grab this intro text so every post has some continuity. It's no problem to modify text to suit your own style, only want to give visitors a quick way to orient themselves - what is Bookie Brunch, what's your connection to it, where can they find a brunch, what can they find on this event, and where can they find it, etc.
Anything that's a link will just be cut-and-paste, to become a link for the text it follows. For example: Bookie Brunch is a weekly book chat, and you're welcome to join a discussion whenever you like.)
--- Intro text ---
Welcome to Bookie Brunch: Trick or Treat
Bookie Brunch is a weekly book chat for book lovers. A new Bookie Brunch posts every Sunday, and you're welcome to join any ongoing discussion [URL] (http://tinyurl.com/3hgz5jp) whenever you like.
In the meantime, let's have some treats for Halloween. Just click on the badges at the end of the post, for a new treat!
Here's a treat from [me/us] at [your blog title]:
[What goes here: Whatever you like, go for it! :)
Content only has to be something cute
like candy, for Halloween. But what the content
in is up to you, whatever you like. Since the theme is trick or treat, preference should be for something cute, fun, quirky, colorful. Video clips or music or images or other widgets like polls or quizzes can be used to enhance text, or just as stand-alone features. Basically, if you like something and enjoy it or get a laugh out of it, someone else most likely will love it, too!]
[Image - BB small badge] (Please feel free to make this smaller, if you think it takes up too much room by itself, only trying to have familiar visual marker, doesn't have to be large at all.)
[I/We] [was/were] a guest at Bookie Brunch in [month], 2011. (or) [I/We] [was/were] a guest at Bookie Brunch:
Check out that discussion [URL] (Link to your discussion)
or
See all discussions [URL] (http://tinyurl.com/3hgz5jp)
My favorite Halloween candy [or treat] is
[Image - Candy of your choice]
because [why it's your favorite].
What's yours? Tell us!
Feel free to leave a comment if you like, to share your fave Halloween treat or some other cool link for Halloween. Thanks for dropping by, and...
[large font]
Happy Halloween!
Find more cute treats by clicking on any of the pix below:
UPDATE (Oct. 16): The linky code is here, just not activated until Oct. 22. But you can pull the code now, if you like. For some reason, there's a space gap between text and badges when you put the code in, you might have to remove a span line or two in HTML, or can just leave it that way it is, if it doesn't bother you.
Click here for the code page: Code Page and use Code #3 to generate your badge collection. You just cut and paste the code at bottom of your post.
[The linky code will go here, will be available probably 24-48 hours before event starts, please just check back here a day or so ahead of Oct. 23 start date, should be here.
The linky will be self-service and very easy to use, just grab and paste, but if you need help, please just ask, @RandomMagicTour will help you out.
A sample of the way all the cute posts will look all together can be found here, at bottom of BB post, just skip to bottom of post to see a sample collection of nice images for posts: Sample badges.
Linky notes that might be helpful:
The linky gives you the option of picking the image you want as a badge, and you can also change your badge info if you make a mistake or want to try something else, etc.
As long as you see a red X next to your badge, you will be able to modify the info. Once the collection is closed, you won't be able to modify the text or image, so please feel free to experiment, but eventually pick a combo you like a lot.]
[Have fun! :)]
[Sample post, if useful]
Welcome to Bookie Brunch: Trick or Treat
Bookie Brunch is a weekly book chat for book lovers. A new Bookie Brunch posts every Sunday, and you're welcome to join any ongoing discussionwhenever you like. In the meantime, let's have some treats for Halloween. Just click on the badges at the end of the post, for a new treat!
Witchcraft is a mellow, laid-back tribute to a witchy charmer, sung by crooner Frank Sinatra. Here are some other great songs about witches, vampires and werewolves, from Random Magic Tour's Halloween tour: Playlist
From Wiccan Magick: In legend, a familiar is a supernatural being that helps and supports a witch or magician. Traditionally, a familiar is an animal. The stereotypical familiar in Western culture is the black cat, and black cats are strongly associated with witchcraft. (Source)
