Cupcakes and Cashmere

Sounds of the Season

December 6th, 2011



{Our Christmas tree – as shot through this technique}

Yesterday my fiancé and I celebrated our fourth anniversary (over a fantastic dinner at Lucques). This time of year always makes me nostalgic, especially for those days when we first started dating. During our first holiday season together, we both made playlists for each other comprised of all of our favorite Christmas music. The idea felt sweet and playful, though we both hoped that our own compilations would be deemed best. He won that first year, but it’s been one of my most cherished traditions to recreate each season. My playlists change each year (from old crooners, to dorky boy bands, to children’s choirs), but my all-time favorite Christmas songs are O Holy Night, All I Want For Christmas is You, and White Christmas. Do you have favorite songs you listen to each year?

P.S. You can listen to my playlist here.

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  • Christine

    My favorite one right now is “Sugar Rum Cherry” by Duke Ellington.

  • http://www.bitesizedbanter.com Bite-Sized Banter

    this is soo pretty!! I love girly things.
    http://www.bitesizedbanter.com

  • http://fiveminutestyle.blogspot.com/ Stacey

    This photo is beautiful! I love the effect of it!!

    xoxo
    Stacey

    http://fiveminutestyle.blogspot.com/

  • http://hautecouture3.blogspot.com Grace@HauteCouture

    That is a STUNNING shot of your Christmas tree!
    I have concluded that…I love your fairytale-of-a-life. Everything is so simple and happy.

    Trade?
    :)
    xo
    http://hautecouture3.blogspot.com

  • http://Eternallyfashionablylate.blogspot.com Stephanie

    Great songs for the season! I love the picture of your tree.

    Eternally yours,
    Stephanie

  • http://giraffelegs.com Nicole @ Giraffelegs

    Currently obsessed with Michael Buble’s December.

    cute post =)

  • http://inherentstylela.com/ Angela De Felice

    U2′s Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) and The Carpenters’ Merry Christmas Darling… all-time favorites! Love the heart shaped glimmer technique! Hope we get to see the tree in its entirety!

    http://www.inherentstylela.com/

  • http://www.sheer-heart.com/ Jaki

    My favourite Christmas song is Happy Xmas (War Is Over). Always have to listen to it!

    Congratulations on 4 years!!

    http://www.sheer-heart.com/

  • http://ramencouture.blogspot.com/ Sabrina- Ramen Couture

    I love Christmas music! Anything by Glee is alway cheery and wonderful!

    love your blog, great post.

  • brandi

    thank you so much for this post! the image of the christmas tree inspired my idea for portfolio for my photography class. my theme will be different types of bokeh thanks to you :)

  • Yasmin

    happy aniversary!! i love Christmas songs too my favorites are:
    all i want for christmas is you
    last christmas i gave you my heart
    merry christmas darlin

  • http://Gigidiaries.com Katrina

    I will never forget my first Christmas with my husband we created some wonderful traditions that I hope to pass on to our little girl. Enjoy your traditions they sound lovely! :)

  • http://www.theblossomshed.blogspot.com The Blossom Shed Beauty Blog

    My favorite carol has always been Once a Royal David’s City. I HATE modern Xmas songs. The quickest way to break me would be holiday pop songs on repeat. I’d confess to anything:)

  • http://mrtaylorandhislady.blogspot.com Mr. Taylor and his Lady

    this has got to be the CUTEST little tradition i have ever heard of. now i feel like i need to start coming up with ones for the hubs and i. we’ve been together for 7 years now, married for 4 months. long time coming.
    oh, and have yourself a merry little christmas is by FAR my favorite christmas song. any rendition will do! :)
    xo TJ

    http://mrtaylorandhislady.blogspot.com

  • http://www.jamieofalltrades.typepad.com jamieofalltrades

    Yes! Barbara Streisand’s White Christmas. I love the beginning because it reminds me of living in Southern California and ‘longing to be up north.’

  • http://myskyeismylimit.blogspot.com/ Skyismylimit

    Awww how adorable, I think it’s so cute that you guys have your own little tradition for christmas, the holiday season can hectic and crazy so celebrating little things like that is nice, I’m happy for you!

  • http://www.brightboldbeautiful.blogspot.com Laura Trevey

    What a magical image ~ happy holidays!!

  • http://3-chic.com/ Nikki

    Love the heart imaging! Looks beautiful. I also LOVE holiday music and along with the normal classics, love listening to Michael Buble over the holidays!

    Your blog is beautiful – I am addicted!

    http://3-chic.com/

  • http://www.facebook.com/SweetieLifeByCristi CRISTINA

    love it!!! :) happy days every day!!!
    http://www.facebook.com/SweetieLifeByCristi

  • Vanessa :)

    Aww man! I was hoping there was such a thing as heart-shaped Christmas tree lights! Wonderful photo anyway :)

  • http://www.sugarfilledcloset.com Rach

    Mariah’s All I Want For Christmas is my favorite!

    Sugar Filled Closet + Leopard Loafers GIVEAWAY

  • http://justcallmetiffles.blogspot.com/ tiffles

    Mariah Carey’s rendition of All I Want for Christmas is You is one of my faves along with Santa Baby, And Baby, Its Cold Outside. Love this time of the year!

  • aley

    Great post, i would have loved to hear your christmas playlist but the program you use is not available in Canada! something to think about for all your international readers :)

  • http://www.etsy.com/shop/prelovedapparel Alyssa

    This is such a great idea! I didn’t even know you could do this, I’m guessing you can use other shapes as well, like stars? Can’t wait to give this a try!

    Shop vintage ♥

  • http://stephaniemstyle.wordpress.com/ Stephanie M.

    What a great gift exchange! LOVE Christmas songs and loving the lights!

    http://stephaniemstyle.wordpress.com/

  • http://girlinthepoodleshoes.blogspot.com/ Casey Lynn

    …listening now! merry merry
    Girl in the Poodle Shoes

  • http://pinkiesandbracelets.blogspot.com/ Kelly

    Congrats!! It’s a beautiful thing to celebrate!!

    http://pinkiesandbracelets.blogspot.com/

  • http://cablecarcouture.com/style-blog Sarah the Stylist

    I unwrapped Mariah Carey’s Christmas CD under the Christmas tree when I was a girl so I’m with you that All I Want For Christmas is You is one of my faves! Carpenter’s Christmas and Diana Krall’s Christmas CDs are among my favorite albums.

  • http://bronsonbloopers.blogspot.com Ashley

    Definitely “All I want for Christmas is You” ! Also, Charlie Brown Christmas music…I had never seen the movie until last year when my husband was shocked that I hadn’t seen it ever! haha

  • http://www.dressanddish.com/ Dress and Dish: Lana

    Santa Baby…Eartha Kitt…LOVE.

  • http://poseposhpost.blogspot.com Sidney

    OMG! the heart shaped bokeh is really cool. Love it.

    poseposhpost.blogspot.com
    Pose Posh Post

  • http://www.stilettosandstains.com Bri

    Oh boy, so many good ones!
    O Holy Night, Baby it’s Cold Outside, and Sarah McLachlan’s entire album!

  • http://www.fashionchronograph.com Madelon

    Love the photos!
    Such a cool photo technique!! I must give it a try asap.

    & happy anniversary

    xoxo.

    http://www.fashionchonograph.com

  • http://www.kimberlyloc.com kimberlyloc

    i love how all the lights look like little hearts. congratulations!

  • http://www.callme-jo.blogspot.com Joana Caldeira

    Oh I can’t hear them, says it’s not allowed in my country!
    I mean, it’s not like I live in Narnia or something, it’s Portugal :/
    But thanks Em x

    http://callme-jo.blogspot.com/

  • http://dailydaniblog.blogspot.com Dani

    I think this is SUCH a sweet tradition! I popped open the playlist last night and then waited till this morning to listen – it has truly made my morning! I loveloveloved Sufjan Stevens, Joni Mitchell, and Glee version of Baby It’s Cold Outside! Plus, of course Mariah is always a classic!

    2 of my favorite additions:
    Dashboard Confessional – The Only Gift That I Need
    Jimmy Eat World – Last Christmas

    (Guilty pleasure: anything off of Hanson’s Christmas album! Haha)

  • http://underthefluorescents.blogspot.com/ Jenna

    how sweet and romantic! I love the technique you used to shot the tree, I am going to try it out :)

    http://underthefluorescents.blogspot.com

  • http://www.ILoveChuppahs.com Dina

    I love it! I cant wait to try the heart affect!

  • http://www.mochaandmoccasins.blogspot.com/ Monica

    Congrats on the 4 years :) i can’t wait until you two get married. That picture technique is really cool, I didn’t think anything like that existed, imagine the cool pictures that would come from that lens.
    Listening to that play list asap! :)

    M.

  • http://www.bigstarusa.com Victoria

    For most part I hat x-mas song, but there’s always an exception. lol
    With that said, I love Last Christmas by Wham, Santa Baby, and This Christmas by Donny Hathaway.

  • http://thekeypieces.blogspot.com Lou

    Love the photo and congrats on your four years. We haven’t put our tree up yet, but I can’t wait.

    Lou x
    http://thekeypieces.blogspot.com

  • Melissa

    I cannot wait until I get a nice camera!

  • http://bevyblogs.blogspot.com bevy

    such a nice tradition. my favorite is O Holy Night also. Another favorite is that song by Wham, Last Christmas. Ok, those two are completely opposite ends of the Christmas song spectrum.

  • http://www.catziac.wordpress.com Cat Ziac

    I always thought “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey was the best, but then I heard Michael Buble’s version and now I don’t know which is more perfect!!
    - Cat
    http://www.catziac.wordpress.com

  • http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com Maria @CheekyPinkTulip

    Thanks for sharing your Christmas Music compilation! Christmas music has got to be one of the best things about Christmas. My favourite song is hands down, Chris Rea’s ‘Driving Home for Christmas’. SWOON!

    Maria xx
    http://cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com

  • Alexa

    Lucques is by far my favorite restaurant in LA, great choice and happy anniversary!

  • http://teenageflames.tumblr.com/ marta

    i love that phooto, happy anniversary!

    http://teenageflames.tumblr.com/

  • Danielle

    wishing i could see your christmas playlist as i don’t have spotify… do you have a file listed with the music? I’m sure it’s a great mix!

  • http://thefashionmedicine.blogspot.com/ M

    wow!! this is some serious photo effects :) LOVE IT”

    http://thefashionmedicine.blogspot.com/