Christmas Meme

I read this on Carol's blog and enjoyed it. Hope you will, too.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper (from IKEA usually) or tissue paper and this wonderful ribbon from Paper Source (wish they would open one here in NYC; I always visit when in the Chicago area)
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real! We're going to get ours this weekend from one of the Quebeçois vendors who sell trees on the street in New York.
3. When do you put up the tree? We haven't solidified a tradition yet but sooner rather than later, as we will be in Chicago for the holidays.
4. When do you take the tree down? A week after we should have.
5. Do you like eggnog? Noooo. That may be the one dairy thing that I do not like.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? The dollhouse my parents made for me when I was six.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My father. Added bonus: his birthday is just a couple of weeks before Father's Day.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Isobel. So much fun to find gifts for my little/big girl.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Not here, but my mother has a beautiful one that was her parents'.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Maybe New Year's cards in the mail? I still have to send out Penelope's birth announcements, but she's been a pickle on naps thus far. Next year?
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Netflix (nothing against them) from my now-ex-husband. I should have known he was having an affair at that point.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life followed by A Christmas Story. Is it being a Midwesterner that makes it such a resonant movie for me?
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? December, though I try to start knitting any presents earlier.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My mother's Boeuf Bourguignion and her mother's thumbprint cookies.
16. Lights on the tree? Of course! White lights.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Pretty much all of them. Well, except for the dog barking ones and such. All the real Christmas songs.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Winging to Chi-town.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? You bet.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? My family does one Christmas Eve, usually with family friends, and the rest Christmas morning. Not sure what it will be like this year (we're staying with my in-laws).
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The buybuybuy mentality, particularly this year. I'm trying to do handmade - we'll see.
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? Lots of red, since that shows up against the tree, and silver, which is just my thing.
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? Anything from my wishlist.
24. Angel on the tree top or a star? Very pretty angel at my parents' house. I need to do something about the dreadful papier mache star I have for our home.
25. Favorite Christmas dinner? See #15. And there's usually shrimp cocktail and champagne to start. Last year I had to forgo the champagne, and that's how I told my dad I was expecting.