Know Your Elves #1 Fussyonion

Posy

It's that time again!

Fussyonion is Test Subject number 1.
Start the interrogation!!

-When do you start decorating?
-Do you have an artificial tree or a real tree?
-Do you prefer clear lights or coloured?
-Flashing lights: yea or any?
-Do you put up a Christmas wreath?

Loughc

What's your favourite thing about Christmas Eve?

What's your favourite bit of the Christmas dinner?

fussyonion

Posy wrote: »

It's that time again!

Fussyonion is Test Subject number 1.
Start the interrogation!!

-When do you start decorating?
-Do you have an artificial tree or a real tree?
-Do you prefer clear lights or coloured?
-Flashing lights: yea or any?
-Do you put up a Christmas wreath?

Hello! Nice to be here; I'm a new elf! I guess I'll start so...

When do you start decorating?
-I start decorating on December 1st.
When I was a kid, it was always December 8th, but now I just do it on the 1st..the way I see it, Christmas isn't around for long (although I know it can feel like it is!), and I may as well get the most out of my festive house!

Do you have an artificial tree or a real tree?
-I threw out our 10-year-old artificial tree a few weeks back as it was looking shabby and I'm buying a new one very soon.
I like the idea of a real tree, but really, artificial trees can look amazing nowadays, plus I don't have to hoover up dropped pine needles all day and I'm not keen on the smell of a real one either!

Do you prefer clear lights or coloured?
-I am all about the coloured lights.
I know clear lights look classy, but growing up, our tree was a mish-mash of tinsel, gaudy baubles and lots and lots of coloured lights.
I always think it's lovely to see multicoloured bulbs adorning the tree; it's just more fun!

Flashing lights: yea or any?
-I'm not mad about flashing lights, though I don't mind an oul "fade in, fade out" light. If I had to sit there looking at flashing disco lights all night, I think I'd scream.

Do you put up a Christmas wreath?
-I have a quirky reindeer wreath which I bought in Homestore + More two years ago. He has floppy legs which hang over the wicker wreath. His name's Jimmy. Don't ask why. Is just his name.

Toto Wolfcastle

What's your favourite Christmas song?

If you had to spend Christmas somewhere outside of Ireland where would you choose?

fussyonion

Loughc wrote: »

What's your favourite thing about Christmas Eve?

What's your favourite bit of the Christmas dinner?

My favourite thing about Christmas Eve is closing the door on a long, cold busy day and being with my other half.

The tree's lighting, the curtains are drawn and we always watch Home Alone (after the soaps of course!), with a bottle of red wine and perhaps some cheese and crackers.

That magical feeling of anticipation of what tomorrow brings; that's the feeling I love and want to last forever... the anticipation of Christmas Day...the expectations and excitement. It's priceless.

My favourite bit of Christmas dinner is always the turkey and stuffing.

I'm a huge fan of my roast potatoes ('scuse me while I blow my own trumpet), but I honestly enjoy my turkey and stuffing with gravy the most.
One year I ate all my veg first, leaving the meat and stuffing 'til last but I was too stuffed (pardon the pun) to eat any and I was so annoyed.

Last Christmas I was ill with a chest infection and I didn't enjoy my dinner, so you better believe I am going to relish every mouthful this year!

fussyonion

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

What's your favourite Christmas song?

If you had to spend Christmas somewhere outside of Ireland where would you choose?

My favourite Christmas song is "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues.
I think it's joyful, sad, memorable and hopeful...I feel all sorts of feelings when I hear it.
It just screams Christmas to me whenever I hear it.

I have never been one of those people who'd want to spend Christmas outside Ireland; in fact, I think I'd hate it.

I'm such a homebird and love the trappings of my own home with my family during the festive season.
But if I had to pick somewhere, I'd pick Benidorm.

I doubt it'd be hot, but it's definitely the place to be for entertainment and great nightlife, so I think I'd be entertained at least!

baby and crumble

If you could invite 5 people (living or dead, famous or 'normal') to Christmas dinner, who would they be?

fussyonion

baby and crumble wrote: »

If you could invite 5 people (living or dead, famous or 'normal') to Christmas dinner, who would they be?

1-Billy Connolly. I've been a huge fan of his for years and he's one of only a few comedians who can make laugh out loud. I just "get" his humour and I'll never forget going to see him at the Olympia; I had tears rolling down my face.

2-Peter Kay. Another comedian who I love; a lot of his stories resonate with me because a lot of what he experienced as a kid (silly things) were the same things I experienced. He'd be such fun to be around at the dinner table.

3-My paternal grandfather. I never met him as he died before I was born. I've only ever seen one photograph of him and I know very little about him. I'd love the chance to get to know him.

4-Victoria Beckham. This would be more of a curiosity thing; to see what she's really like behind the pout and moodiness. Something tells me she'd be pretty normal, and I'd love to know what she really thinks of the Spice Girls!

5-My other half. I know that's predictable and boring, but he's my life and I couldn't imagine a Christmas without him.

kitten_k

What would be your ideal Christmas present?

fussyonion

kitten_k wrote: »

What would be your ideal Christmas present?

Well I know this is a cliche but really I DO prefer giving presents because I put so much thought and effort into it and I love seeing people's faces.

My family and other half are always so generous at Christmas and get me such lovely things.

If I had to pick a perfect present, I think I would say a book voucher.
That might be boring to some people, but I love nothing more than getting wrapped up in a good book.

Having a voucher would mean I'd be like a kid in a sweet shop! I could buy whatever I wanted!

emmagination

Do you have a favourite Christmas decoration?
What is your favourite Christmas movie?

miamee

Do you have a favourite decoration or any traditional ones/ones with sentimental value?

Glitzgirl

Are you really organised with your christmas shopping?
If you had to pick just one tradition ( or something that you usually do with your family each year ) to do this year with your family what would it be ?

fussyonion

emmagination wrote: »

Do you have a favourite Christmas decoration?
What is your favourite Christmas movie?

I have a silver, sparkly pair of ballerina slippers that I really love.
My nanny bought them for me a few months before she died, so they're extra special.


My favourite Christmas movie is Home Alone.
Up until last Christmas, I had never seen it, but I bought Home Alone and Home Alone 2 on Amazon and I just love them

fussyonion

miamee wrote: »

Do you have a favourite decoration or any traditional ones/ones with sentimental value?

Yeah the silver ballerina slippers my nanny bought me a few months before she died

fussyonion

Glitzgirl wrote: »

Are you really organised with your christmas shopping?
If you had to pick just one tradition ( or something that you usually do with your family each year ) to do this year with your family what would it be ?

I think I'm pretty organised.
Around about now I start thinking of what to buy everyone. I jot ideas down in a little notebook and when I've thought of presents for everyone, I start buying.

Christmas shopping for me is a lot easier when I know what I'm buying.
So I'll start shopping around mid-November, especially if I'm buying from Amazon, to allow for delivery, and then head out to the shops for everything else around the end of November/beginning of December.

I could never do 100% of my shopping online because I like being out and about among the festive streets of Dublin!

I love to wait til I've bought all my presents before wrapping them. I know some people wrap as each present is bought, but I make a night out of wrapping.

I get all my gifts together on the floor, with lots of rolls of different coloured paper, bows, ribbons, etc (Homestore did gorgeous reels of glittery bows last year), open a bottle of wine, put some music on and really make a night of it!

mud

When you were younger, what was the greatest, most unexpected present you received for Christmas?

fussyonion

mud wrote: »

When you were younger, what was the greatest, most unexpected present you received for Christmas?

It was the year Playstation 1 came out.

My sister and I woke up, bounded downstairs, opened our gifts and then when we thought they had all been opened, our parents handed us a box wrapped in a plastic bag emblazoned with the Playstation logo.
My Mam said "This is for both of you". My Dad joked "It's only the bag that's Playstation!".

Our eyes were out on stalks as we unwrapped the bag together and we nearly cried when we opened it and saw it was indeed a Playstation.

It sounds a bit materialistic saying that, but (and without sounding egotistical), my sister and I were never spoilt brats.
We never asked for anything, we were quite good kids, and our parents were very hard-working.

We were so appreciative to receive the Playstation and kept thanking Mam and Dad over and over.

The icing on the cake was the portable telly Dad handed us next. "You need something to play it on; you're not taking my telly!"

We were so thrilled because it was just so unexpected...a bonus gift that we never thought we'd get

And it meant a lot because our parents weren't earning great wages back then; I know they would have had to save hard to get us those gifts.

Scarinae

When do you start to feel really Christmassy?

What is your earliest Christmas memory?

Do you have any Christmas traditions that are particular to your family, or to you and your partner?

If you could remove all traces of one Christmas song from existence, which one would you choose?

fussyonion

Scarinae wrote: »

When do you start to feel really Christmassy?

What is your earliest Christmas memory?

Do you have any Christmas traditions that are particular to your family, or to you and your partner?

If you could remove all traces of one Christmas song from existence, which one would you choose?

When do you start to feel really Christmassy?

I guess I start feeling Christmassy around the end of November/beginning of December, when the Christmas ads are on telly in full force and I get the tree up.
Once the house is decorated, I feel very festive.
And of course, when the songs are on the radio!

What is your earliest Christmas memory?

I think that would be when I was around four and my Grandad bought me a little sweet shop that had counter tops and little cash registers and dozens of tiny jars with real sweets inside.
It was magical and I loved it. I also remember going into town with my Mam, walking up Henry St and Mary Street and the lights were all on and there were Christmas carollers on the corner.

Do you have any Christmas traditions that are particular to your family, or to you and your partner?

Not really, to be honest.
The only thing I can think of is that my partner and I always have a bottle of champagne on Christmas morning.
That's been a tradition for about four years now and we like it.
Gets you a bit squiffy when you're drinking it at 8am!

If you could remove all traces of one Christmas song from existence, which one would you choose?

War is Over by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
I hate the sound of the kids all singing; it's a very maudlin song and doesn't make me feel festive at all.
I hate it.

Loughc

What's your favourite Christmas advert?

And favourite Christmas song?

fussyonion

Loughc wrote: »

What's your favourite Christmas advert?

And favourite Christmas song?

My favourite Christmas ad is the Guinness one. You know the one where the man walks past government buildings, checking his watch as the clock strikes midnight and the couple at the door telling their friends "Don't forget to turn the lights off".
I think it's gorgeous.

Favourite Christmas song, as mentioned previously, is Fairytale of New York by the Pogues

Loughc

What's the most random thing that reminds you of Christmas?

Would you attend a Christmas forum meet up if there was one this year?

fussyonion

Loughc wrote: »

What's the most random thing that reminds you of Christmas?

Would you attend a Christmas forum meet up if there was one this year?

I'm a Celebrity always reminds me of Christmas!
It's weird, seeing as it's a show set in a hot forest with the sun blazing down, but it's always on in the background when I'm decorating the tree, so now I associate it with Christmas.

If there was a Christmas meet-up I would definitely attend!!