Our fave NYC Broadway/pop songwriting pals have teamed up with old schoolmate Matthew Sandoval to record a new, lovely song.  Check it out!  Awesome!

“It Gets Lonely” by Tom Caruso (music) & Michael Cooper (lyrics)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqHk4lZixMQ]

Sure, movies like “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas,” “Love Actually,” and “A Christmas Story” are fun when you want a holiday fix, but we’ve all seen those movies a zillion times!  Here is my list of movies that aren’t by definition holiday films, but give good holiday cheer nonetheless.  Unsurprisingly, a lot of them feature singing!

5. Father of the Bride (1991) - Though this movie really makes no mention of Christmas, it’s got a very holiday feel to it!  Maybe it’s the father-daughter basketball in the snow scene, but I get a distinct feeling of holiday happiness whenever I watch this film!

4. Beaches (1988) - While this movie is an admitted tear jerker (some might even call it depressing), it has a fantastic holiday scene! The two impoverished roommates in their little apartment sing “Adeste Fideles” with only the light of the Christmas tree. So sweet!

3. When Harry Met Sally (1989) - The New Years Eve scene at the end of this movie is awesome. What a build up and what a fantastic end to a movie! It makes me so happy every time I watch it.

2. Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) - This Judy Garland musical ends with the holidays, and includes Judy Garland singing a gorgeous “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” to her little sister while it snows.  The music in this film is really spectacular, and Garland has never looked better!

1.  Little Women (1994) - This movie is COZY. It has a few Christmas scenes, including one that will leave no dry eye in the house, thanks to Claire Danes. Such a perfect snuggle-up-on-the-couch-with-hot-cocoa movie!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? (Click Here)

p.s. Something tells me that this kid’s hat is NOT the product placement that Reebok was hoping for this Christmas.

This is cute if you like a cappella, and I do.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8]

Santa on COPS.  At least they don’t taser him…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65gE94FLwgg]

This modern gingerbread house from Red Envelope is SO COOL!

Get it here.

In reading my US Weekly today, I came across an ad for a TV movie on the ABC Family Channel this month:

It’s “Holiday in Handcuffs” starring Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez!

This has everything that you could ever NOT want to see:

• C-list stars from old television shows:
  • Melissa Joan Hart last charmed us in “Clarissa Explains It All”
  • Mario Lopez played A.C. Slater from “Saved By The Bell”
  • It’s about time these two teamed up!
• Terrible, Semi-Disturbing Plot:
  • Melissa Joan Hart plays a down-and-out waitress who crumbles under the pressure of not bringing a boyfriend home to her family Christmas gathering and kidnaps an unsuspecting Lopez AT GUNPOINT. As the weekend drags on, her captive begins to fall in love with his kidnapper!
• Terrible character names
  • Hart & Lopez play: Trudie Chandler and David Martin.
  • Has anyone ever met a person under the age of 58 named Trudie?

This is clearly a not-to-be-missed TV event.

If I lived in New York, this would be seriously tempting.

Moët & Chandon champagne company has opened a “Boutique Moët” where you can bring prepurchased bottles of Moët swarovski crystal-personalized with up to 7 letters! How awesome would it be to have a bottle with your name on it? Or like these:

Although, admittedly, with a little elbow grease and some stick-ons from Michael’s I could probably make these. It would be even cooler if they printed your name on the label!

The shop is down on West Broadway (455 W. Broadway, b/t Houston & Prince Sts. - Remember - BYOB, $30 to get the lettering done, need 24 hours)