Christmas Movies VHS Tapes Popcorn Watercolor Illustration
By Charlie

Watching Christmas Movies

Written by Charlie O'Shields

For our prompt of “Popcorn”today, I only had time for a quick sketch and went back in time to when I was younger. I remember during the 80’s when I was a teenager, we had several VHS tapes of movies that we’d taped from television and I loved watching A Christmas Story each year. Also, weirdly the movie Gremlins, which is a horror comedy that just happens to be set during the holiday season. These days, I’d have to say that my favorite holiday movie is Love Actually, which is a surprisingly grownup choice coming from me. Today, there was a winter storm and it snowed several inches. So, Philippe and I did what anyone would do when trapped indoors during the month of December. We popped some popcorn and watched things on television. These days, there’s no removable media of any kind in our house as everything can be streamed online. Instead of watching entire movies, though, we binge-watched a documentary show called the Movies That Made Us on Netflix. This included the making of Home Alone, which is a holiday classic, and another unexpected holiday movie, Die Hard. We had a blast! It was like having the day off from school when I was a kid as outside, the snow continued to fall all day long.

The snow has finally stopped, but there’s more in the forecast for tomorrow so I’ve no idea yet if we’ll be heading to work or not. It could be a snow day tomorrow as well! It’s very hard for me to stay focused this time of year. The little kid in me just wanted to grab a mug of hot chocolate and curl up under a blanket watching movies or playing games. It’s the time of year when I want to simply enjoy each simple moment and put other things on pause for just a bit. There’s lots of projects that I wanted to complete this year that simply didn’t get completed. But, that’s okay. I’ll be firing them all up once again when January arrives. And, in this moment, I’m not worried about any of that. In fact, I don’t have any worries at all. I’m just feeling the magic of the season and enjoying the snow outside. It’s a wonderful feeling where time seems to slow just a bit and everything just seems happy and joyful. And though my projects slow during this time each year, the break is much needed and I always feel so refreshed when the New Year begins!

There are still a couple of things I have to order for Philippe to be ready for our Christmas Eve celebration. It’s hard to believe that it’s coming so quickly and will arrive just one week from Tuesday! Yet, as excited as I am, I’m hoping the days pass by as blissfully slowly as this one did. As much as I’m looking forward to the days ahead, I’m in no hurry whatsoever to see it all end. Each second is so precious to me. Life can run by at a blur all year long, but this time of year I only want focus. Those projects I thought were so grand were nothing compared to the feeling of spending time eating popcorn with my tiny little family today. Yes, our dog Phineas got a few pieces as well, which thrilled him. Especially since the weather outside is not his favorite. But, for me, it’s a winter wonderland that paints the perfect picture of all of my most nostalgic childhood memories. It’s a scene that artists have painted on Christmas cards for decades, and it brings with it a sentimental joy that makes me warm inside. And it all provides a perfect opportunity to spend the day indoors, remembering the moments from the past when there was really nothing better than spending a day watching Christmas movies.

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 Christmas Movies VHS Tapes Popcorn Watercolor Illustration Sketchbook Detail

Charlie O'Shields

Creator of Doodlewash, founder of World Watercolor Month (July), World Watercolor Group, and host of the Sketching Stuff Podcast. Sharing watercolor illustrations and stories while proudly featuring talented artists from all over the world!

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47 thoughts on “Watching Christmas Movies”

  1. I have trouble focusing this time of the year too. It’s the gloom that gets me – the skies are grey and by 3 pm it feels more like 8 pm. I just want to doze all the time. I fight it by keeping busy, but it does take me longer to do almost anything.

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  2. yeah here I am feeling lazy after eating chinese food and I found your post. Thanks for this sweet post. I almost wish I could be snowed in tomorrow but I’ve been having too much fun at work these days. I am on an assignment with a adult transition program. We’ve been working on tons of crafts and having a blast!

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  5. Your quick sketch looks amazing and like you spent lots of time creating it. ❤️ 📼 VHS is nostalgic! We still have CDs and DVDs laying around but haven’t played one in years. Streaming is so much easier but there are some movies or TV series that aren’t available to stream.

    I could watch “Home Alone” over and over! Some might find it shameful that I find it so funny!

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    1. Thanks so much, Darlene! 😃💕Glad you enjoyed this sketch! Yeah, streaming makes things much easier! But then there’s almost too much to choose from! lol I often feel overwhelmed and miss that much smaller stack of VHS tapes! hehe

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  8. Wow Charlie! Your quick sketch looks pretty darn good to me!! And yes, you paint a pretty picture of being snowed in. I remember those days well! Loved it! Watching the snow come down, waiting for the announcement that school was closing and the quiet!! I could go outside and there was no sound but snow piling up on the tree branches. It was so still and then listening to the crunch of my boots in the snow. It was awesome! Alas, I’m now retired in Florida and only hear about the snowstorms up north. I admit that I do miss it sometimes. Enjoy those snow days 🤗

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  10. I was debating whether or not to check out Movies that Made Us. Now I will for sure. I can’t believe you have snow and we dint. It’s plenty cold though. I’ve got space heaters in two rooms and I’m thinking of getting one more. I hate being cold! My birthday is one week before xmas. And very close to the shortest day of the year. It feels like the time for a lazy winter nap with some delicious food thrown in for good measure.

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    1. hehe… I think every day is time for a lazy winter nap and delicious food! That’s just living! lol 😃💕 You would get along well with Philippe… he’s wearing a blanket most of winter and then moves to a heated one at bedtime. I’m usually always too warm. hehe

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    1. Hehe! Yeah, A Christmas Story is just awesome! Love that movie! 😃💕Though the musical version is less so… at least when I say it with my family in Texas and the Ralphie’s little brother fell into the orchestra pit. (he was unharmed, but it was sad because it was the most interesting part of that musical).

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  13. For me it would be rain and popcorn, rain being our winter here.

    I think we all have a quirky holiday movie we love along with the classic favorites. For me it’s We’re No Angels, the original with Humphrey Boghart, Peter Ustinov, Aldo Rey, Basil Rathbone, Leo G. Carroll (1955). I used to be able to see all of my favorite classics on broadcast TV but I’ve had to buy the DVD and a few others as the newer classics are replacing the older ones in TV schedules and I can’t depend on seeing it every year.

    Love Actually is also a favorite of mine. Luckily I can still catch it on broadcast TV.

    And Elf. For Elf, I go with caramel popcorn.

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  16. Sounds like the perfect day, Charlie! 🎄💕😍 I like to watch a lot of Hallmark Christmas movies this time of year… they may be predictable but I like their message. I like how you drew and painted your popcorn. Not easy to draw! 😊🍿

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    1. Thanks so much, Jill! 😃💕Glad you liked this! And yay for Hallmark movies!! When I produced one a few years ago while working there, we had a focus group where a woman said, “It’s so predictable!” and for a moment we recoiled, and then she smiled and sort of hugged herself and said… “I love that!!” lol Hallmark movies rock!

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  17. Yes to that! Home Alone is being shown on Christmas Eve here, on the old-fashioned television. I can’t seem to say no to that film, especially at Christmas. Several inches of snow!? I think 2010 was the last time it snowed in December here, it was quite heavy by our standards (and I had to commute in it!). I remember those school days though; the exciting prospect of waking up, turning on the radio and hearing your school on the list of closures (ours were seemingly always at the bottom of the list!), then setting about having the most fun while doing as little as possible! Ahhh…!

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    1. Aww yay! I remember all of that! We would watch tv as all the school names scrolled by to see if ours was on the list. I still remember the feeling of anticipation. It was almost more unbearable than Christmas itself! lol Loved it! 😃💕

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      1. We tend to get the bulk of our snow in January-February, sometimes even early March. That excitement in dreary January was always very very welcome! I remember we even had my birthday off one year, which was doubly awesome!

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  18. What a lovely way to spend a snow day! And who would have thought that Die hard would be considered a “Christmas” movie LOL I too with all my vendor shows done..can now slow down and enjoy the holidays! Thanks for such lovely images and also some lovely food for thought!

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  20. I saw KC and its wintery highway on NBC news.
    Seems like you’ve already had a lot of winter!
    Hot chocolate, popcorn and movies…surely an
    invention of December!

    That candy cane looks delicious too!

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      1. It is supposed to be 50 degrees here on Christmas Day. I’m a little bit disappointed but still most appreciative of the frosted gingerbread look of everything right now. Just about an inch on the ground and the highways are clear. Sort of the best of both worlds!

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