Nov 12 2023 - Deck the Hallmark

 

Deck the Hallmark! Do you know that the Hallmark movie season actually starts in January.   And in 2023 there were three new installments of the Wedding Veil trilogy on Hallmark Channel and an all-new Hallmark Movies & Mysteries franchise, Family History Mysteries: Buried Past. The movies are available live and on demand on Peacock.  The Christmas movies started streaming November 9th and continue being released throughout November.   And in case you need some prompting:  Hallmark's movies are perfect for "snuggling up with loved ones" and "always tug on the heartstrings." Mystery on Mistletoe Lane New to town, Heidi Wicks and her kids discover a Christmas mystery in their historic home. Local handyman and historian David helps along the way, finding his own surprising connection. Everything Christmas Lori Jo's love for Christmas takes her on a road trip to Yuletide Springs, where Christmas is celebrated year-round, to participate in a longstanding town tradition to honor her late grandmother. Christmas Island When a snowstorm diverts Kate's first private flight en route to Switzerland to Christmas Island, she must team up with an air traffic controller to secure her dream job as the family's pilot. There seem to be many more...lots to keep one busy between now and Christmas, and even past Christmas.  The coverage is HERE.  There is even one listed named A Biltmore Christmas.  It follows Lucy as she's hired to write the script for a remake of a holiday movie.  She joins a tour of the grounds and when she knows an hourglass over, she find herself transported back in time to 1946.

Here's a wreath for the Hallmark moment - Cozy Sweater Weather is its name.  It is followed by Single Red Winter Magnolia.  They both sound like Hallmark Romance wreaths.  What do you think? Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Oct 1 2020 - Winter Squash and a Hallmark Marathon

 

My car is still wonderfully clean - on day 2.  That's because no plants have entered it for 2 days now.  But I have bought a bushel of squash.  It seems indulgent, having this unlimited supply.  I went in search of unusual and interesting squash recipes.  I discovered more than food in the recipes.  "Winter Squash and Spinach Lasagna Picture this: You, wrapped in a blanket. A massive plate of this lasagna. A Hallmark movie marathon. (Yes, you can make this dream a reality.)" Squash is merely a sideline to  the major event - Hallmark movies.  The Hallmark movie marathon happened in July with its Christmas in July where you Bring the Yuletide Poolside.  Before that it happened in March to help out with the Pandemic.  And it happened for the Labour Day weekend to get through the celebrations.  And it happens every Saturday to get through the weekend.  I feel that I might know about the Hallmark strategy. The Hallmark schedule is promoted by magazines like Glamour, Country Living, and Good Housekeeping.  These are in keeping with the Hallmark portrayal of upper middle class white people finding love - actually it is Finding Love.  Or Finding the One below   What about opposition to Hallmark? I searched for "I hate Hallmark" - there are a lot of retrievals.  At the top are the Reddit Rants - Reddit is always at the top of rant retrievals.   Then I found the Global News coverage of Hallmark's social media post in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.  What did Hallmark post? “We stand with you in the fight against racism and injustice,” the Hallmark Channel wrote. “And we believe we must all care enough to do better.” What did Global news reveal? The systemic racism by Hallmark in refusing to have interracial couples portrayed on their channel.  Joel McCarthy, a local filmmaker, said systemic racism and sexism is a problem with several local movie-of-the-week productions. He said few are willing to speak out because it accounts for around 30 to 40 per cent of the industry work in Vancouver. And all this started from Winter Squash and Spinach Lasagna.  I think I will go look in my bushel basket for a bright light at the bottom. My picture today should be titled "Environmental, My Dear Watson"

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Hallmark's Version of the Advent Calendar - Countdown to Christmas

Do you know about the Hallmark Channel?  It is very popular with feel-good movies.  It began its around-the-clock 24/7 Christmas movie schedule on Friday, Oct. 25th.  Search on Countdown to Christmas and Hallmark comes up for pages and pages. I didn't know about the channel until it came to town - to Grimsby - to make one of its movies.  And then there was our Main Street dressed up in snow and Christmas trees at the beginning of October.   Christmas in Montana - New 2019 Before the holidays, Sara goes to Montana to help resistant Travis save his ranch. Can time on the ranch help restore her faith in Christmas in time for a miracle? Stars Kellie Martin, Colin Ferguson. There are no pictures with Grimsby in the background pretending to be Montana on the website.  But you can go to the Niagarathisweek.com  coverage of it with Teddy's Food, Fun & Spirits looking excellent. The Hallmark Channel has evolved from an originally religious channel.  It was overhauled into a family channel in the late 1999's.  In 2015 Mariah Carey directed and starred in a Christmas movie and show which turned out to be the most viewed show ever.  The Countdown to Christmas programming had started in 2009. It took flight in 2016. So here we are a few years later with 24/7 Christmas from October to January 1st:  The end of the Countdown season culminates with the broadcast of the Tournament of Roses Parade.   Our snow day pictures show the Japanese Maple with its snow-covered leaves.  Many of my trees such as theSeven Sons Flower Tree have all their leaves and are just starting to turn autumn colours.  The big Japanese Maple Versacolour out back has hardly begun to change colour.  The second plant is Ironweed, one of our natives for bees and butterflies.

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