Codi Hall loves a romcom pun. As, of course, do I. So Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist and There's Something About Merry were everything I wanted in lighthearted holiday romance. And Along Came Holly is the star on top of this Christmas tree farm-themed trifecta.
Mistletoe, Idaho's Holly Winters is all about taking risks. As the Adventure Elf, she performs stunt after dangerous stunt for her legions of YouTube fans clad in -- what else? -- an elf costume. Her success has allowed her to buy her holiday haven, A Shop for All Seasons, as well as her house in Mistletoe's most exclusive -- and lavishly decorated -- neighborhood. Still, Holly is cautious when it comes to her heart. So when she becomes embroiled in a prank war with the boy next door, she doesn't even consider that it could blossom into something more.
Declan Gallagher is back in Mistletoe to take care of his curmudgeonly and ailing father. Running the family hardware store is part of the deal even though Declan would rather be painting. A holiday hater, he thinks that Christmas decorations and gifts are a waste of time and money. That said, his burgeoning frenemy-ship with Holly is fun, but he's unsure about getting involved with someone who's Christmas crazy -- not to mention impulsive.
Along Came Holly is a festive treat. Spicier than a Hallmark movie yet twice as sweet, it doesn't get much cozier than following jolly Holly and dour Declan on their unlikely road to happily ever after.
That's the magic of Mistletoe.
There's no way I could compete with Sophia Petrillo in the tall tales department. Because crafting doesn't lend itself to the intrigue of growing up in turn-of-the-century Sicily. But although I can't pretend to change the course of pop culture, politics, and Mama Celeste's frozen pizza, I can celebrate the irreverence of one of TV's most colorful storytellers. And I'm doing so with this too cute mug and Itty Bitty from Hallmark's Golden Girls collection. My favorite thing about this duo? The way the Itty Bitty Sophia is smiling, whereas the mug features the raconteur's signature scowl. It's like two sides of Sophia, even if one is pure fiction.
Kind of like those "picture it" stories.
One bright sprite -- that's me. Because if I can't be Rainbow -- Brite, that is -- then I might as well be her sidekick. Or, you know, a citrus soft drink.
Sadly, none of my actual sprites from the '80s survived (I wasn't always the dedicated hoarder that I am today), so all I have is this Hallmark Itty Bitty from the 2010s:
Maybe I should ask the heavens -- and also, ironically, RB's steed Starlite -- to send some my way:
"Star light, star bright/First star I see tonight/I wish I may, I wish I might/Have this wish I wish tonight."
If that doesn't work, then I'll crank up the Muse.