Concocting Hallmark Christmas Movies from Random Stock Images
“Hurry! We’ll be late for the ice carving contest!”
Hallmark Christmas movies are the holiday tradition we love to hate and hate to love.
How hard is it to develop a Hallmark movie plot? I did a search for “Women in Winter” on Unsplash and combined the results with some classic Hallmark tropes. Let me know which one you’d watch first.
Resort To Love
Ginger’s in-line to become CEO of Adventuris, a corporation specializing in buying independently-run adventure travel companies and turning them into soulless travel franchises that maximize tourist expenditures.
Her trip to Driftlake, Colorado threatens to go amuck when a blizzard leaves her stranded at Magic Lights Resort, a charming family-run ski resort owned by John, Mabel, and their know-it-all adult son, Will.
Botched WiFi threatens to sabotage Ginger’s plan to have the deal cinched by Christmas Eve. To make matters worse, Will keeps insisting on putting seven mini marshmallows in the peppermint hot chocolate when her projections indicate three hits the optimal profit margin. But every time she gives him the what-for, she can’t help but be a little won over by the twinkle in his eye…
That Christmas Glow
It’s been a year since Maria’s beloved grandma Estela passed away and left Maria her magical love necklace, said to make any man who sees “the real you” fall in love. That’s hard for Maria to believe since she’s had terrible luck with men.
To make enough money to go home for Christmas, Maria takes a second job at a toy manufacturer owned by Richard, an eccentric white-haired man who wears a bewildering amount of red. Maria wonders what kind of profit margin he‘s making on these artisanal hand-crafted creations, but when she asks Richard’s son, Chase, he always changes the subject.
Chase is such a pain, especially when Maria tries to get a glimpse into Richard’s secret workshop. So how come grandma’s love necklace starts its magic rainbow glow whenever he’s around?
Central Spark
Victoria’s nervous to meet her boyfriend Paxton’s parents. They’re old money, and she’s Brooklyn all the way. What will they think of her love for indie music and tattoos? Thankfully, she saved for months to buy the perfect dress for their annual Christmas Eve bash.
It seems her shortcut through Central Park was a mistake because she trips and falls on an icy patch. In her semi-conscious dreams, an old man walks her through the ghosts of Christmas past with her sweet ex, Vince, and Christmas future with Paxton, who’s still questioning her need to keep her mom’s antique furniture in their otherwise pristine and soulless beige penthouse.
How is it that when she wakes up, it’s Vince that’s come to rescue her?
Designs on Love
Candace Kane is a fashion designer on the rise. Her first fashion show featuring all-white outfits had Couture Magazine raving.
Last week Candace received an invitation to meet Mitchell Santos, owner of luxury design house Santos.
Mitchell’s designs for Christmas 2021 were ruthlessly stolen by his ex, Raquel, who started a rival design house after their acrimonious divorce. Mitchell gives Candace a 3-week deadline to get a new line finished in time for the Christmas Eve release. If she succeeds, she’ll win her dream job as Santos’ in-house designer.
The theme for the line is Woodland Glam. The only problem? Candace is a city girl to the core. For inspiration, she and Mitchell travel upstate to stay at a cozy inn. Candace’s suede boots aren’t going to survive all this snowy coziness, but she has bigger problems. Somehow her and Mitchell’s hands keep accidentally bumping into each other’s when he insists they try making maple syrup snow candy…
Carved Into My Heart
Laurel’s feeling the pressure of putting on Culligan Cove’s annual Christmas pageant, especially with Mavis, the former organizer, nosing in. It’s even worse because her artist ex, Bryce, has let it be known he’s going to ace the ice carving contest this year.
Laurel only has one week to perfect her ice carving skills — how can she possibly be ready in time?!? Luckily Drake, the new sculptor in Bryce’s studio, has offered to show her around a chisel. If not for those sessions, she’d never have stumbled on the stash of carved toys Drake plans to donate to the local orphanage.
On the big day, Laurel and Drake accidentally get locked into the studio together! You’d think it would be the worst day of her life until she falls from the escape ladder into Drake’s arms…
A Title for Christmas
Nichola thought a holiday trip to Glenraven, a small but glamorous European principality, would help her forget that her ex-fiance Russell is getting married to her former best friend on Christmas Eve.
After spending too long gazing from the bridge, Nichola’s a little light-headed. Fortunately a charming if unkempt local helps her to a delicious restaurant for dinner. Touring the city on his motorcycle is fun and flirty, but Nichola’s got questions. Why do people keep giving them surreptitious glances? Why does Stephen keep darting around the corner every time he sees a camera? And why did the restaurant’s owner refer to him as “Your Grace”?
She’s in for the shock of her life the next day when the Glenraven Gazette features a picture with the two of them and the headline “Duke of Rittenwall’s New Love Interest”!!!
