Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Christmas decorations

last year I reported the overall decorating that I did on my house with a total number of light broken up between outside and inside.  Well this year is no different it just took me longer to post about it.  So last year my grand total was 1775 lights inside and out this year I added more. 

DSCF6785For one thing my artificial tree grew over the course of the year I know what you are thinking artificial trees can not grow. I would tend to agree however,  I had to add 50 more lights to completely cover my tree this year bring the total to a whopping 1,000 on just my tree alone.  last year I had a similar problem and I thought I would be just DSCF6787fine but no the lights from last year ended 2-3 feet from the top of the tree.  Needless to say I was very perplexed and confused, so I concluded that my tree even though it is not real grew a foot or two.  We also placed our tree in our living room window to add to the overall outdoor lighting experience.

In addition we also splurged and purchased a DVD of a fireplace to help set the mood for Christmas.  I can tell you even though it was a fake fireplace just watching it and DSCF6871hearing the popping sounds of the burning logs I could actually feel the warmth of a real fire.

This year we decided to start buying the LED light set, and slowly over the course of the next few years would replace our existing light with more power efficient strands.  However this year I just added to what I had because I’m like that, and I bet you can not tell which strands are the new one rightWinking smile.  

These pictures don’t show it but one of the old strands ( the DSCF6865same ones I used last year and suspended them form my celling on my patio) was set to a chase setting which created a interesting effect seeing as everything else was just solid.  This strand is on the gutter and above the main level window and door.

I also for fun put some lights in my girls window just to DSCF6867increase the excitement level for them.  I did this because I can remember back when I was growing up seeing the lights twinkling through my bedroom blinds and light up my celling.  I loved watching as one of the old c9 bulbs would blink while the others would be continues.  Just having those light on would make me so excited about the Christmas season, and I wanted my girls to have the same memories. 

So now comes the time where I tell you the total number of lights for this year with an astounding 2520 I can smile knowing I broke my personal record.  The break down goes as follows 1,000 lights on my growing tree, and 1520 on the outside of the house.  So until next year this is my new record for decorating.

4 comments:

Rhoda said...

Growing fake trees...I love it! Could it be that you put your lights on tighter this year? I know it has happend to me, but I just go back and rearrange the lights to make them stretch.

We wanted to slowly replace ours lights to LED as well, but when we pulled the lights out this year and 50% of them didn't work (we'd only have used them twice!!!) We already had to buy quite a bit. DARN!

Yeah the LED lights look totally different, but I like them better.

OH my Gosh! This is my exacty memory of the lights outside my bedroom. That blinking light bulb...we never took them down, it stayed up for YEARS...wait are they still there? That is so neat that you recreated it for your kids!

So you had the bedroom at the front of the house too...was it after I left home or before I had that room?

Ryan and Leah said...

Oh Rich! This is just like you to keep track of the number of lights! Lol~! Nicely done! Hope you guys are well!

Rich said...

Yea Crustacean Queen I think i wrapped the lights tighter this year but it makes for a good story, as for the lights that is a bummer that they did not last for a long time for you. I don't know when I had the room in the front of the house I think i shared it with Hazen, way back before the remodel.

yea Ryan and Leah it would be ADD of me to count each light which I do on my older sets but it is getting easier as i tend to keep all of the boxes of my newer ones and just add up the numbers written on them. ;)

Amanda said...

That tree is beautiful!