Christmas season is easily my favorite season of the year. The sounds and smells of the season fill the air and bring hope to everyone around. What’s your favorite family tradition? Is it putting up the decorations? For me, it still is. Taking out all those boxes that spend a year waiting to be opened and put up, is something I really look forward to each year. Even seeing which of the lights still work is kind of a rewarding experience on its own.
Going out to get a tree is one of the things I enjoy the most. I know what many people will say: “It’s just better to get an artificial tree that you can put up year after year,” but there is something about getting a natural tree, letting that fresh pine scent fill your home is just part of Christmas to me.
Once the tree is all set, and the ceremonial “Placing of the star” has concluded, it is now time to decorate the rest of the home. I still like to get a few new decorations each year, even though I have a few boxes that I don’t get to put up because I simply don’t have enough space. It’s like combining the new with the old.
The exterior of my home has always posed the biggest challenge, why? There’s simply a lot of space to cover. The thing that I like the most is putting up the lights. The secret is getting the perfect effect where everything flows. I know that you need to do several ‘light checks’, but it’s sure worth it. How do you get that awesome jaw-dropping effect?
Do you make the lights work from the inside out? Or do you do it from the outside in? I’d say it’s neither. It depends on the effect you want to create. Personally, I prefer setups that favor movement. It’s like telling a story without saying a single word. It’s taking the viewer from on side of your house to the other. To add the element of story-telling, I incorporate several elements. So, it’s not only the lights, it’s a sleigh, a snowman, the elves and of course, Santa.
I’ve always felt very proud of my setup because I always get compliments from the neighbors. When I saw the next 6 setups, I was in total awe. The level of ingenuity, creativity, vision, and work they must go through to get the final grand effect is nothing short of major. Something that you truly must see to believe!
