It's time again to build the Christmas Village ... although every year I swear up and down I'm never going to do it again! This year, however, I haven't purchased ONE new building, figure, or accessory ... not yet, anyway! But, I've decided to do something different: share the process with my family and friends.
I have a lot of time this year due to the fact I'm unemployed at the moment. Rather than sit and stress about that situation, I decided to pull the 30+ boxes and crates out of the garage and begin the design and build process once again. "Better to stay busy" ... or so I've heard! LOL Wonder WHO said that!
In the past, I've had the luxury of using a whole room or long wall to construct my village on. This year, I don't which threw a monkey wrench into the design process. Last year, 25' wall; this year, L-shaped corner area. I'm bound and determined to put up each and every piece!
My village has grown considerably since the first one in 2000 of about nine buildings and a handfull of figures (people).
By 2003, it had about tripled in size and I made a "starry sky backdrop. This village was built on the living room floor ... where the dogs could get to it, of course! We nicknamed Itzy (my female Boston Terrier) "Godzilla Itzy"; the only place she wanted to be was in the middle of my "sea" (blue fleece seen toward bottom right). I was always amazed though, how she could lie down and not move a thing out of place!
By Christmas 2005, the village had, again, doubled in size. Now, it took up my whole dining room. "Sorry guests ... " I said. "We'll have to eat off of TV trays as the dining room table isn't available until sometime next year." I had finally smartened up and built the village off the floor!
I added some special effects that year, also ... like Santa in his sleigh with his reindeer flying through the sky (hung from the ceiling with fishing line). The effect was really cool at night when all the overhead lights were off thanks to the use of some very tiny spotlights aimed at "the man"!
In 2005, I added a train. That slowed up the building process that year! And, quite the learning curve. You have to understand that the oval track was big enough one couldn't reach the far side of it. So, when my son decided to see how fast it could go and it derailed as far away as it could ... "Mom ... we have a problem". Fortunately, we could use a broomstick to unlock the dining room window (we sure as heck couldn't reach it) and from the outside of the house, retrieve the poor wrecked train. Needless to say, if Adam gets a hair to race a train against anything, he must buy his own and leave mine alone!
In 2006, I was living in Windcrest, Texas (outskirts of San Antonio), a town which is well-known throughout that part of the country for their elaborate lighting displays. If you don't decorate your house, you have no business living in Windcrest! My neighbors tried to talk me into charging admission to people who want to stop and see my creation. But, with my son and his girlfriend and my sister and brother-in-law expected for the holiday, the last thing I needed was a bunch of strangers parading through my living room. By December 28th, all my company was gone and I decided I needed to be, too. Within eight days, the village was packed away as was the rest of my worldly goods ... all headed back to Vegas via UHaul and me.
In 2005, I added a train. That slowed up the building process that year! And, quite the learning curve. You have to understand that the oval track was big enough one couldn't reach the far side of it. So, when my son decided to see how fast it could go and it derailed as far away as it could ... "Mom ... we have a problem". Fortunately, we could use a broomstick to unlock the dining room window (we sure as heck couldn't reach it) and from the outside of the house, retrieve the poor wrecked train. Needless to say, if Adam gets a hair to race a train against anything, he must buy his own and leave mine alone! In 2006, I was living in Windcrest, Texas (outskirts of San Antonio), a town which is well-known throughout that part of the country for their elaborate lighting displays. If you don't decorate your house, you have no business living in Windcrest! My neighbors tried to talk me into charging admission to people who want to stop and see my creation. But, with my son and his girlfriend and my sister and brother-in-law expected for the holiday, the last thing I needed was a bunch of strangers parading through my living room. By December 28th, all my company was gone and I decided I needed to be, too. Within eight days, the village was packed away as was the rest of my worldly goods ... all headed back to Vegas via UHaul and me.
The 2007 village took up the whole otherwise empty living room of the house I'd recently moved into. I figured I had the room so why not "let it spread". And, the setup allowed visitors to walk around and see all the cool scenes ... like the bell ringer in front of the WalMart store! Or the new ranch which somewhat depicted my friend's place, Rancho Vegas Performance Horses (thanks for the idea, Barb!). Detail, detail, detail!
In order to put further stress on myself (and my family as I evolved into something close to a lunatic the closer it got to Thanksgiving), I decided to really decorate the outside of my house. I've put up lights for years, but nothing in comparison to 2007! Of course, my kids thought I had watched the movie, "Deck the Halls" one too many times: add more lights until they can be seen from outer space! I thought the display turned out nicely.
(Video Length: 15 seconds)
The 2008 village took up a wall approximately 25' long, still in my living room. The video is about 13 minutes long, but well worth it if you are all about Christmas, as I am.
This village, as with all villages since 2003, the setup had to make sense. Therefore, there is a residential area; a commercial/business district; a bay area; the ranch, farming and countryside area; the ski mountain; an airport; a golf course; an amusement park; a couple of ice skating rinks with skaters that actually move; and, of course, the North Pole.
As of 2008, the village is comprised of 307 figures (people) , animals and accessories (such as gates, fences, etc.); 107 buildings, all lit and all wired in; hundreds of assorted trees; 41 lighted decorative pieces, each of which have to be separately wired; 17 power adapters to power the decorative pieces; an airplane; about 100 yards of white fleece; 12 strings of white lights for 'under lighting'; and, at last count, 83 surge protectors! No, I'm not sure what the investment is; and I'm not sure I want to know! :)
I usually try to have the village up by Thanksgiving as well as the outside decorations for the traditional "Flip the Switch" light-up Thanksgiving evening. I don't believe I'll hit that goal ... it remains to be seen, though. Anything is possible!
So, why not join into the fun and see how long it takes to build Dunnville 2009? Hope you enjoy the visit! Come back soon!
... Oh! And the dogs still want to lie on the fleece!
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