More Photos

DECEMBER 11

Not long after we moved into our street, I think it was our first Christmas here, our neighbours across the road decorated their house with a myriad of Christmas lights and so began the Christmas Light Competition.

It's not an OFFICIAL competition mind you, nor even has it been referred to as such amongst those involved but DH, never a big one for the Christmas decorations, developed a chronic case of Light Envy and shot straight out to Magnet Mard armed with his credit card and a desire to outdo his friend!

Our next door neighbour meanwhile had strung out a light or two, but alas it all looked a bit sad beside the gleaming grid-draining splendour of the other two houses.  So he went out and bought a thing or two.  Then the next day some more.  And the next day even more. And so on and so on.

This year Chris discovered LED lights, these lights make the old traditional lights pale into sad insignificance and I think they can be seen from space!  Each year we update and add to our collection and this year as usual a bit of maintenance was required, especially to our reindeer and sleigh, and especially after the Big Storm when the reindeer all attempted to take off sans Santa and landed in a crumpled heap on the (fake) lawn.

So after a late night internet search Chris found strings of LED lights bright enough and hi-tech enough to warm the heart of the most avid Xmas House Decorator and the other day he commenced the Strip, Repair & Replace project.  His back is aching, his fingers are sore but at last 3 of our reindeer and the sleigh are rewired and ready to burn the retinas of passers by.  Next year, once the agony of the chore has faded into memory, he will finish the others.

And therefore my photo today is of Chris in his Reindeer Repair Workshop (formerly known as The Garage), with one reindeer all finished and a second on the go!

DECEMBER 12 - Reindeer Candy Canes

I love Melissa Goodsell's blog, she always has lots of great craft ideas and so do her readers!

She came up with one for pipecleaner and candy cane reindeer recently so last night Ronin and I started them.  I did buy some googly eyes to stick on as well but I've put them "somewhere safe" and can't find them!!!  These will be gifts for his preschool classmates.

Check out Melissa's blog at www.melissagoodsell.typepad.com .

Off to Taylor's concert tonight, hopefully some photos out of this!

Tracey xxx