Welcome to Part 3 of Our Christmas Home Tour 2014, The Living Room Tree and Village.
First , I want to Thank Kathy, over at
A Delightsome Life , for fewaturing my post,
Scenes from a Holiday Craft & Gift Fair, from last week's
Home and Garden Party!
Thanks so much , Kathy!
Please visit and link up to this great party!!
I am a Victorian Soul and I like to decorate our Living Room in the traditional colors of Christmas....Red, Green and Gold......
The same goes for our 7 foot main Living Room Tree.......
Did you notice I said "main"?
Wink... Wink....
The Tree is adorned with all warm white LED lights, gold beaded garland and gold floral sprays that are tucked into the Tree.......
Rule of Thumb when lighting a Tree is 100 lights for every foot as a minimum......
I have over 900 lights on this Tree so I am good!!
I topped it with 2 gold floral sprays and a ribbon bow......
In Victorian Times, before electricity, the Christmas Tree had candles on it that were only lit on Christmas Eve with some one standing by with a bucket of water in case the Tree caught fire!!
I have had these gold candle ornaments for years but last year, I bought quite a few of the red and white candle ornaments at J.C. Penney's and decided to add them to the Living Room Tree.....
Most of the ornaments are in the Victorian style.....
Or have a nostalgic feel to them.....
I love the Old Fashioned Christmas feel that the Tree gives off......
Speaking of old fashioned, I grew up with my Dad setting up a Christmas Village on a platform under the Tree.
Now because it was just me and my older sister, we did not have the traditional 1940's-1950's train set but we still had a Plasticville Village under the Tree.....
I have continued this tradition........
My Dad made me this 4 foot square platform 36 years ago for the first Christmas that Joe and I were married.......
We have since reinforced the top of it with another layer of plywood since my foot went through part of it a few years ago but I have lost weight since then!!!!
LOL!!
The Platform is covered with white felt purchased at JoAnn Fabrics.
The Village is made by Lemax and I started collecting pieces in 1981 when my oldest son was born......
I bought the original pieces in Boscov's Department store and now Michaels and other stores carry the Lemax villages....
I try to add a piece each year even though I am running out of room!!
Just something small.......
This is my Queen Anne Victorian Dream house!!
I am the one who plans the Village out and sets it all up......
Joe would have no idea where to start!!
Everytime I am laying on the floor on the platform under the Tree........
Trying to get the houses to light,
Or the Trees to stand up straight.......
I can picture my Dad, with a tear in one eye and a gleam in the other.......
Saying " Thatta Girl!"
I am definitely my Father's Daughter and the daughter of a Carpenter!
I get the biggest kick out of displaying each piece and each figure......
I feel like a kid again......
Who got to play with the village for about a week before it was set up on display under the Tree.....
It is one of my best childhood memories of Christmas!!
And what a GIFT it is that at 56 years old......
I get to enjoy that same feeling again......
And pretend I am a kid once more!!
I hope I am not boring you with all these photos but I just love this village....
This year, I decided to add a bit of a second level........
Just enough to elevate 3 of the buildings.....
So this is Tree #1........
Here is the Tree and Village all lit up in the Evening......
If you missed Part 1 of Our Christmas Home Tour, The Outside of our Home, Click
HERE
If you missed Part 2 of Our Christmas Home Tour, The Outside All Lit Up at Night, Click
HERE
To View the next post in Our Christmas Home Tour, An Old Fashioned Christmas in Half of the Living Room, Part 4 ,Christmas Home Tour 2014 , please click
HERE
I am linking up to these parties:
Creating Christmas - Vintage Christmas
Christmas Homemaking Hop
Christmas Linky Party
Christmas in the Country Holiday Link Party
FRIDAY
Simple and Sweet Fridays
Home Sweet Home Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Friday Favorites
Flaunt It Fridays
What To Do Weekends
Anything Goes Linky Party
Anything Blue Fridays
Friday's Five Features Party
Fabulous Fridays
SATURDAY
Pink Saturday
Say G' Day Saturday
Friday Features Linky Party
Welcome to the Weekend Blog Hop
SUNDAY
Bouquet of Talent Linky Party
Share It One More Time Sundays
DIY SHowcase
Sunday Brunch Party
Snickerdoodle Sunday
Sunday's Best Partay! -monthly
MONDAY
Busy Monday
Mod Vintage Mix Monday
Make It Pretty Monday
Monday Link Party
Blue Monday
Please take some time to visit these terrific hosts and all those joining in on the fun!
Thanks so much for stopping by today and every day that you take the time to visit with me!
Hugs,
Debbie
Oh my gosh - that village is spectacular I could just stare at it all day!
ReplyDeleteI always had a village when the kids were small - but wow your looks like a true village - just beautiful Debbie !
( so is your tree ! )
XOX
Oh Debbie!!! I so love your tree, all loaded and dripping with ornaments - it's beautiful! And the village...{sigh}...I love the nostalgia it stirs and all the meticulous planning you go through in setting it up. You've made your Dad proud, no doubt. Most of my decorations are very small that I hang on my tree, so I know how much time is involved in getting it situated just right. Love your story of stepping through the platform too. :) Thanks for the tour and no, not too many pictures.
ReplyDeleteRita
The tree is magnificent and the village superb! Thanks for sharing it with us!
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie! Oh, your tree is so beautiful and you have the most gorgeous decorations on it. But that village! It's amazing! Sweet story about your childhood and your daddy building you the platform for your village. I'm glad you're a kid at heart because you share with us all of your pretties!
ReplyDeleteBe a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
You have just outdone yourself! It's a beautiful festive tree! I love how you put the village under it. It was so fun to explore!! Merry Christmas to you!
ReplyDeleteThis is my favourite tree I've seen! The epitome of a Christmas tree! xx #weekendbloghop
ReplyDeleteYou are 100% right - it is wonderful to still feel child like joy at Christmas. I was verklempt thinking of your father watching over you as you set up your village. I am sure he would be remembering you doing the same as a child. Sounds like a good idea for a painting - wish I had that sort of talent!
ReplyDeleteI love all the village pictures. Each scene tells a little story.
The tree is fabulous - but I'm not even going into how fabulous lol
I love that you are true to yourself and what you love.You have such a gift of sharing yourself through your blog. I am sure that there are many people who never knew they could like Victorian until they found your blog. No wonder you are such a favorite.
I am playing catch up. I usually read blogs in the early morning but I've been sleeping in. If you can call 6:30 sleeping in. I'm like a bear wanting to hibernate lately. I am thinking I may have to spring for a few tanning sessions for a vitamin D boost since I see no holiday trips to a tropical isle in my near future.Angels to you my friend!
I agree with you about the joy of Christmas. Your tree is an explosion of rich, elegant, beautiful decors
ReplyDeleteKisses
Alessandra
Hi Debbie, this is absolutely stunning! Happy decorating! Lisa @ Sweet Tea N' Salty air
ReplyDeleteOh wow Debbie, such a beautiful tree, love this town :):) thank you so much for joining me at the weekend blog hop, love to stop by and see your posts ...
ReplyDeleteLove the villiage under the tree. I am putting just a few things under mine this year, the grands especially the one year old I watch has fifty fingers.
ReplyDeleteI do love your trees , gorgeous.
All of your decorations bring much joy to see.
betsy
Oh Debbie, I love seeing your decorations every year! I love to decorate for Christmas too and get inspired seeing beautiful homes like yours! Thanks for sharing your home and your love of Christmas! Mary
ReplyDeleteBeautiful tree, Debbie, and what sweet memories you shared. Really made me smile and feel nostalgic. . .love that village all lit up! Carl tries to set up his train set at Christmas every year, and I think the granddaughter (who is 3) will really enjoy it this year!
ReplyDeleteThis is incredible! So much to see. Again, I don't know how you do all of this.
ReplyDeleteI always wanted an old, antique house, but mine was built in the '80s. Your Victorian home gives me such inspiration, b/c I can still make my house look vintage.
You are incredible- this must take weeks to do!
Hugs,
Darlene
Debbie, I am in love with your Christmas Village and your tree is absolutely beautiful. You go above and beyond in your Christmas décor and it is so lovely. Thank you for sharing at The Southern Special.
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful Debbie i love it xxx
ReplyDeleteAgain Debbie, You had me at "village"! You have created a beautiful nostalgic glimpse into little world of Christmas beauty. I always had my village in the family room of our old house and like you I placed it under the tree in the corner and spreading out on either side of the tree. I miss it so much! I still have about half of the houses and accessories that I used to build it with but our "downsized" home literally has no where to put it. I have to enjoy Christmas villages vicariously through beautiful village posts like yours. After over ten years without even opening one of the boxes that I have stored at our storage unit I finally did a small village last week on the dining table as part of Cuisine Kathleen's copycat table challenge. I cried when I opened the tote that contained the little village people. Evidently the tote had been dropped by the moving company when we moved back from Florida. Way over half of the little villagers were broken.
ReplyDeleteWell here nor there, your village is wonderful! I really enjoyed seeing it. Have a wonderful weekend. ....Candy
I'm totally in love with this! Pinned and tweeted. We appreciate you being a part of our party, and I hope to see you on Monday at 7 pm. We love partying with you!
ReplyDeleteHappy Saturday! Lou Lou Girls