Christmas 2010
 

A few weeks ago, Bill and I were at Lowe's. We saw this iridescent white artificial Christmas tree pre-wired with twinkling white lights. Bill fell in love. He decided right then and there that we must have a shagadelic mod Christmas tree or he would die, so we bought it. We went to Target and bought a bunch of ornaments in coordinating modish colors, and about a mile of blue bead garland. We saw a color-changing LED tree topper online, and ordered it.

It all went together tonight. It's splendid.

One little problem.

It has hundreds of little white twinkling lights. It's bright. Not just bright, but Luxor Hotel Beacon bright. Need to wave off airplanes trying to land on our lawn bright. The mothership has landed bright. We fear it will fade the upholstery bright.

But it is glorious.

And swanky.

And we love it.

LOL that is awesome!!! I can't wait to get our tree and make it pretty!!!

I really need to post a movie of it...

I was wondering what caused that brown-out this evening.

We have a white tree to - if you're going, go all the way I figured.

After I grabbed my sunglasses so I could look at the picture, I saw how swankalisious it is! Takes me back to my childhood, it does....

:cool:

I think I saw the glow from my house.:)

Beautiful!

Pretty! My white tree had multicolor lights, but I like the look with the white lights too! Classy.

I actually threw out my white tree this year - dog had destroyed the bottom 1/3's light string anyway. This year we're going REAL :D

I'm actually thinking, due to the party theme, of taking a page from Disney's book, specifically the trees around the Candlelight stage - and using amber lights, for that candlelight glow :)

So, that's the source of the bright glow in the sky I see in the East.

I just turned the tree off for the night. You should have no trouble sleeping now.

This years project: The Christmas Tree Train!

I dug deep into the storage closet and dug out my Dad's 1950's era American Flyer Train set. I'm working to restore it to working order in time for the big day. As far as I know the last time it was run was in the 60's.

Every time I make new friends and it gets around December, the questions start.

There are a few moms I know that seemingly have never encountered someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas. It's quite amusing how they scrunch their foreheads, working very hard to keep their brains from melting as they ask "do you get gifts from all your relatives for all eight days?" and "no tree, no nothing?"

I don't know if I'm expanding minds or just making myself look like an alien being.

For the first time ever, I'm actually considering buying an album of Christmas Music.

Destination Christmas

Be sure to tell them about the traditional Christmas dinner of Chinese food and a movie.

Is there a multi-quote option for submitting things to quotes?

Every year I want to buy a tree and decorate it but I never do. Too much hassle to drag it up the stairs.

Get a little tree!! We've been decorating a little 3-footer and it's just the right size for our situation.

Gorgeous tree, JWB! :)

We picked up my first real tree on Saturday. I don't think I'll ever do a fake one again. (My mom bought into the whole "news flash" about trees catching fire "everywhere", so I only grew up with a fake one.)

She's a gorgeous 6-1/2" Noble Pine, and the fullest and fluffiest real tree I've seen. Her top is perfectly straight, and her branches are so evenly spaced, I almost thought she was fake. :)

But, the smell is wafting through our entire place, and I looooooooooove it.

We added 570 LED C6 lights (120 colored, 450 white), and the ornaments will go on in the next night or two.

Will post pics soon. :)

Your tree is beautiful JW! I really like the tree topper.

We only have half the lights up on the house.

As much as I love the tree - the lil rein-dog at the bottom just poking his head in is a cutie.

If you are referring to my picture, that's a ceramic (non-rein) deer. It's always been under our family Christmas trees for just about as long as I can remember. I'm keeping up the tradition now that I have it.

I was - but I must tell you it was cuter when I pictured you setting up the shot with a little dressed up chihuaua or other small doggie with antlers on and getting him to sit there while you took the picture. ;)

We haven't done a tree for a couple of years because where the tree goes has been occupied by a Chameleon cage. Since, due to spider bites, we are not keeping a cage in that location, it appears that we will have a tree there.

I need to post a picture of the tin foil star that my mother still puts at the top of her tree: I made it when I was like 7 or 8 because we didn't have any tree topper. It is aluminum foil taped to a piece of cardboard I cut out in the shape of a star.

A friend asked me half-jokingly if I've done the Chinese food thing...I'm really not sure, but it's quite possible. There have been years when I forgot it was Christmas and tried to go out for dinner or something (though GD's family gets together on the date so that's basically over now).

I told them my favorite "Christmas, huh?" story. One cold, dark evening, my mom was at a recycling machine popping in cans and bottles while my younger brothers played around nearby. A minivan pulled up and a very nice family tried to give her some money. It wasn't until they pulled away that it occurred to my mother that it was Christmas Eve. Just another night for her...

You think people get confused by Jews not celebrating Christmas? You should see the confusion over someone who simply decides to not celebrate Christmas.

Quite a few can't grasp that as an atheist I have little interest in Christian holidays, apparently thinking that it means I should just pick the fun ones and go with it.

Unless something drastic changes, no tree this year. My life of thrift till debt is paid off is not working out as well as I'd hoped. Must scrimp somewhere.

But a tree is not what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Only In LA
 

Marilyn Monroe Santa

The photo is work safe, but some of the ads on that page are provocative. No nudity, but if your workplace is especially prudish, view it at home.

Unless you have a Kick-aşş Fake Tree that looks totally real and can put it up each year with no further tree-purchase necessary !!

ETA: Apologies for the picture size..

Size queen! ;)

As much as I insisted having having a real tree, I got such a great deal on a very nice fake one two years ago. It was less than the cost of the real one, and so much easier to put up. And came pre-strung with LED lights.

Poor Rudolph. Oh the humanity!

Ooh. My heart goes out to you.

OMG, so sad! The only way it could be worse is if blood started gushing out of his head (or if he went out like the Hindenberg, as you said).

BTW, did you see that Charlie sold out?

More Rudolph Fun. (You don't have to put on the red light.)

Seriously - do no one plan ahead and look at the route? There was no way that Rudolph was going to make it under or around that light. WTF?

I'm actually glad for the lack of planning, because that was damn funny. :evil:

And, from what I hear from locals, there was a set of power lines 2 blocks later that he also would never have made it under. Parade-Planners FAIL. Kiddy nightmares on their hands.

Charlie sold out, and I bought. I have one of those droopy Charlie Brown trees in my living room right now. That's as much decoration as I'm going to have time for this year.

over the past decade or so I have made my Christmas cards from scratch. Before that I took a card I bought in the store and doctored it up as I sort of rub it into people that I live in Hawaii.

I really do need to get pictures/scan of them and put them in my Flickr account.

I am late to the thread, but I am with Bill *love* the tree!
And very much enjoyed your passage about JW

We have our very own tinsel tree, a vintage one from the 1960s, plus shiny new colorwheel!

Christmas trees- represent

OMG - THAT's the tree I want. [drool]

Here's our humble little tree-

Humble Matt? It looks seven feet tall . . . I wonder what else you are under-measuring . . .

Actually, knowing Matt, he's probably over-compensating. :D

Rudolph down! Rudolph down!

Yup and now as of today i have 2 Bon Jovi Christmas stockings that i ordered from the website :) So the wall behind the tree is Bon Jovi'd. Kind of a Bon Jovi Christmas :)

Tomorrow I am booked for a Santa gig on the Warner Bros. Studio’s back lot from 5 to 7 pm I been told to report to Stage 26. That is the set for Two and a Half Men

This site is totally and completely rad!



FRAG-I-LAY!

Oh, that is AWESOME! :snap:

Maybe the cast and crew holiday party. :)

I dare you to put Charlie Sheen on your lap and tell him he's been a very naughty boy.

The Moonie Family Tree:

Is that your Dad's 1950's era American Flyer Train set? If so, I see your fix=it endeavor was successful - congratulations!

It is, it was and thanks! The engine needed some work, but the rest of the set was in pretty good shape. Even the spot-light car is working after I put in a new bulb.

Kind of weird, but that panda ornament on the tree somehow looks photoshopped in.

Very nice thread guys........

Us,? Mindy and I just have the one child and he's now 14.....we're still doing a lot of things but exploding Christmas all over the house isn't one of them; we decorate, but it's only about 1/5 as much as we did 9 or 10 years ago.

It actually makes Christmas nicer in many respects:)

Survived the first of many Christmas celebrations yesterday, with Dad, his wife, two sisters, one with spouse, one with daughters, and cousin and his girlfriend. It was nice.

Lights On Display 2010

This guy also has a Halloween display from 2004.

More videos and location info here. (he's in Sherman Oaks)

It's staring to look like all the rain you SoCal'ers have been dealing with recently is going to make it's way here to the bitter east coast in the form of a white Christmas. Making life just a little less bitter. Thanks, and a Merry Christmas to all!

I'm still finishing our tree. It's been weird adjusting to a real tree, because the branches will unfold or seem to move every day, and then I spend time adjusting the ornaments. :rolleyes: But, I do love it. It smells so purdy!

White Wine In The Sun
It's a rather sentimental Christmas song written by and performed by skeptic, atheist, and incredibly talented Tim Minchin. I think it encapsulates my feelings toward Christmas quite well.

Will there be a webcam this year? I'm kind of making notes for next year. Or at least talking myself into the benefits of snow.

Wouldn't be much to look at unfortunately. However if we do get hit with a real storm at some point this winter SnowmageddonCam is standing by.

Finally got some pictures of the card that I put together for this year.


2010 Christmas Card Front by coconut wireless, on Flickr


2010 Christmas Card Back by coconut wireless, on Flickr

This isn't the most creative or elaborate or skillful synchronized light/sound display around - but big bonus points for the multi-home factor

Little late but here's my tree. I found the skirt at my Mom's. We never used it, my step-grandmother made it. We all have matching stockings. I love it. And I took all the Shiny Bright's that were my grandmothers as well. My sister doesn't like "historical stuff".



Close ups on the skirt

Love the tree skirt!

Wow. Just wow.

I just received a Christmas gift from my Brother. A kindle book via email.

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (nothing to do with the movie).

It goes well with the book he gave me last year:
The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

and the one from the year before that.
The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

:rolleyes:

At this point it's on purpose, right?

Right?

Or perhaps he's just selecting your yearly gift by some random process and it just appears to be determinate.

Out of curiosity, have you read it?

The core of the book is pretty interesting and has broad applications, but I didn't feel like there was anything said after the first few chapters that wasn't clear in those first chapters..

Though to be slightly defensive of your brother, Taleb did release a revised edition of the book earlier this year. So maybe he thinks the new chapter is really, really important.

*sigh* No, I really don't think so.

When he gave me the first copy I added it to my I'll get to it list, but never quite made it. Upon receiving the second copy I was childishly offended and quietly put it on my ignore list. Now that I have received the third copy it's actually peaked my interest. Having just finished "The Errie Silence" and awaiting delivery of the 4% Universe I have an opening in my reading schedule I think I'll fit this in.

At least the first few chapters anyway.

Candy ?

That's amazing

Merry Christmas and happy viewing of Kalle Anka, everyone!

Merry Christmas!!!!*







*To those who celebrate it.

Gingerbread and


Merry Christmas LoT!

Hope everyone is having a lovely Christmas. :coffee:

Merry Christmas everyone!

Falling Water Gingerbread = amazing!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Merry Swankmas everyone!!

Merry Christmas everypeople! Got the family visits done on Christmas Eve, and now I actually have a day off! Roommates are off to do family stuff, so I've got the place to myself. Do I clean the apartment and watch Christmas specials on TV, do I go to the Park, or go see a movie and eat Chinese food? I don't know! It's nice to have an unobligated day.

I'm open for suggestions and/or dinner invitations! ;)

Edited to add this pretty video. (turn down the music, turn up your own Christmas fave)

So, Susan asked me to go to the park to pick up a couple of items, including my own - yes, I was going to buy my own Christmas present.

She wrote a note with what I was supposed to be buying. The plan was that I would go to Disneyana, hand the note to the clerk and then just hand over my credit card and be done with it. I was going to be good and not peak (I did not look at the note).

So, I went to Disneyana and explained to the clerk that I was here to buy my Christmas present on behalf of my wife and this is was a surprise for me and to not tell me what I was buying: I hand the note to the person and she looks at it. She seemed confused (I later found out that there was a first choice and second choice written on the note) and after reading a couple of times, she says, "Oh, the marquee." :rolleyes: The she proceeds to walk over to the Olszewski cabinet (without asking me to turn around or close my eyes). :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Oh well - we tried.

We tried to reprise our "ski-to-sea" of our first Christmas here, where we drove up to Mt. Pinos (huhuhuhuh) to play in the snow and then to the beach in Santa Monica for sunset.

We accomplished none of these things.

We drove up to Mt. Pinos, but it was closed all the way down at the bottom. And not because of an abundance of snow, either, as there was much MUCH less snow than the other two times we've driven up there. Roads were totally bare, no snow pack along the roads, and only some traces of snow in shady areas. So, we enjoyed what we could of the snow pockets, and then decided to head toward the beach.

Rather than head back down the 5/405 to Santa Monica, we decided to take what Google showed as a windy, twisty road through Los Padres National Forest, ending up (hopefully) in Ventura. It was a *spectacular* drive. A variety of interesting rock formations were ours for the viewing. The first part of the drive, from Frazier something or other to the 33, was on a road the would be impassible in more interesting weather.

The road went through a bunch of dips with "flooding" signs indicating what we would see in more exciting weather. We stopped on a straight stretch for the Rat to take a cat nap, and the wind was blowing so hard that the car rocked back and forth. When we continued on, we came to a section with big "PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!" signs. And, indeed, there was a goodly quantity of water flowing across the roadway. Fortunately, it was a ford that Reggie, the ancient Civic, was up to traversing.

But the excitement wasn't through! Once we hit the 33, we first climbed up to some spectacular view of the valley. We felt utterly alone in the world. As we got closer to the coast, the mist rolled in. It was traveling in fast-moving swirls, across totally green hills. It looked like some fantasy movie setting. Or possibly Ireland. We'd drive through a thick cloud of mist that cut visibility to just in front of the car and then pop out into a pocket of clearing full of lush foliage.

As Google promised, we eventually popped out into Ventura. We'd missed sunset, but given the cloud cover we wouldn't have seen much any how. It was sprinkling lightly as we stopped at "Surfer's Point" and set out on a stroll. During the stroll it started to pour, of course, so we were drenched when we made it back to the car. Since it was dark, we picked "swift" over "scenic" for the drive back.

All in all, it was an awesome day.

Christmas and I made friends this year. I tried to make myself crazy by deciding to make a bunch of the gifts but waiting until almost the last minute so that I had to schedule the last two weeks with the precision of a military campaign. But everyone liked their gifts and I enjoyed making them. And today after an afternoon with my sister and her family I don't feel the need for intensive psychotherapy. A real Christmas miracle.
:)

Happy Boxing Day!

My roomie loved her gift and I am now an iPad widow! :D Great God almighty, peace at last!

Hope all had a wonderful holiday and wishing great things for 2011!

Now off to see The King's Speech.

We actually ate Chinese food on Christmas. I don't think I've ever done that before. It was fantastic, and might become our new family tradition. I know they say that lots of Jews do this, but do they really?

Google said the 101 was faster, so we took that to the 405.

I'm on night 5 of 8 nights of overnights in 2 different houses. Tis the season....for me to make money. I'm currently staying in an incredibly beautiful (and large) 1914 Craftsman bungalow in Carol Park - the CUTEST neighborhood in Long Beach. Now, if I wasn't so busy, I'd enjoy the many benefits of living here!

Awww, look at thos rare white-faced chi-poms! Too cute!

Happy post-Christmas everyone. Just playing catch-up on the LoT folks' holidays.

katiesue, that tree skirt is beyond awesome, and your sister is a fool.

GD, the Falling Water gingerbread house is rad. I thought is was Pez that made up the bricks, but was pleased to find it was really my favorite Halloween candy, Smarties!

CP - Yes, Jews traditionally eat Chinese Food on Christmas. I long to return to those halcyon days.


I hope everyone had a most merry one, and is enjoying the last of Twenty-Ten as we rush headlong to New Year's.

Apparently more every year.

Note to self:

Things NOT to do on December 27th:

1. Check credit card balance.
2. Step on a scale

:eek:

She must be related to the ultrasound tech we had with our first child. She looked at the images and then asked us "Do you want to know what sex he is?"