'Tis the season-lights on your house

[wilson]

As self-appointed DBR head elf, I promised some holiday threads a while back, but the homework elf has largely precluded me from doing so as of yet (jerk).
The question is, do y'all put lights up on the outside of your house? I have never before lived in a place suitable to do so, but this year, I finally have. I have icicle lights hanging from the gutter all the way across the front of the house, standard lights wrapped around the porch railings/supports and banisters, a bit of garland on the porch, and some strategically placed red bows. I also have, right smack in the floor-to-ceiling window on the front of my house, an outstanding Christmas tree. I've been taking study breaks to go stand in the street and look at my house (seriously).
What's the general feeling on outside decoration around here?

[DUKIECB]

The lights on the outside of the home is a tricky one. There is a fine line between tasteful and tacky when it comes to Christmas lights. We went with the candle lights in all the windows with the tree in the window. I may put a nativity scene with a spotlight in the lawn...haven't yet made up my mind.

[Indoor66]

The lights on the outside of the home is a tricky one. There is a fine line between tasteful and tacky when it comes to Christmas lights. We went with the candle lights in all the windows with the tree in the window. I may put a nativity scene with a spotlight in the lawn...haven't yet made up my mind.

IMO it is always better to lean strongly toward tacky. The more lights the better.

[allenmurray]

My youngest son loves lighted reindeer. Each year we buy a new one. We currently have a herd of seven. Six are the white wire lighted kind. The seventh is a very large Clyde Jones reindeer I am fortunate enough to have. At Christmas he gets garland on his antlers and a spotlight shining on him (the reindeer, not the artist).

[Lavabe]

IMO it is always better to lean strongly toward tacky. The more lights the better.

One of our neighbors has landing strip lights for Santa's sleigh. Is that tacky enough for you?

Gnomes would be better. The more tacky lawn ornaments, the better. And you can't have enough snowmen. I don't care for the giant inflatable snowglobe displays.

I miss Camy Street in Durham. Christmas just isn't the same without Santa's helicopter. ;)

Remember to try to get energy-conscious, sustainable LED lights for your tree. They pose less of a fire hazard, and you don't have to worry about that one nasty bulb that goes out. Head Elf: Our Office of Sustainability Initiatives may have other ideas for you.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[Indoor66]

One of our neighbors has landing strip lights for Santa's sleigh. Is that tacky enough for you?

Gnomes would be better. The more tacky lawn ornaments, the better. And you can't have enough snowmen. I don't care for the giant inflatable snowglobe displays.

I miss Camy Street in Durham. Christmas just isn't the same without Santa's helicopter. ;)

Remember to try to get energy-conscious, sustainable LED lights for your tree. They pose less of a fire hazard, and you don't have to worry about that one nasty bulb that goes out. Head Elf: Our Office of Sustainability Initiatives may have other ideas for you.

Cheers,
Lavabe

In Durham (Parkwood), on Oliver Lane, is a house that traditionally had a house and yard completely decorated. Part of the motif was 1/2 the roof was Duke and 1/2 UNC. Quite a sight.

[pfrduke]

As self-appointed DBR head elf, I promised some holiday threads a while back, but the homework elf has largely precluded me from doing so as of yet (jerk).
The question is, do y'all put lights up on the outside of your house? I have never before lived in a place suitable to do so, but this year, I finally have. I have icicle lights hanging from the gutter all the way across the front of the house, standard lights wrapped around the porch railings/supports and banisters, a bit of garland on the porch, and some strategically placed red bows. I also have, right smack in the floor-to-ceiling window on the front of my house, an outstanding Christmas tree. I've been taking study breaks to go stand in the street and look at my house (seriously).
What's the general feeling on outside decoration around here?

I had every intention of getting lights up this weekend (icicle lights on the front arbor, standard lights around the roof of the house, and lighted garland on the porch bannisters) until it snowed/rained for 3 1/2 days straight. I love me some Christmas lights, but not enough to navigate a slanted roof in driving rain. Hopefully it'll stay at least moderately dry next weekend so I can actually get them up. In the meantime, I did get a live wreath to hang on the door (and it looks mighty fine, thank you very much).

[snowdenscold]

My feeling is the outside should be all white lights. I think colored lights have a time and place (inside?), but I love driving down areas where all the houses in a row are filled with white lights on the trees, bushes and wherever else.

Lawn ornaments are unacceptable - UNLESS you plan on putting 10,000+ lights outside. Then anything goes =)

[hamster]

My father once put 1000 lights on a single five foot spruce tree (really a glorified shrub). The poor guy (who is usually quite handy around the house) had plugged each string of lights into the next, and couldn't figure out why he kept blowing fuses.
Once he figured out that he could put on even more lights (!) if he ran three different extension cords to the tree, well, nothing could stop him.

I spent too many years as his helper elf in these sorts of holiday adventures to ever put lights on my own place - I have paid my dues, in sheer numbers of lights, if nothing else. :)

(That being said, the outside of my parent's house is, IMO, actually tastefully decorated - all white lights and no strange critters or holiday vignettes staked out in the yard. And I would be happy to help my father out with his again, if I am ever visiting them at the appropriate time.)

[TillyGalore]

I don't do lights outside, mainly because I'm too short to hang them up by myself.

My mother on the other hand more than makes up for my lack of outdoor/indoor lights. She has icicles up outside, and just about every room in the house has lights and decorations. Even the bathroom downstairs has a nativity scene. In her bay window, which is on the front of the house, she will have a huge nativity scene with lights.

The only lights I have up are the ones on the tree, which this year include pink lights (I <3 pink, even at Christmas), pink lights around the breakfast bar, and white lights around the mirror above the fireplace. When all the other lights are turned off it is beautiful in my living room.

[Lavabe]

My feeling is the outside should be all white lights. I think colored lights have a time and place (inside?), but I love driving down areas where all the houses in a row are filled with white lights on the trees, bushes and wherever else.

White lights on black background triggers my migraines. SERIOUSLY. Colored lights rule!

Cheers,
Lavabe

[wilson]

My feeling is the outside should be all white lights. I think colored lights have a time and place (inside?), but I love driving down areas where all the houses in a row are filled with white lights on the trees, bushes and wherever else.

Lawn ornaments are unacceptable - UNLESS you plan on putting 10,000+ lights outside. Then anything goes =)

I strongly agree. All of the lights on my house and tree are white, as they have been and will be for all of my life.

[EarlJam]

Growing up, we had an aluminum tree with a color wheel at the base.

It was awesome. The greatest "excitement" leading up to the 25th was watching and listening to dad put the piece-of-sh*t tree together. He would curse, and curse and curse, occassionally propel a fake tree limb. But in the end, there it was, in all its glory - an aluminum tree reflecting the multi-colors of the battery operated plastic color wheel at its base.

That, to me, EarlJam, is what Christmas is all about.

-EarlJam

[365Duke]

I had every intention of getting lights up this weekend (icicle lights on the front arbor, standard lights around the roof of the house, and lighted garland on the porch bannisters) until it snowed/rained for 3 1/2 days straight. I love me some Christmas lights, but not enough to navigate a slanted roof in driving rain. Hopefully it'll stay at least moderately dry next weekend so I can actually get them up. In the meantime, I did get a live wreath to hang on the door (and it looks mighty fine, thank you very much).

i would come to Seattle myself and hang your lights for you while you watched TV with a beer, for 3 days of rain in Durham.:(

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=5812857

[DevilAlumna]

I had every intention of getting lights up this weekend (icicle lights on the front arbor, standard lights around the roof of the house, and lighted garland on the porch bannisters) until it snowed/rained for 3 1/2 days straight. I love me some Christmas lights, but not enough to navigate a slanted roof in driving rain. Hopefully it'll stay at least moderately dry next weekend so I can actually get them up. In the meantime, I did get a live wreath to hang on the door (and it looks mighty fine, thank you very much).

Pfr, you didn't have to deal with snow as well? Our 3" wasn't gone until Sunday afternoon, and that's only thanks to the rain washing most of it away. :(

But yeah, once our gutters get emptied, they'll be sporting some nice white icicle lights, and the trimmed tree will be glowing in the front window, to be seen by all who drive by.

[captmojo]

The more lights the better.

Or, you could say "The more lights, the brighter."

Sort of like an aloha shirt-" The louder, the brighter"

Anyway, you must never forget when putting up lights, that the more you put up, the more you have to take down.

All I want is what I have coming to me.
All I want is my fair share.

[wilson]

All I want is what I have coming to me.
All I want is my fair share.

Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest.

[captmojo]

Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest.

I've been accused.

[Lavabe]

Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest.

'fess up Wilson. What do you really want?

Answer: REAL ESTATE.

Cheers,
Lavabe

P.S. Man's best friend!

[wilson]

'fess up Wilson. What do you really want?

Answer: REAL ESTATE.

Cheers,
Lavabe

P.S. Man's best friend!

Good grief.

[pfrduke]

Pfr, you didn't have to deal with snow as well? Our 3" wasn't gone until Sunday afternoon, and that's only thanks to the rain washing most of it away. :(

But yeah, once our gutters get emptied, they'll be sporting some nice white icicle lights, and the trimmed tree will be glowing in the front window, to be seen by all who drive by.

In the city the snow was all gone by early (like before 8am) Sunday morning. It turned into rain overnight Saturday, which washed it all away. I echo your =(.

Actually, I was very tempted to get up and hang the lights in the snow on Saturday, but it was just a touch too wet. Now I'm almost wishing I had at least given it a shot.

[wilson]

Actually, I was very tempted to get up and hang the lights in the snow on Saturday, but it was just a touch too wet. Now I'm almost wishing I had at least given it a shot.

I honestly hope I never experience a white Christmas. The season is already a time for a lot of emotional release for me, and if it snowed, I think it would just be too much. I fear I'd just weep until it was gone.

Of course, as long as I celebrate Christmas in Atlanta, I have basically nothing to worry about.

[Lavabe]

Hey Head Elf: I didn't see you by the reindeer on campus today.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[wilson]

Hey Head Elf: I didn't see you by the reindeer on campus today.
Cheers,
Lavabe

Shoot! I didn't know such a thing would be present. Also, I'm still stuck interspersing bursts of Christmas cheer with end-of-semester concerns, which right now consist of too many books and too much coffee.

[dukemomLA]

When you're an East Coast girl living in L.A., one floods the house/yard/hillside/driveway/gates/pool/etc. with lights, lights, and more lights. Obviously great snow is not an option, but....we do what we can.

[Lavabe]

George Michael's "Last Christmas" is the single worst Christmas song around.
Okay, this is Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer asking another question:
Is there a problem with Xmas vs. Christmas?

Your ways confuse me.:)

Cheers,
Lavabe

[wilson]

George Michael's "Last Christmas" is the single worst Christmas song around.
Okay, this is Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer asking another question:
Is there a problem with Xmas vs. Christmas?

Your ways confuse me.:)

Cheers,
Lavabe

Some people choose to read "Xmas" as another salvo (I love that word) in the "war on Christ." In fact, "Xmas" has legitimate roots among Greek-speaking early Christians. Particularly during the era of Roman suppression, symbols and signs were often used to signify one's faith. For example, the ubiquitous Christian fish (the ichthus) actually derives from an anagram corresponding to the Greek word for fish. The letters stand for "Jesus Christ, God's only son". Similarly, the X in "Xmas" actually signifies the Greek letter Chi, standing for Christ.
Putting the Duke religion major to good work today.:D

[Lavabe]

Presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day ... that's the question addressed in a line from "Bull Durham." But what, pray tell, do the Canadians and English do on Boxing Day? Instead of two special days, do they get three? Why don't we have it? Any religious significance?

Your ways confuse me ...

PAGING colchar!

Cheers,
Lavabe

[hamster]

I thought Boxing Day was the day that you gave gifts to those that 'worked for you': a bonus to your housekeeper, the paper boy, your hairdresser, an assistant at the office, whatever.
The day after Christmas is St. Stephen's feast day, but I do not know if that is relevant.

[Karl Beem]

IMO it is always better to lean strongly toward tacky. The more lights the better.


Like these (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmgf60CI_ks)?

[knights68]

front door wrapped up in Christmas paper (well, this evening's "To Do")
Lighted deer and string of lights on the balcony.
Although I live in an apartment and no one else around has decorated, I figured why let that stop me?
I figure next week I'll pipe some Christmas music to play (softly) outside too! ha ha ha

[tecumseh]

Put this up a few years ago and figured there might come a Christmas when it would not seem so meaningful and could go a year without hanging up the lights unfortunately that time has not come to pass

[billybreen]

Put this up a few years ago and figured there might come a Christmas when it would not seem so meaningful and could go a year without hanging up the lights unfortunately that time has not come to pass

That's a tiny image. You might want to take another crack at uploading it.

[tecumseh]

The link is a thumbnail the full size images were rejected because of file size too large not sure how to work around this. Or how Hurley for 3 loaded such big files in the past

[billybreen]

The link is a thumbnail the full size images were rejected because of file size too large not sure how to work around this. Or how Hurley for 3 loaded such big files in the past

I can put the file somewhere publicly accessible if you would like. Send me an e-mail if interested.

[ugadevil]

Are luminaries an acceptable decoration? At my girlfriend's house, they put lumniaries all around the front yard. To me, it feels like a memorial more than a holiday.

[DevilAlumna]

Are luminaries an acceptable decoration? At my girlfriend's house, they put lumniaries all around the front yard. To me, it feels like a memorial more than a holiday.

Oh, absolutely! THere's a neighborhood in Lincoln, NE, where EVERY SINGLE HOUSE for about 4 square blocks puts out white luminaries along their sidewalks, about one every 1.5ft. It's a beautiful sight, really.

On Xmas eve, cops are out directing traffic b/c everyone drives to see them after services let out. (Hey, there's not much else to do in Lincoln.)