my village

[dancingleaf]

I confess, I am a Christmas village addict.

I started the whole village thing so that people would have something to buy me for Christmas. Apparently some people think I am difficult to buy for - I tried to get them to stop giving me gifts but that exploded in my face. Somehow this minor interest has spiraled out of control.

My village isn't that big really, but it now takes up two tables. I had J build me another table this year because I wanted to put the train set out. I am desperately lusting for this pizza shop to add to my village and if I don't get it - I think I will be heartbroken. The only thing worse of course would be to get two pizza shops. *sigh*

I'm planning to build a mountain/tunnel for this new table so that my train can disappear into/through it and add some height to my village, a little topographical element. I think I may also paint some road/pond elements on it, or just make some removable snow banks etc. I'm also envisioning a third table for the corner and maybe an extension on this one. Hell might as well use my dining room for something. I could kick myself for buying dining room furniture. Somedays I really wish it was still completely empty.

I went out to do some shopping yest and found that someone has barn pieces/country houses for sale. One of the barns even has horses....

I try to keep it under control though. I don't buy pieces for myself. as much as I'd like to and I try to keep it to 2-3 pieces a year. Which means that I tell my DH, my MIL and my mother which items I am looking at - so that if one of my sibs comes to her and says... I don't know what to get -leaf- she can say... oh... she wants -this-. I try to tell them a different piece each so that I don't end up with more than one. The thing I like best about 'the village' is the price range. You can buy the cheapest items at a dollar store, lots of items in the under $20 range and really the sky is the limit if you really want to splurge.

Yes - I set up my village already, early I know but... I figure anything I don't do now - isn't going to get done. I am NOT setting up the tree this year because I plan to be in bed sleeping for the last week of November, first of December. If I feel fantabulous, post surgery, I may change my mind, but I doubt it.

Comments

[sacramentalist.livejournal.com]

If only there was a way to be registered for this sort of thing. Then everyone would know what you want and you wouldn't get duplicates. Two pizza places, indeed.

[mish55.livejournal.com]

I think that's a great idea. My mum is obsessed with this stuff. She's a big fan of the Dept. 56 Dickens Village collection, and her all-time favorite EVER is snowmen. Our house becomes a snowman emporium by the end of November. We've got about a dozen totes of houses, figurines, setup (you know, the white snowy/sparkly blankets, styrofoam), trees, lights, lamps, decorations, etc. What she'd do is get gift certificates to the stores that sold this stuff, and then she could go and pick her own, since she's got -way- too much of it (personal opinion, she'd disagree with me).

Thankfully, she's only going to put up the snowmen and the tree this year. There's just no space in the house for her to put up the Dickens (my fault in every way it's possible). Just as well. With Grady's propensity towards ripping/shredding anything that looks light and fluffy and he can reach it, I'd shudder to think of what would happen if he went for it after the village was set up, since the snowy blanket hangs over the edge of the table. Ah well. That's why there's bitter apple.