Let There Be Lights

HEY HEY HEY! It's DECEMBER!

December 25th is rapidly approaching--but I'm actually trying not to think about that. I want to prolong the season as much as humanly possible. And by doing that, I wish my excellent higher education institution would give me more time off so I could get ready for Christmas and participate in more Christmas-oriented activities. But que sera sera...I had to miss Christmas in Rockefeller Center for the first time tonight. I've NEVER missed it. :-( Hopefully, someone DVR'd it for me (seeing as poor college students don't have DVR...sigh...)

What I HAVE noticed: IT BECAME CHRISTMASTIME OVERNIGHT! I was in my homeport of New York City last weekend for the Thanksgiving holidays and there was the Tree. While not lit yet, the magic was still ever-present. I also got a first look at the Saks windows this year; they are based on a lost personaifed snowflake who enters the city and learns about Christmas there. Cliche? Yes, but at this time of the year...what isn't? Isn't that how it's supposed to be?

Light displays on front lawns have added to the feeling of Christmas truly being in the air. I drove around my college town both yesterday and today just to scope them out (one of my favorite pastimes-of course, with Christmas tunes playing on the radio. XM/Sirius satellite radio has Holiday Tracks {XM 4} and Holly {XM 23} as great stations.). A new favorite decoration of mine this year: oversized "lights." They are shaped like Christmas light bulbs, but are placed in the ground because they are big enough to be. I've also seen more white than colored lights so far...which is dissapointing because I'm more partial to the colored lights. The usual lighted reindeer are still ever-popular, and while I was at home some of the displays that I grew up with are still perennial. My parents and I always take people by this one house; I swear, the guy has over two hundred plastic Christmas figurines on his front lawn.

For now, right in the midst of end-of-semester madness, ANY lights will do.

Please feel free to share your favorite outdoor decorations!! What displays will be up at your homes?

Happy decorating!
Gracie
The Christmas Geek