More changes!

The remodeling binge continues here at the store.  I wondered why all the industrial sawing noises yesterday….they took down another wall!  The Christopher Radko, Mark Roberts, and RJ McDonald collections will be open to the main store floor ~ you recognize that black-and-white tile, don’t you?

Porch construction is complete, and now it’s up to the decorators and merchandisers to put it all together – take a look at this neat new feature.

As soon as they have shingled the roof to Singing Santa’s new performance area, I’ll post an update.  We’re very excited about how his new area is going to be completed!

Tree relighting continues – they start at the bottom, and wrap each branch from trunk to tip and back, finishing off at the top.

All I have going on at my place is spring – no, all-year-long – cleaning.  New wood and paint and lights and trees are so much more interesting!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

How to light your Christmas tree

Cape May Pine Pre-lit Tree

So, you think you know how to light your Christmas tree, right?  You start at the top with the end of a light strand, and you go around and around, and you plug that strand into the next strand, and you go around and around again, and you plug that strand in, and you rinse and repeat.  Around January 2nd or 10th or maybe even February 7th or 17th, reverse the process.

Wrong.

I’m sorry, but you are wrong wrong wrong.  Now, hear me out!  I have testimonials galore from friends who have seen the light – get it – the light? - and now have more beautimous Christmas trees than ever before!  The last report was that their Christmas ornaments practically glow on the tree under the proper conditions of illumination created with this technique.

It does not necessarily involve purchasing a pre-lit Christmas tree, though that is certainly an acceptable and practical option in many cases, and we have a beautiful selection.

Here’s what you do:

• First, run a power strip from your nearest outlet to the base of your Christmas tree.  Plugging lights strands into a power strip makes it easy to turn them on and off.
• Start at the bottom of the tree, near the trunk.   Wrap your first strand of lights around a branch, moving out to the tip and back into the trunk.  Proceed to the next branch, wrapping it to the tip and back.  Space your lights evenly.  If you have an artificial Christmas tree with hinged branches, make it easy on yourself and tie up the upper branches as you work your way up the tree.
• If you have an extra bit of light strand at the end, wrap it back around the trunk of the tree.
• Remember not to link more than 3 light strands together – use that power strip and extension cords as necessary (you know they come in green so you can hide them in your tree).
• Fluff your branch tips to give a nice overall shape to your tree – if you have an artificial tree.  I’m not sure how you fluff a real Christmas tree.  Maybe you need a rotating base, get some centrifugal force going on it??  Hee hee hee!
• Done.  Now add all the other pretty, shiny bits, and the hand-made ornaments from down through the years, turn on the lights, grab a mug of hot cocoa, pop in a Christmas cd, sit back, and enjoy the view. 

Next up, tips on hanging garland around the house!  Think hooks, that’s my teaser.  There is more information about selecting and decorating your tree on our blog page conveniently titled Selecting and Decorating Your Tree.

Happy Christmas!  Life is good!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

Two for Tuesday

I really did a triple take…walking through the warehouse…of a CHRISTMAS store…spot a box of shotgun shells???  Ooooookaaaaayyyyy.  Turns out, they are lights for the tree!  Bit of a relief…but just a bit.  Shotgun shells on the old tree?  Things that make you go hummmm.

May I stick with the hmmmmmm theme a little longer?  I’m just throwing out a guess, but … Carmen Mooranda?  or is it Cowmen Miranda? — well, good guesses, but: it’s Moolin Rouge!

Turns out there are about a dozen of these bovine beauties from Cows on Parade in the store.  They’re just moooo-licious!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

Green Solutions That Sparkle

Last year, The Incredible Christmas Place introduced you to LED lights for indoor and outdoor decorating.  These amazing and brilliant lights are at work in all kinds of places, from your digital alarm clock and illuminated wristwatch (I always wear mine to the movies), to your television remote and even traffic lights.

Here’s some more cool stuff about LEDs from How Stuff Works.  They don’t use filaments like incandescent bulbs; they emit light through the movement of electrons in semiconductor materials. This is why they don’t burn out like ordinary bulbs – and we must all agree that this is a very good thing when it comes to Christmas lights!

Different colors of LED lights come about because of some really technical stuff that How Stuff Works explains ~ it involves photons and conduction bands and lower orbitals…yeah, I’m not going there… I want you to know about the environmental advantages of these lights.

Longer lasting – because there’s no filament to burn out

More durable – because the bulb is plastic

More efficient – a higher percentage of the energy they use goes to generating light, less is lost to heat, so the electricity demand is much lower with these bulbs – LED Christmas lights use up to 80% less energy than traditional lights.

To expand on these advantages a little more, fewer burn-outs reduce the frequency of trips to the store for replacement bulbs & Tums.  Durable bulbs are safer to have around certain family members (the small ones and the furry ones) leading to fewer trips to the emergency room.   Lower heat output means fewer calls to the fire department.  Taken altogether … lowered energy consumption and fewer emissions = smaller carbon footprint.

LED lights sparkle brilliantly or glow softly.  They are cool to the touch, and the plastic casings make them more water- and rust-resistant.  Like traditional lights, LED light strands are available in varying lengths, from 10 glittering icicles to 100 standard bulbs.  It’s safe to connect up to three strands together.  They come in a wide array of styles:

• White, red, green, blue, amber, and multi-colored
• Traditional bulb shapes, mini bulb shapes, round with a coating that looks like sugar, icicles, and other novelty shapes
• Strands for indoor or outdoor use, mini strands for Christmas villages, and curtain lights

Beauty and brilliance combined with longevity, durability, safety, and energy-efficiency ~ these light strands are the best buy for all your indoor and outdoor decorating.

Wishing you a most sparkling – and green – Christmas all year ’round!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place