When we were kids, well.........not that young actually, I was probably closer to 10, my Dad started painting ceramic pieces to create a village at Christmas time. Every year it would get bigger, until there was hardly any more room on the breakfront in the dining room. We didn't get to help set it up, and we certainly weren't allowed to touch it, but I enjoyed watching the process.
*side note* I wrote this blog a couple of days ago, and can you believe I found a PICTURE of one of my Dad's village?? This is from Christmas 1989.
In my early 20's I started painting my own village pieces, and my village grew until at one point I had a three levels. One was country, one was city, and one was a mountain ski hill scene. I built a special shelf just to set it up on at Christmas time. I didn't paint all of the pieces, just a couple from the country scene, and I do still use the barn.
With the changes in my life there were changes in the village. The only piece that was mine from the city scene was a Peppermint Porch Daycare, and I do still have that, but it doesn't fit with my currant village. None of the mountain pieces were mine, so I lost that in the divorce. I decided that I wanted all my pieces from then on to be country, and they are.
Not only are they country, but I bring my village out at the beginning of fall. I have a fall/Halloween/Christmas village set up now! Each season has different buildings, and accent pieces, but the barn I painted first, is always there. I can't tell you how fun it is to add accents, and I think I have found a new larger piece to ask for from Santa this year. I can't just have any old piece, one must be very choosy when it comes to the village. (It's a sickness, I know.....)
I, however, am not stingy with my village. The kids are, and always have been, welcome to touch. They will all fiddle a little bit, but Hannah is different. She arranges, and re-arranges, the entire time she's at my house. This past fall she got to pick out the Halloween accessories, and did a mighty fabulous job! While she was setting them up she asked me to tell her other Aunts that for her birthday she wanted to start her own village. While we were at Menard's picking out accent village pieces Hannah saw a lava lamp she wanted, and I had already purchased that.
I thought about it for about two minutes, and asked my sister if she wanted to give Hannah the lava lamp. How could I not be the one to start her Christmas Village??? So that was all set, and after about two hours of online searching (sickness) I had the perfect set!
Hannah was so smug when she opened the lava lamp, I always tease the kids that I am psychic because I usually know what my gifts are. Then she was puzzled when she saw the card, and it was from Kate, Tom, and CeCe. I had kept the huge bag out in my car, so she was really confused, and then really delighted! I heard that the coffee table was sacrificed shortly afterwards to hold the new village, even though it was only October. (Apparently it's a sickness that is hereditary.)
Today I changed the fall village over to Christmas, and I thought of my Dad. Even though he was a scrooge with his, I'm glad he passed down the "village gene" to me, and I am so happy that I have a Goover that I can share it with!!
Since starting this blog the other day not only did I find a picture of one village my Dad set up, but the Goovers asked for a sleepover this Saturday, so I will be taking them to Menard's so Hannah can pick out her Christmas present! I'M SO EXCITED!
*side note* I wrote this blog a couple of days ago, and can you believe I found a PICTURE of one of my Dad's village?? This is from Christmas 1989.
In my early 20's I started painting my own village pieces, and my village grew until at one point I had a three levels. One was country, one was city, and one was a mountain ski hill scene. I built a special shelf just to set it up on at Christmas time. I didn't paint all of the pieces, just a couple from the country scene, and I do still use the barn.
With the changes in my life there were changes in the village. The only piece that was mine from the city scene was a Peppermint Porch Daycare, and I do still have that, but it doesn't fit with my currant village. None of the mountain pieces were mine, so I lost that in the divorce. I decided that I wanted all my pieces from then on to be country, and they are.
 |
| Peppermint Daycare on the left 2011 |
Not only are they country, but I bring my village out at the beginning of fall. I have a fall/Halloween/Christmas village set up now! Each season has different buildings, and accent pieces, but the barn I painted first, is always there. I can't tell you how fun it is to add accents, and I think I have found a new larger piece to ask for from Santa this year. I can't just have any old piece, one must be very choosy when it comes to the village. (It's a sickness, I know.....)
I, however, am not stingy with my village. The kids are, and always have been, welcome to touch. They will all fiddle a little bit, but Hannah is different. She arranges, and re-arranges, the entire time she's at my house. This past fall she got to pick out the Halloween accessories, and did a mighty fabulous job! While she was setting them up she asked me to tell her other Aunts that for her birthday she wanted to start her own village. While we were at Menard's picking out accent village pieces Hannah saw a lava lamp she wanted, and I had already purchased that.
I thought about it for about two minutes, and asked my sister if she wanted to give Hannah the lava lamp. How could I not be the one to start her Christmas Village??? So that was all set, and after about two hours of online searching (sickness) I had the perfect set!
Hannah was so smug when she opened the lava lamp, I always tease the kids that I am psychic because I usually know what my gifts are. Then she was puzzled when she saw the card, and it was from Kate, Tom, and CeCe. I had kept the huge bag out in my car, so she was really confused, and then really delighted! I heard that the coffee table was sacrificed shortly afterwards to hold the new village, even though it was only October. (Apparently it's a sickness that is hereditary.)
Today I changed the fall village over to Christmas, and I thought of my Dad. Even though he was a scrooge with his, I'm glad he passed down the "village gene" to me, and I am so happy that I have a Goover that I can share it with!!
Since starting this blog the other day not only did I find a picture of one village my Dad set up, but the Goovers asked for a sleepover this Saturday, so I will be taking them to Menard's so Hannah can pick out her Christmas present! I'M SO EXCITED!
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