What made you happy today? :)

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I'm almost done decorating for Christmas,

Almost? Man, you've already decorated every inch of the place, what more can you add to it?

Seriously though, it looks great. My wife thought the rotating tree was a nice touch, and she loves how festive the presentation is. I just hope that you invite a bunch of guests over to enjoy it with you.

BTW, as usual, great choice of music.

[Andybev01]

Where would I fit guests in?

I have a few people in at a time.

It's 700 sqft and I have enough seating for a grand total of 7 people, including me.

I suppose some could sit on the bed and shout into the living room?

Thank you and your wife for the compliments.

If you're tempted to get a rotating christmas tree stand for your fake tree , there's one caveat; There's no bad side that you can hide in a corner.You have to decorate evenly all the way around.

[Murfreesboro]

Just got back from my Chicago weekend, and I saw your video. Wow, Andy, you could have a second career as an interior decorator if you wanted to! Or you could dress store windows or something like that. Such a beautiful presentation!

We are having intermittent rain for the next couple of days, and then the bottom drops out of the temps on Weds. Somehow I've got to get my yard decorated in the middle of all that. I don't do what some people do, but I do put out several items, and I'm behind.

[Andybev01]

You could get inspired by watching a bizarre 'Christmas' movie I found.

3 Bears Christmas.

Supposed to be a children's movie.

Any kid who watches it will be on a fast track to therapy.

I captured the opening 3.5 minutes from yootoob, where it is offered in full, for free, exemplifying the phrase" you couldn't give it away".

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/x02hb4gj ... ik0ht&dl=0

[Murfreesboro]

Andy, that thing is buffering so much that I'll have to try it another time. It looks. . . interesting.

I put up my light sculpture Nativity this afternoon. Joseph and half of baby Jesus won't light. The stable, Mary, and Jesus' feet shine fine.

[Andybev01]

Just tell folks it's post-modern.

[Murfreesboro]

Lol

I don't know how it is that you can put something up that's working fine, and then, after a year of non-use in storage, it won't work right. My husband says it may be one bulb. I guess we'll look at it better this weekend. In the meantime, I'll get my candy canes up today, at least. It's going to get really cold tomorrow, and I want everything that needs to be staked to go into the ground today, while the ground is soft. Otherwise I just string lights in trees.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I watched the video, it was... disturbing.

Andy - What happened to the chandelier tree, and the angry Santa from a few years ago? Honestly, they might have been in your decorations video, but there was so much stuff we didn't notice them.

Murf - I hope you enjoyed your trip, how is your son doing?

[Andybev01]

Angry Santa is holding court on my dresser alongside a nutcracker and an unfinished snowman.

I've made them for several years but this year I had the supplies to make one 3x the size of the originals.

I'm at a crossroads with this one though.

The little ones have eyes, buttons and a nose, but no mouth. It gives them a serene, contemplative look.

It took me some time to find beads that are to scale for the new one, but the more I look at him the more I think he shouldn't have a face at all.

They are nothing more than 2 Styrofoam balls covered in glue and rolled in crushed glass glitter, and a miniature wreath for his scarf and bow tie.

A sister knits the hats based on one she made for me.

[Andybev01]

Here's a video that really shows just how beautiful the life-threatening glitter looks, but not as beautiful as it does in person, like diamonds, hence the brand name 'Diamond Dust'.

It comes as plain glass shards or fused with sterling silver, 18k gold and many enamel colors.

The silver tarnishes over time except where it is fused to the glass, so it looks like antique glitter but still sparkles.

Leave it to the Germans to come up with something so stunning but advisable to wear PPE as a precaution when working with it.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/yqr6srxa ... 9hkry&dl=0

[Murfreesboro]

Love your snowpeople, with and without faces.

That song, Carol of the Bells, is a universal favorite, but in Vanderbilt Concert Choir we used to call it the soprano killer. Every Christmas season we would sell singing Christmas cards in the cafeteria for $5 each, then at night we'd go around to the dorms in groups of 4 or 5 to deliver them. The recipients almost always chose Carol of the Bells. Alto, tenor, and bass were droning along, ding dong ding dong. But the poor soprano would be singing non-stop lyrics, no second to come up for a breath of air. It was fun times, though.

HH, my son is doing OK, thanks for asking. He loves Chicago and wants to stay there, but his job at Univ of Chicago is coming to a close, so he's brainstorming about ways to stay. He has some ideas, but nothing definite yet. That's why I needed to seize this opportunity to go up for the Christmas Market. I may or may not get another chance.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

Andy - My wife and I really like the snowmen you made, and you just gave us a good idea, thanks!

Murf - Is his current position at the University a part of his intended career path, or would he be able to find another type of work in Chicago so that he could stay there?