Monday, December 18, 2006

Xtravagant Xmas

I've never met a contest I didn't like. So when Kat posted the story about a J.P. resident that's winning the love of his neighbors through 250,000 Christmas lights, and put out a call for other over-the-top Christmas light displays, I knew the exact house that could win me some fibery goodness.

Here's my contribution:


As you can see, I had to park across the street to get a photo of this place, and I didn't even get the whole thing in the picture. Here's the other side:



As a public service announcement, I offer "Important Elements of Tacky Xmas Decorating":

1) Saying to your embarrassed christmas guests, "people drive from miles around to see this."

2) A light-up creche, or as Wifey calls it, "day-glo baby jesus."


3) As many giant inflatable figurines as possible. Bonus points if they rotate.


4) Lights on every edge of your house and roofline, so that an architect travelling by night can immediately identify the year in which your house was built.


Should you find yourself with any of those problems, step slowly away from the christmas lights. The plastic honorary badge from the electric company is not worth it.

To give them some credit though -- perhaps that house is simply the Kaffe Fassett of Christmas Lights? If so, my sensibilities run toward Debbie Bliss. This house is my style:


Anyone else want to play? There are rules and prizes... Anyone from Somerville want to offer some photos? I spent some serious quality time walking around Somerville in December. 'Tis crazy crazy stuff.

12 comments:

Ashley said...

The giant inflatable lawn figurine is my NEMESIS. Hate them HATE.

maryse said...

my whole neighborhood is a glow but nothing as dramatic as that. there's a house in the next town over that would take this house OUT with all of the lights and inflatables and outrageousness. i have to go take a picture of it at night.

we have nothing. we are boring.

Anonymous said...

try germany. they're not big on the lights, but they hang fake santas out of windows so it looks like they're breaking and entering. also you can immediately tell where any americans live. they have those painful light displays.

Bostonworkerbee said...

ooo I think I have a photo at home of a Union Sq./Somerville house being decked out. Santa and his sleigh being attached to a roof. I walked around Union Sq the day after thanksgiving, and people were in full gear preparing.

Anonymous said...

In Goffstown, NH on one of the side streets going to the river is a house with an unbelievable display for Christmas. I loved taking my grandchildren there when the oldest were little because you could get out and walk thru the displays they had there. It was like a little animated village and amazing. I wonder if they still do it? We just put white candles in the windows & our multi light tree in the front window. Good enough for us.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're going to win this.

Anonymous said...

hey! i know that house!

i don't envy that electric bill yo.

Danielle said...

Mm, we took a drive by that house last week. Parked in the same parking lot, I bet. Now I want to go see the one near Kat to compare!

Anonymous said...

Um, wow. And yes, I remember some crazy houses in Somerville... I had candles in my windows, but I removed them from the Kitten-Safe Area so now it's rather lopsided. Oh well.

Anonymous said...

Awesome! Thanks.

Dorothy said...

I wonder if his neighbours have blackout shades. They'd never get to sleep without them.

Although, I must admit that I love the tacky Christmas as long as it all has a theme and fits together.

Anonymous said...

Hey!! That is the house I would have chosen. Across from a gas station, on a route that runs from your town to mine and across a state line? That the one? I kind of like it in a "would never do that to my house or my neighbors and they got every tacky thing they could find but I'm glad they did so I can look at it and smile and shake my head" sort of way.