Christmas in the City

Welcome to my village. It's from Department 56 and it's called "Christmas in the City" and it is by far, my most favorite decoration in our home. It all started on the first Christmas Rick and I spent together when Auntie Jan got me the Town Tree. Each year since I have gotten another piece to add to my collection, and it is just beautiful and magical. I hadn't gotten pieces the last couple of years (because I just couldn't decide) so I was bound and determined that *this* year I would get at least one, maybe two, to add to the collection. Rick and I stopped at the Department 56 store in Downtown Disney when we went last week, and I nearly had a HEART ATTACK. They were closing the store - so all retired pieces were being sold at an unheard of 50% OFF!! I told Rick that I might not stop at one or two pieces, but I will keep control of myself, because after all, part of the magic of the village is only adding a little bit to it each year. If you want to see any of the images in greater detail, click on them :)

SO. Without further ado, welcome to my village, where residents walk their dogs in front of their row houses (this is one of my new pieces!):

Where artists work in their studio next to the subway entrance (the studio is new, too!):

Where the firemen host their annual holiday ball and the nurse wheels out new mom and baby to greet dad, waiting with a bouquet of flowers:

Where the firemen are called to help the workers in the Town Square hang Christmas lights on the tree...

And here is the tree that started it all, with my favorite accessories - the tree workers:

Where the newly married couple buys their first tree from the local lot downtown:

and where carolers sing outside the candy shop:

And on a lovely night like tonight, couples get dressed to the nines to head out from their apartment to the Holiday Ball...

And the Opera Conductor and the Prima Donna are photographed before entering the dance hall (my third piece I bought this year... and it is the piece de resistance!)...

Why is this one so amazing? Because, on the rooftop dance floor, couples in sparkling eveningwear actually DANCE and twirl around! It's completely magical.

So here is my Christmas village, and the tree that started it all. This is looking down the street, toward the fire station.

And this is looking up the street, toward Mrs. Stover's Bungalow Candy Shoppe.

The village rests on the sideboard in our front room, so it's what you first see when you walk into our house. I love it. The lights are not turned off for the entire Christmas season, so even at night when the whole house is dark, the village is lit. I imagine that, while I am sleeping, the people come to life and go about their days in the little town. And sometimes I imagine that I am part of that town, too. :)