Martie, your village is fabulous! It must have been fun collecting it with Ky and obviously he still enjoys it since he set it up. Thanks for showing us.

Michelle

Wow Martie-you don't mess around do you ! Quite a display, thanks for posting it..
Kathy in Napa

Hi Martie...

What a great little village you have there. It really does look like the North Pole, with all the snow. Then I think I am seeing little elves with beards and hats. Did I see a Santa Claus with a pair of sunglasses on under a tree? [g] I love the trees every where too. Some look to have snow on them. What are those names down the front of the Christmas Bread Bakers? I love the elves going down the hill to the Bunkhouse on toboggans..lol. The skating pond with the big clock entry is really cute too. What is that building on the lower level to the right of the skating pond? Oh...that barn that houses the Reindeer is SO cute, with little wreaths on the doors . I love the architectural touches too.

What a cute dog and looks like he just got a haircut in time for Christmas. [g] That scarf must say Harley on it? Does Rich have a Harley or is he just a fan?

Thanks for sharing your photos. I hadn't had a chance to see one of these villages up close and personal so it was a treat. I am a sucker for any of the Christmas specials for kids and books for kids, so I guess I still enjoy the imagination that goes into creating these. Very special. I hope your family enjoys them and keep them for a long time.

:-)

What a great family treasure! The memories and the village. Your son does a great job staging it.

What a huge collection you have-it must bring you and your family much joy!

Glad you're all enjoying as much as we do. The village started 16 years ago when Ky was four. We lived in a teeny (as in 850 sf on two floors total) house and didn't have room for a big tree. At that point, Ky was legally blind and so lights, and lots of them, were necessary in our humble opinion. With his "glass" (a large magnifier meant for needlework) he was able to see these little houses and it brought Christmas into the house without taking up a lot of room. Little did we know. LOL

So, it's grown. We've stopped collecting for the most part. Department 56 was bought out by a large giftware manufacturer and some of the magic got lost in the process. They are amazing little pieces of art and when you see them in person up close, you feel like you're there.

Seven hours to set up, BTW. First time up in three years, in total, and Ky was just as mesmorized as when he first saw the first house.

There are a ton of details, PM2, in each of the houses. Most of them are put together in parts to accomodate the intricacy. The building behind the skating pond is the "Woodworkers" building and it is set in seven pieces before firing. They are then constructed with special porcelin glue, painted by hand, and refired. Each piece takes approximately 11 hours to make, and some are in limited editions.

If you look closely you'll notice that all the clocks have a different time. Why??? Because children in the world are all in a "different time" at Christmas. 100's of little details like that make it a blast.

Thank you for sharing this tradition with us!!

Martie

Martie..you said 'at that point, Ky was legally blind'...has that changed at all? I can imagine how mesmorized Ky would be. It must bring back a lot of pleasant childhood memories for him too. I enjoy them so much at my age, I can just picture how excited a child could be.

I didn't notice about the clocks all being a different time. Wow, someone was really having fun when they made them..lol.

Have you seen that movie Polar Express? I saw it for the first time this year and I really enjoyed the parts of the movie where they are at the North Pole. Reminds me of your village.

LOVED IT! Thanks Martie! :-)

Wow Martie, very cool! I love all the little details. Tell Kyle he did a great job with the set up. That must have been a lot of work. How long did it take him? It's simply wonderful! Bella would love looking at it but I'd have to tie her arms down to her body so she wouldn't touch, lol. That's why I have my ever-so-small Grinch Village up on a high shelf. Thanks for taking the time to take pictures to share with us!

Eden

So much fun Martie. I will have to show these to Jake if they are still up when he comes over next. Does Kyle have good vision now?
What a cute pooch face. He's adorable. Norma

Wow, Martie, I collect North Pole Village too but you've got me beat by a mile. I've always wanted to build a "village" but don't have the display space (or more importantly the creative capability). Mine are set up as little vignettes all over the house.

Great job!

Sue

Thank you, all, again!! Ky now has 20/30 vision. He was diagnosed with three different eye diseases when he was three that didn't allow his brain to "talk with" his left eye. 60/400+ at that point. Patching, glasses and a lot of patience over seven years brought him to where he is.

Seven hours, Eden. And you wouldn't have to tie Bella down. We encourage touching and looking and hey, if something breaks, it's because someone is loving the piece.

I don't have the creativity either, Sue. Plants, yes. Porcelein, no.

Martie

Yay KY!!

:-)

Martie, That is a great display...but my favorite pic is the last one! LOL ! Such a cute doggie!

:-)
So much joy for so many!

I am in awe of the space, the number, the creativity, the patience, labor and time involved -- super wonderful -- you need a room built to the house just for this creation! Super wonderful.

-Cindy

Martie

I just love the village, the memories it holds, and the fact that it can be touched and enjoyed. It must have brought hours of enjoyment. How wonderful that Ky's eyesight is where it is now.

Thank you for sharing something so special with us all!

Mary

Martie, I've seen so many village displays, all flat. The way you've staged the vignettes on different levels makes it more realistic and special. Whatd'ya mean no creativity?! I love the kids on the sleds, the ice rink --and so much more. Thanks for sharing your special xmas tradition that has so much meaning for you and your family.

hi.. and mery christmas to you all... i was wowed by all your hard work and wonderful pics..i could use some help this year for my village i have 15 20 peaces and i usaly put them around the fire place, but i have a grand daughter that is 14 months old and in to everything (they live here ) and my husband has a pool table smake dab in the middle of my living room that he will be losing this christmas for im going to move it under the window and put my village up there ( oh yes he will cry.. but he will be good or no santa for him lol) so any ideas would be so great i have a big spot for them....god bless ya ...debbie

Wonderful Martie!!! What a terrific display. Must be so much fun to see in person. Thanks for sharing.
Deanne

Debbie:

Thanks for your kind words. Setting up the Village is my son's passion, and he just follows a few ideas that work.

Add Height with boxes and an old white sheet thrown over them. If you're lucky enough to have a pool table, it won't wobble.

Make holes in the fabric and boxes after the houses are placed and run the cords through. Not seeing wires makes a big difference.

Do the trees last.

Have Fun!!

Martie