Happy Holiday Season Everyone

I am not generally a person who broadcasts their hardships, I prefer to keep them private. In this case however, I felt it appropriate to give a slight background on the meaning of this display this year.

My family has experienced a very difficult and shocking personal hardship which has affected us all. Without going in to detail, it forced me and my Mother to move some 700 miles from my previous hometown, a place I had lived 15 years in, and then spent some 5 years there before that. Its forced me and her to stay with some family and keep the vast majority of any possessions we got to keep in storage. My 2 boys (dogs) are with me luckily, but my collection was in storage in my previous town from July until mid November, and then in storage in town where I live now still. Luckily, my new living space should be done by next week (HOPEFULLY!) after weeks of delay due to weather and supply issues and general misfortune etc. I am excited, but my new space is not big enough to house my huge collection, only parts will be able to be on display at any given time.

Anyway, I dont share all this to commiserate, only to present how grateful I am to have been able to retain everything in my collection, and with the holidays I was able to dig out a handful of my decorations including a few pieces of my collection. This holiday season has been difficult for my family in a multitude of ways, and for me the last several years, my hobby has been the healthiest distraction for me to push forward (besides spending time with my furry family too of course).  Anyhow, without further ado, here is my Schleich (and friends) Nativity, and my recently completed project of Santa and his 9 (+1) reindeer team. It gives me great joy to just look at them all after being apart for some 6ish months.














The figures (besides the nativity and camels) are models acquired since moving and thus not in storage... hence why they are sort of a hodge-podge of brands etc.

Then this is my mini Christmas tree. No figures to adorn it, but lots of mini dog and other animal ornaments. I will try to upload an unlit photo sometime.


And now, if anyone would like to share their holiday joy here, I strongly encourage it! Regardless of what you celebrate, I know several of you have amazing village displays, nativities, trees, or even just gifts or new collection acquisitions, please share them! I look forward to seeing how everyone enjoys this time of year.

Happy Holiday season my friends.

Paige, it is never easy to read a friend having such difficult moments but I think it is good that you share a bit of it because sometimes it is hard to bear our deprivations. I've been following your posts since you noved and I noticed that you were often exploring the new place searching for little things that could give you joy. That's a very positive atitude as it is to find some distraction with your favorite hobbies or some confort through your connection with your furry friends.
I really hope you and your family find better days soon and how cool that you have energy to share these holiday pieces of joy and art.
I don't use to have seasonal decorations at home so I never have anything to share but I know this is the perfect topic if I want to feel a glorious Christmas atmosphere.
Happy holiday season!

I second what Roger so perfectly said and I really am so sorry, it was so hard reading this and knowing what a kind and wonderful person you are in this community, life can be so cruel sometimes and it breaks my heart to know that you and your family have had such a difficult time. I only hope with all my heart that things start to become easier for you all, I can completely understand how hard it must been to have had to move after so long. I'm so glad that your lovely dogs and your collection have been a good distraction though, animals are wonderful like that.

I really love these photos too! Such a lovely festive topic, I think it's such a nice idea to open it and celebrate Christmas in this way! Your nativity scene is beautiful, the lights, the models, the dogs, everything looks so cosy and it has that magical Christmas feeling!
I'll add a few wintery photos I took this morning, the first snow we've had in December for years! Bonnie, Otter and Sandy :

Bonnie, Otter and Sandy are very efficient to make us smile and be happy and I hope all will be better and better for you, nice Paige!

I remember seeing your display last year Paige, and those wonderful camel caravans you made for them, I was very impressed. So it's nice to see them again in your new display. The pigs are in the stable on soft bedding:) and the sheep are keeping watch! I love all your kitted out reindeer, they look awesome like that, very creative, I love it!
I'm glad that you are finding joy in the small things around you and looking for positives. It can be hard to do at challenging times, I know, but it makes it smoother for you when you look for things to appreciate, so well done! and keep it up. There is a whole world of relief in counting your blessings every day. I am sure with your positive attitude that you will bring even more positivity into your life, in things that please you. I've seen how joyful and grateful a person you are:) I am always cheering you on!

How wonderful to meet Lilias's 3 gorgeous dogs Bonnie, Otter and Sandy!  

Here is a Holiday blessing I'd like to share -
her name is Chrysalis :) and she appeared on my fridge door the other day when I turned my heating on. Normally my home is very warm without the heating on, as I have huge South facing windows and get a lot of solar heat year round. But this week has been freezing in Scotland. So I turned my heater on for a short while. Then later as I was in my kitchen I happened to look at my fridge door and there she was - resting by my fridge magnets! So I immediately googled how to look after a butterfly in winter, what to do and why they appeared. Apparently just that blast of heat thru my house must have sent her out of her slumber, thinking it was spring already!
So, she is wintering over in my home safely now, inside her own little perspex box lined with a tissue, some soft grasses, twine stalks, a plastic bottle cap of honey and water - for when she wakes up hungry and needs some energy, and some pine cones. The side is open to let in the cool air to keep her semi hibernating, but she is safe there until spring and I release her amongst some brassicas!
I named her Chrysalis because it suits her. She is a Little White butterfly and very small.




ID here

I'm so sorry for the stress it sounds like you and your family have been facing. I still have the card you sent me on my desk when I was feeling stress myself, and I think of you whenever I look at it and really appreciate how kind you are to others - I sincerely hope the same kindness and joy you share with others finds you this holiday! Your ability to be appreciative and optimistic is encouraging to others also facing difficulties, but I also hope you have plenty of support for when it's not as easy to feel optimistic.

I love your Christmas displays, I always feel a little nostalgic glow with Christmas decorations. Happy Holidays!

Thank you everyone, for your well wishes and kind words. I didn't intend for this to generate such sympathy, but it is good to know I have such dear friends here. :) I have a great support system ( am the youngest of 7 kids; I have 5 older girls and one older brother!) and each one of us and oyr family members help buoy each other. As a side note, when this all started, it was pretty neat to see my family rally around each other. It reminded me of african wild dogs when faced with a hyena or lion intruder. Anyhow, I am so glad to see everyone's posts here! Thank you Roger, you always have the right thing to say. And Lilias! Your furry friend's gorgeous faces are just what I needed, thank you. Alain, thank you for your sentiment. Annette, your butterfly adventure is so exciting! Please keep us updated. And its SO great to see you Jill! I am glad that we all have this village to escape to when things get hard, and it warms my heart to hear that you kept my card.

Thank you all for the well wishes again, and I can't wait to see how much holiday cheer we can get going here!

Here is my crappy little tree. I just didn't have the heart/time/energy to haul out my regular tree and put it up. So I bought this little thing at Walmart. Didn't realize the branches would be so flimsy, so limited on my ornament selection. I got the Breyer horse and sleigh with intentions of making a harness like I did for my Sham model in my teens. Haven't even started it yet. Speaking of- Paige, i have something started for you here, but it's only half done. Hope you don't mind.

It is gorgeous! I like your little tree Kelly. I only have my small one too this year in my temporary room... next year I hope to have a bigger one that I can put all sorts of animal ornaments on!

Here is my Merry Christmas to all. It took all day but I finally got them to hold still for a picture! Flynn (Cocker Spaniel, 14) and Buck ([Brandybuck] Decker Rat Terrer, turning 5 soon) and I wish you all a Happy Holiday!


(Taken in front of my Mom's tree)

That's so funny and so cute.
A great festive season is guarantted.

How wonderful to see everyone's trees! With pets included!