Sunday, February 8, 2009

Winter Wonderland


I have been seeing beautiful snow pictures while visiting Garden Blogs lately and I am a bit envious. We just do not have snow falls in my area so I must make my own snowy scenes.

Welcome to my version of a Georgia Winter Wonderland! Most of my Dept 56 items have been giving to us as gifts by my parents. Thanks mom and dad! I add pieces as I find them on closeout or real bargain prices. I try to stick with the Dickens Village but some accessories are too cute to pass up by not being from the collection.
Each year I set the town up a bit different keeping it fun for me. I actually have two cities set up in the house as you will see later. Here you see the reflecting pond in front of "Swift's Stringed Instruments". I can see myself sitting on that bench while the nice folks sing to me! To the right of the music store you will find the "Admiral's House". He and his wife just returned from a trip and their children are happy to see them. "All Saints Church" sits in the center of town. Fitting name for our Church since we have a "Saint" in the house. Nice selection dad! Lets move in closer to see what is happening around the church. Oh my, a child has fallen on the icy sidewalk beside his father. I wonder if the dog jumped up on him? Be careful on the slick sidewalk! A father pulls his children on a sled on the church grounds behind a really interesting topiary snowman. Look at that neat tree in the background. I would like to have some of those in my yard.
To the right of the church you will find "Green Park Nosegay Flower Shop". You know my Winter Wonderland would have a Flower shop! Nice selection mom with you knowing how I love my flowers.Someone is being presented with some beautiful flowers right now. I think the young lady is blushing. These two children pumping water must belong to the shop owner. I bet they are going to water some flowers. Tina, do you see that Wheel Barrel in the background?
To the right of the flower shop is "Mr & Mrs JB Pickles Antique" store. Children are busy building a snowman while a father and daughter collect wood for the arms.
There sure is a lot of activity happening on this side of town. I wonder what all is going on around the corner? Lets go have a see shall we.... As I mentioned earlier, my Winter Wonderland has outgrown the hall table. Never fear, now we have two cities to enjoy in another part of the house. The Dining room buffet table is a perfect spot for a second village. The print on the wall above the table "After the Snow" is a Winter Wonderland in itself.
On the outskirts of town is the "London Gin Distillery". Here in the USA, we find a pharmacy, bank and pizza delivery service on every corner. In Europe and England, we noticed a Pub and Church in every town. So my Dickens town has to have a place to make such spirits. Actually the building has a real spinning water wheel and I thought that way cool and the price was over half off! Plus the architecture of the building was interesting as well.
I am not sure why the school master and his pupils are heading out from the woods behind the distillery. Hum, maybe they took a tour of the building to learn something. That's my story and I am sticking to it... It appears the children are trying to push Mr Pratchett into the water. Naughty boys! Maybe he was in the "Kingsford Brewhouse" too long and the boys are trying to get him home. Hum...
In the center of town is the "Barmby Moor Cottage". I hear rooms are cheap this time of year. A gentleman sells magazines out front while standing in front of a Wishing Well.
Now that looks like my kind of fun! Sledding while being serenaded to by children. Look at the red berry's filling up that hedge. Is that a birch tree I see?
One of every child's favorite places in the city would have to be the "JD Nichols Toy" store! The store is getting ready for spring and has a new shipment of wagons and bicycles in stock! Someone took time to build a snowman on the lawn.
The "Ashwick Hose and Ladder" company is beside the toy store. The firemen are always on alert and ready to handle any situation that may arise in the city.
No fires today so the calmness allows the deer to look around for a bit of grass to nibble.
It is getting mighty cold now after all this strolling around in the snow. Good thing this gentleman is restocking the Coal bin to keep us warm.

Maybe one day I shall have a room where I can display my Ditty City all together but for now, this will do. Did you notice I called my snow village Ditty City? I must let you in on this little humor. My family refers to Snow Villages as Ditty City due to a grandfather (my dad) making mention that his wife (my mother) has a lot of cute ditty's in her little city. The grandson (my nephew) was nearby listening as little ears do and later referred to the snow village as Ditty City. The rest is history! Out of the mouths of babes...

Even though I don't see much real snow, I can still enjoy a WINTER WONDERLAND. This week, Ditty City will melt and I'll be back, In the Garden....

30 comments:

  1. That's wonderful. I am very impressed. You've got the snow without the cold and inconvenience. On top of that there is lots of action going on! It must be so entertaining to set it up.

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  2. I feel like I just toured a Norman Rockwell village. It is all quite wonderful and I sure did see the wheelbarrow and the kid who fell down. Too cute! Ditty City is a wonderful addition to your holiday decorations. Remind next year to hire you to come decorate my house okay? We are lucky if we get the tree up;-0

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  3. What a wonderful display and collection! Very charming!

    Cameron

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  4. Loved going through your collection. It's amazing! And I'd say the same for your last post too!

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  5. OOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
    I´m out of words! I WANT IT ALL!!!!!
    It is to beautiful!
    Linda

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  6. I loved taking this tour of your "Ditty City", Skeeter! Your villages are much more charming than ours with the "pharmacy, bank, and pizza delivery" on every corner--so true:)
    Best of all, I like your kind of snow much more than ours! We did have warmer temperatures this weekend, and the snow has pretty much all melted...but more is in the forecast for next week :(

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  7. Very nice village and snowmen displays. My mom has the Dickens Village too AND she has quite a few snowmen - not as many as yours though. Your decorating is lovely.

    If you have room for even 1more snowman, I would direct you to Jim Shore snowmen. I love his stuff because everything is made with quilt patterns on it. Around Christmas time I posted a photo of my Manger scene made by Jim Shore but really his angels and snowmen are the best!

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  8. Good Morning All,
    Skeeter that was a lovely tour of your "Ditty City". You have it set up so well. I use to have a whole town but it got to be too much.

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  9. Hi Skeeter, that was fabulous! I think you have as much fun with your city as Sidekick with his Playmobile stuff --only thing is yours look so much better than his Army bases, patrol centers, rofl. Another glorious day here --calling for rain but no sight of it yet:0) We walked all around the yard yesterday admiring the little green bulbs that are starting to pop up --keep hoping Mr. Winter stays away and lets them work there garden magic for us:0) A busy day church, sunday school and Cotillion today --should make the time go by very quickly. Ciao!

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  10. What a quaint little winter wonderland village! Thanks for sharing your lovely collection with us Skeeter. :) We didn't get any snow this year either.

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  11. These villages are so cute! They are pretty ingenious. We looked at a couple of houses this month and my tech collects them also! Never so much a sizable village like your Skeeter! Nice!

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  12. Wow! You have one of the most beautiful villages I have ever seen. Just so fun and I can tell a lot of work went into it. Do you change it with the seasons or put it up in Spring?
    Lona

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  13. I love these villages Skeeter. A good friend of mine sets an extensive one up each year at the holidays and I can just sit and stare at it for hours! You have some nice "ditty's" in yours!

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  14. Good morning everyone. Calling for 70 degree weather so I will be out in the yard playing today. Not going to be looking at the snowy action inside the house! I do believe Ditty City will be coming down some time this week. I want to encourage Mother Nature to continue with her Spring type weather!

    Easygardener, thanks and yes I do have fun setting it up each year. One year I did not set it up and I missed it so much. While living in a warm climate, I must have a little snow in my life even if homemade...

    Darla, Thank you for your kind words. I enjoy creating winter fun in the house. Keeps me smiling in the winter months...

    Tina, This posting should have been up weeks ago but I was slow on this one. Funny, as it will probably all come down this week. Temps climbing to spring type temps so I need to be outside. Hum, on the other hand, it may not come down this week as I may be in the garden and no time for indoor stuff! Maybe I will keep it up until the next rainy day instead. lol. I would love to decorate your house for you! When I am home near the holidays, I set up my parent’s tree too! I enjoy decorating and would like to expand my creativity to other homes but then it would become a job. No job for me as that would mean stress. lol. So I just go a bit overboard in our home. Ditty City is always fun to set up as it is a bit different each year. I enjoy placing all the trees, bushes and items around as if it were a real town. I would enjoy living in that little make-believe town, wouldn’t you?

    Cameron, thank you! I do enjoy my little Ditty City each year. Brings a bit of snow and enjoyment in my life when there is none during the boring winter months. I can look at the little town and let my imagination go wild as if I am in the city also...

    Kanak, thanks for your nice words. I do enjoy decorating and wish I could create such fun things all year long. But I am too busy in the Garden in the warm months. tee hee....

    Linda, thanks to you! I enjoy my little Ditty City too much to pass it along to you but thanks for enjoying it with me today. I am sure that one day when I live in a snowy climate, that I will be ready to give it up. I will keep you in mind and pass it along to you. :-)...

    Rose, I am so glad you enjoyed the little tour of Ditty City this morning! I was hesitant about making such a posting as some such as yourself are probably tired of seeing the snow by now. I thought maybe this would cheer up people like myself which live in warm climates that would like to see a bit of the white stuff. I am glad you had warmer temps to lift your spirits and melt the snow! It is only 11:00 here as I type and I am sitting in front of an open window! It feels like spring here and the forsythia is shining! Once I am finished here, I am off to the yard to play!

    My little family, Thanks, I google Jim Shore and soon realized I have seen some of this stuff before! Really neat snowmen and nativity's too! I checked out your nativity and it is wonderful. I would also like to say that I am so sorry for the loss of your fur baby! I too am a Pet lover and I know that must have been a difficult time for you and your family. But as you know, Chloe had a wonderful life with you before crossing over that Rainbow Bridge! I enjoyed seeing all your fur babies in their nice winter attire! You are quit the seamstress. I have a friend that has a difficult time finding coats for his Plus sized Lab. I should tell him to make his own! This summer, may I stop by for a dip in that pool??? Have a good day and happy belated birthday and anniversary....

    Lola, thanks and for now, I do enjoy setting it up. I know that one day it will become more then I can handle and I may have to give it up. But for now, I will set it up and enjoy it while I can. I am hoping that one of my nephews or nieces will take notice of it and want it some day. I would love to pass it along to someone in its entirety as I have enjoyed collecting each piece. Sunny hear and I am guessing the same for you. Hope you can get outside to dig in the dirt a bit. I plan too...

    Anonymous, Thanks for the Fabulous words! As a child I would play with my farm animals and build city's from legos for hours. I always loved baby sitting when I became a teenager because that gave me an excuse to be in the middle of the floor still building such fun things! The kids I would baby sit would want to do something else but I would try my best to get them into the building cities with me. lol, I am sure that Sidekick and I could make some really neat cities with his Playmobile items! ROFLO. Yep, I am still a kid at heart. How did Conformation go yesterday? I am sure you and hubby were proud parents gleaming with joy! :-) And now a Cotillion today. How do you keep up with the pace those kids have you going. Good thing you enjoy running as they do keep mom running. lol. Yep, Mother nature is giving us a great taste of spring down here. My daffys, what few I have are opening up and I need to get a pic of them before they are gone. Have a great day and enjoy the fun...

    Raquel, I am glad you enjoyed my winter wonderland! This is the only snow some of us get so I do have fun with it. Glad to share some snow with you today! Have a good day...

    Dawn, I do find creating the villages so much fun! I wish I could put the entire thing together as I have a train to include but no room this year as I added three new structures last year with a close out sell. I cant pass up a good bargain. I could set it all up in the sunroom on a huge folding table but I fear the cats may jump up on it and create a big mess for me. Luckily, they do not mess with Ditty City as it is now. Well, I have found a few things knocked over a time or two in the past but no major destruction from King Kong Kitty...

    Lona, Thank you so much for your praise! You make me blush today! :-) This is just my little winter wonderland during the winter months. I will take it all down and pack it away soon like maybe this week. Then bring it all back again next winter. This is my way of enjoying some snow in my life as we do not have snow falling in this part of Georgia...

    I am off to the yard now....

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  15. Kathleen, you posted as I was about to head out, glad I spotted you before I left. I wish I could make my two villages into one large one but no such luck. I have a great room for it but fear the cats may jump up onto the large table and destroy something. I may give it a try one year though. They are pretty good kitties and dont jump up on what they are allowed to. But this would be something new and something new to a cat is fair game until mommy catches them in the act. A lot of stuff goes on within my city. I like to gaze at it and imagine myself strolling the city sidewalks...

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  16. Great tour of Ditty City you have given us on this lovely day!

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  17. What a treat to see this winter wonderland. I so love those little displays.

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  18. Proof that these villages are about so much more than just collecting the pieces. It's a real art putting it all together. Yours is beautiful.

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  19. how nice it is, this little lucky world...kathrin

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  20. I love your detailed pictures of your winter wonderlands. It's been years since we put up such displays in winter. I use my cats as an excuse. Some of the best pics I've taken of our miniature villages are those showing them being dismantled with Godzilla-sized cats stepping amid the ruins. Yours are much nicer. My fave of course, is the gin distillery: much more important than pizza places.

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  21. You have such a great collection. A nursery near us sets the Dept 56 displays up and I feel like a kid looking at them. It's fun to you use imagination as you look at all the scenes. I love your displays.

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  22. Jean, Glad you enjoyed the tour! I hope you are having some nice temps up your way. Glorious day today being 71-degrees and warmer in the sunshine! Birds are singing and looking for mates! No winter blues for me today...

    Gardeness, I am happy to share this treat with you today! Although, my little winter wonderland must leave me soon, as today it was 71 degrees so spring is arriving for us in GA. I see your crocus is popping up so spring is not far away from you either! Isn't meeting bloggers in person wonderful?

    JGH, Yes, exactly! They are little treasures of art for me! I like finding the perfect piece for the perfect spot. I keep adding more and more but am really running out of space. I wonder when will it expand to a third ditty city? So much fun to collect something with so much pretend life to me...

    Kathrin, Thanks. It does look like a perfect world doesn't it? I wish I could live in this little town as it looks so wonderful and happily full of life. Ah, dream land for me. How lucky you are to have fresh herbs in the winter!

    Weeping Sore, You make me laugh with your cats. Give Lily a bit of credit and put up your village next year. lol I am not sure which of our two little monsters have raided Ditty City but King Kong Kitty was there a few times. Luckily, my cats have a guilt complex and they dont do much damage. Just basically checking out to see what is new up there and if there is anything they can nibble on. lol. They are not allowed on top of any tables so they sneak up there when we are asleep. I wish I could catch one in the act of terrorizing the city but no such luck. I am sure they would take off like a bat out of well, you know, then cause more damage to the city but I would have to laugh at them as it would be funny to catch them. It amazes me how they can jump up there not knowing what is there and only knock over one or two things and scatter some snow. With their big paws, I would think they would knock over much more. Cats, gotta love em…

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  23. Catherine, I am glad you like my little Ditty City! I am like a kid when setting it up and taking it down and in between. I turn the lights on to the buildings each morning and look around to see where my imagination can take me! I am just a kid at heart I guess...

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  24. I sure so hope that everyone had a taste of this wonderful weather we had today! We were busy in the yard working but it was more like play to us! The Saint smoked some ribs and chicken on the smoker and the windows to the house were open all day long letting in fresh air and the stale out! Cats were sniffing the air and enjoying the sun beams coming in through the sunroom windows! Life was grand today.....

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  25. ooooooooh it's sooooooo beauty!!!!

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  26. What a hoot! I have an uncle in Vegas who built an entire building to house his collection, other than him, I've never seen such an enthusiast! We'll be out in the garden soon! Hang in there!

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  27. Love your winter wonderland. I never thought I'd meet anyone more into Dept. 56 than my friend Aunita, who has two scenes, but you do out-do her (I won't tell if you don't!). ;-)

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  28. Consciousgardener, I know I have a lot in my Ditty City but not enough to build an entire building for it! I would love to see your Uncle's village! I bet he and I could talk about our little villages for ever! Sunny days and mid 70's so yes, I am in the Garden!

    Monica, It will be our little secret! tee hee. I do enjoy my little winter wonderland in fantasy world. I can dream up scenarios each day for the town folks...

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