Santa's Warehouse/PDR Nationwide
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS COMPETITION 2008
Peter & Colleen Praniess of 24 Panorama Parade, Warners Bay NSW 2282 were worthy winners of the Santas Warehouse/PRDnationwide Christmas Lights competition in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie NSW for 2008
Colleen's Winter Wonderland
An interview with Colleen Praniess (locally known as Mrs Christmas) of 24 Panorama Pde Warners Bay NSW, Winner of the 2008 Santa's Warehouse & PRDnationwide Christmas Lights Competition. (Colleen Praniess is also the organiser for the annual fundsraising Newcastle & Lake Macquarie Christmas In July Ball):-
Our family have always loved Christmas decorations and back in Christmas 1996 we were all sitting on our front veranda (my mum and husband, 2 sons and daughter), enjoying a drink, when my mum said, "Open the curtains so we can see the Christmas tree from the verandah". So I did, and with the tree lights turned on it looked really great from the outside. Mum said at the time that we should open the curtains every year, because it was lots of fun and felt really special on the veranda that year.
Sadly my mum died the next year. Mum loved the christmas decorations so much and had always helped us with Christmas displays in our garden out the front. We called it Mary's Meander and each year we had added a few things and changed a few things around. So we decided to continue to open our curtains and build up the display and keep it going in her memory.
So thats how we started to think about going bigger with our Christmas decorating. For the next Christmas after mum died, we made up a table and put a few snowmen on it inside the window. I then needed to close off behind the display so visitors would be focused on the decorations and not the rest of the room, so we put up an old sheet behind the table, so that visitors couldn't see further into our lounge room. Then I added to the sheet with those large Christmas bags. I cut them and joined them without the seam, so it was one big continuouse picture. This was easy to do and was very effective and cheap too.
Of course I had to get Pete to move our lounge room around and take down the curtains and move the TV etc, to make way for the table under the window. Thanks Pete.
Each year we add a few more things. Because I collect a lot of Christmas ornaments, I try to grab items when they are on special. A great way to buy new Christmas ornaments and decorations is by being a member at specialised Christmas shops, like Santa's Warehouse at Warners Bay. You get special shopping days with lot of great specials for members only and you see the latest releases. They always have something different that you have not seen before. Sometimes I buy more than I should, but Peter is such a darling husband that when he asks "is that new" and I say, "No! No! Had it last year." "Don't you remember?", with a big smile, Pete just says, "Yes, I think I do remember it".
This year I also took over the dinning room window. Yes, we moved the dinner table, so we now eat in our sun room out the back.
I love snowman, so every time I see a different one, most of the time I buy it. I get snowmen and other Christmas ornaments as gifts from my family and also from friends and even from people that just came by to see our display. Even from people we did not know. There have been many times that a gift for the 'lady in the Christmas house' was left out on the front verandah. Dont you just love Christmas?
When we had put a few lights up in the garden they looked good, but there was still something missing with no lights on the roof. So Pete said "I will put a few lights up on the roof for your dear". So befor I knew it, up went Pete with LED rope lights and blinking LED Rope light motifs for a grand roof lighting display. The view must be good from up there because he doesnt mind doing it.
I also came up with the idea that we could put snow on our veranda roof. To make it look like it was snowing. Yes, Pete went back up, and wow it looked good. So now we have two windows the garden and roof all looking grand. I said Pete how about the large tree in the garden? So up Pete went.
We had a friend who gave us their elf's because they were moving to a smaller home. So I thought now what will I do with these elf's? Ah! yes, another front window or course. It was our son's room, so I had to move the bedroom around to put in a table up againt the window to make the display. I decided this time that I wanted to make this windows theme the elf's at work in Santa's work shop. "Pete I need wood chips"? So Pete went downstairs and shaved a piece of wood and now we have wood chips for the Santa's work shop window. Thanks again Pete.
Well we only had one front window left then, so guess what? Yes we moved the bed and made up another table with my Santas and nativity scene.
Here is a tip. Sometimes you will see old doors laying on the side of the road for council pick ups. Pete found a few and they make a good table top for our display windows. Each room also needs a back drop so we have to hang up sheets, plus I make up the Christmas bags again and pin them to the sheets all our rooms now have displays in them. We have four windows across the front of our house I use them all. (just for a little while Pete, its only 4 months of the year?)
I made a snow cave out of the front veranda as well. I have Santa sitting at one end where visitors can come up and take their own photo of their family members with our big santa.
Lots of people ask where do we keep all our Christmas decorations. Well, it all goes under our house. I have also taken over Pete's Gym as well. (Pete you need to workout in the fresh air. Its much better then under the house).
People also often ask how do I store it? It all gets wrapped up properly and stored in plastic boxes. This takes some time, as I like to make sure they will all be ok for next years display. I get large plastic boxes/containers with lids from Go-Lo and Big W etc.
Visitors also wonder how much does it cost to run all our lights? Pete says he estimates it is only $120.00 extra for the 2 months period that we have them switched on. That cost is not really very much at all when you see how much everyone loves to come and see our Christmas lights. All our neighbours now have lights as well. It all adds to the magic of an evening visit to our street during Christmas.
Did I mention that one year we could not have a cup of coffee or tea in November and December whilst our Christmas lights were on? We had such extensive lighting that each time we turned on the kettle it would blow the fuse. Pete now has that fixed and we have a separate circuit just for our Christmas lighting.
For Christmas 2008, our grandchildren came to stay (Madison 2 years and Riley 4 months), so we were all out getting ready, tidying up the garden. We used the old snow matting for weed mat as we were going to put down new wood chip in the garden. However as we were putting down this old snow matting, Pete had gone to get a cold drink, then when he came back he stood back and looked at it and said, "Yes, what you need is snow matting throughout the garden". Because it looked so great, so in November it snowed in our garden.
Each year new family's came along with there children as babies. Some of these kids are still coming now that they are grown and they bring there friends and their own family. Often we hear young teenagers who say "We wish our family would do something like this!" Well, they can?
There are also buses that came past our home with Christmas light lookers that we had invited to stop and come up on to the veranda and have a look in our windows. Now these buses do a stop here at our home each year.
The senior members of our community also come in cars and buses. They just love it when I get them singing a Christmas carol. You should see their faces. All the years are gone, just big smiles are left.
You can come up to visit us during the daytime with the little ones, as there is lots to see during the day also. With my extraordinary Christmas light displays and collections of snowmen, Santa's, elf's, Carol singers, tin men, Christmas village houses, and all that is Christmas.
At Christmas time, our front gate is always open. We invite you to walk through Mary's Meander into Winter Wonderland and up into Santa's Snow Cave. View our window displays. Each now has a new back drop (thanks to my dear friend Robyn Harvey who did the art work). Sit and have a photo with Santa, Dance with our singing Santa, Enjoy a candy cane.
We now have:- Snow on the veranda roof, roof lights from moving/flashing LED rope lights and motifs, also Christmas cut outs, Lights on in the garden and on all the trees and the fence. We even have snow in the garden {this alone takes a whole day to set up}. All the windows have lights in them as well as decorative ornament displays inside.
We start to prepare our Winter Wonderland in October each year and I take it down just after New Year.
Our Lights are turned on from :-
- November: each night from 8pm 10pm
- December: each night 8pm to 12pm
Please come and enjoy our Winter Wonderland and a merry Christmas to all.
Editors Footnote:
Dont miss a visit to Colleen's Winter Wonderland at Christmas time. You will enjoy the experience and your whole family will fall in love with Colleen. During the Christmas period Colleen also raised over $1500 for the Westpac Helicopter Rescue Service with raffles and the use of the Westpac Helicopter Rescue Service Money Spinner located on her verandah.
View details of the Top 5 Finalists for 2008
Peter & Colleen Praniess, 24 Panorama Parade, Warners Bay NSW 2282Mrs. Corian Hill, 26 Carrawa Street, Wangi Wangi NSW 2267
Alan & Jenny Koller, 3 Queen Street, Warners Bay NSW 2282
Terry Crook, 11 Elanet Avenue, Cameron Park NSW 2285
Darren Griffiths, 19 Nightingale Crescent, Cameron Park NSW 2285
Why not enter for 2009 Now? Submit your entry for our 2009 Christmas lights Competition
