DFW Christmas Lights (214) 257-8155

By Maria Bargellini of DFW Christmas Lights.Com

Deck the halls with boughs of Holly fa la la la la la la la la. OK I’ll stop…. Nobody actually decks the halls with sharp-poke your eyes out China Holly leaves anymore but they do use natural and artificial greenery for stairways, entry ways, interior/ exterior doors, and windows. A wreath can be any assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs,ornaments and/or various materials that is constructed to resemble a ring. They are used typically as Christmas decorations but can be used as seasonal decor all year like egg wreaths at Easter and Heart wreaths on Valentines day.

Wreaths have much history and symbolism associated with them. They are usually made from evergreens and symbolize strength, as evergreens last even throughout the harshest winters. Bay laurel may also be used, and these wreaths are known as laurel wreaths. The circular shape of the wreath is seen as a common symbol of eternity. The use of wreaths varies by culture, tradition and religions. In Christianity, it is used to prepare for Jesus’ birth and in many cultures around the world, wreaths are used in weddings as a headdress. The history behind wreaths dates back thousands of years and much of the symbolism lies with Greek mythology, Roman tradition with the present day usage being focused on Advent and for festive décor.

Decorated entryways are the most commonly asked for service. This is typically done with 2-3 pieces of lit garland around a doorway and a wreath on the door itself. Our garlands come in 9 foot sections and are 14″ thick, the most common size door wreaths are 24″ round for doors that are about 30-36 inches. Wreath are available in 24″, 36′, 48 “,  60″ and 72″. The greenery comes in LED, incandescent and in battery pack form for areas where the is no available power. In most cases an electrical outlet is near the doorway and can be controlled by a wall timer, outdoor timer or a switch.

The Greenery looks great on it’s own but can be completely transformed with ornaments or other festive decorations. Most decorations available are not for outdoor use and you can expect to have to replace them if they are exposed to the elements. When adorning your greenery try not to cover the bulbs when placing your ornaments. you want your greenery to be as brilliant as possible. You can place an ornament right next to a light bulb to highlight the color or texture.

Wreaths can be installed anywhere on your home. The second most common location is on the 2nd story of a home, usually right under the peak of the roof. Greenery can be spliced on to your roof lights, wired into an eave outlet or wired to an outlet on the home. Another great place to decorate is your windows. I like to install them over windows so that you can see it from both the inside and outside of the home. The glass reflects the lights to give a brilliant display.

DFW Christmas Lights and The Outdoor Lighting Expert are owned and operated by Dallas Curb Appeal Inc.

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The ITree by Music in Motion

By Maria Bargellini of DFW Christmas Lights

Wants something new this holiday season? Love those crazy Holiday videos where someone else’s home is dancing to tunes in a spectacular Holiday Lighting display? Well people–I want to introduce you to a fantastic new product that will give you a similar display without the cost or hassle of a high tech computerized show. It’s called the ITree, by Music in Motion. There’s two products in this family, an indoor tree that looks like your traditional Holiday tree and an outdoor version, which is a cone shaped tree made with lights instead of green material. You can scroll down to view the video for a demonstration of this innovative new product.

Indoor Itree: This tree is not just an attractive artificial tree. It is wired with sets of solid green, white and multi colored mini strands of either incandescent or LED’s that light up to music. The tree comes with 7 songs on a card that plugs into the unit, but you can buy more cards or download your own songs. The ITree comes ready to use, taking minutes to set up. If you use other decorations such as lighted gift boxes you can connect them to the tree to incorporate them into your dancing display.

Outdoor ITree: This tree is simple to set up, usually taking only 15 minutes for the tree itself. But aside from the tree itself synchronizing to music–it allows you to run additional lights off of the tree to incorporate your entire home in the musical lighting display. You can use 3,000 incandescent lights or 30,000 LED lights. The video below shows you a house that did just that.

Those lighting displays you see on Youtube use expensive computerized equipment–not this tree. It’s the most affordable tool on the market today. It gives you the freedom to create your very own display without breaking the bank. If you would like more information on this new product please refer to the comment box below.

DFW Christmas Lights and The Outdoor Lighting Expert are owned and operated by Dallas Curb Appeal.

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BY Maria Bargellini, of DFW Christmas Lights, Dallas Christmas Light installers

Looking for somewhere to go to see a lights this holiday? Try Whistlestop, in Cleburne, Texas. Their Christmas wonderland lighting display has over 3 ½ million lights decorating Hulen Park in Cleburne, Texas. There’s live entertainment like a community choir, representing area churches, singing Christmas music, a parade and pictures with Santa.  Adding to the fun will be food and gift vendors, and kids of all ages will be able to blow the whistle on the historic 3417 Steam Engine. View historic Cleburne at the Candle walk Tour of Homes. Several homes, built in the 1800’s and early 1900’s, of varying architectural styles, have been restored to their original charm. These homes are decorated for the holidays and open for the public to tour.

Going into it’s 14th year, Whistle Stop Christmas began in 1996 with just a few people who wanted to decorate Cleburne in a special way for the Holidays. As the story goes, Rebecca Roe had gone to Marble Falls to visit some friends, and they had been telling her about the beautiful lights their town displayed each year at Christmas.

Rebecca thought this would be wonderful for Cleburne. But she didn’t know how to get it started. Rebecca’s husband, Robert, was chairman of the Cleburne Chamber of Commerce at the time, and he introduced to an energetic woman named Nell Dixon who had just taken the position as the chamber president. The Roes Ben Franklin store had been accidentally double-shipped Christmas lights that year. Rebecca seizes the opportunity to decorate parts of the city with the extra lights.Rebecca asked Nell if they could call a meeting of community members who could be instrumental in spearheading an extravagant lighting display in Cleburne, and Nell said “Go for it.” Thus began Whistle Stop Christmas.

Links and additional Info

Slide show

Contact Whistlestop Here

Please note: The list of events for the 2010 season hasn’t been listed yet but expect the best from this historic town.

DFW Christmas Lights and The Outdoor Lighting Expert are owned by Dallas Curb Appeal.

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Ever wonder what the Christmas holiday is like in other parts of the world? Below is an excerpt of an article on what Christmas, or rather the holidays are like around the world.

Christmas In Argentina

People go to the church with family, then come back to a family gathering. At midnight after eating they toast, then the adults’ dance while younger people go out to see the fireworks. After this they go to sleep, but not before they open the presents under the Christmas tree. That day is very special for because they are Christian and celebrate Jesus’ birth on the 24th of December. The dinner food is pork, turkey, and a great variety of meals. Then the table is covered with sweet things, cider, beer, and juice for consuming while waiting for the time of the toast. After the toast all the family chat, others play.Houses are decorated with red and white garlands; on the door Father Christmas’s Boots are placed. The Christmas tree is decorated with colored lights, ornaments and Father Christmas placed on top of it. Mothers make different kinds of meals such as roasted turkey, roasted pork, stuffed tomatoes, mince pies, Christmas’s bread and puddings. The toast: drink prepared with different kinds of fruit which is cut into pieces, then it is mixed with juice and cider.

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When a Christmas tree is cut, over half of its weight is water. With proper care, you can maintain the quality of your displayed trees. Below are a number of tips relating to the care of displayed trees:

1. Displaying trees in water in a traditional reservoir type stand is the most effective way of maintaining their freshness and minimizing needle loss problems.
2. Make a fresh cut to remove about a 1/2-inch thick disk of wood from the base of the trunk before putting the tree in the stand. Make the cut perpendicular to the stem axis. Don’t cut the trunk at an angle, or into a v-shape, which makes it far more difficult to hold the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree.
3. Once home, place the tree in water as soon as possible. Most species can go 6 to 8 hours after cutting the trunk and still take up water. Don’t bruise the cut surface or get it dirty.
4. If needed, trees can be temporarily stored for several days in a cool location. Place the freshly cut trunk in a bucket that is kept full of water.
5. To display the trees indoors, use a stand with an adequate water holding capacity for the tree. As a general rule, stands should provide 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. Devices are available that help maintain a constant water level in the stand.
6. Use a stand that fits your tree. Avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down to fit a stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed.
7. Keep displayed trees away from sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, direct sunlight). Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day.
8. The temperature of the water used to fill the stand is not important and does not affect water uptake.
9. Check the stand daily to make sure that the level of water does not go below the base of the tree. With many stands, there can still be water in the stand even though the base of the tree is no longer submerged in water.
10. Drilling a hole in the base of the trunk does not improve water uptake.
11. Use of lights that produce low heat, such as miniature lights, will reduce drying of the tree.
12. Always inspect light sets prior to placing them on the tree. If worn, replace with a new set.
13. Do not overload electrical circuits.
14. Always turn off the tree lights when leaving the house or when going to bed.
15. Monitor the tree for freshness. After Christmas or if the tree is dry, remove it from the house.
16. Go to www.realchristmastrees.org and type in your ZIP code to find a recycling program near you.
17. Never burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove or fireplace.

For the complete article from the National Christmas tree association please click here

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