Merry Christmas, America! By Bruce Littlefield

Bruce is Back!

There are some things in life that just make you smile, know what I mean? And, for some reason, Bruce Littlefield, author of Garage Sale America and Airstream Living, is just the guy who is constantly making me smile! His latest installment is Merry Christmas, America! A book dedicated to the thousands of zany Americans that build, every year, megawatt displays in their front yard dedicated to, you guessed it, Christmas. This book is pure joy to read! It's packed with tons of information on the history of holiday decorations, a list of the top decoration destinations across the US of A, and the book documents some of the personal stories behind decoration styles. Okay, need some help getting understanding megawatt displays..Here's a scene from National Lampoon's  Christmas Vacation - now remember these displays aren't easy to build!!

Now it's to time to meet the Mavis Family who were just so excited by their holiday light display that they made a music video out of it. They make it look it easy!!

Watch America! You might read this book and end up with an addiction to holiday lights!! Here is the official synposis behind the Merry Christmas, America!

Every town has that house that outdoes itself at Christmas. Legendary for miles around, it is the place to see dazzling holiday decorating of the eye-popping, traffic-stopping sort. This flickering showcase bedecked with tens of thousands of lights is hard to resist—and ignore—as often every square inch is caked in Christmas, from snowmen to elves, carousels to candy canes. But who lives in that house—and houses like it around the country? And what compels this Christmas-decorating fervor?

Author Bruce Littlefield finds the answers on his quest to locate the most spectacular Christmas displays across America. His adventures take him to the front lawns and doors of people in cities and towns from coast to coast who have a flair and fanaticism for doing Christmas right—whose goal is giving the world an illuminated, inflated, decorated gift. Littlefield shares his firsthand encounters with people for whom Christmas is a year-round labor of love—the people who spend mind-boggling amounts of time and money transforming their houses and yards, and even those of the neighbors, into unique Christmas fantasylands that are spectacles of individual expression and must-see destinations for the rest of us.

These portraits of Christmas range from tacky to refined, outlandish to poignant—and the reasons they are created vary, too—but all are dazzling in their own ways, and the passionate people who dream them up have entertaining stories and anecdotes to tell that will make this Christmas the brightest, merriest, happiest Christmas ever. Just follow the lights.

Okay! Let's get excited with Bruce Littlefield as he talks with the Today Show about Decking the Halls!

The Interview

Bruce Littlefield is ready to talk about Christmas spirit, holiday neighborhoods, and Christmas trees!

1. What does Christmas spirit mean to you after writing a book on the finest holiday displays in America?

Christmas is kind.  It's joyful.  It's stepping outside yourself and thinking about others--wanting them to have a good time,... perhaps even with you.   Christmas is a time of togetherness and fun.  Most of all, at Christmas, we can all be kids again--throw a little twinkle around whether it's our typical nature or not.

2. What's the average time most people in your book spent working on their holiday decorating? Who might have spent the most time on their display?

They "think" Christmas all year long, but several of the families confessed to "taking three months off." Al Thompson, who is on Richmond Virginia's Tacky Light Tour, put it to me this way: "There are 150 homemade items, all handpainted.  It takes 400 hours to put it up, 150 hours to take it down.  There are more than 425 extension cords that connect to 80 plugs, running to 40 breakers in 3 breaker boxes, juiced by a 400 amp service."

3. I love how you documented some of the most amazing holiday neighborhoods in America, like 34th Street in Baltimore to Candy Cane Lane in California. Was it easy for you to walk into these tight knit communities and start asking questions about their traditions?

 
People want to talk about what they love to do, especially if you love it too.   Sometimes--if i was flying out to Seattle-- I'd call ahead.  Other times, I'd just be like any other onlooker and see what happened when I knocked on someone's door.  I should also mention that Cal Crary, my photographer, is not only an incredible shot, he's also nicely affable.

4. What about holiday disasters? Did you hear any sad stories about lighting failures or fizzle from megawatt display owners?

Disasters?  Like...blisters on thumbs from twisting in cup hooks?  A few chiropractic visits from sitting 270 hours on the floor stringing affixing 27,000 lights to lawn reindeer?  And no vacuuming during the holidays?  Yes, I heard all those stories.  Fortunately, besides blown fuse boxes and some singed lawn, none of the people in the book had cataclysmic drama.  We can all handle everything else.  Incidentally, several people told me they started decorating to take them out of their depression or get over a loss. 

5. How can I get my house noticed this holiday season?

Notice it yourself!  Let it make you happy.  Love butterflies?  Cover the yard in them.   Like snow but live in Florida?  Get some soapflake snowmaking snowmen.   Want more than one tree?  Have several.  Give the kids each their own and let them decorate.  Have a tree for the doghouse, a little scratching post one for the cat.  But for Christmas sake!, don't be scared to try something.  One disclaimer: I'm the kid who didn't win the neighborhood decorating contest, but got his picture in the paper as "the kid who tried to wrap his house."

BONUS QUESTION!!
Modern Girl Style needs some help picking out a tree this season, what tree do you think has the most appeal? Okay, these are off the beaten path, be warned!

Any tree is a good tree is long as it is enjoyed... but i'll comment individually. 

A. The Ladder Tree
Decorating a x-mas tree never seemed so easy!


The time saver.  These are like my upside down tomato cage trees... You can make it in a minute, enjoy it all season. Simple, gorgeous, and, besides its footprint, sort of understated.


B. The Mountain Dew X-mas Tree
Wow! That's like a ton of Dew! I can't imagine the sugar rush!! What do you think, Bruce?

Recycling gets religious.  Or more likely, it's the tree of a very hyperactive OCD'er ... (by the by, a guy in my book made a tree out of hubcaps!)

C. The Upside Down Tree
Leave your guests wondering what the heck just happened in here!

The world is upside down enough!  The upside down tree however showcases the most bulbs at eye level and takes up the least floorspace.  That's why department stores love 'em!

Want more? Bruce is at Gather.com so click here & read some of his recent articles on holiday style!