so what do you make of outdoor decorations and lights? fabby ot tacky ?

[robinredbreast]

??

God, I hate them.... absolutely hate them. It is so incredibly naff it is beyond belief. There is one house in our round that does it and I am so glad it is not right opposite me or I would go ballistic at it flashing in my front room every evening and it would totally ruin my christmas!

Less is more dahling, less is more! (Bah humbug!)

I think tasteful inside, tacky outside would be my rule!

We don't do it - wouldn't have a clue how to - but I love, love, love it when other people do because it always makes me smile.

Surely anything that cheers you up at this miserable, cold and damp time of year should be welcomed?

I love them. There is a house on the edge of the village we live in that has the full monty - snowmen in the garden, santa on the roof and lights everywhere. I drive out of my way going home from work to see them. They make me smile.

I don't like the huge displays outside - a few tasteful lights in one colour in a tree would be quite sufficient.

A family member has a huge display every year, and it takes him 5 weeks to get the lights up and positioned. He uses them to raise money for charity but as he blew all the electrics in his house the year before last and had to have it all rewired just before christmas, I'm sure his time and effort may be better spent elsewhere.

I love them. On other peoples houses . Particularly the multi-colour complex and massive displays were there has been no plan apart from lots and lots of colour and light! We enjoy looking at them in a sort of horrified delight - well me and DH do, the kids just love them!

We do have a door wreath but that is the limit despite my DD's begging.

am shocked that some of you think any lights outside is tacky. even a few white lights on a tree or along the guttering? miserable cunts

I like tasteful ones - there is one house near us here that have a big tree in their front garden and they have just put hundreds of white lights on it. It looks lovely.

We have a tasteful white star in the window of the front door.

I did buy some outdoor lights but DH was worried about the security aspect of being away for Xmas and them not being on so we haven't bothered.

My Dad has bought a few more things to put up in the windows - my sis asked him was he entering a competition! He does it for the grandchildren which I think is lovely.

agree iwht nappy

but fgs htis is the 20th thread on this

You bothered to check and add them up .. I think thats worse !

BC we hated them, it didnt help that the people who lived opposite left their on 24/7 fron November till Jan and never ook them down.

Now we have icecle lights at the front of the houe and star path finder lights. DS1 wants us to get a horse as he calls reindeer

so how tackola do people think this is?

Fab, unless still up in March.

No no no! It IS worth the bother of taking them down!!!!

[prays house in neighbouring town will read this]

what always strikes me is how people can afford them. there are a few houses round here that have fairly tasteful displays outside, not to my personal taste but fairly tame on the tack scale, but if you drive through the councel estates the displays seem to get bigger and bigger. It seems the less money people have the more lights they put up. .

There is one house - in a small estate with narrow curving roads - that is plastered in them. Its near one of my running routes and I've taken to diverting that way atm to look at them in all their glory. I always wonder just how much their neighbours must hate it as it completely dominates the whole area. It must shine in through the windows of the other houses all night.

Utterly tacky and naff - and why not? 'Tasteful' christmas decorations make me shudder!

I love the lit-up gingerbread houses-of-light in the Norfolk countryside near my Mum's...we don't have any - too lazy, too scroogeish and too electrically-diy-challenged!

maybe poorer people put up more lights because they can't afford to get their children much and that's actually part of their christmas present?

we have a happy christmas tradition where we put the kids in their pjs and drive around teh local town looking at all the mad lights in peoples gardesn

dh calls it 'laughing at the poor people' (not in front of the dds I may add)

How sweet Enid, are you sure you're not braying at them?

Only read OT:
I love the look on my DD's faces when they see lights on the houses, but IMO it doesn't need to be over the top.

You have to be considerate of the people around you.