Ah, Memories...

So, I've been a little lax lately with my blogging. Probably because I can only get on the computer when my munchkin is asleep, and that time is quickly depleting as she gets older!

Anyway, we made a visit to Grandmama's house the other day for naptime, and during her nap, my mom and I set up her New England Heritage Village collection and her Christmas In The City houses. Now, it may seem silly to keep something up year-round that is SO Christmas, but these houses have always made me smile every time I see them. They remind me of the warmth of Christmas and family, and the light that surrounds the whole season, so why not keep them up year-round? Plus, any good collector isn't afraid to show off what they've got! No matter what season it's from=)

But it's really not all about the collecting for Mama and me. At least for me, it's about all the memories surrounding these houses. Every year growing up, Mama and I took a special trip out, just the two of us, to go and make our yearly purchase. It was so much fun to browse the cityscapes set up in the shops or the Galleria rooms. You'd take your catalogue and mark the ones you really liked, then try to guess which ones out of those you liked might retire this year because that meant your purchase appreciated quickly. (Whether they are really worth anything now, I have no idea, but again...not the point.)

Mama and I would spend hours browsing through houses, and I would create fun little stories about all the characters in all the different scenes. I was so enthralled with this tradition that near the end of our collecting days, I even started paying half the price of the pieces, so we could afford to buy more. I probably have stock in a little over half the homes pictured here. But it didn't matter. It was all about something just me and Mama did together. That's it. I rarely got her all to myself for three others tugging at her heels, so I loved every minute of these outings, and looked forward to them every year.

So here they are....our little cityscape, all lit up and inviting and welcoming anyone to come and stare and imagine all the little stories you want, to your heart's content. Ah, memories....