We Were Invited 10/6/2016 To Visit Roger's Christmas Winter Wonderland
Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar opened it's Winter Wonderland, the garden store's annual Christmas boutique, for the public on Friday following a private preview Wednesday. We were lucky to have gone to the Wednesday preview.
As the store describes it, "a pale palette of snowy silvers and whites transport you into an ice palace where 20 themed Christmas trees are adorned with glass ornaments."
We had lunch at Cucina Enoteca first before seeing the amazing Christmas displays!
The trees are all named and themed
Big Ben caught our eye
Did You Know? - Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and often extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower.
The tower is officially known as Elizabeth Tower, renamed to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012; previously it was known simply as the Clock Tower. The tower holds the second largest four-faced chiming clock in the world (after Minneapolis City Hall).
The tower was completed in 1859 and had its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009, during which celebratory events took place.
The tower has become one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and is often in the establishing shot of films set in London.
We immediately thought of Brian and Jan
Which way do we go?
The tree was loaded with the critters
We both thought of Mummy
Memories of past decorations
Home sweet home
Xylophone anyone?
Did You Know? - The instrument has obscure, ancient origins. According to Nettl, it originated in southeast Asia and came to Africa c. 500 AD when a group of Malayo-Polynesian speaking peoples migrated to Africa. One piece of evidence for this is the similarity between East African xylophone orchestras and Javanese and Balinese gamelan orchestras.
Time is on the move except for this clock
We enjoy visiting the trees
On the march
Did You Know? - Nutcrackers in the form of wood carvings of a soldier, knight, king, or other profession have existed since at least the 15th century. Figurative nutcrackers are a good luck symbol in Germany, and a folk tale recounts that a puppet-maker won a nutcracking challenge by creating a doll with a mouth for a lever to crack the nuts.
These nutcrackers portray a person with a large mouth which the operator opens by lifting a lever in the back of the figurine. Originally one could insert a nut in the big-toothed mouth, press down and thereby crack the nut. Modern nutcrackers in this style serve mostly for decoration, mainly at Christmas time, a season of which they have long been a traditional symbol.
The ballet The Nutcracker derives its name from this festive holiday decoration.
It would look normal if they had scenes from "I Love Lucy" playing on them
Christmas peppers
"Yes Santa... Paul has been a good boy this year"
Where is the toad?
"Isn't it a little warm in here?
Time to get up!
Slurp!
He does NOT look jolly
Indeed
We are hungry again
Knock knock, anyone home?
Oopie... How did he sneak in here?
Whipping up something good
Where is Del?
Keeping an eye on everything
We are glad George can't see what is happening to this country today
Gold everywhere
Sports and drink
Barney Oldfield?
Did You Know? - Berna Eli "Barney" Oldfield (January 29, 1878 – October 4, 1946) was an American pioneer automobile racer "whose name was synonymous with speed in the first two decades of the 20th century"
He began racing in 1902 and continued until his retirement in 1918. He was the first man to drive a car at 60 miles per hour (96 km/h).
Looks like Del
Oh! That reminds me!
Where is Cyndy?
Yeah... We are back to civilization
A food tree?
Silver beauties
Check the mirror! Kind of a selfie
The chandeliers were quite interesting
It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas
Just hanging around
Now we are talking... Choo choo trains!
Must send this to Joe and get him fired up for Christmas
Zipping right along
The people around Paul were listening to him make choo choo sounds!
Fortunately, Paul did NOT toot his own horn!
Bye bye train!
Into the wilderness it goes
