Christmas 2016 Begins With A Visit To Rogers

"I stopped believing in Santa Claus when mom took me to see him, and he asked for my autograph."

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!

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
The trees are all named and themed

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
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.

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
We immediately thought of Brian and Jan

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Which way do we go?

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
The tree was loaded with the critters

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
We both thought of Mummy

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Memories of past decorations

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Home sweet home

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
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.

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Time is on the move except for this clock

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
We enjoy visiting the trees

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
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.

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
It would look normal if they had scenes from "I Love Lucy" playing on them

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Christmas peppers

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
"Yes Santa... Paul has been a good boy this year"

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Where is the toad?

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
"Isn't it a little warm in here?

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Time to get up!

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Slurp!

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
He does NOT look jolly

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Indeed

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
We are hungry again

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Knock knock, anyone home?

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Oopie... How did he sneak in here?

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Whipping up something good

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Where is Del?

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Keeping an eye on everything

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
We are glad George can't see what is happening to this country today

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Gold everywhere

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Sports and drink

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
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).

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Looks like Del

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Oh! That reminds me!

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Where is Cyndy?

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Yeah... We are back to civilization

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
A food tree?

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Silver beauties

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Check the mirror! Kind of a selfie

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
The chandeliers were quite interesting

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Just hanging around

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Now we are talking... Choo choo trains!

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Must send this to Joe and get him fired up for Christmas

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Zipping right along

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
The people around Paul were listening to him make choo choo sounds!

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Fortunately, Paul did NOT toot his own horn!

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Bye bye train!

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar
Into the wilderness it goes

Christmas begins at Roger's Gardensi in Corona Del Mar