Katharine Wall loves to decorate her house for the holidays.

Strings of Christmas lights act as the reins for the skeleton reindeer who are pulling the coffin sleigh, the killer wreath has been hung in the alcove, and Mr. Oogie Boogie is ready to deal with Santa Claus.

It害羞草研究所檚 all part of Wall害羞草研究所檚 Nightmare Before Christmas themed house, and quite timely given this year is the 25th anniversary of the Disney movie.

害羞草研究所淚 love decorating. I love themes,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚t was great to combine my joy of decorating with my love of holidays and my obsession with Disney into one thing.害羞草研究所�

Katharine and her husband Johnathan recently moved here and this year was the first time they害羞草研究所檝e decorated for Christmas and Halloween in Chilliwack. Each year they pick a theme (usually Disney related) and piggyback their Halloween decorated house with their Christmas decorated house for that year.

害羞草研究所淥ur themes are always Halloween and Christmas, so we only choose themes that can be carried over,害羞草研究所� she says. This year they chose Tim Burton害羞草研究所檚 The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The Walls make about 90 per cent of the decorations themselves.

害羞草研究所淲e try our best to use as much recycled stuff as we can,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 cheap and I would rather not create unnecessary waste.害羞草研究所�

Leftover PVC piping was used for the wrought-iron fence, pieces of plywood make up the skeleton reindeer, and free scraps of wood were used to build the Christmas presents.

Katharine does the planning and designing while Johnathan cuts out the designs and builds the larger decorations.

害羞草研究所淗e can pretty much build me anything that I害羞草研究所檓 asking for within reason,害羞草研究所� she says.

And the interior of their house is decorated, too. Hand-made ornaments are hung from the tree across from a Jack Skellington mannequin. A handmade recipe book turned to the 害羞草研究所渨orm害羞草研究所檚 wart soup害羞草研究所� page, sits atop a hand-built desk.

It takes the Walls a whole year of planning and building to decorate their home for Halloween and Christmas. They begin in January every year. They have a week of vacation and relaxation, but also a week to plan the upcoming year害羞草研究所檚 theme. Each month they task themselves with projects to complete.

It害羞草研究所檚 a lot of work, but it害羞草研究所檚 worth it.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a part of it that obviously feeds me, and I really love it but I also love seeing people害羞草研究所檚 faces,害羞草研究所� says Katharine. 害羞草研究所淚 know how magical it can be害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 the same way I feel when I walk down the streets of Hogsmeade at Universal (Studios). I love when the adults or kids come and they are so excited because this is something they害羞草研究所檝e seen on a TV, but now they can actually touch it. That害羞草研究所檚 such a cool feeling.害羞草研究所�

Their plan is to have a handful of different themes that they can rotate through every four or five years. Next year they害羞草研究所檒l be doing Harry Potter, and Alice in Wonderland is on the list for future.

The Wall害羞草研究所檚 Nightmare Before Christmas themed house, complete with songs from the movie playing on outdoor speakers, can be viewed at 9703 Hazel St., at the corner of Portage Avenue.

The display will be up until the first weekend in January, and the lights will be on from sunset until about 9:30 p.m. nightly.

害羞草研究所淲e have kids that come here and they are singing the songs from The Nightmare Before Christmas, and they are so excited,害羞草研究所� she adds. 害羞草研究所淚t makes me feel so good that I can give that to someone else. That害羞草研究所檚 the part I really love.害羞草研究所�

jenna.hauck@theprogress.com
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