HOLIDAY BY CANDLELIGHT

I had to order new outdoor lights to decorate my porch railing for the holiday. I get the battery-operated ones because whoever lived here before me set the outside power outlet on fire, and I'm terrified to try and plug anything into it. I order four short strings of lights since the longer strings are a pain to wrap in and out of the railing rungs. After putting two sets out there, I am reasonably happy with the results. If I have a chance, I'll pick up a small potted tree, decorate it with the other lights, and put that outside, as well.

Window candles are another problem, entirely. I had some a few years ago, but two of them melted when the batteries overheated due to some kind of cheap wiring malfunctions inside the candles themselves. For a long time, back when I had about twenty windows in my townhouse, I couldn't have the plug-in kinds because I lived in a very old house with wall outlets in stupid places and far away from the windows. 

It was a disaster waiting to happen.

But, if I'm going to have outside lights, then I need inside ones, too. Right? I debate ordering electric window candles online. Or, perhaps I risk more expensive candles and hope the battery problem doesn't do a three-peat. (Seems foolhardy to me.) 

This is when I remember that I still have a few LED tealights from Michael's Craft Store. They're not the tiny ones, but they're not tall, either. I rummage through the toy baskets and find a set of wooden blocks. I build up a little stand for each candle by stacking the blocks, then . . . voila! . . . Window Candles (that even flicker realistically). I could go buy taller ones, but these will do. I take a quick walk outside to see how silly these little candles look, and, gosh dang it, they look pretty decent. 

Maybe next year, I will use taller ones, but this maneuver has convinced me not to bother with the traditional "candles in the window" schtick. Now, if I can just get off my lazy butt and get that tree for the porch table . . .