I've seen a lot of different types of Christmas displays over the years. Probably a vast array more than most human beings simply because it's what I do for a living. I have also met all different types of people who call themselves decorators. And, of course, I make my living providing pro quality LED Christmas lights, Christmas Decorations and Christmas light installation accessories to decorators all across the United States and the world.

Decorators all have a reason that they do what they do. Some do it out of obligation to family traditions; and some of those enjoy it while others hold a grudge. Some do it because it reminds them of simpler times and brings a warmth to their homes and/or businesses for the holidays. Some do it out of competitive spirit in a race to outdo a neighbor or a competitor. And some of us do it for the sheer joy of seeing other people smile at our hard work while creating new memories and new family traditions.

For those Christmas decorators who decorate because they get a rush from spreading the joy of the season (hint: I am one of THOSE decorators), the obsession grows each year. The need to outdo myself from one Christmas season to the next becomes directly tied to the volume of smiles that are generated by our work. And our ability to generate those smiles is a direct correlation to the general well being of our society.

In other words, if people are more stressed or worried about their lives than usual (and they are every year more than the last), then our job as decorators gets more and more difficult. We are charged with overcoming the ever-increasing stress and worry created in people's' lives by designing, creating and building ever more elaborate and technologically advanced Christmas displays and computer controlled synchronized Christmas light shows.

It's a big challenge that only a special breed of people dare take on. These are the extreme decorators and I am proud to call hundreds of them friends and thousands of them customers.

These are the people who have the greatest positive impact on the general psychological well being of our society every year. These are the people who work tirelessly for months preparing to create as many smiles as possible during the holiday season. These are the people who create new technologies to help create smiles and share these new inventions, designs and ideas freely with other decorators. These are the people who don't keep track of the thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars spent on their displays. These are the people who collect donations for every imaginable charity and many of whom are the largest individual contributors to their supported organizations throughout each year.

These are the extreme Christmas decorators. These are the people who make you smile and expect only that in return.

Happy Decorating!
Darren Vader
Founder & Head Elf