Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back!

MoochNNoodles

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That's been me and my Christmas lights this year!!!

First my really pretty iridescent crystal light strand I put up around the living room wont work. At all. I've changed the fuses and checked almost every single bulb (which requires each crystal to be unscrewed individually) and no luck. So far I've hit half the stores in town to try to replace them with no luck. Home Depot had the closest match, but they were colored and a shorter strand.


Then the strand of chili pepper lights my mom's friend gave me went out. I had tested them so I knew I had to replace 2 bulbs on it (they were broken inside the Chiles) so I did that. No luck. So I changed the fuse on those lights. Still no luck. So I get the bright idea to go buy a regular strand of 35 white mini lights and take the chilies off the strand and put them on the new one. Simple right?

Well I went to 4 stores before I found a strand of just 35 (not 20 or 50!) lights. So I just finished changing all the chilies. And well...the new strand is much shorter than the one they came on! Plus it's not a double ended one so it won't hook to my Chile bunch. Did I mention I've had a cold for a week now?


It was perfect before! The Chile bunch hangs next to my cabinet, the Chile strand runs under the cabinets and up the opposite side, where it hooked to a strand of lights that ran across the kitchen and just looked sooo neat! I've given up for tonight. I'm just getting nowhere with it all! Don't know if I want to laugh or just have a piece of chocolate at this point!
 

lunasmom

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Oooo!!! Do both: eat chocolate and laugh (but not at the same time
)

that's the only thing I Hate about putting up the decorations...light testing, then if you have to replace one bulb hunt down the one (if you have the light strand that won't like up).

Maybe tomorrow the stores will restock and you can find more.
 

jean-ji

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Sorry about your lights, it's maddening at times.

We have a star that we wrap lights around. After playing with it for a couple of hours, we decided to replace them. It's just as well. We got new lights to string around the porch. They are white LED's. They are beautiful and briliiant at a huge energy saving, but they are a violet colored white. So I think I'll restring the star with the LED's so they match the porch below.

I got new candle sticks with a flicker LED bulb to put in the windowsills. They run on 2AA batteries and last for 50 days. When I turn them on, they stay on for 8 hours and turn off for 16. I don't have to do anything with them, but....the bulb/flame is a dark amber. I like them, but now I have purple lights and orange candlestick flames.
 
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MoochNNoodles

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I was looking at the LED lights. They seem so bright! I like the sound of violet-white lights!
 

lunasmom

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Opposites Attract

"I take two steps forward
..and I take two steps back
We come together cause opposites attract.."
 

EnzoLeya

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Originally Posted by lunasmom

Opposites Attract

"I take two steps forward
..and I take two steps back
We come together cause opposites attract.."
Hahah, yeah me too!!!

I can't believe all your troubles with your lights!
I hope you can find some lights that work out for you
 

green bunny

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I understand light problems. We've had them for a few years now. All those little lights now have stupid safety locks on them so they're impossible to get off. My family has these little glass light covers that we can't use anymore because they don't fit on the lights with the locks.
Then we have our star which is from Woolworths, so who knows how old that thing is. For many years we were able to get away with just changing the bulbs when they went out, then that got a little harder with the mini-lights with locks, but we could manage it. Last year the strand just died, and we couldn't replace it because the lights wouldn't fit through the holes in the star!
Now we just have a dark star!


Also, the strands today just don't last that long. We had several strands that lasted for 10 years+, and now we're lucky if they even last 2 years.

Tricia
 

badninjakitties

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my wal-mart lights must be cheap as....... well, wal-mart lights! I have to replace them every year now!!!
All except for my sparklely lights
they have worked two years in a row!! (bought them for last year
) I just love those lights!!
 
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MoochNNoodles

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Originally Posted by lunasmom

Opposites Attract

"I take two steps forward
..and I take two steps back
We come together cause opposites attract.."
Oooh! I had it in my head too....just didn't know who sang it!

Originally Posted by Green Bunny

I understand light problems. We've had them for a few years now. All those little lights now have stupid safety locks on them so they're impossible to get off. My family has these little glass light covers that we can't use anymore because they don't fit on the lights with the locks.
Then we have our star which is from Woolworths, so who knows how old that thing is. For many years we were able to get away with just changing the bulbs when they went out, then that got a little harder with the mini-lights with locks, but we could manage it. Last year the strand just died, and we couldn't replace it because the lights wouldn't fit through the holes in the star!
Now we just have a dark star!


Also, the strands today just don't last that long. We had several strands that lasted for 10 years+, and now we're lucky if they even last 2 years.
That is so sad! My Grandparent's met at Woolworths. My Grandma was working there and my Grandpa used to come in and harass her asking her to write to him when he went away. Guess it worked!


I got all the lights (except the chili's that were given to me) from Boscoves and that's been 6 years ago this year. I wouldn't mind so much except I LOVE those crystal shaped ones.
 
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