An amazing thing happened this year when I was spreading the branches of my artificial trees on the front steps of my home in Colorado. I was armed with a dozen cans of fake snow prepared to flock my trees when all of a sudden it began to snow. Nature flocked them for me.

It’s not the Mississippi Christmas of years gone by, but it’s a white Christmas none-the-less, something I don’t ever recall in my home state.

It reminded me of all the holiday trees of my childhood, whether real Frasier Fir from the local tree farm, the Cedar ones propped up by the Coke machine at the local Sunflower grocery store, or the many artificial ones Mama collected which required an engineering degree to assemble. Mama had a simple way about her decorations on the tree — bright green, red, and blue balls made from silk threads and attached to the branches with silver hooks and then a lavish coating of old-fashioned silver icicles. Some years we had tiny twinkling lights that looked like little balls of hard candy; other years, huge colored lights that reminded me of Easter eggs.

I always loved the clear lights, and that’s what I favor on the trees I decorate. It wasn’t until my subscription to Martha Stewart Living magazine that I discovered the idea of themed Christmas trees. I was a quick and eager learner. We have had Victorian trees with lace in hues of pink, champagne, and ivory, branches bathed in strands of iridescent pearl garlands. We have had Santa themed trees with giant faces of jolly ole St. Nick and red velvet bows galore. One of my favorite was the traditional tree that Mama and I adorned with popcorn threaded for hours while the kids cut colored strips of construction paper, gluing them into paper chains to wrap around the branches of our tree that year.

I have had trees made from nothing but Poinsettias, a forest of trees in varying heights clustered together in a foyer, Peacock-themed trees, a 12-foot tree in a sunroom with a vintage crystal chandelier as its topper, and even an upside down tree suspended from the ceiling. Christmas trees can be so creative such as the wooden ladder tree adorned with vintage ornaments that tells the story of my friends Penny and Carol.

I have a Candy Land themed tree in the sunroom window with giant lollipops, gold-sequined bows, and tiny elves dangling from the flocked branches. The two main trees this year are flocked with snow covered branches providing homes for my Mark Roberts Santa Fairies peeking from underneath the lights, dancing among Peacocks, turquoise and gold glass balls, and festive colored ornaments that remind me of years past.

I will start this Christmas Day with family in Mississippi and end it with our dogs in Colorado, assuming American Airlines keeps its part of the deal.

From our family to yours, we wish the merriest of seasons around your tree and peace and joy for the New Year.
Contact David at beautifulwithdavid@gmail.com.