when two twin boys were young, their mom let them choose what to put on one of the trees...
and of course, boys being boys, they chose colored lights and bright colorful ornaments!
the tree was set up every year in the family room, towering over the family activities each day of the season.
one year, this brilliant mom discovered some soft, adorable stuffed teddy bears -
and bought a truckload of them.
they were, of course, immediately added to the tree decor!
when they boys came running in from school that year,
they stopped in their tracks and smiled. and giggled. and laughed.
they really loved the bears!
and so every year, before 'the boys' would come home from school on the last day before Break,
we'd get that 'Bear Tree' up and decorated and lit just for them.
we had a LOT of fun doing different things with the bears each year...
one year, the bears became gymnasts,
flipping, cartwheeling, somersaulting, and hanging upside down
all over the tree above
the giggles that year were even better ;0)
another year, the bears formed a 'bear chain', holding hands and feet
to create a garland of furry cuteness swirling up the tree...
shown below
and one year, i found the perfect gift for the family...
a HUGE stuffed dog that looked just like the very live very large dogs that they owned!
the stuffed Bernese Mountain Dog was 'wrapped' up in the red velvet tree skirt and tucked next to the tree
and when the boys came home that day,
the smiles were pretty big, too!
the tree was placed in such a way that it sat in front of this oval window,
which faced the front entry
[you can see it in the photo in a post below, with the eight foot tall nutcracker guard]
so each year, i would find a way to put a few of the bears in position on the tree
so that they were visible through that window...
anyone coming up to the front door was treated to the bear acrobatics!
those two young men have since graduated from high school and are off to college,
and i am sure they still remember their 'Bear Tree' with smiles.
and isn't that why we do amazing things with our Holiday decor?
for the Memories...
across the entry hall from the Bear Tree was a stately half-round wood-paneled office
with gorgeous antique furnishings,
which was home to a most elegant and regal tree...
the white lights on the tree radiated through the windows to illuminate the front of the house
as it held some very beautiful and meaningful treasures...
this elegant tree was adorned with
gold and velvet ribbons, silk tassels, bunches of 'sugared' faux fruit, velvet poinsettias,
velvet and glass ball ornaments, gold musical instruments, dripping glass crystals and fruit,
beaded gold moroccan ornaments, gold beaded garland, and topped with a majestic mache' angel
it really was truly breathtaking
and a joy to create each year...
this wonderful family and the incredible woman at the helm of it
is actually the reason i spent seven years decorating executive homes...
she approached me and a co-worker one day at a famous Seattle nursery,
where we were decorating trees for retail displays,
and asked 'Can you make MY tree look like that?'
without a second's hesitation, i said 'Yes we can!' and passed her my phone number.
a few days later, we went to her beautiful home and made plans for her decor.
she was the first of some very special clients that we decorated for...
over seven years, she and her family welcomed us in to help create their Holiday memories
and in the process, we became part of the memories.
i can't thank Linda's family enough,
and Fran, or Marco & Fritzi, Karen/Penny, Cindy, and Marion - our other special clients...
and my friend Karen and my daughters B & B for working so hard each year
to help to create such wonderful memories
