NO PLACE LIKE HOME -- karen wight

Sometimes the thought of decorating for Christmas just takes my breath

away. My mind runs wild with the annual preparations as well as the new

innovations I want to try. I have gotten completely out of control when

it comes to decking the halls and lest I become completely overwhelmed,

there is no other choice but to extend the decoration process over

several days.

Before I get started, I might go over to Fashion Island and check out the

world’s largest Christmas tree. This might give me the inspiration I need

to get those red and green boxes out of the attic. What a shame to cut

down such a magnificent tree, but the years that Fashion Island put up

the fake, mod tree just didn’t do it for me. Give me that pine smell,

those beautiful lights. I love that. However, I don’t love the parking

nightmare. Maybe I’ll go another time.

I am contemplating buying a different kind of fresh tree this year. I

always get noble fir, I like their spare, sort of Zen-like artistic twist

on Christmas. This time maybe a Douglas fir or a blue spruce, just to

shake things up. This is going to require more contemplation, I’d better

wait.

Poinsettias. More choices, red, white, pink or variegated. Nothing is

simple anymore. I usually go for a lot of white poinsettias en masse. I

think I’ll stick with tradition on this one.

The front door is easy. A few years ago I inherited a bird petit point

wall hanging from my grandmother. It’s so out it’s in. It’s quirky,

unconventional, especially with the red velvet lining. It screams

Christmas. I even think one of the birds is a cardinal. This was destined

to be a decoration.

The outside of the house I leave to the husband and kids. That’s their

territory, and I am thankful I don’t have to do it. This will be one area

that will be completed because it is the only reason I will allow the

kids to get on the roof (to string the Christmas lights). This is great

motivation for them.

I love live garland. The smell is wonderful, but this does take some time

to figure out the lengths for the mantles, the front door and the tops of

the kitchen cabinets. This year I vow to write these measurements down so

I can pull out the cheat sheet next year. Can’t find my measuring tape.

Darn.

I can handle buying a large amount of red and green apples. This is a

grocery store purchase and I have to tithe to Ralphs anyway. The

centerpiece will definitely happen.

Back to the kids. They like to string Christmas lights on their

headboards. Last year, in an effort to explain some of their quixotic

behavior, I checked the lights near their heads for EMTs (electromagnetic

transmissions). The lights checked out to be perfectly safe. I’ll have to

find another excuse for the kids. I guess they can go ahead and

(Christmas) light themselves up again this year.

I told myself that this year it would be a good idea to take some cooking

classes with the kids. There are several holiday classes that sound

great. The first-grader thinks the Gingerbread House class offered at Sur

la Table in Corona del Mar Plaza would be perfect. It’s being held Dec.

12 and Dec. 18. There’s still time to act on that one. I’m considering a

Christmas Brunch class at Home Chef in Atrium Court. The menu for

Christmas dinner at our house is set in stone, but I do have room to

wiggle with breakfast/brunch. The menu includes gingerbread waffles with

orange walnut butter, scrambled eggs with Mascarpone cheese and red

flannel hash. That sounds great, a lot of work, but great. The class is

at 3 p.m., Dec. 4. Of course I do realize that the kids will only be

eating the candy canes out of their stockings anyway. I’ll have to think

about the class.

I’m beginning to realize that for all of my great intentions, the

motivation might not be there to inspire a flurry of creativity. Maybe I

should give it another week and see if the spirit moves me. Surely, a few

Christmas carols in the house and cards from friends will inspire me. I

love getting those family picture cards. I keep them in a big album year

after year. Some families have 17 pictures all lined up, straight from

baby pictures to college.

It’s decided, this is not the weekend to gather the full head of steam,

but the wheels are turning. Just thinking about the sights and the smells

is reason enough to get started. By next week I’ll be in full swing and

the house will begin to come together.

The kids will inspire me with their enthusiasm, the tree will go up, and

garland will be hung. After all, I won’t have them captive for much

longer and I realize that these are their good old days.

Time to go, the attic is calling me.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident who owned Wight House Design

for 10 years. Her column runs Saturdays.

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