The StyleBlueprint Memphis team is at home for the holidays and ready for Christmas Day, along with several of our creative Memphis-area friends. Thank you to everyone who has shared a glimpse of their trees and a few words about their favorite ornaments. Merry, merry!
At the lake house with Greg Campbell
After making so many Christmas events in the Memphis area beautiful, Greg Campbell, co-owner of the Garden District, doesn’t always have time to put a tree up at home! Certainly understandable, but this year on the way home from work one evening, he decided to pick up a tree and pull out all of the traditional décor. Here is his impromptu tree, lighting up one corner of a weekend lake cabin and decorated with ornaments collected over the years.
Greg says, “My favorite is a felt mouse with a candy cane tail created by Suzie Loveless (the daughter of one of my original business partners). It is close to 20 years old, and I am amazed the candy is still intact. We hang it high, so the dogs will not be tempted.”
Memorable ornaments and whimsical fun with Selena McAdams
Selena McAdams, interior designer and owner of Spruce, loves the flash of tinsel mixed with blown glass ornaments that she has collected throughout the years. “Some represent gifts given (that year I adopted an orangutan monkey for my boyfriend, now husband), moments throughout the years or sometimes even a Halloween costume my girls might have had (that year Taylor was a peacock),” Selena explains. “Each ornament holds a memory as we place it on the tree.”
To finish it off, Selena always adds a touch of nature to contrast the flash. This year, it’s feathers! In the past, it has been dried hydrangea. Selena describes, “This element really reflects the mood I am in that particular year. So my tree formula is a good base of your basic ornaments, the ones that hold the memories, all cinched up with the mood of the year. Happy holidays, everyone!”
A colorful collection of memories on Stacy McSpadden’s tree
“My little tree isn’t that exciting, but has a lot of meaning to me,” says Stacy McSpadden, store manager and interior designer at Chestnut Hall. Her tree is filled with ornaments she has been collecting since she was 12 years old, as well as family ones passed down and some that she has received from friends. “There are also ones that I just like so I buy!” Stacy’s favorite ornament was made by her grandmother, who died a few years ago. “She hand-made these little angels for many years, and I believe everyone in my family has at least one of these on their tree. Merry Christmas!”
A bright idea in the home of Suzanne Varner
When you have two interior designers, the mother-daughter team of Varner Interiors, and one art collector in a family, creativity and clever ideas abound at home. The entry hall tree at Suzanne Varner’s home has no green, simply a light frosting of “snow” and lights. Sparkling silver ornaments represent a lifelong collection, and the tree was purchased from the Garden District.
Family, friends and the true meaning of Christmas at the home of Camille Mueller
Camille Mueller, manager of Social, decorates her tree throughout the holiday season. “Let me begin with a qualifier,” Camille says. “I am still working on my tree and will continue to tweak it until I leave for church on the 24th!” Camille incorporates a reliable tip she read in an old Southern Accents: Group like ornaments in threes, especially long ones. And this year, she opted for using the icicles she enjoyed as a child.
“My favorite ornaments are the ones that bring memories of people who have touched our lives or places Bill and I have traveled. My mother’s tree has always been loaded with gorgeous ornaments, and she has given me many, so those are special,” Camille adds.
Camille has had this manger in front of the family tree since her daughters were young. “Over the holidays, if they did something nice for another person and did not tell anyone about it they could put some hay in the manger. Then, on Christmas morning, they would find Baby Jesus lying on the bed of hay representing the thoughtful, kind acts they had done. The manger is placed so that it is the first thing that is seen when you walk in Christmas morning. I usually wake them to ‘He has come’ (meaning Jesus),” Camille describes.
Now, Camille’s daughter Ragan, along with Ragan’s husband, David, make these mangers for godchildren, and Ragan has even sold her mangers at Social. She takes it a step further and adds a daily scripture reading for December that suggests putting hay in the manger after each reading.
At home with StyleBlueprint Memphis
Our final collection of favorite ornaments are from the homes of your StyleBlueprint Memphis team:
Sales manager Malise Culpepper’s favorite ornaments are the ones made by her children at Buntyn preschool. She says they become “more special to her every year.” Editor Christian Owen’s favorite is a grouping of ornament votives that were given to her by her mother. Filling these with fresh flowers to place on the living room tree is a final touch on Christmas Eve at the Owen home. It’s been a busy Christmas at photographer Michelle Kelly’s new home, so her standout Christmas “ornament” so far is a Blue Heeler pup who is waiting for Santa. From writer Lindsey Hedgepeth, we have a 2005 official White House ornament that reminds Lindsey of her time as a White House holiday tour guide in D.C.
We hope you have enjoyed visiting these homes at Christmastime for a glimpse of their family traditions. Best wishes as the traditions of your family unfold and new memories are added during the holidays.
A new year is knocking on our doors, and it’s going to be a happy one at StyleBlueprint Memphis! In 2015, we will continue to build the SB Memphis Guide, launch the SB Memphis app and introduce SB Weekend!
