ONE WOMAN’S KNACK FOR THE FESTIVE

Mary Griffing’s love of Christmas decorating came from her childhood. Christmas was a very big deal to her large family. They lived on a big farm upon which was a huge hill. Her dad would load up all eight children on a tractor, they would go up the hill to pick the holiday tree, “topping” two or three and deciding on the best one. Her mom would pick holly berries to string together, and the whole family would collect the spiky balls of the sweet gum tree and carefully press foil around them. It was from these roots Griffing learned to appreciate the beauty of nature, particularly in the Yuletide season, and she continues to include it in her Christmas decorating today.

She now lives in Abbey Place, an extension of Carriage Oaks, where 17 houses back up against a wetland, making all their backyards have views of a nature preserve. Amidst this privacy, Grif ng now combines those beautiful aspects of nature with fun collections of arti cial elements to create her holiday style. Guests are greeted at the door of her home by a collection of small trees, poinsettias and evergreen boughs, all framing a lovely goldtrimmed wreath trimmed with white owers.

Entering the home, a small upside down tree introduces guests to many more trees placed throughout in their regular aspect. Different types of metallic ones pose on the sofa table, and two large gold ones ank the arrangement on the replace mantle. Between those are an array of largescale metallic balls, boughs of greenery, limbs of gold leaves, berries and feathered birds, all below another full and spectacular wreath. A nearby pine continues the motif until the whole room just glows with golden warmth.

In the dining room, atop a cloud of netting, red emerges as the dominant color with an arrangement of large-scale metallic balls and glowing mesh gift boxes holding lights mix with greenery beneath the crystal drops of the chandelier.

One of the most fun elements of her decorating for the season is her fun toppings of the beds in the guest rooms. Beds, until they are needed by guests, are treated as large tabletops for more vignettes.

One room gets a sophisticated array of Christmas balls, trailing from large to small as they drape the bedspread. The other displays a collection of Santas from grand to comical. On a nearby rocker, a soft sculpture of St. Nick lounges on to the bed, a glint in his eyes, as he backs against a red brocade pillow.

Elsewhere, on a graceful but sturdy antique sideboard, lime green netting and white Christmas trees on risers of white scrollwork nestle against a Nativity scene. Every usable space gets a special and beautiful punctuation of cheer.

In the guest bath, pinks rules the scene with a wreath of pretty pink bows and ribbon-covered ornaments sliding down the mirror into a tableau of Santas, pink bobbles and little festive boxes. In the master bath are whimsical, large, white arrangements that give it a magical, winter wonderland look. Netting, owers, silver stems and all kinds of frosted fauna and ora bring a feminine quality to the season’s décor in Grif ng’s own spa-like bath.

She deserves a little something special as her decorating takes her beyond her home and into the homes of client/friends and to events for her church. Her friends give her great encouragement, saying things like, “I’ve never seen anyone decorate under the dining table before,” of some of her successful experiments, and ample praise. These tasks extend beyond the Christmas season as well as Grif ng decorates for wedding and baby showers. Harvest tables get her special spin, too, as she combines jars of canned fruits and loaves of bread with artificial pieces to create a beautiful display. Many special events at her former church in Plain Dealing and at her newer one, First Baptist – Bossier, have received the air of her designs.

She has also hosted open houses at her home for the last 33 straight years but is taking a break this year while dealing with some home improvements. She will use that time and the time after the holidays to add to her collections, which rely a bit on folly, just picking what she likes among themes of nutcrackers, angels, birds, particularly peacocks. She also picked up a few LSU items to create a special tree for one of her granddaughters.

“If you look at God’s creation, it’s so beautiful,” she said. At this time of the year in which many feel a deeper connection to Him, Grif ng has found ways to incorporate the beauty of nature with a few carefully selected pieces and her own natural ability to create a festive celebration in décor.