In February, my friend Kristy and I took a long weekend and rode up to our dear friend Stacey’s and her husband Jimmy’s home in Alexandria, Virginia. Kristy, Stacey, and I try to do a girls’ trip every other year, but due to Covid, our retreat was delayed a year and then postponed…so Stacey left up her Christmas decor for us through mid-February so that we could experience it over the long President’s Day weekend! We spent most of our time just sitting around in the glow of her the trees, enjoying each other's company and reminiscing on our college days and 20+ years of friendship. And we talked about the trees.

Stacey has more Christmas decorations and trees than anyone I know, and I have quite a few friends with extensive tree collections! Stacey’s 46 trees are meticulously decorated; every ornament has a special story and meaning. There is a tree dedicated to their travels, a reindeer tree, a Santa tree, a nativity tree, a Clemson tree, a snowman tree, a Rockwell tree, a gingerbread tree, a Jesus tree, an O’Tannenbaum tree themed with German ornaments, a “Cup of Tea” tree, a fruit tree, and even a shoe tree! Jimmy has always been fascinated by airplanes, so there is a tree dedicated to flight in his office. Music is a huge part of both of their lives, so there’s a music-themed tree. Stacey can tell you where every ornament is from—gifts from friends and family, yard sale finds, souvenirs from worldwide travels, or ones that have been passed down from generations before….