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By: Rich Schell
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 It’s that time of year that we light the candles. Now that we’ve used up all those holiday scents from last year in the pumpkin, we can all go without shame of over-consumption to the store and find ourselves the perfect new candle for the season.
There are two kinds of candles: those that are scented, and those that are not. I vote for non-fragrance candles for ambiance and one great candle that has fragrance to light prior to your company’s arrival. Remember to blow it out a few minutes into the cocktail party, as not everyone loves the aroma of burnt vanilla or sapping pine. I am a bit allergy-sensitive to these flickering beauties. On the other hand, I can never have enough candles lit around my home — fragrance free, of course!
Now that I have a collective blaze flickering around my home, I create a game plan for my holiday décor. I love Christmas decorations. For years, I have collected vintage ornaments. I love them from the Victorian era to about the early 1960s, the latter being what I grew up with. I have always had the philosophy that when I cannot find room for one more on the tree, I make room for one hundred. Saturation is what makes me happy. As I child I realized that if I crossed my eyes and looked at the Christmas tree, it was prettier — and created twice the lights. Mom would warn me that they would stick that way, but after 40 years, the only adverse condition that I have noticed is that I need reading glasses.
Now that the tree is adorned with tubs of ornaments, I am going to make the gravy for Thanksgiving dinner. Yes, I start the decorating process on Thanksgiving Day, as I am cooking the bird. I love lights on that night, as it’s my kick-off to the holiday season. It’s a time to pack up the cornucopia and the pilgrims and plan the mission of my holiday décor. As I move around the house with ideas for my remaining décor, I have decided that this year I am going easy on the clutter. I will do a few fresh decorations around my home as I get closer to Christmas and bring home a poinsettia or two.
The holidays are full of family traditions. I think that’s what gives us the energy to do it all over again, as 12 months really isn’t very long to repeat all the work (and expense) of the season. People are generally just nicer this time of year. Everyone tends to open their hearts and we all want to see the world through an old-fashioned color wheel. With that said, if I could experience the feeling of the holiday season year round, I would leave the tree up, continue to cross my eyes, and maybe hope for them to stick that way. As with the condition of the world, we can individually find our own peace in what we know and what makes us happy in our homes. As you begin to decorate this year in your own way, remember that there are no rules. Have a blast! Involve the children. Invite lots of friends over and share in the joy of the season. Put a few extra ornaments on the tree for our soldiers and those less fortunate. And of course, light a candle for peace! Who cares what it smells like. Maybe that is exactly what we need: an ozone layer that smells like Christmas!
Happy Holidays to all. Whatever your traditions or religious beliefs, we are all here to share this planet, and believe it or not, a jolly old man in a sleigh pulled by reindeer will for sure visit a child in your neighborhood. Peace!
Rich Schell is the owner of Rich Designs Home located at 1731 Mount Washington Avenue in Colorado Springs. Visit RichDesignsGallery.com.
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