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When Susie Coelho mentioned magnolias, I was transported back to childhood.
During a phone interview with the lifestyle expert, she mentioned her line of Christmas decor that features deep ruby red magnolia leaves.
“Magnolia leaves mean Christmas to me, too,” I said, and I briefly told her why. If you grew up in the South, you know what I mean. Whenever I think about Christmas services in our century-old church back home, I remember boughs of cedar topped with magnolia leaves in the stained-glass windows’ deep windowsills, and at each window, a glass hurricane shade enclosed a candle placed in the middle of the greenery. Christmas Eve service’s sensory experiences: walking over the creaking wooden floor past fragrant, fresh cedar and the scent of hot wax, a glimpse of the velvety underside of the magnolia leaves.
My Great-aunt Inez loved, loved to spray-paint magnolia leaves silver and gold and pair them with silver and gold candles and glass Christmas ornaments and beaded garland for an opulent ‘60s table centerpiece. I still like that look, even more if you just gently brush silver or gold across the leaves, leaving some of the rich dark green to peek through. This looks especially nice today playing against a simple rustic background.
She also taught me how to make my own Christmas ornaments from sweet gum balls and toothpicks. I gathered fallen sweet gum balls in the yard, then stuck atoothpick (the classic bare wooden ones with both ends pointy) in each little hole. When you’re through, you have what looks like an organic Sputnik. Aunt Inez, of course, had to bling it up, so out came the metallic spray paint — when it was finished, it really did look like a Sputnik model.
Aunt Inez made her ornaments with foam balls, velvet or brocade ribbon, sequins and beads and lots of straight pins. I thought they were the most elegant things and would look right at home on a Park Avenue Christmas tree. Each year I consider taking up the hobby in her honor, but I fear I’ll fall short of her masterpieces. I know what she’d say, “Oh, just do it. If you make a mistake, nobody needs to know. If it’s for Christmas, it’s going to be pretty anyway.”
Pretty comes in many packages, including simple magnolia leaves and boughs of fresh cedar.
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