No one does Christmas like my friend in Chicago. She has a big beautiful Christmas party every year at her lovely home and decorates every square inch. Her german nutcracker collection has a music box in the center-this has 12 songs with 4 different shows;the curtain even opens and closes!
Her Christmas tree has hand beaded ornaments on it.She has collected them for years from consignment shops and garage sales. In the 1960′ s and 1970’s it was a popular church activity for ladies to get together to make these. My friend says as she hangs them on her tree she can imagine the ladies chatting away as they are making them.
For her out-of-town guests she places a pop-up Christmas book on each bed.
Lauren Huyett Interiors 
I have the hand beaded ornaments that my mom and I made together back in the ’60’s….they are so pretty , and every time I hang them I remember her! I actually think they used to sell these little beading kits for ornaments and mom would sit us all down and make us bead together! And, you are right about Christmas inChicago … Her house, especially at the holidays, is just amazing!
I also remember making similar ornaments with my mom using as many sequins as possible, and I made them with my children too. My mom showed us how to make pomander ornaments too – whole cloves pushed into an orange. They smell wonderfully. xoxo Anne