Leave The Christmas Lights On Til' January

In December 2022, I transformed our humble Christmas tree into a full-blown Swiftmas Spectacle, inspired by none other than my daughters—devout Swifties and unofficial members of Taylor Nation. Forget traditional red and green; our tree glittered with the emotional spectrum of Taylor Swift's discography. I hand-crafted ornaments for each album, armed with glitter, glue, and an unhealthy relationship with Mod Podge. Every era was accounted for—from the country curls of Debut to the intimacy of Midnights. Yes, I even used my Cricut to cut out each album title in its exact font, because details matter when you’re crafting in the name of Taylor.

Instead of tinsel, I strung together handmade wooden block garland designed to look like oversized friendship bracelets. Imagine a tree that screams “You Belong With Me,” but make it crafty mom meets chaotic genius. Each block was painted, glittered, and strung together like a pop culture fever dream. Our living room briefly became a war zone of pastel powder and rogue sequins, but it was absolutely worth it. The glitter situation may have been a biohazard, but much like Taylor’s reputation, it sparkled through the mess.

The best part? My girls lit up like a string of fairy lights on Midnights when we had our very own Swiftie craft night. We sang, we glittered, we burned our fingerprints off with hot glue—true bonding. It wasn’t just a tree; it was a shrine, a masterpiece, and a slightly unstable tower of glittery pop culture joy. I may never get Mod Podge out of my dining table, but seeing my daughters so excited? Let’s just say, that’s what never goes out of style.