Six Days of Holiday Colors

Day #1  – You Look Like Christmas

When my stepdaughter’s friend saw her at a meeting in April, she exclaimed, “ You look just like an Easter egg!” An odd statement perhaps but it fit. Judy was dressed in her signature color–soft pink. Pink slacks, a pink print shirt, pink nail polish, and pink sneakers. Too much pink? No. With her dark hair, peaches and cream complexion–it looked good.

Seven months later, when my dear friend walked into the restaurant for our Thanksgiving brunch my companion exclaimed, “Yipes, she looks like Christmas!” And she did. A bright green tunic with darker green leggings, accessorized with a red and green handmade shawl draped over one shoulder. Huge gold hoop earrings, gold glittering on just about every finger. And bright red holly berry lipstick. The effect was not as charming as my Judy in pink, but Christmas friend always does like to go a bit over the top.

This got me thinking about Christmas colors. Shops, stores, catalogues, and magazines gear up in October and November. Bright red borders on catalogues and ads. Glossy pages show red and green garlands, mistletoe, holly and berries hanging from mantles and draped around windows. Red apples and pine boughs rest in a platter on the table. Silver confetti snowflakes on the sideboard. Silver trees. Gold trees. And this year, laser stars of every color can be projected on your house.

And white. Why dream of a white Christmas when I can have artificially white-tipped miniature trees on the Santa shelf ?

I can have a snowball fight with the foam-filled snowballs  piled in a basket in our family room. And snow.

We’re not in New Jersey anymore but we can have real snow­–for us it’s just a forty-five minute ride up to Mt. Lemmon. When we have winter fog and rain at 2400 feet, there’s snow on the mountain.

If we don’t feel like making the mountain drive to be in the snow, an even shorter trip gets us to a local mall. La Encantada is the landmark upscale outdoor shopping center in Tucson- Tiffany, Ann Taylor, Frost Gelato, Apple, L’Occitane, Tommy Bahama, and yes, snow.

The atrium boasts an Enchanted Snowfall twice a night each Friday and Saturday during the holidays. Folks do dress up like Eskimos with cell phone in hand and selfie stick at the ready. Wunderground’s weather predictions have nothing on La Encantadaa. At exactly 6:00 pm flakes begin to fall–gently, of course. Let me check the calendar. I think I can make the snowfall on Saturday. Merry Christmas!