Just A Ray of Light & Magic
An Old Christmas Favorite Has Multiplied
An Old Christmas Favorite Has Multiplied
Hi friends, I’m Justin Ray ☀️.
Before the first ornament goes up at my house, the everyday things come down.
I deck the halls by clearing the walls.
Then I get to bring out the pieces I’ve been waiting to see again. Find their place. Start imagining what could go beside them.
Sometimes, that means making a new sign.
Sometimes, apparently, it means another tree.
The Tree Came First
I moved into my new house in 2020, and it needed a Christmas tree.
So, on a trip out for iced coffee, I took a detour to Home Depot.
That’s where I fell for a nine-foot Christmas tree.
I hadn’t checked the ceiling height.
And I could barely move the box myself. That thing was heavy.
But I did. 😂
Apparently, I was making room for Christmas one way or another.
I filled that first tree with park-inspired ornaments.
So I added a second tree. That one’s seven feet.
Someone recently called my decorating maximalist.
They may have a point.
I could fit another tree. 😂
It Was Supposed To Stay In The Dining Room
When I started bringing more of the parks into my home, I had a plan.
The park-inspired decorating would stay in the dining room.
It’s in almost every room now.
The first week of November is when I like to shop for Christmas decorations at the parks. I love seeing what’s out and imagining what could come home with me.
That giant peppermint Mickey globe on top of the TV?
That’s how it came home with me.
I found it at World of Disney in Disney Springs and shipped it home.
Apparently, Christmas was going to need room above the TV, too.
And once I bring something home, the ideas start.
What could go beside it?
Is there a sign I could make?
That’s one of my favorite parts. Seeing what happens when something I found meets something I create.
A little of the parks finds its way onto a shelf. A familiar phrase gets a place on the wall.
And I get to enjoy it long after the trip is over.
Making Room For Joy
The holidays look a little different for me these days.
Life has been hard, and I’m still finding ways to make room for joy.
Creating is one of those ways.
So is getting to share it with you.
A lot of the signs I make started with someone in mind. A friend. Someone in my family. Sometimes, me, because I wanted something for my own home.
I love taking a phrase we know and finding a different way to bring it to life.
And this year, an old Christmas favorite has given me something new to look forward to.
You Might Already Be Singing It
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
You might already be singing it.
I loved the style of this sign so much, I kept wondering what else it could become.
This year, you’ll get to see.
An old Christmas favorite has multiplied.
As we get closer to October 11, I’ll share the collection it inspired.
Maybe one will bring someone to mind.
Maybe you’ll already know where it belongs.
What Came Home With You?
That peppermint Mickey globe made its way home with me.
What’s something you brought home from the parks that still makes you smile?
I’d love to hear about the park find that still makes you smile. Email me a photo if you have one.
Thank you for spending a little time at my house.
The JRW Christmas shop opens October 11.
Subscribers can come in at 5 PM ET. The public opening begins at 6 PM ET.
I can’t wait to show you what I’ve been dreaming up.
Save a little room.
☀️
There’s More Christmas To Come
I’m sharing what I’ve been dreaming up as we get closer to October 11.
Join my newsletter and come along.
One letter each week, continuing after Christmas, plus occasional shop news. Unsubscribe at any time.
Know someone who would have found room for another tree? Send them this story.
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