“It’s my time to keep
family and friends
close, be in the moment,
and have fun,”
LISA THOMAS
a
bout this time every year,
it’s hard to tell who’s more
excited in Lisa Thomas and
Peter Wofford’s home—Lisa
or 9-year-old daughter Emma.
When the holiday season hits,
there’s an eager dash to the
crafts store. At the top of the list are papers for the
ornaments and chains they’ll make for the family
tree. The mother-daughter crafters have the routine
down: Lisa cuts, Emma assembles. Their secret
weapon is roll-on tape instead of messy glue. “It’s
simple, and the cleanup—
hello,”
Lisa says.
Paper chains may be as basic as decorations get,
and that’s fine with Lisa, a florist and special events
designer. For her, the holidays are meant to savor,
not to stress. “It’s my time to keep family and friends
close, be in the moment, and have fun,” she says.
Lisa and Emma grab those moments when they
can, then knock out the decorating on a weekend.
“Less is more,” Lisa says, who likes a clean, unfussy
look. “But let’s also talk realitv. Sometimes less is all
there’s time for.”
Less doesn’t mean spare, though, at least not
to Lisa. This year, Christmas colors in her South
Carolina home are turquoise and orange, and a little
of the lively combo goes a long way. “I love to shake
things up,” she says. For a change of pace, she put the
tree in an urn that Emma lined with oranges. “I’m
big on improvising—
just looking around the house,
seeing something, and saying, ‘Oh my gosh, this could
work!’ ” Lisa says.
When it comes to wrapping gifts, Lisa color-
coordinates packages and makes sure each looks
impeccable. “A lot of times people just go through the
motions of the holidays, so a beautifully wrapped gift
is something special,” she says. “It’s giving of your
time and creativity.” She might layer different papers
on a package or crisscross ribbons in a lattice-
inspired pattern. Or maybe Emma will round up a
shell found at the beach or an acorn from the yard to
embellish the top. “I always say that you can’t be
afraid to try things,” Lisa says. “You might just love it.”
FAMILY FRIENDLY
Paper chains and photocopied pictures of the family keep the
tree understated and personal. “I love beautiful things, but I
also like an environment that makes people feel like they can
kick off their shoes,” Lisa says.
BETTER
HOMES AND
GARDENS DECEMBER2008
2 9
