First-year decorating volunteers Susan Morettini and daughter Emily Noel decorated the mansion’s nursery, and they did a marvelous job! The two were tasked with decorating this room with a Swedish theme. They found their inspiration by researching the Christmas traditions of the Swedes, talking to Swedish friends and checking Internet sources.  Friends Elisabeth Lavers, Pam Meyer, and Susan Rood graciously loaned Blithewold some of their Swedish Christmas decorations. The final result was a room beautifully filled with handmade ornaments and origami crafts. A small Christmas tree was carefully decorated with Dala horses and traditional Christmas goats. Lia, an 8-year-old that Susan nannies for, showed her how to make woven Swedish hearts to hang on the tree, giving the room a real child’s touch. “This piece was my favorite. It really highlighted the room,” Susan said.

As if this first-year decorating team didn’t already have enough to plan and execute, Emily gave birth to a baby girl, Christine, during the first week of decorating! Warm congratulations to Emily and her family! Although an occasion for joyous celebration, it did, as you can imagine, create a little extra chaos, coming at such a busy time. But it all worked out, and the room has a special ambiance—a baby being born while it was being made ready for the holiday season. The completed room is all ready for a child’s Christmas.

For more progress on Blithewold’s holiday transformation check out our Facebook page and Twitter. To see more photographs of Christmas at Blithewold please visit our Flickr and Pinterest!

Warmest Regards,

Caitlin Galeotti
Roger Williams University 2014
Blithewold Communications Intern