Becca Taylor Gay

I have a passion for Christmas decorations, especially anything shiny with vintage appeal, and I have spent much of my adult life treasure-hunting estate sales for those rare finds amongst a sale's jumble of holiday detritus, particularly seeking Shiny Brite ornaments. Often my scrutiny and patience pays off with a true gem, and one by one I have built a collection of favorite vintage baubles.

So please imagine my extreme delight when recently, while cleaning out my deceased uncle’s garage, I discovered a large carton marked “Ornaments from Georgie’s collection.” Georgie Taylor is my paternal grandmother from whom I received my physical features, demeanor, dry skin (and impeccable taste!) 

Within this carton was an amazing treasure trove of original Shiny Brite boxes, each containing full sets of ornaments of every description! These had likely remained untouched for decades. After my initial disgruntlement for them having been kept from me all these years, I was simply awe-struck and overwhelmed by the bounty. It felt to me like they had finally come home.

This season, though my grandmother passed 40 years ago, I feel her presence so strongly in my bedroom where I’ve decorated a table-top tree with some of her treasures. Though I have no actual recollection of her own Christmas trees, I believe they inspired my adult aesthetic and passion for collecting. I sensed such a deep connection to her as I hung each ornament—finer than any I’d ever scavenged—and appreciated each masterpiece as I imagine she must have done when decorating her own tree those many years ago.