For many years, my Christmas trees were about 95 percent squirrel.
There were acorns, leaves, and other fall themed things too. But mostly squirrels. Apparently, when I find something that makes me smile, I am happy to commit.
I love adding little squirrels around my home. A candlestick holder. A door stop. Something super cute that catches my eye. Even better if it is gold. Mostly, they are for me. They make me smile, and that feels like a perfectly good reason to keep them around.
A Christmas tree does not have to follow the rules
A squirrel tree might not be what everyone pictures when they think of Christmas. But it was mine.
I think there is something lovely about that. We see so many ideas for how a holiday home should look that it can be easy to forget we are allowed to make it feel like us. Acorns and leaves belong on a Christmas tree if they make you happy. So does an ornament that no one else quite understands.
Your home does not need to explain every little thing you love. Sometimes a smile is the whole explanation.
The Squirrel Girl sugar cookie era
I used to make Squirrel Girl sugar cookies. For people, to be clear. I would deliver them to some of my favorite dental offices.
They had cute pearl sugar ball necklaces, a black wing tip eyelash, and a gentle spray of edible gold. Of course they did. Even when I touch food, I want it to be pretty.
I have not made those cookies in forever, but remembering them still makes me smile. There was something so fun about giving a little squirrel that much personality, then taking something I had made to people I wanted to brighten the day for.
A cookie can simply be a cookie. But sometimes it can also be a tiny dressed up reminder that someone thought of you.
Ratchet had an opinion. Probably.
My dog Ratchet loved the squirrels too. Or at least I think he did.
That may have been my interpretation. But I like the thought of us appreciating them together.
The squirrels continue to bring me joy. Some things become part of the little language of your home. You spot one, and you smile before you have even thought about why.
Meet Semolina
That love of squirrels also found its way into Semolina, our gold squirrel candle.
Her squirrel design is etched into a gold vessel and paired with Velvet and Smoke fragrance. The scent notes include ozone and bergamot, mint and soft floral, with moss, earth, and juniper at the base.
She belongs to the same playful thread as those ornaments and dressed up cookies. A little detail with a lot of personality. Something that makes me smile, translated into something I can share.
If you are choosing a candle for someone else, let their preferences lead. Perhaps they love a woodland detail. Perhaps they have their own wonderfully specific thing. A thoughtful gift begins with noticing, not with choosing what everyone is supposed to like.
Pretty does not have to mean perfect
I love making things pretty. But pretty and perfect are not the same thing.
Pretty might mean a pearl sugar necklace on a squirrel cookie. It might mean a gold door stop that makes you laugh. It might mean a tree full of leaves when everyone else has snowflakes.
Those details are personal. They do not need to match a trend, and they do not need to impress anyone to matter.
For more small gestures chosen with care, explore Stocking Stuffers and Christmas Gifts With Meaning. They are places to begin, but the best clue is still the person you have in mind.
What is your version of a gold squirrel?
Do you have a quirky holiday tradition? An ornament that always gets a special place? A recipe you love sharing, or a little collection that brings you joy for reasons only you understand?
I would genuinely love to hear about it. Send me your story at info@lovesquareone.com. Favorite recipes, decorating ideas, and wonderfully squirrely little joys are always welcome. Tell me what makes you smile.
Thank you for spending a few minutes with me and my little squirrel stories. Whatever your version of a gold squirrel might be, I hope you make room for it. I hope your home holds things that feel like you, your holidays leave room for a little playfulness, and you remember that joy does not have to be grand to matter. I hope you pause. I hope you smile. I hope you feel loved.