Family has decorated trees with special ornaments over the years
by Gabriella Brown
Newsroom@DominionPost.com
Inside the childhood home of Kaylyn Petitte and Madelyn McCarthy stands a Christmas tree that may look typical at first glance, but a closer look reveals an over two-decade-long family tradition.
On nearly every branch of their tree hangs a hand-painted Barbie-themed ornament from the Hallmark Dream Book Keepsake Collection gifted to the sisters every year from their great-aunt, Nancy Mazzuckelli.
“They weren’t really too into Barbie per se, but the ornaments are gorgeous,” said Sherry McCarthy, Madelyn and Kaylyn’s mother. “They just loved them and they kept collecting them.”
Mazzuckelli said the tradition began when Madelyn was about 4 years old. She said Madelyn loved to visit the mall, and they often stopped by the Hallmark store together. During one of their trips, Mazzuckelli remembers asking Madelyn which ornaments she liked.
“She picked out the Barbie princesses,” Mazzuckelli said. “Which is really weird because she never really had Barbies, but she liked the ornaments.”
That same year, Mazzuckelli bought Madelyn every ornament from the collection, which was the start of a tradition that has carried on each year for the past 22. The family has since collected more than 400 ornaments.
“It was really exciting every year to have her come over and give us a whole bag labeled Hallmark,” Madelyn said. “We knew, my sister and I, that it was just filled with Barbie ornaments for that year.”
Several of the ornaments feature Barbie in a variety of outfits and styles, some portray celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, and others are of Disney princesses that sing with the press of a button. Many of the ornaments within their collection are limited edition and are no longer available for purchase.
Of the hundreds of ornaments the sisters have received over the years, Sherry and Madelyn agreed among their favorites are the ballerina-themed ones.
Madelyn said when she reflects back on those days filled with excitement to see what the collection for each year included, she realizes how important those moments spent with her family are to her.
“Looking back, it was small in my mind, but now it is such a wonderful thing to really think about and to look back on,” she said.
Sherry said not all the ornaments can fit on the tree, but each one has a story. When the holiday season comes around, Sherry said she and her daughters decorate the tree together, reflecting on the meaning behind each one of their ornaments.
She said she hopes her daughters will pass the collection on to their children someday to keep the tradition alive and to remember the special relationship they share with their great-aunt.
“My girls, Madelyn and Kaylyn, have always been close with their [great] aunt,” Sherry said. “This woman was the first one at the hospital when the kids were born. They have just always had a very special relationship.”
For Madelyn, although she has grown older and no longer plays with Barbie dolls, the memories her family’s collection holds has become a meaningful part of her life. She said someday she envisions having her own white Christmas tree filled from top to bottom with the ornaments.
“It’s really just the memories behind every one,” Madelyn said. “We’ve moved around a lot and we’ve been in different places and had different trees, but we always have the same ornaments.”
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Inside the childhood home of Kaylyn Petitte and Madelyn McCarthy stands a Christmas tree that may look typical at first glance, but a closer look reveals an over two-decade-long family tradition. On nearly every branch of their tree hangs a hand-painted Barbie-themed ornament from the Hallmark Dream Book Keepsake Collection gifted to the sisters every year from their great-aunt, Nancy Mazzuckelli. Several of the ornaments feature Barbie in a variety of outfits and styles, some portray celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, and others are of Disney princesses that sing with the press of a button. Many of the ornaments within their collection are limited edition and are no longer available for purchase.
