Erica Cade McNaughton gets acquainted with Mrs. Clause in the Santa Claus room of her grandmother, Patricia McNaughton's home. McNaughton has decorated every room in her home in a different theme related to Christmas and has invited the public to come enjoy the holiday spirit with her and her family.

Photo by Derek Brown

Every year around Thanksgiving, area residents head into the attics, garages and storage rooms to break out the Christmas decorations and begin the transformation from home to winter wonderland for the holiday season.

For Georgiana resident Patricia McNaughton, decorating for Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning and not only incorporates the outside of her home, but also every room inside. In fact, McNaughton's home this year is decorated in nine different themes relating to Christmas and includes 10 Christmas trees.

"I just love Christmas and I love to buy Christmas stuff," McNaughton said. "So I had to start doing something with it."

McNaughton said she began the unusual way of decorating her home about five years ago, but says she has always went a little overboard when it came to the Yule Tide season.

"When my kids were little I used to decorate more than most people," she said. "But, not like this. I think I do it now more for my grandchildren."

McNaughton, who has four grandchildren, twins Hunter Lewis Gallahair and Jade Cornellia Gallahair, Erica Cade McNaughton and Madison Nicole McNaughton, said she also likes to bring joy and the Christmas spirit to those who live in the area, and she said the public is welcome to visit her home and enjoy her unusual display.

"Anyone who wants to see it is welcome to come out," McNaughton said. "All they have to do is give us a call first so we can give them directions."

She said the best time to visit is right after dark, which gives the decorations the best effect, and she says the more who wish to come the better.

In all, McNaughton's home is decorated in nine different Christmas themes. The children's bedroom has been decorated like toyland, her bedroom is decorated with a Victorian Christmas theme, the family room has been transformed into the snowman room, the living room now hosts the nativity room, the formal dining and living area has been decorated in a Santa Claus theme, the garage has been transformed into a Christmas village, the bathrooms are decorated with a music theme and her two spare bedrooms and hallway have been decorated completely in angels. Her latest creation, the millennium room, was created out of the family game room, especially for the year 2000.

McNaughton says her family begins the process of decorating around mid-October, but really starts working hard around three weeks prior to Christmas.

After the holiday comes and goes, she said she will spend almost as much time taking the decorations down as she did putting them up. As one would suspect, storage of the thousands of lights and decorations is quite a problem.

"I fill every available space I can find," McNaughton said. "I use the attic, all the closets, and even store some things at my children's houses. I don't have half of what I own on display because my house isn't big enough to hold it all."

McNaughton said she could not do this much work without the help of her two daughters, Deedra and April, and her daughter-in-law Chanda, but she said the help of her grandchildren can often impede progress.

"This year the grandchildren were un-decorating as fast as we could decorate," she said. "Hunter (Lewis Gallahair) likes to play with the ball ornaments, but he thinks they're real balls and he throws them around."

McNaughton said her home will remain decorated at least until New Year's for anyone who wishes to visit and enjoy the holiday spirit. She can be reached at (334) 376-2170 for directions and the best time to visit.