Mullican home packed full of holiday joy

Janice M. Howard

During a visit to the home of her grandparents, 8-year-old Taylor Mullican is delighted to discover a snow village, Santa’s sleigh and nine tiny reindeer made of real molded chocolate and placed on a bed of snow.

Many legends exist about the origin of the Christmas tree. In medieval times most people could not read, and plays were used to teach the lessons of the Bible all over Europe. It has been told that a Paradise Play, which showed the creation of man and the fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, was dramatized every year on Dec. 24. The play was performed in winter, creating a slight problem. An apple tree was needed but apple trees do not bear fruit in winter so evergreens were hung with apples as a substitution.

Today’s Christmas trees create a fascination for many Warren countians currently decking their halls for the holidays. Among them are Terry and Kerry Mullican, who have placed Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes in every room of their spacious Post Road residence, generating a festive atmosphere for the gathering of family and friends.

“Each room has a special theme,” noted the lady of the house. “Terry set up and decorated our trees and I unpacked and displayed our collections of Santas, snowmen and angels all through the house.”

The entry foyer provides a peripheral view of the adjoining living room and formal dining room. The eight-foot evergreen heavily laden with lights, gold baubles and poinsettias in the living room is complimented by a garland of greenery with dangling gold ornaments that outline the nearby fireplace mantle. An “It’s a Wonderful Life” lighted village collection is displayed year-round in a six-foot cherry cabinet enclosed with glass. Miniature “villages of light” designed by Thomas Kinkade grace three small tables placed about the room.

The cherry dining table with seating for eight is centered with a gold wire tree and set with “Christmastime” china and matching napkins – designed with a decorated Christmas tree, of course. A festive swag of pine boughs, berries, twigs and pine cones tops the cherry and glass china cabinet and a side board holds more of the china.

Several of the items seen in the kitchen and through out the remainder of the Mullican home were gifts Kerry has received over the years from children in her elementary school classrooms.

A table tree beside the breakfast table is adorned with ornaments from their “early matrimony” years and Santa magnets cover the upper portion of the refrigerator. A custom built hutch features a chocolate village with Santa and his reindeer that was made from molds by local resident Rita Hamilton.

Over 200 Santas of all shapes and sizes claim space on table tops, in bookcases and on a built-in desk in the den, boasting walls of cherry board paneling. A collection of “Possible Dream” Clothtique Santas line the mantle and extend across the top of a 10-foot-long window cornice. Limbs of the towering holiday tree are enhanced with bright lights and Santa ornaments as a greeting to guests.

Anyone entering the bedroom area would surely know that Christmas is at hand. In the hallway is a collection of teddy bears resting on a bench beside a wall-hugging tree that is decked with ornamental mementos from trips. More bears are seated on the floor at the base of the tree.

The master bedroom, designated as the snowman room, has a snowman selling snow cones on the door. The snowman tree with a matching tree skirt is a favorite of Taylor Mullican, one of the couple’s granddaughters. Adorning table tops and reflecting in the dresser mirror are an assortment of snowmen figurines. At a point of interest on the chest of drawers is a fiber-optic house and a tree.

An electric train circles the base of the large children’s tree in the second bedroom. No doubt this is the Christmas tree room with its assortment of quilted, clear glass, lighted ceramic, wooden, red wicker, gold wire and tea set trees.

The third bedroom has been designated as the angel room. Among the variety of angels placed at focal points is a tree graced with antique linen handkerchiefs attached to the branches with metallic gold ribbon. The tree base is wrapped with an antique quilt.

A Barbie tree is being set up in the children’s play area on the second floor. Adding to the ambiance of the season, the Mullicans plan to create a bird house haven in a tree being located in the outdoor atrium that will be framed by the 10-foot wide den window.