What Is Tresenting?

In 2019, after the unimaginable loss of my son, Christmas no longer felt like Christmas. The joy I had always found in decorating was replaced by grief, and I simply couldn't bring myself to open the boxes.

My best friend refused to let me face that season alone.

She showed up at my door carrying her own Christmas decorations, ribbon, and holiday spirit. Together, we decorated my home when I couldn't do it myself. She reminded me that even in the darkest seasons, beauty and hope could still find a place.

As we worked side by side, we laughed about what we were doing. We weren't just trimming a Christmas tree—we were giving the gift of Christmas to someone who needed it.

So we created a word.

Tresenting (tre·sent·ing) — the act of trimming or decorating as a heartfelt present for someone, creating joy, comfort, and lasting memories through the gift of the holiday season.

What began as a made-up word between two friends became something much more. It became a reminder that decorating isn't really about the ribbons, ornaments, or perfectly placed bows.

It's about love.

Several years later, when my parents made the difficult decision to move into a retirement community, I witnessed another side of what the holidays truly mean. My mom wasn't grieving the house she was leaving nearly as much as she was grieving the memories stored inside the Christmas boxes she'd collected over a lifetime.

Every ornament held a story. Every nativity piece, wreath, and treasured decoration reminded her of Christmas mornings with her children, family dinners, laughter, and traditions lovingly built over decades. Watching her struggle to part with those memories was heartbreaking.

I couldn't bear the thought of those treasures being sold, discarded, or forgotten.

So I made her a promise.

I gathered every cherished decoration and carefully stored them in my old pole barn. I told her Christmas wasn't ending—it was simply changing. Every year, we would open those boxes together, revisit the memories they held, choose the decorations she wanted for the season, and create beautiful new traditions in her new home.

That promise transformed Christmas once again.

Decorating became less about creating something beautiful and more about preserving a family's story.

In 2025, those two experiences came together to inspire Tresenting Traditions.

I realized that so many families experience seasons of transition—moving to a new home, welcoming new generations, honoring loved ones who have passed, blending families, downsizing, or simply finding themselves too busy to create the holiday they dream about. During those moments, decorations become so much more than décor. They become the keepers of our memories, our faith, our traditions, and the people we love.

At Tresenting Traditions, I don't simply decorate homes for Christmas.

I tresent them.

I bring together treasured heirlooms, meaningful ornaments, family keepsakes, and beautiful seasonal design to create spaces that tell your story. Whether you're celebrating decades of family traditions, beginning new ones, or simply need someone to bring the magic back into your home, every tree, mantel, wreath, and room is designed with intention, care, and heart.

Because the greatest gift of Christmas isn't what's under the tree.

It's the memories made around it.

My hope is that when you walk into your home, you'll see more than beautiful decorations. You'll feel joy. You'll feel comfort. You'll feel connected to the people and moments that matter most.

That's what Tresenting has always meant to me.

And it would be my greatest privilege to help create that feeling for your family.