Rachael Gives Tour Of Christmas Decorations In Guest House She & John Are Living In

If you know Rachael, you know that every year, she puts up LOTS of Christmas trees and decorates each one herself. But like most things in 2020, Rach's Christmas decorations look a little different this year. Even so, she couldn't be more grateful. 

"As some of you guys know, around this time of year — actually, before Thanksgiving — I start leaning into a ladder, like a Who in Whoville, and I put up nine Christmas trees and I listen to holiday music and watch holiday movies kind of ad nauseam for my husband and family," Rach explains. "This year, we're not putting up trees because no families are coming to visit and we lost our main home, but we absolutely would not let the holidays come and go without some decoration." 

"I'm going to now share with you guys the doodles I made on pages of my notebook at three o'clock in the morning and the work that my friends — Peter and Susan, from Finishing Touches Flowers in Bolton Landing, and Peter's sister, Sarah — helped me bring to life. I literally started drawing pictures in my notebook of what we might do this Christmas."

Rachael Ray Show

"Instead of trees, we did garlands. I wanted partridges in della Robbia. And the garlands go all the way around the doors." 

Rachael Ray Show

Rachael Ray Show

"My friend Bob Schneider — a fabulous musician from Austin — he does a show every single week. For months and months, he's cheered me up. And behind him are these long strands of lights. And I thought to myself, 'Wow, they look like falling snow.' So for the back porch, I doodled falling snow lights." 

Rachael Ray Show

"These two llamas in the corner, John gifted me, because I love llamas. And I put little Christmas bows on them."

Rachael Ray Show

"In the center of our back table — saved from our house that burned — a horse sculpture that is exactly the same as one my mom had in our house when I was a little girl. I found it in a flea market, no kidding." 

Rachael Ray Show

"Here's the only little tree that we did. We wanted it to look like Enzo, the tree that we planted when we were married in Italy. Enzo's a cypress tree, and it just has little white birds on it."

Rachael Ray Show

"Over both ribbons, I said, 'Can we please have ribbons to hide the cords?' I hate cords! So over the dining room windows, instead of our big Christmas trees that normally are twin trees in these windows, we have these little della Robbia [garlands]."

Rachael Ray Show

"John gave me this beautiful collection basket for grapes to make Chateauneuf-du-Pape — one of our favorite wines. And we filled it with, of course, more partridges!"

Rachael Ray Show

And, of course, there's a wreath in the kitchen — which probably looks familiar to you! 

Rachael Ray Show

"I gotta tell you," Rach says. "I don't know where I'd be without friends and a community and people so dear to me that helped me bring Christmas to life even when you're not at home. Happy holidays, everybody!"