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I was halfway through hauling out all 17 Christmas bins out of the garage (and my new She Shed—thanks babe!) when it hit me…I’m O V E R my usual calm, collected, neutral/rustic Christmas this year. Instead, multicolored Christmas lights started calling my name. C7s, C9s, warm vintage minis—I want every last one. And yes, they’re now slowly taking over my entire house.
It started innocently enough…with my first antique ceramic Christmas tree that had vintage multicolored lights. But like every “harmless little idea” I have, it got out of hand in record time and I now have colored lights…well, everywhere. They’re lining the windows across the front of the house. Strung proudly around the garage doors. Tucked into the kitchen garland. Wrapped around every mini tree I own. And of course, covering my beloved Christmas tree, which is glowing with that unmistakable “this is what Christmas should feel like” energy now.
And honestly? I’m not even sorry.
We spend so much time perfecting Christmas—matching ornaments, curating color palettes, making sure the ribbon behaves (it rarely does), picking out picks (like, what?). But let me tell you, the moment I plugged in that first strand of retro multi lights, something in me changed. Maybe it was the gentle flicker or that warm glow that somehow feels both lived-in and magical. Maybe it was the memory of my childhood family room—where nothing matched, everything sparkled, and joy felt wonderfully unpolished.
Whatever it was, it lit something in me I didn’t realize I’d been missing (so much!).
Because here’s the thing about these lights… They don’t try to be impressive. They aren’t staged or styled or “Pinterest perfect.” They just are—warm and nostalgic and a little chaotic in the best possible way.
And I think that’s why they feel so meaningful right now.
There’s an emotion to vintage-colored lights that white lights simply don’t have. White lights whisper elegance. Multicolored lights have no interest in that—they just show up glowing with pure joy. They feel like childhood Christmas Eve. They feel like grandparents’ houses, where someone always had a bowl of ribbon candy and no one ever worried about whether anything matched or went together. They feel like everything we’re secretly craving this time of year—slowness, comfort, coziness, wonder, warmth. Who doesn’t want that?
When I flip them on at night when I get up at 4:00 am, the whole house comes alive. And I swear, even the garland above my stove looks happier.
Shop My Lights
Maybe that’s why I’ve gone a little completely unhinged this year and put colored lights everywhere—because it’s my tiny rebellion against a perfect Christmas (which, as we all know, has always been my “thing” in the past). It’s an invitation to a simpler, more joyful Christmas instead, and I’m here for it. It’s a reminder that the beauty of the season isn’t in how polished everything looks, but in how it all feels and I can’t get enough.
So yes, I’m fully in my vintage multicolored lights era, and it’s possibly my whole personality now. If you’re looking for me tonight, I’ll be sitting in the glow of lights that look like they were plucked straight from 1983—warm and colorful—and feeling like I’ve stepped back into the safest, sweetest parts of my childhood.
I hope this version of Christmas never leaves—I doubt it will for me. #imforeverchanged
P.S. I apologize if you can’t find any vintage multicolored lights, perhaps I bought them ALL! Just joking—the exact lights I use can be found in my Amazon Storefront and at Novelty Lights (the RetroGlo® series). 😁🎄