About Holiday Hangups
I grew up in a family where the women went all out for Christmas. We didn't just put up a tree—we created a whole experience.
My parents were even married on Christmas Day. And years later, I got married on Christmas Day, too.
So it's probably not surprising that I've always loved Christmas. But it wasn't until I moved to Plano, Texas, about 15 years ago that I discovered a whole new side of Christmas decorating.
That's when I found a designer Christmas store unlike anything I'd ever experienced.
Every year, the store was filled with incredible Christmas trees that were creative, unexpected and spectacular. They weren't ordinary Christmas trees. They were works of art.
I remember walking through the store thinking that I wanted to live there.
But more than that, I wanted to create that same feeling in my own home—and share that magic with my children.
The problem was, where do you find the things that create that look?
I was already decorating Christmas trees, but most of the decorations I owned had come from places like Hobby Lobby and Target. They were perfectly fine, but they weren't the same as the products I was seeing in that designer Christmas store.
The difference was often scale, quality and design.
The ornaments were larger. The ribbon was beautiful and substantial, with patterns and fabrics that could be shaped and formed exactly where I wanted them. The specialty pieces had more impact.
I began to realize that creating an extraordinary Christmas tree wasn't just about knowing how to decorate.
It was about having access to the right products.
And I started wondering about all the people who didn't have a designer Christmas store anywhere near them.
That's where the idea for Holiday Hangups began.
Why I Started With Christmas Lights
When I started Holiday Hangups, I knew I wanted to begin with Christmas lights because I believe beautiful lighting is the foundation of a beautiful Christmas tree.
For years, I had used RAZ snake lights on my own trees. I loved the small LED lights, the way they looked on the tree, and the fact that they didn't take up a lot of space. They were also incredibly long-lasting. Some of the RAZ lights I bought years ago are still working today.
They became especially useful when the lights built into some of my pre-lit trees eventually stopped working. Instead of replacing the entire tree, I could use snake lights to create beautiful lighting again.
But I also knew there were things I wanted my lights to do that weren't available at the time.
So I decided to design my own.
Designing lights for the way I actually decorate
I wanted my lights to be connectable, so I could connect strands together for larger trees. I wanted a warm white that was bright and beautiful but still warm. I wanted the ability to dim the lights.
And I really wanted a slow twinkle.
A lot of people wanted twinkling Christmas lights, but most of the twinkle settings I was seeing were much too fast for the look I wanted. I wanted something subtle—a gentle sparkle that would add movement and magic to a tree without becoming distracting.
I spent a lot of time working through the different settings to get the effect I had in mind.
The result was the first Holiday Hangups snake light, designed around the way I actually decorate my trees.
Then I discovered how much I loved using cluster lights, too. When I started showing the 50-foot cluster lights I was using on my trees, people responded enthusiastically. That led me to develop a Holiday Hangups cluster light with the same philosophy and features as my snake lights.
I don't just sell Christmas lights. I use them. I design with them. And I pay attention to the little details that make a difference when you're standing in front of a Christmas tree trying to make it beautiful.
