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| A band of merry cherubs hails the arrival of guests. |
In spite of all the foot-dragging and complaining I do, I actually like decorating the house for Christmas once I've gotten into it. Bringing out ornaments collected over 30 years of marriage and marveling at the various events that have taken place during our family life is probably one of my favorite parts of the holidays.
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| Stacy Bass and his partner, Jay Anderson, operate Brunswick Manor, a bed and breakfast inn in Old Town Brunswick. |
Over time I've had the pleasure and privilege of meeting people who really get into the Christmas season, turning their homes into Christmas wonderlands and sharing their enthusiasm with friends and family. Among them are Stacy Bass who, along with his partner Jay Anderson, operates Brunswick Manor in Old Town Brunswick.
Brunswick Manor is housed in the 1886 home of Maj. Columbia Downing, a Brunswick businessman. This beautifully restored mansion features a large central hall, parlor, library, dining and guest suite on the first floor and three large guest suites on the second floor. Each, along with the veranda and orchid room, has been transformed for the season with its own Christmas tree and other holiday touches.
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| A 12-foot Christmas tree, illuminated by 10,000 lights and adorned by 2,000 Christopher Radko ornaments, dominates the inn's Main Parlor. |
The centerpiece of this Christmas wonderland is the Main Parlor, which is dominated by a 12-foot Christmas tree adorned with 10,000 lights and 2,000 ornaments created by designer Christopher Radko. Bass acquired his first Christopher Radko ornaments in 1986, the year they were introduced, and has been collecting them ever since. Produced using European glassblowing techniques, Radko ornaments are highly prized for their color, quality and designs.
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| Produced using European glassblowing techniques, Radko ornaments are highly prized for their color, quality and designs. |
Normally, it takes Stacy and a four-person crew three to four days to decorate the mansion, beginning the day after Thanksgiving. This year, however, they had an unexpected surprise.
"I was contacted in June by a representative of the Discovery Channel," he explains. "They wanted to come and videotape an episode of 'Extreme Christmas Trees,' showing everything from start to finish." To prepare for the taping, Stacy and his colleagues had to begin decorating early, having everything ready for the crew's arrival. Everything, that is, except for the tree itself.
"The plan was to shoot the room without the tree, the tree installation, and then the decorating and tree lighting -- all in one day."
The shoot began at 8:00 am the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. There were some tense moments, including when the tree and the extra lights for videotaping began blowing the circuit breakers. An emergency call was made to a local electrician, who installed a new circuit and saved the day. Shooting finally ended shortly after midnight, making for a very long day.
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| A crew of eight set up, illuminated and decorated the tree for the "Extreme Christmas Trees" videotaping, which began at 8:00 am and wrapped up after midnight. |
"It was indeed a long day for all of us, but we are thrilled and honored to be featured on the program," Bass says. "It will be great exposure for Brunswick Manor, and for the city. We can't wait to see it."
According to producer Shayne Shnapier, the program is scheduled to appear on the TLC network during the 2011 Christmas season. To learn more about Brunswick Manor, visit them online.
