LindaaigeSusan MarquezIn the home of Paige Clayton of Flowood,the Christmas tree, filled with hundreds ofornaments, is like a scrapbook of her life.32 • DECEMBER 2020
“Each ornament is handmade, and eachtells a story in the life of me, my husband andour children. It has become a huge traditionand one that I love so much. It’s such aprecious thing.”The ornaments have been lovinglyhandmade over the years by Paige’s mother,Linda Black. “My mother always didChristmas up real big,” Linda recalls. Thedaughter of an Air Force family, Linda’smother was from Mississippi and her fatherwas from Boston. “We moved often, andlived all over the world,” she recalls. “But myhappiest times were spending time with mygrandparents in Choctaw County, Mississippi.When we were there, my siblings and Ithought we had died and gone to heaven.”Linda grew up learning to be crafty andartistic. “My grandmother was into quilting,and my mother taught us needlework.” Thefirst Christmas Linda was married to herhusband, Ricky, she realized they did not haveany Christmas decorations. “That was a realawakening to me, as my mother had doneChristmas in such a grand way each year.” Shemade do that first year with red Christmasballs tied with red velvet bows, which is all theyoung couple could afford. “I decided thatChristmas that I’d start making ornamentsfor my future children. I wanted to send apiece of me with them when they went outin the world.”The next year Linda gave birth to Paige,who would be their only child. “I made acommitment that I’d make two ornaments ayear, one for me and one for her to take withher when she grew up and moved away. Thatway, she’d have an ornament for each year ofher life.”The ornaments, made of felt and sequins,are made from Bucilla kits which Lindapicked out specifically to commemorate aspecial event from that year. “Each one of theornaments has a date, and there is a storybehind it. The older we all get, the morespecialized each ornament is. The ornamentshave become the story of our family’s lives, orat least the parts we can tell!” Linda has madean ornament for Paige every year, and now,almost twenty years into their marriage, Lindahas made an ornament for Paige’s husband,and for their two children, who are ages 15and 13. “My granddaughter plays volleyball,so I’ve made her a volleyball player with herjersey colors. My grandson plays football, soI’ve made ornaments with his jersey numbersand colors.” Linda says that she and Paigeeasily have over 500 ornaments each. “Paigehas made some, but she was busy with school,then her career and children, so she leaves theornament making to me!”Linda doesn’t always stick to the kitdesign. “She’s really good at modifyingand customizing the ornaments to fit theoccasion or person she is giving it to,” saysPaige. “I remember most of the kits featuringblonde-haired girls, and I was brunette. Wewent to several stores looking for brown felt.She also custom designs ornaments on herown. I can idea-generate, and she has thefollow-through. She puts her own personaltouch on everything.”Paige says she has made a couple of specialornaments for her mother. “I made one formy parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, andI made one recently for a ‘monumental’birthday she had.” Linda says the ornamentPaige made had daffodils on it, which areLinda’s favorite flower. “It is so special to me.”Paige’s favorite ornament is a replica Lindamade of her wedding cake. “It is a perfectthree-dimensional replica of my cake. It isexactly to scale, very architectural. She evenhad a slice out of the cake with the differentcolor layers inside crafted from sequins. It stillexcites me today. I just love it.”Paige says that she cannot always rememberwhat she got for Christmas, but she canalways remember the ornament. “We usuallyget them at Thanksgiving every year.” Someof the more special ornaments include bits offabric from special pieces of clothing in theirlives. “I once made an ornament out of Paige’sfirst party dress, but only after my granddaughteroutgrew it,” recalls Linda. She alsomade an ornament out of the hat Paige worewhen she was in a high school production ofHello, Dolly. “These ornaments are our littletreasures,” says Linda. “They are special to us.And it’s a fun thing for me to do.”Hometown RANKIN • 33
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