![Old Metairie ‘Christmas fanatic’s’ entertaining tradition | Home/Garden Old Metairie ‘Christmas fanatic’s’ entertaining tradition | Home/Garden](https://i.ibb.co/3SZh1C0/Home-Improvement-114.jpg)
Old Metairie ‘Christmas fanatic’s’ entertaining tradition | Home/Garden
On Black Friday, Shelley MacNary did what she always does after Thanksgiving Day. She rose before dawn to get a head start on Christmas.
A self-professed “Christmas fanatic,” MacNary hurried to The Home Depot to purchase poinsettias at 50% off. Finding there was no limit to the number she could buy at that price, she snared 64 before the sun rose. She’s made that early poinsettia run for 20 years.
“I just love Christmas,” MacNary said. “It’s a good time to be with friends and family. It’s a great time to say thanks and just be with good people.”
![XMAS 32 December 9, 2022](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C889 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C985 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/74/c74399f7-0f90-5542-ad20-345ae88f3f1d/639bb18b85cc4.image.jpg?resize=1763%2C1176 2008w)
‘Christmas fanatic’ Shelley MacNary stands near some of her 64 poinsettias.
That love shows up in an equal obsession with decorating for the season, in part for the Christmas parties she’s hosted for almost three decades. This year’s poinsettia display starts at the entry of her Old Metairie home, spreads across the entry table and runs up the staircase to the second floor.
The merry red path continues to the dining room, through the living area, loops through the breakfast nook, past the ceiling-height Christmas tree before going out the backdoor to create a hilly pile near the newly installed outdoor kitchen.
Even the extensive backyard installation appears to have been designed with Christmas in mind. Its hot pink and white color scheme provides the perfect backdrop for the Christmas party she throws every year.
![XMAS 4 December 9, 2022](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/46/84659446-789c-52bb-9266-81d75d5eb73e/639bb18cab4d5.image.jpg?resize=150%2C225 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/46/84659446-789c-52bb-9266-81d75d5eb73e/639bb18cab4d5.image.jpg?resize=200%2C300 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/46/84659446-789c-52bb-9266-81d75d5eb73e/639bb18cab4d5.image.jpg?resize=225%2C338 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/46/84659446-789c-52bb-9266-81d75d5eb73e/639bb18cab4d5.image.jpg?resize=300%2C451 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/46/84659446-789c-52bb-9266-81d75d5eb73e/639bb18cab4d5.image.jpg?resize=400%2C601 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/46/84659446-789c-52bb-9266-81d75d5eb73e/639bb18cab4d5.image.jpg?resize=540%2C811 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/46/84659446-789c-52bb-9266-81d75d5eb73e/639bb18cab4d5.image.jpg?resize=640%2C961 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/46/84659446-789c-52bb-9266-81d75d5eb73e/639bb18cab4d5.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1127 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/46/84659446-789c-52bb-9266-81d75d5eb73e/639bb18cab4d5.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1487 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/46/84659446-789c-52bb-9266-81d75d5eb73e/639bb18cab4d5.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1555 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/46/84659446-789c-52bb-9266-81d75d5eb73e/639bb18cab4d5.image.jpg 1200w)
Poinsettias and garland line the stairs.
MacNary said that its fitting seasonal color wasn’t planned. The swath of white petunia blossoms that resembles glittering snow is a serendipitous feature.
Last fall, with the pandemic still limiting social interaction, she finally felt ready to initiate the backyard redo that had been growing in her imagination for a decade. She hired Mullin Landscape Associates in St. Rose to draw up a design that would be low-maintenance and provide all-year-around blooms.
She also wanted an outdoor kitchen, a covered patio and a fountain. The result is a 50-foot by 50-foot landscape of half hardscape and half plant life.
The kitchen, containing a grill and mini-fridge, is located near the back door of the house. Eagleston hollies ring the fence to create more height for privacy, and blooming plants run in front of them. Together, they create a U-shaped bed of green and all-season color. A brick fountain creates visual balance to the right of the yard.
Azaleas, hydrangeas, and lily of the night provide color in spring and summer along with white vinca, which replaces petunias before they die in the heat. Two varieties of Camellia, pink and white, join the petunias to brighten the winter months.
![XMAS 22 December 9, 2022](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=400%2C266 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=640%2C426 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=990%2C659 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C689 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C799 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C888 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C983 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/cd/2cd9f15c-9624-54dc-bb8b-0382b916ba3c/639bb18435b06.image.jpg?resize=1764%2C1175 2008w)
The cabana area is a center for entertaining.
MacNary plans a natural look for the holly privacy hedge, which requires little pruning, but she prefers the formality of straight lines for other parts of the garden. The only curves run along the rounded fountain.
“I need structure in my life,” she said. “To me, it’s peace.”
No work on her part was key to the overall design. The only DIY she did during the construction and planting phases was to stain the fence French Quarter Black by Benjamin Moore. It took two weeks.
As a retired lawyer for Entergy, travel is her preferred pastime. The garden reflects her determination to be free to jump on a plane at a moment’s notice.
“I have a passport and a credit card,” she said. “I could leave tomorrow.”
![XMAS 25 December 9, 2022](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/09/a09d6bc3-8e60-5df0-8d29-6f37e538de31/639bb1852a18a.image.jpg?resize=150%2C190 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/09/a09d6bc3-8e60-5df0-8d29-6f37e538de31/639bb1852a18a.image.jpg?resize=200%2C254 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/09/a09d6bc3-8e60-5df0-8d29-6f37e538de31/639bb1852a18a.image.jpg?resize=225%2C285 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/09/a09d6bc3-8e60-5df0-8d29-6f37e538de31/639bb1852a18a.image.jpg?resize=300%2C381 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/09/a09d6bc3-8e60-5df0-8d29-6f37e538de31/639bb1852a18a.image.jpg?resize=400%2C507 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/09/a09d6bc3-8e60-5df0-8d29-6f37e538de31/639bb1852a18a.image.jpg?resize=540%2C685 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/09/a09d6bc3-8e60-5df0-8d29-6f37e538de31/639bb1852a18a.image.jpg?resize=640%2C812 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/09/a09d6bc3-8e60-5df0-8d29-6f37e538de31/639bb1852a18a.image.jpg?resize=750%2C951 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/09/a09d6bc3-8e60-5df0-8d29-6f37e538de31/639bb1852a18a.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1256 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/09/a09d6bc3-8e60-5df0-8d29-6f37e538de31/639bb1852a18a.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1313 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/09/a09d6bc3-8e60-5df0-8d29-6f37e538de31/639bb1852a18a.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1522 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/09/a09d6bc3-8e60-5df0-8d29-6f37e538de31/639bb1852a18a.image.jpg?resize=1278%2C1621 1333w)
A poinsettia centerpiece adorns the outside table.
With long periods of absence in mind, the garden also includes an automatic timer for lights and irrigation. A maintenance crew keeps the garden beds tidy.
MacNary’s enthusiasm for entertaining influenced the design of the covered patio, which she calls the “cabana.” She wanted it large enough to hold an outdoor sofa and side chairs and a dining set for six. To ensure it would be large enough to hold these essential elements, MacNary measured the furniture she wanted before settling on the size of the space.
“I’ve got a lot of money in this project,” she said. “But it’s worth it. I love it.”
![XMAS 13 December 9, 2022](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/bb/8bb27771-ecf3-5295-839b-4b5a73e015de/639bb05432e35.image.jpg?resize=150%2C182 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/bb/8bb27771-ecf3-5295-839b-4b5a73e015de/639bb05432e35.image.jpg?resize=200%2C242 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/bb/8bb27771-ecf3-5295-839b-4b5a73e015de/639bb05432e35.image.jpg?resize=225%2C273 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/bb/8bb27771-ecf3-5295-839b-4b5a73e015de/639bb05432e35.image.jpg?resize=300%2C364 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/bb/8bb27771-ecf3-5295-839b-4b5a73e015de/639bb05432e35.image.jpg?resize=400%2C485 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/bb/8bb27771-ecf3-5295-839b-4b5a73e015de/639bb05432e35.image.jpg?resize=540%2C654 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/bb/8bb27771-ecf3-5295-839b-4b5a73e015de/639bb05432e35.image.jpg?resize=640%2C776 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/bb/8bb27771-ecf3-5295-839b-4b5a73e015de/639bb05432e35.image.jpg?resize=750%2C909 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/bb/8bb27771-ecf3-5295-839b-4b5a73e015de/639bb05432e35.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1200 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/bb/8bb27771-ecf3-5295-839b-4b5a73e015de/639bb05432e35.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1254 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/bb/8bb27771-ecf3-5295-839b-4b5a73e015de/639bb05432e35.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C1454 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/bb/8bb27771-ecf3-5295-839b-4b5a73e015de/639bb05432e35.image.jpg?resize=1308%2C1585 1333w)
A nativity set, tabletop trees, poinsettias and garland layer on the holiday look.
The garden was finished in April, giving her plenty of time to plan the event of the year — the ever-growing Christmas party.
Canceled during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, she looked forward to holding the party again. The tradition started when she lived around the corner in a smaller house. A group of friends gathered at her house before going to City Park’s Christmas in the Oaks.
After she moved to her current, more spacious home, the party started growing. “As life went on,” she said, “it got bigger and bigger, and we stopped going to Christmas in the Oaks.”
This year, the invitation list included 100 guests.
![XMAS 32 December 9, 2022](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/77/277519a0-ed1b-5d5e-9a46-00255c9a21b4/639bb05c830d1.image.jpg?resize=150%2C225 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/77/277519a0-ed1b-5d5e-9a46-00255c9a21b4/639bb05c830d1.image.jpg?resize=200%2C300 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/77/277519a0-ed1b-5d5e-9a46-00255c9a21b4/639bb05c830d1.image.jpg?resize=225%2C338 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/77/277519a0-ed1b-5d5e-9a46-00255c9a21b4/639bb05c830d1.image.jpg?resize=300%2C451 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/77/277519a0-ed1b-5d5e-9a46-00255c9a21b4/639bb05c830d1.image.jpg?resize=400%2C601 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/77/277519a0-ed1b-5d5e-9a46-00255c9a21b4/639bb05c830d1.image.jpg?resize=540%2C811 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/77/277519a0-ed1b-5d5e-9a46-00255c9a21b4/639bb05c830d1.image.jpg?resize=640%2C961 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/77/277519a0-ed1b-5d5e-9a46-00255c9a21b4/639bb05c830d1.image.jpg?resize=750%2C1127 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/77/277519a0-ed1b-5d5e-9a46-00255c9a21b4/639bb05c830d1.image.jpg?resize=990%2C1487 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/77/277519a0-ed1b-5d5e-9a46-00255c9a21b4/639bb05c830d1.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C1555 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nola.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/77/277519a0-ed1b-5d5e-9a46-00255c9a21b4/639bb05c830d1.image.jpg 1200w)
The foyer is swathed in holiday red.
On the first Saturday of December, guests filled the dining room, living room, breakfast nook and spilled out into the well-lit garden.
At some point in the evening, MacNary noticed quests’ heels sinking into the gravel between the pavers fronting the bar setup. The quintessential hostess, she made a mental note to find a more comfortable location for the bar next year, the party’s 30th anniversary.
MacNary said she’s considering hiring a band. “It’s going to be a blowout.”