Decorating your home for the holidays should be an enjoyable event! I have found that doing as much ahead as possible is the key to reducing stress. Start the decorating process as early as you are comfortable; gathering ideas and supplies ahead of time is a great start. Many of the retailers put out holiday merchandise as early as late August, which gives you the chance to browse, make a game plan and gather supplies without any evidence. If you aren't hosting the Thanksgiving festivities, it makes a good opportunity to get started even before the Thanksgiving meal is prepared.

Celebrated for her signature vintage European flair, Annie Brahler is not necessarily known for her design restraint—particularly when it comes to the extravagant holiday decor she creates for her own historic Forest Park home shared with her husband, Charles Smith. Founder and principal of St. Louis’s beloved enterprise Euro Trash, INC., the Dutch-American designer has built her reputation on creating bespoke lifestyle environments, both commercial and residential, since 2002.

When the owners of this Frontenac beauty started searching for a new home, their primary goal was a simple one: a house with a main floor primary suite where they could age in place. “We had planned to add on to our previous home but doing that was likely to cause a lot of headaches,” says the wife. “Then we looked at existing homes, and while there were a lot of pretty homes on the market, they really weren’t in any better condition than what we already had. It made no sense to get a main-floor master when we weren’t in love with the rest of the house.” 

    Recognized as one of the top Holiday Garden Light Shows in the country, Garden Glow transforms the Missouri Botanical Garden into a dazzling winter wonderland each year. The unique and immersive experience features mesmerizing exhibits, musical light shows, delicious holiday treats, cozy rentable fire pits and plenty of photo opportunities to capture these unforgettable moments. This year, the Garden is partnering with Edward Jones as the presenting sponsor for the first time to illuminate the holiday season with Garden Glow, which features more than two million lights.

Outside of a three-story Georgian home, a giant Santa is standing guard outside the front door. Gifted to the homeowners’ daughters by a family friend, this treasured piece of Christmas decor welcomes visitors into the home from Thanksgiving through the end of the holiday season. “Christmas is my favorite holiday,” says the homeowner. “I start decorating in early November because we usually travel during Thanksgiving, and I like to enjoy December without stress.”

One might guess that the Christmas trees in designer Teddy Karl’s home are bursting with fanciful and fragile ornaments, breakable baubles and other “do not touch” holiday finery. 

    And while Teddy does love gleaming glass ornaments from Waterford, Lennox, Christopher Radko and other marquee names, he’ll be the first to note that his family’s trees also hold reindeer motifs crafted from his children’s handprints and framed ornaments of his kids’ school pictures.