HOLIDAY DECORATIONS Getting in the right spirit

Couple devotes time and energy to make the holiday season special.
Debbie Dashko and Brad Bender of Poland share a home and a passion for Christmas.
Charmingly decorated outside with greenery, ribbons, bows, lights and carefully placed wreaths, the house says welcome and you eagerly want to step inside.
The front door opens and you are greeted by Jaxx and Maxx (a blue Doberman pinscher and a black miniature pinscher). After the warm, furry greeting you find yourself surrounded by Christmas in a Victorian-decorated living room.
The tree is covered with 1,200 lights, mostly white with a touch of pale blue. Silver and white ornaments and ribbons adorn the tree. Some blown-glass ornaments include Christopher Radko's limited edition.
'A beader'
Debbie has even added her own beaded ornaments. "I'm a beader," Debbie said with a lighthearted bounce in her voice. Debbie makes beaded jewelry for her company Beadazzled.
Martha Stewart's tree skirt graces the floor. The white satin catches your eye as it draws you to a table with matching table runner and matching stockings along the adjacent wall of the living room. Atop the table lies a manger scene of white porcelain Snowbabies in a limited edition from the Department 54 Collection. The Snowbaby collection also includes a playful igloo that rests at the far end of the table. The collection carries over to the coffee table that displays a snowflake tree. Admiring the festival of Snowbabies is a floppy stuffed-snowman sitting on the couch between two snowman pillows.
The living room is considered the quiet room of the house. Without a TV, it's a special room for reading and enjoying company.
Debbie is part Italian and part Ukrainian. Brad had German roots. Yet they both share a common background with families that were big on gift-giving and parties.
Traditions
Keeping with his German heritage, Brad has adopted an old tradition of placing a green glass-blown pickle ornament on the tree. The tradition is "the mom and dad will hide it on the tree. The first child to find the pickle wins a prize," Brad said.
"I love Christmas and I love winter," Brad said. Snowmen and anything not related to Christmas are left out to enjoy all through the season.
Brad was influenced by his best friend's mother, Joyceanne. Brad remembers going to Joel's house and admiring all the decorations. She made a gingerbread house from scratch that was as big as a coffee table. "One day I'm going to have a house [decorated] like this," said Brad.
Brad, a paralegal who works at home, manages to find the time to decorate every room in the house.
The dining room has a snowman theme that flows into the library.
The library is referred to as the snow room. Three Charlie Brown Trees, which have been dusted with fake snow, proudly sit in the corner of the room. Hanging on the trees are cherished ornaments passed down from both Debbie's and Brad's grandmothers. The fireplace is embellished with more snowmen; and three snowmen in a canoe drift comfortably on a shelf.
The den displays a wreath with lights and apple-green, silver and gold bulbs. Two Lenox Santa figurines sit boldly on top of the TV stand. Greenery runs along the wall interwoven with Santa snowmen and lights.
Even the bedrooms have a tree sitting in the corner.
'Most decorated'
"We're probably the most decorated out of our friends," Brad said.
"We do it together," said Debbie. "Brad spearheads it. We love our home. We make a whole event of the shopping. What we like most is having people over."
"It brings joy and represents what the past year has brought," Brad said. "This year has been one of the most sentimental." Debbie recently lost her job as a cancer specialist, but they were not about to let it beat them.
"Cancer touched our lives," Debbie said. "That makes our Christmas more special."
Debbie said that it would be a slim Christmas this year. She adds, "God provides for those who need it."
"Our traditions mean a lot to us," said Debbie. She said it's not about the gifts. Rather it's about the gift of friendship and kindness. "It's about being together."