11/28/2025
Ms. Christmas, As Seen featured in Edmond Outlook Magazine Oklahoma’s Holiday Interior Decorator, Shell Meador.
Known as Shell Meador for most of the year, the Edmond interior decorator takes on a new name each November: Ms.Christmas. For more than a decade, she's brought sparkle and sanity to local homes and businesses through her white-glove holiday decorating service.
"I've always loved decorating for Christmas in particular," she said. "I started just helping my interior design clients. By 2011, I was doing several houses, and by 2014, I was completely booked."
"Booked" that year meant 25 clients. Now, Shell begins decorating on November 1 to keep up with demand. "This year I have ten clients celebrating their ten-year anniversaries with me," she said proudly.
Word of her custom decorating services spread quickly among clients. Today, Shell's schedule includes around ten commercial projects - banks, restaurants, even Capitol Grille - alongside dozens of homes. One full-time assistant and four part-time assistants work alongside Ms. Christmas herself to turn homes from ordinary to merry in a single day.
"We arrive around 8:30 in the morning, decorate, clean up, and by the time they're home from work, their house has been transformed," Shell said. "For a lot of families, Christmas decorating has turned into another chore. When we take care of it, they get to actually enjoy the season again."
Shell's process is a blend of artistry and empathy. She begins with her clients' existing décor, asking for photos of how they've done it in the past. From there, she refreshes and refines - new ribbon every few years, updated floral arrangements, fresh lighting. At each takedown in January, she and her clients plan the next season while the ideas are still fresh.
"I think moms especially can get a little resentful of the workload," she said. "Once they find someone to handle the decorating, they can do the fun stuff again, like bake cookies, drive around to see lights, and just enjoy their families."
Her favorite part? Round-eyed reactions. "When clients walk in and see that tree we've spent hours on, their faces just light up," Shell said. "What would've taken them a week is done in a day, and they're thrilled."
From lavish 9-foot trees packed with ribbon and floral sprays to commercial lobbies trimmed in metallics and greenery, every job ends with hugs - and sometimes, happy tears. "Even in offices, people say, 'It's my favorite day of the year when Ms. Christmas comes!"
Though her schedule fills quickly - 38 days of decorating magic - Shell insists there's a larger message behind the glitter. "It's okay to ask for help," she said. "You don't have to do everything yourself. There are people who can help bring back the joy of Christmas."
You can find Shell on Facebook at Mschristmasdecorator
Ms. Christmas, Interior Decorating
Shell's Five Quick Decorating Tips
1. Decorate by color on the tree. Work one color at a time so your tree looks balanced from top to bottom and front to back.
2. Fluff your tree skirt. Hide a few old pillows or blankets under the skirt to create soft mounds-it makes your tree look fuller and more elegant.
3. Treat your tree like a floral arrangement.
Add sprigs, poinsettias, or glittery stems to fill gaps and create texture. Think of it as
"arranging," not just decorating.
4. Use ribbon generously. Wrap ribbon around the tree in circles or make big bows. Shell refreshes her clients' ribbon every three years to keep things fresh.
5. Start early! Don't wait until mid-December to unpack the boxes. "If you haven't decorated yet," Shell said, "this is your starting whistle."
By Taylor Bollinger
Edmond Outlook Magazine
