Nan Wilson wishes you a very Medieval Christmas.
Well, at least, that's appears to be the case since her favorite holiday decorations are two colorful scrolls she's made to mimic the Lindisfarne Gospels, a manuscript which demonstrates an Insular art style dating back to 700 A.D.
So, does your "Santa Claus Snoopy" now look pretty goofy in comparison?
Don't worry. Wilson, the chair of Briar Cliff University's art department, said Christmas should reflect one's individual interest.
"Since my interest is in art history," she explained, "this certainly reflects what I like."
The painted panels -- which took Wilson two weeks to complete -- reflects her Irish and English heritage as well as her love of bright, bold colors.
"Winter days tend to be dark and gloomy, so I like things that will cheer me up," she said. "I may not want anything so bright and bold all year round but, around the holidays, my panels make me smile."
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Christmas colors are also important to Briar Cliff art instructor Jeff Baldus, who likes to display his own green and red-hued pottery pieces around his home.
A noted ceramic maker, Baldus also like to collect Latin or Italian pieces that reflects a more spiritual side of the holidays.
But more fun are the two Christmas trees he traditionally decorates every Christmas.
"I've liked nutcrackers ever since I was a kid," he explained. "When I found nutcracker tree decorations, I decided to create a theme tree."
And, then, Baldus became enamored with angels, he decided two Christmas trees were better than one.
"One tree is dedicated to my nutcracker collections while the other has just angels," he remarked. "It's a lot of fun."
Yet one of the problems with Christmas trees is how to dispose of burned-out bulbs.
That was of a situation that perplexed Morningside College's associate art professor Terri McGaffin, who was looking for a facility that could strip the bulbs of their copper and plastic, reclaiming them for other uses.
"I found a place called Midwest Electronic Recovery in Walford, Iowa, which did the job," McGaffin said. "As a member of the college's sustainability committee, I thought collecting burnt Christmas lights would be an excellent project for our faculty."
Last year, the college collected more than 85 pounds worth of burned-out Christmas lights but, this year, McGaffin is hoping for a larger haul.
That's because she has found a local recycling center, Recycletronics of Sioux City, capable of repurposing old Christmas bulbs.
"It's one less thing to take up space in a landfill," McGaffin said. "Any little thing will help, I guess."
While McGaffin continue to use traditional bulbs for her Christmas tree, she also utilizes bulbs which use solar energy to decorate the exterior of her home.
"These bulbs are wonderful," McGaffin said, admiring a wreath adorned with solar lights in her front yard. "They produce wonderful light and will never burn out."
Echoing a sentiment shared by Wilson, McGaffin said Christmas becomes magical with bright, bold colors.
"I love lights," McGaffin said. "They shine brighter when you know they're environmentally friendly."
