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Craftea to provide holiday decorating tips

3 min read
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A holiday tree in Judy Soccio’s drapery design studio in Monongahela

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Judy Soccio looks over fabrics at her drapery design studio in Monongahela on Wednesday.

The holiday season of baking, buying presents and decorating is upon us. If the hustle and the bustle make you a Scrooge, Judy Soccio and Tiffany Payne may be able to turn you into a happy elf.

Next week, Soccio and Payne will be hosting a Craftea, where participants will learn how to create a postcard-perfect holiday decorated home. Soccio, owner of Judy Soccio Designs, and Payne, event planner and owner of Simply Exceptional Events, will demonstrate and give tips on creating a beautiful event with ease.

The tea will include a tour and story of a historic Civil War-era home, tea, sweets and savories, a craft to take home, and tips and ideas for holiday decorating. Holiday gifts will be available for sale in the design studio.

Soccio said she came up with the idea when a holiday house tour she was invited to participate in this year was canceled. She said she was gearing up for the tour and decided to host a tea.

Soccio operates a drapery design studio in her home. She and her husband, Juan Rodriguez, a stained-glass artist, have renewed the Victorian-style splendor of their home. Soccio and Rodriguez have built their lives in different avenues after many twists and turns in their careers.

Soccio had been a working actress, a writer and a bank employee. After losing her job several years ago in the banking industry, she started a business making and installing mostly Victorian draperies. Her new adventure is her home design studio, where customers may come and meet with Soccio, look at fabrics and throw out ideas to see if they are a good fit. The couple’s home, built in the 1800s, was owned by a well-known abolitionist and has an interesting story, which Soccio will share at the tea.

Soccio said she wanted to host this event not just for the tea and crumpets but to show people how a person can decorate a house with ease. “Guests will get a tour of the house decorated for holidays,” she said. “We will do an easy craft, learn about some of the house’s history and enjoy a day filled with holiday cheer.”

Payne will show guests how to do a holiday tablescape to make their dinner special. Payne said tablescaping is nearly a lost art. With busy lives, many people don’t set a table and sit down to enjoy a meal.

“Tablescaping is setting the table that has a warm and inviting appeal,” she said, and she accomplishes it by creating a theme and using unique items.

The tea will be held Nov. 5. Tickets are available by contacting Soccio at 724-344-4174 or via email at judysoccio@hotmail.com. Deadline for reservations is Tuesday.

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