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Christmas as it
should be (chilly)
A Florida native celebrates the holiday of her dreams in Montclair
WRITTEN BY CINDY SCHWEICH HANDLER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE-MARIE CARUSO
W
here Valerie Puryear grew up, in Florida, “it never really
felt like Christmas to me,” she says. Come time for the
holiday, she says, “It was 80 degrees.”
No wonder, then, that Puryear, who lives in Montclair
now, “goes crazy” decorating her home for the holidays.
When she was eight months pregnant with her second child,
her family moved to Montclair from West Orange. “We were looking for our forever
home, and we saw the colonial Home Alone house that I always wanted,” she recalls.
Of her holiday decorating, she says, “Every year I add a little more.” JVS Christmas
& Event Lighting in Westwood festooned the exterior of the home with holiday lights
and greenery according to Puryear’s specifications.
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MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE HOLIDAY 2019
21