Some people really love Christmas, I mean REALLY love Christmas.

A friend of mine starts listening to Christmas music around Halloween, looks to start Christmas decorating in the beginning of November and usually has all of her trees up before Thanksgiving.

Yes, I said ALL her trees.

My friend, Kim ,has six Christmas trees.

Every year for the last five or six years, she’s hosted an annual Snowflake Party with her close friends and family.

The gist of the party is everyone gathers to make paper snowflakes, which she hangs from her living room on fishing line.

Being the non-crafty person that I am, I generally try to avoid snowflake-making.

This past weekend, however, I found myself in her living room folding square pieces of paper.

It’s with the same people who come each time and over the years. They seem to have developed a pattern or plan.

I came in blind to the seriousness that is snowflake making.

My friend, Jeff, came into the house toting a backpack loaded with all of the special tools he needs complete with cutting board and razor blade kits.

Another friend, Lona, researched patterns prior to the party.

And here I am, haphazardly cutting little holes into the folder paper, seeing what it will turn into.

There was no way I was entering the competition.

Yes, there was a competition, complete with prize.

This year’s competition was one-upped as one attendee started making a 3-D snowflake that required not only scissors, but tape and staples.

I was screwed.

While snowflake making is not my forte, nor is anything crafty for that matter, I think Kim’s love of Christmas may have rubbed off just a bit.

This weekend, I have the urge to set up and decorate my Christmas tree.

— Megan Hansen is editor for The Whidbey Examiner. She can be reached at mhansen@whidbeynewsgroup.com