MERIDIAN, Idaho — While many Idahoans are thinking ahead to turkey and pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving, one lucky Meridian woman will spend the holiday traveling to Washington, D.C., to help decorate the White House for Christmas.
“I have been obsessed with Christmas my entire life,” said Angie Olszewski.
That’s no exaggeration. Olszewski said she loves the holidays so much that her home features six different decorated Christmas trees.
“It reminds me of some of my most favorite things,” she said, explaining the ornaments on her favorite tree.
Hear from Angie about her upcoming trip to the White House
Every year, Olszewski goes all out with her own home’s decorations, but she always dreamed of taking her festive skills to the next level by decorating the White House.
“This is something that I wanted for a long time. I heard about it probably when I was in high school. I had a friend who had a family member who did it,” Olszewski said.
To apply, she submitted a 10-page questionnaire detailing her Christmas decorating experience and skills. After a decade of trying, she finally received the letter she’d been hoping for.
“This is the real deal. I am part of the White House Christmas decorating team,” she said.
Olszewski is among 300 volunteers from across the country selected to transform the iconic building into a holiday wonderland. Each team commits to 10-hour days doing everything from tree decorating to room decorating.
“There’s gonna be a lot of tying of ribbons, a lot of bubbles, a lot of glitter,” she said. “We will decorate everything from the Oval Office into the grand corridor, so it’s gonna be really fun, really exciting.”
Olszewski says she's likely the only Idahoan on the team this year, making the experience all the more special.
“Decorating a tree, or multiple trees in this case, is going to be probably the ultimate bucket list item,” Olszewski said.
Olszewski will be in Washington from Thanksgiving until the White House Christmas party on Dec. 1. She plans to bring her holiday spirit home to Idaho and share her experience once she returns.
