BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) \u2014 Dream come true: A Bakersfield woman was selected to help the White House with it\u2019s Christmas decorations this year.<\/p>\n
After three years of applying, she finally got her shot.<\/p>\n
46-year-old Teanna Keith is a big fan of annual television specials about the White House decorations \u2014 one day she wanted to try it for herself.<\/p>\n
She applied, got on a plane, and for an entire week, decorated the White House.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I could do that\u2026I\u2019d love to do that. So, it was just a few years ago where I learned about it in the first place,\u201d said Keith.<\/p>\n
Year after year, Keith signed up for The First Lady\u2019s invitation to decorate our nation\u2019s presidential home only to not hear back, until this year. She received an email in October saying of the 12,000 applicants \u2014 she and 146 other volunteers were selected.<\/p>\n
Flying out on Nov. 22, Keith spent an exhausting and breathtaking seven days in Washington D.C., where she and volunteers from all over the country helped bring the White House Christmas design to life.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s theme was, \u201cHome is Where the heart is,\u201d decided by First Lady Melania Trump and creative director, Herve Pierre.<\/p>\n
Keith\u2019s team was able to work with Pierre directly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was an amazing experience just having that personal time in the room with him,\u201d said Keith.<\/p>\n
Keith worked in the Red Room of the White House to put together a bespoke, blue-butterfly arrangement which symbolized foster care -one of the first lady\u2019s causes \u2014 which was a personal moment for Keith, being a former social worker.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a full case load of foster children that I took care of, so that was kind of like a full circle moment for me,\u201d said Keith.<\/p>\n
Her team also helped with a butterfly themed Christmas tree in the Grand Foyer and helped place the official 2025 White House Holiday ornament on several trees in the State Dining Room.<\/p>\n
She and other volunteers became good friends and on the last day of the trip, they were addressed by Melania Trump, thanking them for their hard work.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was like 10 feet in front of me. She gave us a little thank you and she went back up to the third floor, to the residences,\u201d said Keith.<\/p>\n
She just got home on Monday, so the only home decorations she had up so far is above her fireplace, but said decorating the house is a plan for the weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cMerry Christmas Kern County!\u201d said Keith.<\/p>\n
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