She Went Viral for Her Toddler’s ‘Sad Beige’ Tree. This Year, Fans Are Loving Its Bright Christmas Makeover (Exclusive)

• Nattie Jo Powell, influencer and mom, went viral on TikTok last year when she gave her daughter’s Christmas tree a neutral make-up, prompting commenters to call her a “sad beige” mom
• Powell went viral again this year when she redesigned the tree with a lighter ‘Candyland’ theme
• Powell tells PEOPLE why she’s changed and why she hasn’t completely abandoned the neutral aesthetic that commentators dislike so much

In December 2023, Nattie Jo Powell, an influencer and mom, posted what she thought was just a fun video of her remaking her toddler’s Step 2 plastic Christmas tree to create her own aesthetic. Instead, her video, in which she spray-painted a traditional green tree and bright decorations in more neutral colors, went viral, racking up millions of views.

Many of her subsequent videos were also seen by millions, with commentators criticizing her for removing the colorfulness from Christmas. They soon called her the “sad beige mom”.

But Powell, 29, never expected to receive so much attention. “The reaction was wild,” she tells PEOPLE. “People had very strong opinions, to say the least.” She only made a video for “kicks and giggles”, and had no idea that it would become so popular.

There was a mix of positive and negative responses, as well as some “threatening” direct messages, she recalls. “Part of me learned to block the haters because a lot of the people who ended up commenting had never watched any of my videos before.” She saw how they made assumptions about her life, so in some of her videos she decided to “play” and immerse herself in satire.

This year, Powell shared some big news with her followers: She decided to re-dye her toddler’s tree bright pink and purple. She went viral again, and commenters were delighted with her turnaround. “Beige onion to save mother,” one person commented. “An angel got wings,” added another.

Powell didn’t do it because of the internet, though. In the last year, her 2-year-old daughter Vivian has become a big fan of those colors. “I just wanted to have more fun with it, honestly,” she explains of the makeover.

Last year’s Christmas tree.

Nattie Jo Powell/TikTok

Powell eventually decided she no longer wanted the spray-painted toy in her house, so the new pink version is now out as part of the Candyland-themed playground her daughter will learn about at Christmas. Inside the house, Powell bought a new Step 2 plastic tree for her daughter to play with.

But she wants to be clear – even if some commentators thought the original tree was a “sad beige”, she never denied her daughter color. Last year, Vivian just turned 1, and, Powell says, “She didn’t have a favorite color. . . . I knew she was going to have a favorite color eventually, and obviously the whole house was going to be whatever color it was.”

She also points out that she had lots of colorful toys for her daughter and in her house — only people who saw her original TikTok never saw them. “I thought, ‘Why not have one aesthetic toy in the living room when all her other toys are bright and colorful?’ “, he remembers thinking.

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As for the response this year, Powell says it’s “honestly so comical” because she didn’t think people would remember her tree from 2023. “The response this time has been very positive,” she notes, but adds that it’s a little ironic. “I feel like the same people who were commenting ugly things last year are now the ones commenting nice things and saying I’m forgiven and all that.”

This year’s tree.

Nattie Jo Powell/TikTok

While the Internet might think she’s changed, Powell says her view of color and her child have remained the same. “I actually have a background in child development and that’s why my degree is there,” she says. “I’ve been working with children for more than 10 years, and last year people were giving me so much trouble, ‘Oh, if you’re such a sad beige mom, your daughter won’t develop properly.’ And I take those things seriously.”

Ultimately, her neutral tree was just a toy. “I don’t think I’ve ever been the ‘sadest beige’ mom,” she adds, noting that while she likes soothing neutrals, her house is usually a “hot mess” full of color and bright things.

“My daughter loves color,” he says. “She has a lot of color in her life.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education