From Gasparilla beads to Cuban sandwiches, you can make your holidays dazzle with Bay Area treasures

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa is filled with treasures -- from our Gasparilla celebrations to our history to our beautiful surroundings.

"Whenever I think of Tampa I think of really lush green tones," said Mary McKell, a designer with Home Frosting.

She added a taste of Tampa Bay into her home for the holidays starting with a large garland framing her front door.

"One of the things that I think it really shows off is our greatest treasure which is Florida sunshine and our citrus," McKell explained. "This is natural eucalyptus. I just think it's a nice touch to stick that in there."

She also added magnolia leaves and chartreuse poinsettia decoration into the garland. She adorned her Christmas tree with locally-themed ornaments.

"Like the Don CeSar hotel, the Oxford Exchange book store. There's a stack of books there. The Tampa Theater, the minarets. Those are beautiful. Iconic Tampa. Manatees. Ybor City chicken, rooster here. Bayshore Boulevard, of course, one of our big Tampa treasures," she explained. "I used the dolphins to represent that. There's a big sprinkling of Gasparilla going on in here too."

She included the garland on the tree.

"I took Gasparilla beads and cut them up and stuck them together and made a Gasparilla bead garland in gold and silver," McKell said. "I used some Gasparilla coins for ornaments."

You can have that classic Cuban bread as an ornament for the tree or serve it to your guests for holiday parties. She included Cuban sandwiches to serve to guests for holiday parties.

"Iconic Columbia Restaurant sangria, the Alessi's scachatta pizza which can be served cold or at room temperature," McKell offered. "Of course, Plant City strawberries. A true Tampa treasure and stone crab claws."

And then, there's the perfect Tampa-style centerpiece for your holiday table.

"We have Santa arriving on a pirate ship and he's got his map out and a little deer doing some navigating," said McKell. "If you just think about what is around you locally and use those colors then you'll have a more locally Tampa-themed Christmas décor."

For more holiday decorating tips from Home Frosting, click here.