This art for this ornament features a pirate, designed in the style of a classic Jolly Roger with palm fronds surrounding. It features a red ground as an homage to Tampa's beloved football team and the holiday season, the pirate exudes a fierce yet festive vibe. Strung around the swords are colorful beads, paying tribute to Tampa's renowned parade. The pirate in the palm tree offers a unique twist to the traditional pear tree from the Twelve Days of Christmas, making the scene deeply rooted in the city's local culture.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton impacted so many in the Tampa and St. Pete areas. This ornament is to remember this moment in time and the struggles we and our neighbors face as we rebuild and find our way back to normal.

The inspiration for the Tampa version of this line was “Three French Hens.” The Cuban Sandwich is another cultural icon of Tampa, and knew it had to be included on the list. Nothing is better than a traditional Tampa cuban, with the real crusty Cuban bread (has a palmetto leaf down the center to make the crease), glazed ham, pickles, mustard, Swiss cheese, mojo pork, and Genoa salami. I was always told growing up that each element of the sandwich was attributed to the variety of immigrant groups who worked in the cigar factories.

This ornament is a celebration of Tampa's famous Ybor City roosters. You'll see them wandering around freely, being one of the most unique historical features of the area. One of my other favorite symbols of Ybor is the lamp posts which line 7th Avenue. I reshaped slightly here to resemble a bright lit Christmas tree. I've also included a smoking cigar in the design, nod to the famous cigar factories also in this area. This is one of my favorite designs in the set, I really strived to capture the spirit of Ybor!

For anyone who follows Tampa sports, they probably know that Tampa has won a total of five top titles, in hockey and football. Players receive ornate, flashy gold and silver rings as gifts for their achievement, which made it a perfect fit for Day five. Tampa's had an incredible lucky streak these last four years! It was exciting to see lightning strike twice and Tom Brady lead the Tampa to its second Super Bowl.

If you’re live in or have visited Tampa you know this spot’s six minarets well. I recently took a walk with my mom around the UT campus during the “Walk for the Minarets” put on by The Chiselers. Put this on your calendar for next year! It was such an experience to see Tampa’s most striking landmark, Plant Hall, up close and I learned a lot about the history. I knew right away I wanted to draw this as a gingerbread house— the ornate Victorian woodworking already looks like icing!

The iconic Tampa pirate ship sails across the bay only one time a year during the parade, surrounded by boats and pirates of all kinds. However, I thought it would be a fun alternative mode of transport for Santa to deliver gifts to the children of Tampa. Can we make this happen?!

The traditional line is “Eight Maids A-Milking.” So naturally my mind went to what was made of milk here in Tampa. And there’s nothing more classic Tampa than a cafe con leche. Coffee with milk is my preferred way to drink coffee. This faux ad harkens back to when they were much less expensive that they are now. I think I got a touch of nostalgia thinking about old menus from my family’s restaurant and marveling at how a whole meal would only cost a dollar. And how all the ads back then were hand painted with a great script font.

Tampa not only has great Spanish (and Cuban) food, but also great flamenco performances. The immigrants who came in to work in the cigar factories brought so much culture with them to Tampa, and this was just one of the many gifts that was then woven into the fabric of city culture.

In honor of the longest continuous sidewalk (Bayshore Boulevard) and everyone who runs on it! The gingerbread man was added as a little dose of fairy tale humor since he is known for running. :)

Tampa was once known as Cigar City, so I knew the cigar had to be a feature for one of these ornaments. I thought it kind of humorous to put it at number eleven, replacing the classic “Ten Pipers Piping” line, since a smoking pipe is pretty closely related to a cigar.

The streetcars are another unique Tampa thing and something else I would love to see Santa deliver his presents on! The current fleet of streetcars is eleven strong, but maybe there can be a fictional Santa trolley as number twelve?