I saw a Camellia sasanqua blooming at a public building, but instead of being a tree or shrub it was more like a 2 ft ground cover, I don't know if it was a special variety or just pruned that way.

Here is a link that might be useful: Camellia sasanqua

That's a lovely plant, but the one in my friends' garden was more like a flowering cherry tree. Quite a surprise to see in December.

Autumn Cherry (Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis Rosea') perhaps?

Very likely the 'Autumnalis' - its off-season bloom is about its only redeeming feature :-)

Sounds like you already have your answer, but I would also suggest that the various earliest blooming Magnolia soulangeana cultivars are already blooming here in northern California, and also add alot of interest this time of year here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I knew I could rely on you guys! Thanks a lot. Now Gardengal, why do you say "its only redeeming feature"? Is it as prone to all of the fungus, bug problems as I have with my other prunus?

Dotty - that and a bit more :-) Generally, these trees in season look incredibly anemic with very sparse and ratty foliage and like they are hanging on by a thread. No longer very widely available in the nursery trade because of this.

I've been looking at a viburnum bodnantense on the west side of town that's blooming nicely now. Not a tree but not a small shrub either.

Probably the Autumn Higan Cherry already suggested.

In all my years of pruning for people, it was one of the worst performing trees of all.

Aim for a shrub if you need color now through winter, like sasansqua camelia, flowers, or maybe the pink dawn Viburnum.

The common pink one is 'Autumnalis Rosea'. 'Autumnalis' is a different one, seldom seen here. It has less abundant, white flowers on thicker, sparser twigs. There may have been one in a Seattle park but it was removed years ago.