Tiffanie Carroll

Most all our friends and customers at The Christmas Store know Tamara. She is our webmaster and IT guru and we couldn't get along without her. You may not know Tiffanie though, she is Tamara's daughter. Tomorrow Tiffanie will have heart surgery at Christa Santa Rosa in San Antonio. Tiffanie has a hole in her heart that must be repaired. Please pray for God's protection over Tiffanie and her family as they go through this difficult day tomorrow.

The World Transplant Games

Our friend Michael Walter and his family are in Australia right now for the World Transplant Games-Gold Coast 2009. Michael, along with his company MSW Computer Services, is our computer guru at The Christmas Store and we love him and his staff! Michael is a liver transplant recipient and as a matter of fact, he has had to go through that particular surgery twice. Since Michael's transplant he has worked and trained so hard and now he is at the World Games! So far Michael has won two silver medals and a gold in swimming events. We are so proud of Michael we could pop. Visit his website http://www.worldtransplantgames.com/default.htm

for further information about Michael and his story.

A True Texan Passes

Yesterday I learned that on Saturday, our friend Elmer Kelton, had passed away. I am deeply saddened by this news. Mr. Kelton was a regular at The Christmas Store. He and his kind wife, would come to the store a few times a year to sign books and chat with readers from all walks of life. This all happened when Mr. Ron Anderson had his bookstore in The Christmas Store.

There was never a nicer or more interesting man. He was old school. Polite and funny and a really interesting man to talk with about Texas and the way things used to be. More and more of Mr. Kelton's generation are passing from this world to be with their Maker. It's a fact of life. I encourage you to take the time to visit with an older person this week. They have so much wisdom to offer us. My sincere condolences to Mrs. Kelton and the family. He will be sorely missed.

The Dog Days of Summer

It is still hot, hot, hot, hot, hot here in Central Texas. School is back in session and the summer crowds are gone. Rather than freaking out about slower sales, we are using this opportunity to take a little down time and recharge our batteries. Don has been vacationing for a few days in California and now John is headed there for a little R&R. I bet I get a few days off next!

In the meantime merchandise continues to flow into the warehouse and we keep on keepin' on. Linda is busy pricing, Tamara is busy doing techie stuff and the girls behind the registers have located their dust rags and are chasing dust bunnies down for extinction.

It is sometimes hard to stay positive and upbeat when things are slow but fortunately we are surrounded by so many friends in the industry and great customers that we see the silver lining on the edge of this cloud. Traffic will pick up soon enough but in the meantime we will continue to breathe in and breathe out and be grateful for our blessings.

By the way, did you know there are 121 shopping days left until Christmas....I'm just saying!

Snowman

Check out the cute Snowman door banner from new artist Lisa Frost! Lisa's art is licensed and produced by Demdaco, the creator of Willow Tree angels and collectables.

Lisa creates one-of-a-kind pieces in paintery style for holiday, home and kids. Owning a piece from this collection will add a swirl of whimsy to your home. This is a large banner (I forgot to get the dimensions) that retails for $40.25. Call us or come visit soon! As always, we can be reached at 800-944-1882 or online at http://www.christmasstorefred.com/.

Gnome Sweet Gnome!

Have you visited 'The Outback' lately? Our new and improved garden area, on our air conditioned patio, is chocked full of all sorts of wonderful things for the outdoors. We have fabulous flags, statuary, birdbaths, doormats, windchimes and more. Gardening is therapeutic. Digging in the dirt is good for you and the results are rewarding.

It is time to start planning our Fall gardens and a good way to get excited about your garden, when it is still 100 degrees outdoors, is by investing in a new interesting focal point for your space. Chose something that expresses your personality. I have my eye on this cute little guy pictured here. He will look terrific amongst my mums this Fall!

Cookbooks

It's no secret that The Christmas Store Crew is a bunch of Foodies. We even publish our own newsletter, The Dining News. This small publication gives our customers hints, tips and insider information on a selection of Fredericksburg restaurants and bars.

In a further attempt to satisy our inner foodie we have brought in a new vendor with the best selection of the greatest cookbooks on the market. I hope the next time you stop in the store you will peruse Mary Ann's Cookbooks and take away a real treasure that will help satisfy your inner foodie.

As always, visit us online at http://www.christmasstorefred.com/ or give us a call at 800-944-1882. See you in Fredericksburg!

Beth

It's Fair Day!

Yee Haw it's time for the Gillespie County Fair. This is the 121st Anniversary of our Fair and excitement abounds. There is a huge parade, carnival, concert, dance, livestock and projects judgings, a new Fair Queen and all the other stuff one would expect at the Fair. Come to Fredericksburg this weekend and get involved in all the fun.

Don't forget to visit the shops in town while you are here. We are carrying the work of a new artist I want to tell you about. This line is from artist Marjolein Bastin. She is a naturalist and calls on nature to inspire her artwork. There are many gorgeous pieces to admire. Hew work is not on our website but if you would like to see some of the other Christmas Store items, please be sure to visit us at http://www.christmasstorefred.com/ Even though it will be another hot Texas day come on in and see us for a touch of Christmas in August.

Beth

A Spooktacular Event

D 56er's from all over the U.S. descended on us today. The Region 8 Roundup is taking place August 21-23 in San Antonio at the Omni. A group from the Roundup boarded a bus this morning at 8. They stopped at The Wildseed Farm, Becker Vineyards, The Peach Tree Tea Room and then they came in to shop and visit with us.

This was a great opportunity for us to reconnect with old friends, make new ones and share our mutual love of all things Christmas. I would like to give a big thank-you to Don, the D56 manager for organizing a fantastic event.

The Region 8 Roundup is about fun but it is also about charity. This year the group chose WINGS (Women Involved In Nurturing, Giving, Sharing) as their charitable organization to receive financial support. WINGS is dedicated to providing breast cancer treatment to uninsured and underinsured women in Central and South Texas. They can be reached at http://www.texaswings.org/. Way to go D56er's, y'all rock!

Till we meet again may Christmas always be in your heart. Be sure to visit us online at http://www.christmasstorefred.com/

Beth

Shiny Brite

Hey everyone,

For all the Christopher Radko fans out there, I wanted to give you a quick update. New merchandise is arriving daily. The last items to come in are the Shiny Brite glass ornaments. For those of you who are not familiar with Shiny Brite, they are Vintage American 1940's Designs in vintage packaging. Absolutely wonderful. Shiny Brites are sold in sets of four to twelve ornaments per package. We have carried Christopher Radko ornaments since 1995. I don't remember when Shiny Brites came on the scene but, I have never seen them look so beautiful. The painting, glittering etc. is all exceptional. For further information please visit our website at http://www.christmasstorefred.com/. Peggy and the rest of us at The Chrismas Store are excited about the new merchandise and we look forward to working with you soon. Til next time may the Spirit of Christmas remain in your heart always.

Beth

Jim Shore has arrived!

Hello from The Christmas Store in Fredericksburg Texas. We have added a new line to our merchandise. Jim Shore Collectables have arrived! We love this new line and apparently so do you. Over the years so many wonderful customers have requested Jim's work. We have finally acquiesced. We will have a full complement of his collection posted on our web site soon at http://www.christmasstorefred.com/. Our webmaster, Tamara is busy putting new Christopher Radko product on the web today but soon she will start developing a page for Jim Shore. Stay in the Christmas Spirit until next time!

Beth

Sunday

This has been a lazy Sunday. I love those days. I finished a really good book today. It is called The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls. It is a story about perseverance. I would highly recommend this book if you are interested. This book deals with the lives of children growing up in a household where addiction and apathy run rampant. I felt a special kinship with the storyteller and admired her courage to survive.

I also saw a great movie today. Lynn and I went to see Julie and Julia. I really did not know much about Julia Child and nothing about Julie but the story was funny and touching. It is fun to go to the show with your best friend, eat popcorn, drink diet coke and laugh out loud.

Since my basil in the herb garden has been so vivacious this year I have made my umpteenth batch of pesto. No complaints about that. It is delicious with pasta, grilled chicken, pork tenderloin or whatever else your heart desires. I have major garlic breath at the moment. It's a good thing I don't have a date tonight. As If!