Boo-Who

I am still trying to decide what my Halloween costume will be. I hope you are having more luck than I am putting your costume together. I am open to ideas. My parameters are as follows: easy, cheap and fast. Wow that makes it sound like I should be fast food!

There are a few other ideas I have been kicking around and the Christopher Radko ornament, All Hallow's Eve, on the right has given me inspiration. Spiders are creepy, spooky, and icky which sounds like the perfect theme for a costume. I think I will go as Spider Woman. I will have absolutely no super human powers nor will I save any cities from destruction but I will bug everyone!

Punkin' Perch

The countdown is on. There are only 64 shopping days until Christmas. The days start flying by this time of year. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and then we rest.

The challenge is to not get ahead of ourselves. It is so important to enjoy each and every day to the fullest. The "busyness" of this season can leave us stressed and irritable and that's bad!

This is a wonderful season with plenty of opportunities to reconnect with family and friends. I urge each and everyone of you to breathe in and breathe out, relax and enjoy each and every moment of this season as well as each person encountered.

A Dickens of a Deal

The Dicken's Village Series is celebrating 25 years. The first buildings were made in 1984. I had a one year old in 1984 and was too busy raising him to discover Dicken's Village but, there are collectors that had the good sense to start collecting in 1984 and own the first seven houses that were presented. These original seven buildings have been beautifully reinterpreted and reissued for 2009.

I'm not sure what the secondary market values are of those first seven houses issued but I suspect they are worth quite a bit of money.

The best part of the story is that although the original collection is valuable, the real value has been in the enjoyment, memories and celebrations over the past 25 years. Decorations and collections add to our enjoyment of the Holidays. Beautiful memories are made when family and friends gather for holiday celebrations in a wonderfully decorated environment. May all your gatherings be memorable!

Spirit of Hope

The Fredericksburg "Power of Pink" Breast Cancer Awareness event is scheduled for October 29. This event is designed to celebrate advances in breast cancer research and generate hope for the future.

Donna McMahon, a breast cancer survivor, will be sharing her story at the dinner Oct. 29 during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Ms. McMahon is the keynote speaker for the Hill Country Memorial Wellness Center Dinner Seminar and Style Show at the Bethany Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall. Tickets are $25 and are available at the Hill Country Memorial Hospital Wellness Center until Oct. 21.

Registration is from 5-5:30 p.m. and a heart healthy dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. with a style show during dinner. The speaker panel will begin at 6:30 p.m. Dinner will be by Delicious Details.

Breast cancer survivors will be modeling for the show and include Karen Carr, Catherine Dietz, Kaye Kirkland, Etta Litherland, Donna McMahon, Vicki Mitchell, Kellie Olfers, Cynthia Pedregon, Jacque Redstone, Dolores Roos, Cynthia Kate Sawtelle, Lucas Sawtelle, Vernell Scott, Sherrie Smith and Beth Watson (me!).

Event sponsors are Beall’s, Beulah’s, Der Klieder Schrank, Haberdashery, Hill Country Outfitters, In-Step, Jabberwocky, Jacque Rudman Collections, Madlyn’s, Parts Unknown, The Peach Tree, Root, The Secret Garden and Zertz.

The panel discussion on breast cancer treatment will include a team of Hill Country Memorial Hospital Medical Staff breast cancer specialists moderated by radiologist Robert R. Murray, MD.

Come and help us celebrate the Power of Pink!!!

A Sleighful of Radko Arrives

The big, brown UPS sleigh dropped off a full load of Christopher Radko products yesterday. Peggy and John have been crazy busy unloading, unpacking and displaying the new goodies like the Siberian Sleighful Collector Platter shown here.

It is very seldom that I walk into The Christmas Store Radko Gallery and go absolutely gaga over new product, but that was my reaction to this collector platter. The detailing, quality and price all stunned me, and I mean in a good way. This is one drop dead gorgeous piece of art and will sell out quickly. Come in this weekend and see this new product for yourself. You will not be disappointed. See y'all in the 'burg.

A Grave Situation

It's scary, but Halloween is lurking right around the corner. The ghouls at The Christmas Store are getting the finger food and boos ready for a big party.

Seriously, who doesn't love Halloween? I'm on board with any opportunity to dress up in a costume, decorate like a fiend, and eat chocolate!

There is still plenty of time to treat your home to Halloween goodies and plan a spooky party. Let us help you pull together the bones of a haunting display. As we all know, this time of year, anything ghost. Witch D56 house would you like?

Boot Scootin'

The Stars are dancing tonight and their rendition of the Texas Two Step made me think about this Texas Boot ornament hand painted by Patti Lu Bowsley from Garland. Pat is one of our very favorite artists and has been for years. She and her daughter have supplied custom designed ornaments for The Christmas Store since 1994. These ornaments are dated and presented either as "Merry Christmas from Texas" or "Merry Christmas from Fredericksburg". Every Christmas tree needs a "Patti Lu" or two to complete the look and give it a little Texas flair. Visit www.ChristmasStoreFred.com and place your order today.

Home for the Holidays

Woo Hoo I'm out of town for a bit of fun! I am travelling with the Texas representative for Christopher Radko, Lynn Brammer. Many of you have met Lynn over the years. I have known Lynn as a friend for 35 years and we have worked together in the industry for 15 years.

Today Lynn has a Signing Event at Miss Cayce's Christmas Store and More in Midland. This afternoon I will get to meet Christopher Radko Top Designer Mario Tare' and the owners of Miss Cayce's Becky McCraney and Kathy Harrison. The event today is tied in with a local charity, High Sky Children's Ranch. Hats off to Miss Cayce's. Y'all rock.

Lone Star Santas

Yesterday we had the pleasure of visiting with lots of great customers and this handsome group of men. Santa was in town doing a bit of scouting around before Christmas. Did you know there are only 82 shopping days until Christmas? Santa's presence in The Christmas Store obviously caused a bit of a stir and drummed up some interest. We learned they have their own website. Santa can be reached at http://www.lonestarsanta.com/ or you can contact us for their sleigh or workshop numbers. For your Santa needs call us at 800-944-1882 and let us hook you up with one of the nicest fellows around.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. It seems like everywhere I look there is a program happening to raise awareness, fund mammograms, etc. That is fantastic. Get involved. Get a mammogram and encourage all the women in your life to get one too. Tell your moms, sisters, wives, aunts, grandmothers, granddaughters, cousins, friends, all the women in your life, to get their mammogras if it is suggested by their physician.

All I can tell you is that early detection through my annual mammogram caught my breast cancer early and probably saved my life. This disease affects a massive amount of women and education and early detection is the key to the cure.

Please don't ignore me on this one. I know what I'm talking about. Hug all the people in your life and tell you love them. You never know!!!!