Two for Tuesday

Hey, it looks like someone from the Big Ten snuck into SEC territory last night and perpetrated a little vandalism … what is this Ohio State picnic table umbrella doing in our courtyard today???  (I have good friends who are OSU alumni, I’d better be careful!)

We have received our fall Vera Bradley bags in The Boutique, and I promised I’d show off the new patterns.  Here are some samples of Imperial Toile, Paprika, and Symphony in Hue.  We’re having a little contest in The Boutique right now to give away a Vera bag, so you’d better come and shop soon.

Vera Bradley Paprika & Imperial Toile Patterns

Symphony in Hue Pattern

Imperial Toile Pattern

To go along with the new patterns, we have a colorful selection of gift wrap, gift bags, gift tags, notecards, and other stationery items.

Fall is in the air, and we are really looking forward to changing leaves, clear skies, and crisp temperatures.  We’re starting our fall promotions on the shopping site in the next day or two; giving away a beautiful silver reindeer or a silver tabletop angel with qualifying purchases.  You surely aren’t going to tell me you haven’t yet even thought about your Christmas list!  Don’t miss out on the good stuff.

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

Two for Tuesday

It’s a busy week and I’m running a little behind…we’ve just started a month of Christmas In July festivities for our guests at The Inn, and today saw the opening of a grand train display in our south parking lot, “Santa’s Summer Express”.  There are nine G-scale trains running through an elaborately-staged, tented area filled with trees, rocks, two waterfalls, a pond, and several elevations of track.  It’s just fantastic, created by landscaper Mark W. Fuhrman.  More to come – as soon as I get my hands on a video camera, I want to show you a little preview.  Here are a couple of still shots – the sun was too bright for me to do it justice, I need a cloudy day.

Train passing a city block

Train with fish tanks!

Seriously, those two tanks with orange in them are carrying angel fish around the tracks!  It’s so cool to see.

In the store, I just found this fantastic reindeer pair – bright white, ornamented with sequins, beads, and glitter, in a very stylized form – the red glass beads accenting their antlers are a brilliant touch.  Visualize with me, these sculptures on a white mantel above a white marble fireplace, with dark green pine and red holly berry garland, and a collection of silver candlesticks.  Of course, a silver- or black-framed mirror hangs above the mantle, and there is a tall, crystal compote filled with shiny red ornaments balancing the candlestick grouping.

Stylized Reindeer Pair

Over in The Boutique (where we were snapping up the clearance lunch totes today), the latest Vera Bradley fabrics and bag styles are available.  A sampling for your viewing pleasure.

On the Go bag, Pirouette

Saddle Up bag, Blue Rhapsody

Olivia bag, Carnaby & Blue Rhapsody

Island Collection, with Tiki bags, flip flops, and a straw hat!

Finally, this cute cute cute leather wallet caught my eye as I was leaving – what cheerful colors and such a fun design!  The blue bird of happiness and all his friends…

Leather Wallet

Have a happy, colorful day!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

P.S.  Remember back when I would just show two things??

Two for Tuesday

I’ve been watching changes taking place at The Boutique ~ they are setting things up to bring in a new line of fun pajamas and accessories, and today they were hanging some wonderful picture frames.  Here’s one that I really like.  The frame is 20 inches x 20 inches, and is very striking hanging on the wall.

I really want to go wherever this colorful collection is headed!

We carry lots of Vera Bradley bags ~ you have to call to order them ~ just look at the colorful patterns for spring 2009.  Is it time to treat yourself to a fresh look?

Have a colorful day!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

After the rain…

…the most beautiful mists on the mountains this morning, drifting low into the valleys.  Unfortunately, the wonderful back road I navigate to work is so narrow that there is no spot wide enough to pull over for a photograph.  But I insist on talking about it anyway, don’t I?  Just picture with me dark green mountains and soft white drifting mists, with the glow of yellow morning sun just warming the tops of the clouds.

FreeFoto.com

Yippee!  Another book list from Nancy Pearl on Morning Edition at NPR ~ ”Carry-on Books to Take You Up, Up and Away” ~ in which to lose yourself on an airplane, but not lose your place in the story when the masks drop down and you have to ’secure your mask first before securing those of children traveling with you’ ~ or when you go to pay the additional fee to get your bags back from the carrier….just kidding, haven’t heard about a pick up fee yet (hope the wrong people aren’t reading this).  I might start with “Metzger’s Dog” and “Chester (Place my award here)”.  Here’s a link to the gianormous complete list of 2008 summer book recommendations from six different reviewers – a great selection to browse.

Just learned about another Vera Bradley bag give-away.  Come by The Boutique before August 8th to enter your name into a drawing for a Puccini Gift set ~ a Morgan handbag and an All-In-One wristlet.  Puccini has been a very popular new color this year.

Since it is almost Monday, I’m feeling rather random today.  Here are some shots I snapped in the courtyard this afternoon:

Ring-neck Parrot - I am continually amazed at the colors of these guys!

 

Chili Chilies

Sunny sculpture of a butterfly

It’s going to be a warm weekend in East Tennessee, so if you like the heat, I hope you get out and enjoy, and if you don’t, I wish you a well-running air conditioner.  In either case, I believe a frosty cold milkshake should factor into your next two days somewhere!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

The Boutique

Are you ready for shorts and flip flops?  I sure am!  I know some of you probably just wear socks with your flip flops through the winter (they do make socks just for that, you know, yes, they do).

Anyway, I just took a walk over to The Boutique, our newest shop here at The Incredible Christmas Place, and they have the neatest flip flop line – “Switch Flops.”  The sandals have hook-and-loop tape along the straps and you can purchase 30 or so different colored and decorated ribbons to attach to the same pair of sandals – change the color or style of your shoes every day – so cute!  Some have crystals or pearls at the toe cleft, some shells, buttons or embroidered flowers.  The ribbons are striped, dotted, lace, all sorts of textures and patterns, some with touches of gold or silver shot through the design. 

To go along with the Switch Flops, we have new boxer shorts and pajama lounge pants from Vera Bradley, in her customary selection of colorful, flowery fabrics!  The shorts and pants are packaged in individual matching fabric pouches, too – another tote to use for suncreen and sundries.  What fun you can have designing a pair of sandals to match your shorts.  We also have new beach towels, can coolers, and iPod covers from Vera to complete your trip to that sunny destination.  (They have matching umbrellas, too, but I don’t want to jinx anyone.)

As I mentioned before, we also carry the Crabtree & Evelyn line, including luxury skin care products for both women and men.  They have great travel sizes, and the scents are delicate and complex, not overwhelming – great stuff!

Here’s a list of some of the other cool stuff in The Boutique: 

• Swarovski crystal figurines and jewelry
• Egyptian perfume bottles
• Novelty hand-painted wine goblets in patterns like Shopaholic
• Bearington Bears in the most adorable clothes and styles – both boy and girl bears, along with frogs, duckies, and sheep
• Heritage Lace Brocade hanging lanterns – not only are the fabric shades beautiful themselves, they create wonderful patterns of light throughout your space
• a collection of picture frames and albums that scrapbookers and artists will love – the frames have tons of dimensional highlights and ephemera (if you know what I mean by this, you know these are for you)
• ceramic frames and plaques with titles like Mother, Grandmother, Sister – I’m already thinking Mother’s Day
• Two new collections of journals, pocket notebooks, and mini sketch books – one that is particularly unique – the bindings are by famous artists, living and dead, and each design is described in the back of the journal.   Rembrandt, Mozart, and Laural Birch were some that I noticed.  The bindings are almost jewel-like in color and style, richly embossed and decorated, with metallic fastenings.

Sad for me, I had some money in my back pocket when I strolled over to the store – have to stop doing that, because I tend to leave the cash behind and come away with lovely treasures in exchange – but since I usually give my treasures away, let’s say I’m doing my part for both the business and social economies today.

 Have a great weekend – it’s almost Monday!

~Janet @ The Christmas Place

P.S. Don’t forget about our garage sale for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.  It’s going on right now down at the owner’s garage at the back of the store.  I know I still have a few bucks in my pocket, so I’m headed that way for an even better cause.