We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for our Members’ Christmas Opening. We had a great time getting to know you, learning more about what makes Christmas special in your families, and sharing our excitement for the collectibles, gifts, and décor in our collection this year. We hope you found new ideas and inspirations – maybe even reminders of cherished memories – that will help make this holiday season really special.
Molly Pool, who curates our Christmas collectibles, had the opportunity at the event to speak with several of you about the importance of special heirloom objects and the memories that surround them. A mother, daughter, and aunt told Molly about their grandmother’s Christmas pyramid – a beautiful wooden carousel with propellers that spun from the rising heat of small candles. Christmas pyramids originated in the legendary Erzgebirge woodworking region of Germany, and their grandmother’s was an “icon” in their family. They were delighted to see how little today’s pyramids have changed from the one they remembered.
In addition to these beautiful Christmas pyramids, Molly sourced the amazing hand-crafted nutcrackers and incense smokers – also from the Erzgebirge region. If you met Molly at the event, she may have told you the story of this legendary mining community. It’s surrounded by ancient forests with exquisite wood, perfect for carving, and for centuries, miners often spent their spare time carving this wood into toys and other intricate pieces for their families. Eventually the pieces were crafted for sale abroad as well. Over the generations, these same manufacturing techniques, the eye for perfection, and the dedication to quality have been passed down, and these qualities still exist in today’s pieces. Their quality craftsmanship recalls a simpler time, full of love and tradition, when handcrafted keepsakes like these were treasures to be passed on to generations of family. And last Friday, as our team and our Members shared a mutual excitement and appreciation for these beautiful pieces, Molly noticed there was an almost tangible positive energy in the room.
In addition to collectibles, the store is filled with new décor, unique ornaments, and gifts too. Our gift wrap station was busy, and everyone marveled at the gift tags that local calligrapher and lettering artist Cheryl Dyer created for each individual present. Gift-shopping and tradition-building were a big part of the afternoon of course, but all good get-togethers need delicious food and drink to make things even more festive. Also joining us for the event, Archetype Coffee brought their mobile coffee cart with specialty drinks – including their amazing apple almond spiced tea and hot chai. To offer some easy holiday entertaining ideas, we included a simple assortment of desserts – the raspberry-topped cupcakes were a hit, as well as the chilled water with seasonal cranberries and rosemary. And for simple, beautiful table arrangements, we used large glass vases filled with spiral eucalyptus – a soft and fragrant fresh-cut evergreen like Leyland cedar would work too.
In short, we had a wonderful afternoon, and we hope you did too. If you couldn’t join us this time, we hope you’ll keep us in mind for next year – we’re already thinking about how we can build on what made this event so enjoyable. In fact, one gentleman had such a good time, he suggested we do this every Friday. We don’t know about that, but we do have more events and seminars planned for this holiday season, including our annual Holiday Gala. Ticket sales for this year’s Gala will support The Big Garden, a remarkable group of people doing amazing work here in our community. Look for more information in the coming weeks – we look forward to seeing you again soon.
