Feeling Ornamental

It’s a bit early for Advent, but I am having a blast caroling and making holiday ornaments for December.

Making snowmen has taught me all the lyrics to Frosty the Snowman.

Meanwhile angelic songs are humming in my brain as well.

’Tis the season to be jolly, two months ahead of schedule. Snow arrived early, too, but it will hopefully hold off after last week’s fluke. Technically I should have started Christmas preparations in June, but it’s my first year in retail world so I am still learning the ropes.

Peaceful Parlour was first to light a fire under me when they requested that I bring in ornaments in October. This is the selection I brought in, though some pieces may have already been adopted.

Located at 212 S. Third Street in Geneva, Illinois, Peaceful Parlour is Chicagoland’s most expansive Eco-Chic Boutique. The future-friendly store carries a wide variety of herbal remedies and offers a numerous hand-blended teas designed to enhance wellness and positive energy. The kid’s playroom offers a variety of earth-friendly, no-batteries-required toys that kids can experiment with while parents peruse the rest of the store.

Peaceful Parlour’s focus is to find products with environmental and community benefits, supporting local artists, small businesses, fair trade and women co-op groups around the world. These products include household items such as recycled-glass water bottles, cork bowls; gardening accessories; personal adornments such as scarves, hats, jewelry and purses; and home decorative items including lamps, paintings and chimes. With its focus on positive energy flow, Peaceful Parlour also offers incense, purifying sprays and other meditative tools.

The woman-owned store hosts a variety of pop-up events, including a psychic medium, meet the artisan, outdoor music in the summer and tie-ins to Geneva’s special holiday festivities. The store will hold hourly ‘Blue Light Specials‘ on Small Business Saturday (November 30).  Geneva’s Christmas Walk and House Tour on Dec 6th and Dec 7th marks the arrival of Santa Lucia  and the mayor is presented with the first candy cane of the season on Friday night. Stores stay open late and Peaceful Parlour will be serving some organic herbal teas and homemade cookies. A guy’s night out is planned on December 17th at which they can shop for their ladies (Peaceful Parlour will have them fill out a wish list in advance).

The Evanston Art Center’s Winter EXPO, opening on November 23, will have select pieces on display as well.

So while I am ambivalent about jumping on the Christmas-before-December retail bandwagon, I do need to sell and promote my wares. So peruse my Holiday collection at Peaceful Parlour in Geneva and at Aurora Rose Boutique in Lemont.

You can order your custom ornaments or pendants via e-mail. This set just got shipped overseas. Overseas orders need to be in by November 20 in order to arrive by Christmas, or they might get stuck in customs until the New Year.

I can make angels, snowmen and trees in any color combination, and incorporating the carols you favor. Wire cages get quirky at times, so those will be a blend of your choices and the wire’s personality. Since these will all be made by hand, my last day of taking custom holiday orders is December 9. Local and Etsy orders should be made by December 18 to ensure on-time Christmas delivery.

The three pieces below will be up for dibs on Facebook before they go to Etsy (trees may be a one-season-only offer, they’re complicated!):