The Cranberry - The Official Christmas Dove Blog

Personalize Your Holiday: How Memories Are Made With The Stroke of A Pen…

christmasdove — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:37:34 +0000

We are so proud each time we personalize an ornament. It’s true. We can almost envision a child’s smile, a fiances smitten expression, or a proud parent’s grin. When we personalize an ornament, we are creating a memory. A cherished keepsake that can be enjoyed for generations. As all of our personalized ornaments are hand inscribed right here at the Christmas Dove by one of our staff calligraphers, we do a good job, and we’re proud of it. Each of our in house calligraphers has over ten years’ experience. Our exclusive, forever in style traditional Wood Red Sleds, and Wood Red Rocking Horses are hand painted as they have been for almost forty years. Our newer ornaments, are expertly penned with ink and paint formulated for the heirloom quality finish of our ornaments. Whether for yourself, or given as a gift, our personalized ornaments will be a cherished expression of the Season for years and quite possibly generations to come! Click on one of the images and create a memory right now.

The Christmas Dove in the Washington Post this Morning

christmasdove — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:09:54 +0000

Love to deck the halls with old-fashioned incandescent lights? Don’t worry: Holiday lights are exempt from the new energy-saving standards for light bulbs that will take effect next year.

From outdoor icicle lights hanging from eaves to strands of twinkle lights wrapped around a Christmas tree, lights used for holiday decorating are considered “specialty bulbs” and aren’t affected by the standards being phased in starting in January. That was welcome news to holiday light fanatic Chuck Taylor, who said the standards created a stir in the online forum he runs at Planetchristmas.com. “This was a very popular subject last year,” said Taylor, a holiday light consultant in Franklin, Tenn.

“To be honest, the little niche of the Christmas light industry already has been fast moving toward LEDs,” said Garth Svenson, president of the Christmas Dove in Barrington, N.H. The store is the largest of its kind in New England, with more than 30 rooms full of Christmas decorations and lights.”

To Read the entire article, visit the Lifestyle Section of The Washington Post at www.washingtonpost.com

We Shop for Ribbon… Kind of Like How Some People Shop for Fine Fabrics.

christmasdove — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:57:49 +0000

Just One of Hudreds we Hve Available!

For the first time ever, we are offering the complete pallet of Christmas Dove ribbon for your perusal. Whether you make your own bows, want to exquisitely garland your tree, or have decided to kick your gift wrapping up a notch, you will enjoy shopping from the swatches that our designers use here at the Dove to create our incomparable holiday designs. Whether you are shopping for your own creations, or are taking a look to see what you are going to have us make for you this year, be reminded that our Design Shop is a boutique operation, and some clients often take our entire stock of a particular style in one order. Translation: our ribbon selection diminishes quite rapidly from Veterans’ Day on!

Karla Steinbach Signing Just Announced!

christmasdove — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:46:10 +0000

The Queen of The Nutcrackers, Karla Steinbach, will be joining us for her only New England signing Monday December 5th at 4:00 PM. Her 2011 releases are stunning. Highlights include the latest in her 12 Days of Christmas Series, 11 Pipers Piping, a new Scrooge, an Elvis Presley Nutcracker and the first in her new Christmas Elves Series. Join us or pre-order now. Your purchase will be hand-signed and shipped to your door well in time for Christmas!

Snow? or Snow!

christmasdove — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 03:28:44 +0000

Well, the first snowflakes of the season began to fly tonight at the Christmas Dove! We had just finished carving our pumpkins with the girls when the first heavy, soggy flakes started to fall. At this writing there is a sudden glitter and glisten on all the leaves over the house and out on our fields. Nature certainly has a way of nudging us through the seasons, doesn’t she? Please remember to make some memories this year. These seasons only come by but once a year. As we scooped the pumpkin guts tonight while sticky snow made polka dots on the windows, we tried to savor the moment that seemed to mark the transition between our two favorite times of year…. We wish you the same moments.

There are Witches. And then there is “The Witch”….. She is the latter.

christmasdove — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 02:46:15 +0000

Last year, thanks to our then 4-year-old, we started down the Yellow Brick Road with Byers’ Choice. We launched the Baum inspired “Dorothy of Oz” as our 2010 exclusive. She was, well, warmly received. For 2011, Joyce Byers unleashed her inner beautiful wickedness and created the magnificently malevolent “Wicked Witch of the West.” If you haven’t read Frank Baum’s tale in a while, do so. You kind of forget what a happily twisted soul Her Wickedness is. If you are not a fan of Munchkins, Tin Men and Scarecrows, know this: this is simply the best looking, and best selling witch Caroler we have ever offered. So, if you are simply seeking to augment your Halloween décor, take a look. No one has to know that this particular conjurer quietly opines for silver (or ruby) slippers!

Why This Guy Isn’t a Household Name, I Have No Idea.

christmasdove — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 02:43:16 +0000

Alan Gianna with Christmas Dove Owner Linda Svenson

Alan Gianna, I want to say ‘Remember that name ’cause you heard it here first.’ But what we have found is that Alan might be a better, Holiday-centric version of Kinkaid That’s not us talking… The guy’s not just super talented. Not just inspired. He’s actually really, really the kind of guy you root for. And, even after fan after fan kept coming to see him this past Saturday, his lovely wife, Pam, kept him on track by taking recommendations for 2012. So…now we can look forward to at least three Autumn inspired prints! Alan and Pam gave us a preview… All we can say is…The Christmas Dove’s walls will be 10 times better looking next September. And for those of you who know us….that’s saying something.

Wow. And a Big Thank You.

christmasdove — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:42:30 +0000

If this gives you any idea what the weekend was like... this is the best picture I could get during the scrum to see Dean Griff!

Thank you to everyone that made our 2011 Columbus Day Open House the best in years! I honestly thought with the weather so summer-ish here in New Englad, we wouldn’t come close to our normal attendance. But as someone commented, it was ”like a reunion.”

A HUGE hug goes out to our customers: you dear old friends and you new faces… (you know who you are)… our family business would not be here if not for you! Thank you to Dean Griff and Alan Gianna for the lines you created! Thank you to Paul Watson from Annalee Dolls, Becky Wong from Byers’ Choice and Alan Thayer from Fontanini for giving us the skinny on Holiday decorating 2011! We are all excited for Fall and, as you might expect, especially Christmas. If you were unable to visit with us this weekend, or shop us on-line, be certain we are just warming up!

Patience Brewster is Her Real Name

christmasdove — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 02:00:44 +0000

: Click the Frog to Browse!

In Patience Brewster’s world frogs dance, champagne glasses toast one-another, and cake plates have high heel shoes.

We met Ms. Brewster at her showroom in Georgia. She signed two prints for our daughters. Her signature looks too fantastic to be real, completely made-up. And I watched her pen both prints in person. When she is done creating the most whimsical ornaments in the world she really must design a font.

The 2011 Patience Brewster ornaments have now arrived. Impossibly angular. Phantasms of holiday mirth. The kind of Christmas a Disney Castle might have if there was ever a close-up of a tree: every ornament is alive. When you have a moment peruse Patience in her plum.

Be sure you have a nice feather tree. As these ornaments tend to attract others.

This Sunday. Mario Tare. The Guy who Designs Christopher Radko’s Ornaments.

christmasdove — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 01:18:15 +0000

We have been friends with Chris Radko for years. When Mr. Radko sold his company everyone was concerned that an era had ended. That the ornaments we had come to know and love would be gone forever. Then we met Mario.

Mario Tare is no Rockstar. He’s smoother. More of an artist. If Christopher Radko was electric guitar at his appearances, Mr. Tare is more classical acoustic guitar. In our events with Mario last year we saw an artist more in awe of his fans, than his fans in awe of him. And that’s amazing as he had a line of fans at each signing.

Most amazing is the quality of the 2011 line of Radko ornaments. Detail. Workmanship. And an absolute commitment to the D word: Design.

We invite you to meet an artist keeping up Chris Radko’s tradition in his own way, and starting traditions on his own terms.

Mr. Tare will be signing this Sunday at the store in Barrington. Any web or phone orders received before 2:00 Sunday EST will be shipped with the artist’s autograph.