THE END OF AN ERA

The temperatures have been much colder than usual in Minneapolis this month, but that hasn’t stopped thousands of children and adults from lining Nicollet Mall each weekend to watch the annual Holidazzle Parade.  This celebration of lighted floats and costumes has become one of the Twin Cities’ signature holiday events, and people look forward to it all year long.

The crowd cheers as the parade begins! 

Snowflakes projected on the buildings precede the parade.

Holidazzle made its first appearance in 1992, the year that the Mall of America opened, and was conceived as away to continue to draw people downtown Minneapolis to shop and dine.  The parade takes place two – four evenings each week in December, and every year over 300,000 people turn out to be awed by the spectacular show of lights.

Pinocchio and friends.

Dancing Lightbulbs!

As the streetlights dim, floats covered in hundreds of lights depicting fairy tales and children’s books begin their journey down Nicollet Mall.  Even the many “walkers” in the parade are dressed head-to-toe in costumes covered in lights. The combined effect is breath taking, but all of that comes to an end this year.

Target was the corporate sponsor this year and so the Target Dog started things off.

The Target Choir.

The city has decided that this will be the last year for the Holidazzle parade.  They feel that it’s time to re-imagine their Holiday celebration in a way that encompasses a broader stretch of the downtown area.  At this point, nothing has been firmly decided, so it will be interesting to see what evolves.  Personally, I hope they do come up with something new rather than just letting everything end.  That would be an unfortunate decision.

Bands performed in lighted uniforms.

You know who!

For now, as we wait to see what will come in future, we can still enjoy the wonderful Holidazzle parade for one more weekend before the lights go dark forever.

(Several friends have also contributed Holidazzle Parade photos for this post.)

The lighted floats glided down Nicollet Mall.

Metro Transit provided a holidazzled bus.

Dangerous "animals" in the circus train.

Over 300,000 people attend the parade each year. . .

. . . And have a Whale of a time!

Finally Santa arrives, and wonderful Twin Cities era comes to an end.

A PAIR OF JINGLE BELLS

I’m amazed by all of the controversy surrounding Kmart’s Joe Boxer ad.  The responses have ranged from humorously entertaining to morally offensive and disgusting.  While I can understand liking or not liking the ad, I’m not sure that it deserves the drastic response it has received from some people.  One thing for sure is that the days when the holidays were announced by Santa gliding over drifts of snow on a Norelco shaver are long gone

If you haven’t seen this ad, it features six men, wearing tuxedo tops and holiday boxer shorts from Joe Boxer, shaking there hips like a bell choir to the tune of “Jingle Bells.”  Personally I found the ad to be extremely cleaver and humorous.   The ad only “works” because the men are in boxers.  That gives the illusion of “bells” and adds to the element of fun.  The ad would have had a very different feel if the men were wearing briefs, and would have taken things to a whole different area.  But as it is, the boxers keep it light and fun, unlike their “I Shipped My Pants” ads which I find to be bit sophomoric and crass.

Kmart/Joe Boxer Ad

The other thing worth mentioning is that the ad succeeds in what companies want ads to do.  It gets people talking and they remember it, which keeps the product in the front of everyone’s mind.   Even hearing the song “Jingle Bells” will bring to mind this image and the product.  So, for good or bad, the ad worked and people remember both Kmart and Joe Boxer. 

Whether you like their Joe Boxer ad or not, Kmart has definitely moved towards the naughty list, but I feel they’ve done so without becoming profane or crass.  There is still a bit of fun here.

Brooks Brothers Ad

For those of you who may not like Kmart’s version of “Jingle Bells,” here is one of my all time favorite ads from Brooks Brothers (yes I know I post this every year), with their version of the song.

SINGING BROOKS BROTHERS PRAISES . . . 

. . . FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!

When it comes to holiday shopping you can't beat Brooks Brothers.  So when I needed those extra little details to finish off my Christmas outfit, they were first place I went to.  I'm also in love with their signature tartan, which I suspect will make an appearance in my outfit this year (stay tuned).  Even my wrapping paper is from Brooks Brothers, which makes it the perfect way to share the joy of the Holidays!

Beatrix loves loves Brooks Brothers almost as much as I do!!!

THE CHRISTMAS VILLAGE IS UP

The first sign that the Holidays are approaching is the annual appearance of my Christmas village.  I’ve been collecting this village from Department 56 for about fifteen years and have amassed quite a large metropolis.  Needless to say not all of the buildings are able to be displayed at one time.  I simply don’t have the space.  So each year I pick and choose which buildings will be displayed, which ensures that each year the look of the village is just a little bit different.

This year I went with a “Colonial” theme and have three distinct areas.  The main city is built up around red brick buildings with a few wooden buildings nestled between.  There are stately government buildings, churches, and merchants of all types. 

The second area (which sits atop some book cases) represents a small village on the outskirts of the city.  Here we find a transition between urban and rural life, as homes become much more simple, and businesses (such as a grain mill) take on a more “country” feel. 

Finally, on the entertainment center, we have the farms that surround the city.  Here is the lifeblood and heartbeat of the Colonial city.  The three areas, though small by themselves, combine to form a wonderful holiday landscape.

Every year, my friends excitedly wait to see what form my village will take.  Some are able to see its “unveiling” at my Thanksgiving dinner, while most count on seeing it at one of the numerous other events I host during the Holidays.

Although, it’s a bit smaller this year, my village is still a focal point of my Holiday decorating.

BEATRIX, THE PREPPY CAT!!!

A month ago I adopted a rescued kitten.  She and her five brothers were orphaned in the bushes at a friend’s home, and they cared for them until they were old enough to be adopted out.  When I look back at the photo from a month ago when she arrived at my place, I can’t believe how much she has grown in that short time.  Her name is Beatrix, and she is now 3 ½  months old and still very much a playful kitten. 

 I can't believe how tiny she was only a month ago.

I have to admit though, that she is pretty well behaved.  She still gets into things she shouldn’t – that’s a training moment for us both - but I can say that my two Christmas trees have been up for over a week now and she has not yet attempted to climb them.  She also has been pretty good with the ornaments.  Against the advice of my friends, I put the ornaments all the way to the bottom of the trees, and with the exception of one morning, she has left them alone.  My friend Cliff told me that he thinks a Christmas tree is the ultimate test of self-control for a cat.  If he is right, Beatrix is doing extremely well.

 She has impeccable taste!

I’ve also discovered that she is quite “preppy” and has impeccable taste.  She adores my Sperry Topsiders and my LL Bean rubber Mocs almost as much as I do!  

 The "kitty crash" after parties.

My friends love her and dote on her, always wanting to hold her and pet her.  She has proven to be a very social kitten and loved all of the attention she received on Thanksgiving and at my first Holiday dinner last Saturday.  She is quite the Social Diva. However, even Divas must recuperate, and once the guests leave, she does a “kitty crash” and sleeps for the next day – the price for being popular.  She is even popular with people who haven’t met her.  This week she received a Christmas package in the mail from Santa – OK it was really from my Friend Michael in California, but he’s an elf! 

 Her Christmas package from Santa arrived in the mail!

While I’m not one of those people who post constant pet photos online, I have to admit that she is making this a fun, entertaining, and joy filled Holiday Season.

SAINT NICHOLAS

Today we celebrate St. Nicholas Day.  Children everywhere leave out their shoes on December 5^th hoping to find them filled with toys, coins, and sweets when they wake up.  My experience of the day is a bit different this year.  I month ago I adopted a kitten (she’s 3 months old now) and one of her favorite things to do is to play with my shoes, and to play with her toys in my shoes.   So when I wake up, I find my shoes filled with her toys instead of candies and coins.

The real St. Nicholas was a bishop in Myra (now part of modern Turkey).  He lived from 270-343 and was know for his piety.  Because of this, he was one of the bishops invited by the Emperor Constantine to take part in the First Council of Nicaea.  Nicholas was also known for his generosity and secret gift-giving, thus making him an early model for our current Santa Clause.

On a side note, Nicholas, who is patron saint of many things including children and sailors, is also the patron saint of haberdashers, which makes him a favorite of mine.  So whether you remember him as a great gift-giver or the protector men’s clothing stores, take a moment to celebrate this great man whose memory gives so much to this wonderful season.

HAPPY SAINT NICHOLAS DAY!!!

CHRISTMAS:  FIFTY YEARS AGO

Nothing will age you faster than finding a few old family Christmas photos and realizing that they’re fifty years old . . . and you’re in them.  While I suddenly feel much older, I must say how fun it is to revisit those memories all of these years later.

My brothers and sister and me before heading out to Christmas Mass.

My mother by the Christmas tree.

Christmas has always been a wonderful and joy filled time in my family.  From early on I can remember the house being filled with extended family from Christmas through New Year’s Day.  Each celebration had its own flavor and feel.  The Christmas menu was the traditional turkey and stuffing dinner, and always included a “prune-whip” salad (my Grandfather’s favorite, but definitely not mine) and my Grandmother’s cranberry relish, which was, and still is, my favorite.  The menu for New Year’s Day was pretty much the same, although a roasted goose replaced the turkey.

My great-uncle Alfred and his sister, my great-aunt Nettie, 

were frequent guests in our home during the Holidays.

Cousins were always abundant at this time of year.

Babies always make the Holiday special.

Christmas was always a time for family, but as the extended family grew, most split off to continue their own Christmas traditions – carrying on some of the old while adding some new ones.  I don’t spend the holidays with my family now, but instead host the holiday dinners for my family of friends.  Even though I celebrate with new people, the old traditions have followed me into these celebrations.  Turkey and stuffing is the center of the holiday meal, and my Grandmother’s cranberry relish makes it’s appearance each year.

My maternal grandparents checking out our Christmas presents.

Exhausted after all of the Holiday Festivities.

Growing up, my family never had a great deal of money but we never seemed to want for anything.  Mom and Dad always found ways to make Christmas and the entire Holiday Season special.  We were truly blessed indeed, and for that I am very grateful.

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE . . .

There’s something magical about the first snowfall of the year. 

The falling snowflakes bring with them a sense of romance as they begin to cover the ground, and I dream that I am living in a Courier and Ives print.  I long for crackling fireplaces, warm blankets, and mugs rich hot chocolate.

The reality, however, is that while I don’t live in that nostalgic world of Courier and Ives, I can still bask in the romance of this first snow, and its foreshadowing of the holidays to come.