Woody, Tinkerbell, Snow White, & Frodo posing in Christmas Wonderland!

Family traditions.  Looking back through the years as the teashop family kiddos grew up we find ourselves reminiscing.  From those babies sleeping in bassinets at  Anna Marie’s Gift Shop to now serving tea and directing cars as teenagers and young adults.  We think about how family roots are built around shared experiences in life.  So, what makes a professional decorator’s family – turned retail gift shop owner – turned rock star healthy tea lady…share?  Well…one of them is celebrating Thanksgiving all month long!

We haven’t always had the time to stop and savor Thanksgiving.   Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas have always been sort of a mash up for our family.  October 31, 1995, we handed out candy to trick-or-treaters.  Not tucked inside our homes but standing inside our gift shop just off the Historic Downtown Liberty Square.  Why?  Because we were decorating for the Christmas Open House which fell the day after Halloween!  As those cute Halloween kids rang our gift shop doorbell our family was stringing Christmas lights and fluffing pinecone garlands with Christmas music in the background. The look on those kids faces were priceless.  When are own kids were old enough to trick-or-treat we headed back to the gift shop – back to the Historic Downtown Square.   Our kids Halloween photos were always taken inside of a Christmas Wonder Land.  Unique and special.  Our family tradition.

This year the Teashop Family kicked off November by heading down the hill to Hillcrest Hope Thrift Store.  We got to clean, sort, and merchandise – just like we used to with our gift shop. But, now we do the same thing in this huge amazing store with a community purpose to help families.  We appreciate Ryan and all the workers at Hillcrest Hope.  Someday when we retire a couple of us might just be the next weekly merchandisers at Hillcrest Hope!   Thankful-living.  And thankful-giving.  We always try to sit down and share a pot of tea, too.  This day it was  Green Apple Green Tea in our teapot.  A fragrant green tea that tastes and smells just like green apples!   Just the right amount autumn-pick-me- up.

Fast forward to today.  Last August, Wren drove herself home from school bringing a home decor item bought with her own money.  A scary Halloweent witch.  She hung it right up. Right up in August.  Wren turned to me and said “I really don’t know why… but it just feels like it is time for Halloween.”   Halloween decor came out end of August.  Christmas came out end of October.  This is how a family rolls (even the kids!) in the life of a retail gift shop.  This time of the year Mimi’s house is decorated all different ways.  The first floor is Halloween turning over to Thanksgiving and the second floor is turning into Christmas and the third floor is an amazing hot mess of all holidays combined!  What once was a 1913 ballroom is now a dance floor for the art of holiday decorating!

And now we celebrate The Beauty of Thanksgiving…a precious time – not about stuff or things to buy but about the simple art of thankful-living.  Living each day – and giving thanks.  We get to celebrate Thanksgiving all month long at the Teashop and Inn.  Join us for our Thanksgiving Tea and celebrate your own month of Thank-ful living!