A Childhood Michigan Ave memory

Happy weekend,

The holiday's are my favorite time of the year to decorate, bake and host gatherings. Also I love to visit my favorite boutique shops and see them decorated for the holidays. I went up to the OC for business the other day and after I visited Roger's Garden in Newport Beach. Gorgeous displays, abundant evergreens and the timing was just perfect to squeeze lunch in at the Farm House restaurant.

On the way home listing to Christmas music I began thinking of...

A favorite childhood memory.

 One of my family's Holiday traditions I looked forward to was when we would all pile in the country squire station wagon, remember those? Ours wasRed w/ wood paneled sides. We would drive from our small town about 50 miles to downtown Chicago to see the Holidays decorations along Michigan Ave. Everyone got all dressed up, my Mom and I usually wore velvet! She would wear her beautiful fur and I thought she was so elegant. We would stroll the sidewalks listing to the carolers and eyeing all the toys in the windows amongst magical displays till our feet just about froze. Then we'd go inside the stores for a little shopping. Eventually we would make our way through the crowds until we came to a holt, we would fall into the long line and I would take out my crinkled list and practice it until it was my turn to see Santa Clause. After the intense wait to see him, we went to a special place for dinner in the city.  If we were lucky, we would come out of the restaurant to see some Christmas snow falling. 

  I'm certain those traditions of the Michigan Ave. holiday windows inspired me years back when I had my own retail store. Every year I went all out to make my store windows displays magical. Spending hours cutting evergreen branches from my yard, listening to Holiday music and making my own rustic fresh wreaths and garlands. It was fun to be creative and I enjoyed preparing the window displays for my customers and all who passed by.

I still love to decorate with fresh greens here at home.  I can find most of what I like from our property.

Our Vintage Garden Folly is my favorite place to decorate for the holidays and special gatherings. 

Someday I dream of making this a working fireplace, wouldn't it be cozy?

On my Insta Gram feed I posted a little video yesterday with this decor.

It's 

xogailsmithpeterson.

I Hope your weekend finds you right smack dab in the Holiday season, singing Christmas carols, dancing in the kitchen with cookies in the oven and making new traditions & dreaming of ones you'll always cherish.

Happy Weekend!

xo,

Gail