A Night of Miniature Marvels

In the midst of all the wrapping paper and visitors and the flurry of everything else that happens around the holidays, all of us at the shop take one evening each December to share a nice meal and have our annual ornament swap, white elephant style with numbers drawn from a hat and rambunctious trading. Here are some pictures of half a dozen treasures from the big night. I took these photos at home of the ones Duncan and I took to the dinner, and of the ones our family brought home. The ones we didn't capture were just as whimsical and fun.

The mother and child ornament at the top was my contribution to the evening, a combination of felting and other fiber arts with some doll faces and hands. Julie brought us an adorable cotton batting bird this year. The little peep has a baguette under her wing because she's heading to Paris next year!




Shari felted a sweet star ornament, and as luck would have it, my younger daughter opened it, much to both her and Shari's delight.







John's candy box ship, finished with crepe paper and Dresden trim and flying an iridescent sail, was the first ornament to be opened. It was also at the center of the final surprise of the evening when my older daughter nabbed it after nearly an hour of patient and polite plotting!

Mr. Marsh added to the pile a handmade (and fully loaded) bill holder that could come in handy on a rainy day, and Duncan was glad to take it home.

As for Duncan's gift to us, he brought a precious miniature tea house made of balsa wood and topped with a fresh layer of mica snow. Inside the house an electric tea light flickered, enchanting everyone so much with its cozy glow that this ornament was one of the most actively swapped all night.

More Holiday Haps on Fourth

Santa Claus Comes to Fourth Street
Santa Claus is coming to...Fourth Street! Meet Santa and his elves at "The Berkeley Pole" in the courtyard across the street from Peet's Coffee on Fourth. And as artistic representatives of all things magical, Castle in the Air is providing the decorations!
Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Extended Hours
Castle in the Air is one of many shops open late during the holiday shopping season. Through Christmas Eve, our hours will be:
10:00 am - 6:00 pm Monday through Wednesday
10:00 am - 7:00 pm Thursday through Saturday
10:00 am - 6:00 pm Sunday
We will also be open late December 21, 22, and 23 for all the last minute shoppers.
On Christmas Eve, the store will close at 4:30 pm.

Live Music and Entertainment
Local artists will keep your spirits bright with live music and entertainment all along Fourth Street each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and December 21 through 24.

Free Hot Cocoa and Cider
Warm up with a free cup of hot cocoa or cider at one of our newest neighbors, Chocolatier Blue Patisserie at 1809A Fourth Street.
Hot drinks every day from 4:30 - 7:00 pm (weather permitting)

Holiday Lights
Santa's reindeer won't have any trouble finding Fourth Street. Thousands and thousands of bright and colorful lights adorn the trees and lampposts, bringing holiday sparkle to the shopfronts and restaurants.

A Walk-In Wonder

Now that the holiday season is in full swing at Castle in the Air, I can reveal to you the wonderful project we've all been working on. The picture above might look like a vintage postcard, but it's actually a walk-in tableau! You and your friends and family are invited to bring your camera to Castle in the Air and snap a holiday scene in front of the card, or step inside and pose in the wood-framed window in front of our snowy backdrop. Visitors who remember our Mermaid Grotto photo booth from early last year say that this one is just as grand -- come see for yourself!

Revealed!

Huzzah and Hooray! The Grand Transformation is complete and the Winter Wonderland is revealed! We burned the midnight oil, as well as a bit of dawn oil, putting the finishing touches on two floors of holiday ornaments, decorations, and treats. The gnomes were especially helpful, probably because we didn't have our fairy-hunting exhibit this year. And even though they don't have much use for metal pins, I hereby award our resident brownies the fairyland equivalent of the Blue Castle Badge for all their hard work throughout the year keeping our shelves tidy and labeled, with everything in its place. Organization pays off -- it helped us create our Wonderland that much quicker this year!



Castle in the Air has been through the Grand Transformation nine years in a row, and I've got to say that this year's holiday display is the most amazing one yet. We have so many new wonders to share with you, and for the first time ever, two floors for you to explore as you get ready for your holidays.

Take a Holiday

Castle in the Air is getting decorated for Halloween today, so in that spirit we've decorated the Holidays section of our Online Shoppe with several new vintage postcard images. See for yourself!