Life-Sized
I came across this picture this week as I was sorting through the contents of a drawer.
It was taken in December 1997 when Lyn and Mom had come to celebrate Christmas with us. The Christmas Attic near the Virginia Beach boardwalk was a favorite stop for the three of us. They were open year round even when most of the shops on the boardwalk were closed for the winter season.
The shop was family owned and operated. I remember the building, a renovated house, was lushly decorated with each room focused on a different theme. The porch had long been enclosed and it was the spot to find the beach themed decorations. I preferred the large room to the right of the entrance where the register was kept. There were ornaments from Europe in deep jewel tones. One year, all I could really afford was a sapphire blue glass ball from Germany. It's very large and heavy. It even survived the year the tree toppled the morning we were planning to take it down.
Lyn, of course, loved the life-sized nutcrackers that flanked the front steps. She insisted we take her picture that day. She was happy to visit this store even if it was 90+ degrees with 90% humidity outside in the middle of a good Virginia summer. We knew the shop would be refreshingly cold and dark inside on those days.
While the shop didn't survive the recession, closing in 2006, our Christmas trees still have ornaments purchased there.
It was taken in December 1997 when Lyn and Mom had come to celebrate Christmas with us. The Christmas Attic near the Virginia Beach boardwalk was a favorite stop for the three of us. They were open year round even when most of the shops on the boardwalk were closed for the winter season.
The shop was family owned and operated. I remember the building, a renovated house, was lushly decorated with each room focused on a different theme. The porch had long been enclosed and it was the spot to find the beach themed decorations. I preferred the large room to the right of the entrance where the register was kept. There were ornaments from Europe in deep jewel tones. One year, all I could really afford was a sapphire blue glass ball from Germany. It's very large and heavy. It even survived the year the tree toppled the morning we were planning to take it down.
Lyn, of course, loved the life-sized nutcrackers that flanked the front steps. She insisted we take her picture that day. She was happy to visit this store even if it was 90+ degrees with 90% humidity outside in the middle of a good Virginia summer. We knew the shop would be refreshingly cold and dark inside on those days.
While the shop didn't survive the recession, closing in 2006, our Christmas trees still have ornaments purchased there.
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