Christmas Open House at Christmas on the Hill

Lane & Faye, owners of Christmas on the Hill at 904 S. White St. in Athens, Tenn., invite you to Christmas Open House on Saturday, Nov. 13 from 10 to 6. Christmas is Lane Million’s favorite holiday because of what it represents – the birth of Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem – and he likes to focus on that, always. This Christmas shop honors the memory of his mother, who always loved Christmas and taught him and his siblings how amazing Christmas really is, and to always keep focused on the reason for the season, placing it first.

For a little tour of Christmas on the Hill, walk into an enchanted entrance of sparkles, lights and greenery to a wonderland of your most dreamed about Christmases. The beautiful Nativity scene will keep your mind focused on the reason for the season while you browse and dream about Christmases of the past. Be it a Candy Land Christmas, Christmas in the Smokies, or a snow-covered Christmas with snowmen and sledding down snow-covered hills, or maybe your favorite childhood Christmas was stockings hung and drinking hot cocoa between placing your favorite ornaments on a real green tree. Your dreams will feel alive here, and you might still catch a whiff of cedar or balsam in the air as you remember the excitement of waiting for Santa so you could open those glitzy packages or ride that first bike.

As you walk through, imagine how you can change your decor to bring alive a new Christmas dream. Just imagine how the snow rabbits, penguins and life-size deer might bring the outdoors inside for your new Christmas theme. Choose from every color imaginable of new ornaments or stars, snow-covered pine cones or animals in a sea shell. Beautiful collections of Karen Didion Santas are waiting, and Jim Shore angels are some favorites; decorated sleds, sleighs and gorgeous wreaths will be perfect for welcoming your Christmas guests. Santa’s elves are around every corner with some life-size elves ready for a train ride. As you browse, choose a theme and start a new Christmas tradition for your family. Maybe you’ve wanted to add houses to your own Christmas village; there’s so many different ones to select, including a good variety of new and retired pieces from Dept 56.

Don’t forget the amazing Christmas Carolers would be an awesome addition to any home or church and there’s several gorgeous sets, one in white fur and one in the buffalo print. Trees that are decorated may be purchased. Maybe your dream Christmas is a country Christmas. Lane and Faye have lots of decor from trucks carrying Santa, country decorated trees, throws, bears, stars, lambs and farmers market items will help you carry out that theme. Gnomes and polar bears are lurking around a few corners, and they’ll make you smile and would be a great Christmas theme or new tradition.

I could list many beautiful things you’ll see at Christmas on the Hill, but let’s be fair, even pictures don’t take the place of seeing this beautiful shop for yourself. Be sure to plan on visiting Lane and Faye for a fun and festive Christmas Open House, Saturday, Nov. 13. There will be bluegrass music by Tennessee String Busters. They include performances by Josh Felker, Jesse Tindell and Drew Fisher. They are from Delano and Knoxville, and will provide several hours of bluegrass music.

The store is selling tickets to go into a drawing for a $135 statue of a soldier kneeling at the cross. The tickets are $5 each, and the proceeds go to McMinn County Rescue Christmas Fund. The Gingerbread Man will be visiting, and a little elf told me Santa was going to be there. Be sure to look at the beautiful custom painted murals by Diane Stiles on every window inside and out and some walls in the store. Diane lives in Etowah; ask Lane if your interested in having her customize something for your business or home.

Don’t forget, Saturday, Nov. 13. Lets give this new store a first Christmas Open House welcome. Tell them you read about them in the Busy Bee Trader.

By Maxine B Jones, Ocoee, Tennessee