CHRISTMAS BASKETS: GET YOUR TICKETS

For many lucky folks today --  Christmas may come a little early -- if they win one of Christmas Baskets that are up for raffle at the Chamber today.

Marie DeMarsh, with the Chambers, just gave us a sampling of the contents  of baskets, and by a quick back of the envelope calculation, there are several thousand dollars worth of goods and services, gifts, gift certificates, experiences,   toys, food, wine, B&B stays, furniture, eating experiences and a large range of personal services up for grabs. All proceeds benefit the Christmas Express, helping locals this time of year who are struggling.

Among the highlights:

There are multiple donations from various grades of the Schroon Lake Central School, including “A Get Ahead” backpack presented by the Honor Society, filled with stuff that will make you a better student, a candy basket, from the 5th Grade, A Movie and Book Basket from the Friends of Schroon Lake Library, a Self Care Package from True North  Yoga, “an “Experience the Adirondacks”  theme basket from the Towne Store, a Popcorn Basket from Friedman Realty, An Auto Care package from J&L Autos, a Laundry Basket from the Schroon Lake Laundromat, A Paradox Brewery Gift basket , a Wine and Cheese basket from the Tumble Inn, a picnic Basket from the 1-Eye Classic, a Pamper Yourself Basket fwith massage certificates from the Schroon lake Massage and Wellness Center and An Aussie Experience Basket from Schroon Laker.com.

There’s also a full  Camping Week from Word of Life, a Spiritual Basket (also from WOL),  an overnight stay at the Paradox House,  a motor-boat rental from the Schroon Lake Marina, certificates from  the ADK Buffalo Farm, an indoor or ice shanty heater from Mountainside Petroleum, fresh bacon and eggs from Sugar Bush Farms, a Sound of Music Basket from Seagle Music Colony,  a gift Basket from DeCesarse’s and a Fischer Price My Little Crawl Gym and two Razor Scooters. Sorry if we have left out your basket – add it to our comments bellow!

“There really is something or everyone,” Marie told us. From the littlest of kids, to moms and dads and grandparents. it’s all here!”

Tickets go on sale at 11am at the Chamber Office. They are 35 for $10  (The best deal) 15 for $5 dollars and 5 for $2.

Christmas Gift and Food Vendors

Photo by sharron Tyrrell. copyright 2014. all righs reserved

Here is a sneak peek of the vendors at the the Crafts and Food Bazar at the Town Hall, starting at 2pm, Saturday, December 13.

Sharron Tyrrell: Photography. Calendars, cards of Schroon Lake & Paradox

Mary Fielder: Bert’s Jams and Jellies Natural & homemade

Deanna Trudso:  Scentsy Candles, Warmers, Laundry scents

Alice Parker: Wooden crafts

Kandi Griffin: Crocheting & Glass-beaded jewelry

Teresa Finnerty: Glass-beaded jewelry. Tastefully Simple Foods

Marlene Powers: Holiday greenery, Crosses, wreaths, floral arrangements, swags, kissing balls

Lorraine Erickson: Knitted sweaters, scarves, hats, & mittens

Mickey Abbott: Ceramics

Sue Pelus:o Christmas decorations

Calling All Summer People Back to Greater Schroon

Pbhoto by gary tromblee. copyright 2014. all rights reserved. 

Our Part of the North Country is a Winter Wonderland right now. If you have only experienced Schroon in the Summer -- choose this weekend and see what you are missing. You can accomplish everything you'll need to get you in the Christmas spirit, from carols, to giving Santa your wish list, to shopping to yummy eats and drinks.

Here are the TOP TWELVE reasons why you should make the journey to our area this weekend: December 11 - though the 14th.

Santa is here -- part of the 29th Annual Old Towne Christmas Celebration!

Snow – lots of it. Great for romantics walks downtown, snow-shoeing, snowman building and there may even be sled trails open!

Great Winter Ales at Paradox Brewery (And be sure to pick up fun Paradox swag for stocking stuffers!)

Cozy Bed and Breakfasts and Lake-side accommodations.

Great Christmas shopping for unique Gifts on Main Street and beyond. The Towne Store is having a huge sale, Curtis Lumber has savings of 35 per cent on warm Men's and Ladies Carhartt clothing, Giant Mountain Studios has unique one of a kind works of art.

Great photo taking opportunities. 

Book a relaxing massage and take a yoga class at True North Yoga!

Take a sleigh ride at Circle B Ranch

Ski Gore Mountain or White Face: Lots and lots of  trails

Restaurants and Bars with great food and fireplaces, including Sticks and Stones and Witherbee's, Flanagan's Pub, the Timberwolf Pub, Pitkin's, DeCesares Pizza and Italian Restaurant, Alpine Pizza, Shirley's Diner, Joanies Baked Goodies and the Severance Store. In south Schroon there's the Black Bear Pub, Adirondack Cafe and yummy lunches at the Adirondack General Store.

Catch up with friends Sunday at the Schroon Lake Association Holiday Party.

Get your Christmas Tree and .

Check out a place to buy make your own with Brooke Clarke.

More of The Christmas Spirit: North Country Naturals

Marlene Powers knows a thing or three about the holidays. For more than three decades her Christmas theme and Fall creations have decorated hundreds of homes and businesses throughout the North Country. We caught up with Marlene at her North Country Natural headquarters on Alder Meadow Road, on the eve of what’s going to be three weeks of non-stop  decoration making.

So just how did Marlene get into the business? “It was just something that I always played with.,  I'm an artsy type person,” Marlene says, as she shows us around her big barn that will soon be filled with greens, cones and wood of all shapes and sizes.

.“When everything's here, we're going to have some floral arrangements. We will have silk, we will have artificial decorations, cone decorations, the greenery, that includes kissing balls, swags, candy canes, crosses, and literally anything anybody comes in with and says, "Can you fix this for me." Can you make this ho, ho, ho, and we do our best.

“We're not a florist, so some people think because of all the other things that I do for the embellishments I am, but I'm not there yet. There's a chance that someday I will be, but at this point we're working on getting this store stocked before becoming an actual year-round shop”

Starting next week Marlene says she will have a great selection of  wintergreens with “Holiday things, Fall things, cones, just different decorations that I do. Actually, when I started out doing this business, it was Gifts from Nature ,and it was primarily cones and then I did the greenery on the side, and then of course I was also growing herbs and things.

“It's seasonal so right now I'm going to stay with  the greenery, the cone stuff backs it up but that I work on all year round”

Marlene can ship her goods anywhere, and many of her customers carry her works of art with them as gifts.

“I've had kissing balls picked up before Thanksgiving that ended up in Rhode Island, all over New York State. I have actually, this is so ironic, sent 20-some-odd wreaths one year to Oregon” Marlene says a lot of her sales locally come from word of mouth with her creations ending up in Chestertown, North Creek, “pretty much the entire Tri Lakes area”.

Where does Marlene source her greens from?

“We go up into property of the families, in North Hudson, then I've got friends up in Minerva, and then I do pay certain people that have wood lots and then they just trim it, they don't take the trees, and then it grows back. Wreaths or kissing balls? What’s  your most popular item?

"Kissing balls are unique, so I will have to say they're the most popular item. You can pretty much get wreaths anywhere, and mine are not stuck in Styrofoam like some of them”

Marlene prides herself on being able to come up with any creation a customer wants, with any combination of greens and naturals.

“A lot of times, you can use white pine, cedar if it's an agreeable branch because it's so gnarly. Like I said, it depends on the product, the size of the product, and how flamboyant they want to be”. 

214 Alder Meadow Road, Schroon Lake. (518) 681-0340