Bar Harbor, Maine’s Christmas Spirit® Shop will pay for standard shipping to one address for all orders placed on its Website www.ChristmasSpiritShop.com by July 28, 2009. To receive this special offer, you must enter the promotion code NANCY at the bottom of the address collections page during your checkout process. Handpainted sunflower slate Click the photo for more info Nancy painting scallop shells In the Beginning..... This month, the Christmas Spirit® Shop is featuring hand crafted decorations by Nancy and her family, our best selling Artists. Nancy, and her parents Dawn and Ed, are Maine Artists who have been making items exclusively for our shop since 1997. In 2002, they became our top selling artist and have remained #1 ever since. Their success in our shop is due in no small part to their artistic talent and versatility. Dawn assembling vacation plaques Wooden Jordan Pond Couple Plaque Click the photo for more info Crafting is nothing new for this Maine family. Nancy and Dawn’s painting experience started in 1991 with a table painting class. Over the years, they had both dabbled in a variety of needle crafts, but it wasn’t until decorative painting came along, that they felt they had found their niche. One Thing Leads to Another Ed has enjoyed working with wood his entire life, and quickly admits he’s happiest when he’s knee deep in saw dust. He cuts all of the wooden pieces for Nancy and Dawn to paint. He even makes the hand painted serving trays that are their signature piece. Wooden flowers serving tray Click the photo for more info Wooden snowmen serving tray Click the photo for more info Ed cutting out vacation ornaments The fact that Ed and Nancy normally require far less sleep than most mortals increases their productivity time immensely. Ed tells a funny story about when he was a little boy. He recalls that he used to wake up very early in the morning, after staying awake til late at night. So, his mother would pack a snack for him the night before and leave it by his bed, in hopes that it would keep him occupied so she could sleep later in the morning. Custom Acadia Designs Nancy and her parents were the first Artists to interpret the Christmas Spirit® Shop's original Acadia designs. While many Artists work in clay, they work in layers of wood. Ed patiently cuts out the backgrounds and all the little pieces that go into the creation of an Acadia vacation plaque. He assembles the layers and then finishes the edges to ensure a quality product that will endure for years. Wooden Sand Beach Plaque Click the photo for more info This artistic family makes almost 1000 different items for our shop, exclusively. Of course, they have to store all the pieces somewhere! During the school year, the warehouse is in Nancy’s basement. But when school is out, they rent a truck and move it all to Ed’s garage. Each piece has a separate storage box. The boxes are then labeled and stacked on shelves for easy access when Christmas Spirit® Shop calls for more merchandise. National Park Car Family Plaque Click the photo for more info Nancy and Dawn paint all the pieces, small and large, that Ed cuts. He is even recruited once in a while to put the base coat of paint on his pieces. The latest design added to the Acadia collection this year is "Sand Beach". Warehouse of bins and pieces. Then There Were Shells……   Margaret Todd on Scallop Shell Click the photo for more info   Baby Jesus on Scallop Shell Click the photo for more info Although wood is their primary medium, they now work with native Maine Shells. Their favorite shell is the scallop, which the fishermen toss overboard once they’ve harvested the meat. They have painted a variety of the custom designs on shells as well as more traditional lighthouses and Christmas themes. Santa on Scallop Shell Click the photo for more info   Bass Harbor Head Light on Scallop Shell Click the photo for more info   ….And Old Roofing Slates   Just Say Snow Slate Click the photo for more info   Maine Hikers Slate Click the photo for more info To the delight of their customers, they also paint on old New England roofing slates. The themes include snowmen, Santa, moose, floral and Maine. Mr. Moose Welcome Slate Click the photo for more info   A Merrie Olde Christmas Slate Click the photo for more info   Building a Vacation Memory Night view of Christmas Spirit® Shop storefront. Because they make so many different little pieces, Ed built a tower of bins for the shop. This tower houses all the makings of a Maine memory ornament that can be “built” by anyone who walks through the door of our shop at 80 Main Street in Bar Harbor, Maine. Album of Customer Creations Spinning tower of bins for little pieces. Our large binder of pictures is a testament to the myriad of different ways the pieces have been assembled by our customers. Children are some of the most creative Artists of these masterpieces, and seem to have the most fun doing it. In Their Spare Time..... By day, Nancy is a teacher in a middle school in Maine, but by night, you’re sure to find a paint brush in her hand. Dawn and Ed are both retired and enjoy filling their days with wood and paint. After working hard all year, they head for Disney World® to spend Christmas with Mickey Mouse and the gang. Stay tuned to see what new designs they are working on….. Lobstering in Maine Tray Click the photo for more info Acadia National Park Tray Click the photo for more info Ed, Dawn and Nancy in Disney World®. Oh! Wait! This just in! Nancy and her family have just finished 2 new tray designs featuring photographs of the area. Pictures are preverved with a thick layer of resin, which also protects the surface from hot or cold liquids. The trays are functional as well as decorative. These artists can create one for you, too! Capture forever the memory of a vacation, wedding or other Special Event. Contact us for details

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT®'S SAMANTHA
Summer is one of Samantha’s favorite times of the year because that is when all the kids come to the shop! Her greeting skills are employed full time during those long summer days and nights. One of her many jobs is to help the kids build their Maine memory ornaments about their vacation activities. Samantha sunning herself with her Frisbee®.	Samantha helping a family build an ornament. But with August also comes the “dog days" of summer. Like every dog, Samantha enjoys sunning herself on her days off, especially with her Frisbee® close at hand in case anyone wants to play. Lying in the sun is a good way for Samantha to minimize her aches and pains, caused by old age and a hard day's work.

WEBSITE NEWS YOU CAN USE
Navigation bar on our Website.	Just as most books have a table of contents outlining them for quick reference by the reader, most Websites have a "site map" outlining the contents, so users can get a quick overview of what's inside.  Christmas Spirit (R) has recently updated its site map with direct links to its major product categories and subcategories.  You can find our site map, or overview of our Website, by clicking on the last item on the Navigation Bar under Our Services. Using our new site map is easy.  Following a brief Introduction, you’ll see that the Site Map is divided into the same 3 sections as the Navigation Bar: Personalized Ornaments, Other Gifts and Our Services. Just click on any description that catches your eye, for more information.  It's a good tool to use when you're not quite sure what you're looking for, but want to get a quick look at what's inside our Website to spark future gift-giving ideas.  Of course, if you know what you're looking for, you can always use our search box in the upper left hand corner of any page on our Website, or our Navigation Bar on the left hand side of all Web pages.
Top section of site map.

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS
"In 2005 we visited Bar Harbor, Maine and when our daughter and son-in-law had the opportunity to do the same in 2006, we encouraged them to visit the Acadia National Park. They described in detail the popovers they enjoyed at Jordan Pond and when I saw your personalized hand-painted ornament, I knew it would be the perfect gift. Were they ever thrilled to receive it! Every year they'll relive the wonderful memories they made when they hang that ornament on their tree. I'm keeping your Website in "My Favorites". Kathy from NY.	"I just received 6 ornaments that I ordered from you and I couldn't be happier! They are just what I was looking for for a large family and they are beautiful! You can be sure that I wil be back for more and that I will share your Website with other relatives and friends. Thanks so much for a job well done!" Sharon from AZ.
	"I order from your website every year and just wanted to let you know what a great site it is. It's easy to use and I like to see how the ornament will look when it's personalized. The order form itself is very easy to understand and to preview the order. Every year when I set out the wooden Santa we bought at your store in Bar Harbor, I remember our lovely trip to Maine. Thank you for great service, great ornaments, a great website and great memories." Marilyn from MN.

ISLAND UPDATE

Summer is a busy time in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Did you know that Acadia was the first national park east of the Mississippi River, and boasts the tallest mountain on the Atlantic coast of the United States? Cadillac Mountain offers spectacular views of the many Maine islands that dot the coastline. Horse-drawn carriage ride            Photo by Beverly Bono

View from Cadillac Mountain         Photo by Beverly Bono Each year, over two million visitors come to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park to enjoy the unspoiled beauty of the area. Acadia contains 45 miles of carriage roads built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Cars are not allowed on these roads which make them perfect for biking, hiking, horseback riding, and horse-drawn carriage rides. Acadia is also doing its part to retain its unspoiled beauty. Since 1999, a fleet of propane-powered buses have carried millions of visitors around the park, eliminating more than 600,000 automobile trips and preventing more than 6,000 tons of greenhouse gases. The free bus rides onboard the Island Explorer buses are supported by the entrance fees to the park.

www.ChristmasSpiritShop.com 80 Main Street Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 1-800-242-2913

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