"Cakes and cookies, toys and gifts..."

Although Mary and  I attended the 43rd annual Southern Christmas Show on the last weekend, (tomorrow is the last day... get out there folks!  Don't miss it!) we were able to get right into that Christmas spirit early and get a jump start on my season!

"Sounds of Christmas" is this year's theme for the show and let me tell you, I was certainly listening!
Christmas music danced through the air in the lobby luring us into the magic that is the show.
The show is divided into several sections including an enchanting village of Christmas known as Olde Town, my favorite.  Unique gifts and whimsical decor were plentiful.  Gift ideas were swirling through my head with so much festive splendor at my fingertips.
One of the highlights of the show for Mary and I was meeting the gourd lady, Margaret "Sparky" Sparkman.  Her amazing gourd crafts have graced The Southern Christmas Show for 42 years!  The lady in front of us in line talked to us about how she remembers going to visit the gourd lady at The Southern Christmas with her mom when she was a little girl.  "Sparky" has been featured in many publications such as "Southern Living" and "Our State" and has been on talk shows as popular as the Jay Leno show.

We, of course, bought a Santa gourd (you can't not own one of the gourd lady's adorable gourds) and had our picture taken with her.  It was so exciting and she was such a sweet lady!

Then we strolled down Christmas Tree Lane and I felt a rush of inspiration fill my soul as we were mesmerized by award winning trees, fresh and festive in decor.  With dozens of Fraser Firs from the North Carolina mountains on display, my problem for this year is no longer lack of ideas.  It's quite the opposite, this year I'm thinking I'll need several trees because I can't decide which ideas to use in my own home.
It wasn't long before our noses lead us to some piping hot strudel and other tasty Christmas treats.  We also purchased several packages of the Moravian Cookies that have been hard to find in years past.  Then there was a quick visit with the jolly man himself.  We just wanted to make sure we were still on the right list after stopping by the wine tasting booth.
This year's Christmas show has certainly lived up to its reputation as one of The South's favorite Christmas traditions!