A few years ago, my sister Weezee introduced me to an amazing store – Christmas Tree Shops. These are intriguing places, that carry merchandise you just can’t find anyplace else and to my dismay, for years, we had none here in NY. It was only on our visits to Massachusetts that I was able to shop at a CTS. Then, on the way back from our last trip to Virginia, I noticed that there was now one only 30 minutes from home! A few weeks ago, Ellyn and I decided to check it out.
Despite the name, and the fact that at Christmas time they are crammed to the ceiling with things like decorations, lights, stocking stuffers, cards, wrapping supplies and gifts, this place is far from limited to the yuletide season.
See? Spring potted flowers!
If you are not looking for cheery decor, maybe you would like some massaging slippers? Seems like it would be hard to walk with your feet vibrating all over the place, but what do I know?
If you happen to own one of the half dozen houses here in Upstate NY that has yet to be festooned with a giant metal star, I know where you can find one.
I honestly don’t know what to say about these big old distressed expression-bearing mushroom heads, so unlike them, I will just keep my mouth shut.
Need some huge fake fruit?
Mark wanted one until he figured out they aren’t edible and then he lost interest.
You can spray a tan on yourself with this squirt-gun looking thing.
Huge fruit too big? These smaller ones are bargain priced. Not edible either though.
Do you ever get home from the store and think “Why didn’t I buy that?” I feel that way about this tomato oil dispenser and romaine lettuce kitchen tool holder. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you might recall my growing affection for a certain banana bowl, and other fruit and vegetable shaped dishes. I already have an oil dispenser and two utensil holders though, and it would require some shuffling to work these in, so it is best that I did not buy them.
But what struck me more than anything else was the vast array of garden decor with a frog motif. If you like frogs in your garden, you MUST find your way to a Christmas Tree Shop, because they had you in mind when they ordered their spring merchandise. I had always though it was monkeys that illustrated the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” thing, but here we see it done in frogs.
Snack dishes? Bird bath? Planter? You get to decide.
These frogs have clearly been drinking and Larry’s folks are teetotaling Baptists, so we can’t have intoxicated frogs in the yard next door to them.
Obviously these are bird baths – see, they have little birds already, so that real birds will know they are for them!
And the frog pièce de résistance – yoga frogs! These too, render me speechless. Good extension though.
On the other hand, they had boxes of Fiddle Faddle for a buck, some nice decorative glass window hangings for Ellyn and Jason’s new sun porch, a $2.99 forsythia bush that is growing like a weed and this tin sun face that now graces the trellis in my back garden. 
We won’t even go into the dark chocolate covered marshmallow and graham cracker cookies…
Haven’t been able to log on for a while – visiting a home with spotty internet service over the weekend.
Glad you finally have a CTS – there’s 2 here in CT that near me.
LOVED your Sat. and Sunday post. That’s Sunday serenity at it’s finest!
Oh you give me great ideas! Love those places.
=)
I wanna go to that store! I’m Googling now to see if any are near me. Looks like a phenomenal place! Thanks for sharing!
I am trying to decide if it is good or bad that I don’t have a CTS here. Hmmm…it really is a paradox! I could spend untold hours and fortunes there…probably GOOD.
LOL–Those stores are a hoot…
I took your advice to Donna and tried to photograph birds thru the window. For me, no go, I was still too close and they flew away. Next time, I’ll get em.
That trip certainly had a lasting impact on me. We need to go back. I need more stuff.
I really like your final choice and so glad you skipped purchasing any frogs ….. though, the yoga frogs are rather intriguing.
that is the fun of CTS; stuff that’s useful, stuff you can’t live without and stuff you get a good laugh over. I am going to have to go visit the one close to me and check out the garden section. my MIL collects frog stuff!
Never heard of CTS, but I like your tin sun. And Fiddle Faddle … mmmmmm.
I think the very first time I visited your blog was when you posted about that banana bowl and I loved it. :)
Great blog! And those chocolate marshmallow graham cookies sound delish! Yum. I think my favorite has to be the frog yoga though. Priceless…
hey mommy don’t go to the christmaas tree shop without me! oh well
Now that is my kind of store.
Cool place – I love all the yard decorative stuff – cute!
Hope you had a good day – see you – Kellan
I love the tin sun face.
Thanks for the tour! I’ve never actually been IN one of those stores although there is one of them over in Henrietta and I think over by Syracuse. Yoga frogs…wow! But I really love your sun!
That is the craziest store I have ever heard of…those mushroom heads are hysterical!
HUGE FAKE FRUIT???
Hey, I’m on my way . . .
(too funny)