Christmas Vacation Shops Story

15 Years ago, I had the bright idea to open up a little shop in a mall selling personalized ornaments

My little family, The Christmas Vacation Shop

.  I scraped up a loan and opened a little seasonal shop selling those ornaments and realized how much I loved working with customers and gifts that could be personalized for special occasions, including Christmas!  After all, it did start with a Christmas ornament shop!

Over the next few years, while working full time and raising two small children, I began planning to open a brick and mortar store close to the area where I had school ties as well as a love of a beautiful location, Bar Harbor Maine, located on Mount Desert Island and home to Acadia National Park and an active tourism industry.

Saving bit by bit, coupled with long hours of planning and parenting little ones that were extremely active, I managed to secure a lease in downtown Bar Harbor and opened The Christmas Vacation Shop. I was very excited and very nervous.  This was quite a venture and despite years working and planning, it was a new endeavor and I did not know what to expect.

I learned.. Boy, did I learn.  I stocked my shop with those personalized ornaments, Christmas oriented gifts, gift shop items, and souvenirs customized for Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, and Maine.  The season began and the shop was well received, so I was happy.  However, I also had learned to listen to customers’ needs and in so doing, I learned that while the personalized ornaments were great, visitors and residents were looking for local, Made in the USA and Made in Maine products as well. These were products that I did not really have in the shop and products that, when I researched suppliers, were actually very difficult to find, both in Maine and throughout the US.  There were some suppliers but certainly not as many as I would need to be able to fill my shop. To make it more difficult, others shops in the area were selling some of these products already.

Lobster Claw Ornaments made at The Christmas Vacation Shop in Bar Harbor Maine

I was a bit discouraged at first but I decided that if I couldn’t find those items, I would use my art and design background to create items that would solve my dilemma. So, with a bit more of ( actually…a lot) asking customers I started to create ornaments and gifts. Whether it was my ignorant bliss or my “failure is not an option” attitude, I set to work on the task at hand.  To create one of a kind, unique Made in Maine gifts that would be liked and appreciated by folks visiting the shop.

I can tell you there was much trial and error, but with each effort, beautiful, unique designs took shape and a legacy for the Christmas Vacation Shop began to take root.  By asking customers what they were looking for and listening to their needs, I began to create. At first, I started making lobster family ornaments and special occasion ornaments out of polymer clay to resemble the many personalized ornaments I initially carried.  They were met well and soon I branched out into other ornaments and gifts. I starting painting on wood, glass, shells, canvas and other locally sourced mediums and I incorporated images of Acadia National Park onto those items.

Acadia National Park has a wealth of beautiful scenery and history and it is one of the most visited National Park in the United States.  With locations like Cadillac Mountain, Thunderhole, Sand Beach, Jordan Pond, Bass Harbor Lighthouse and the Park Loop Road, there is much inspiration. In addition to the scenery, the themes of New England Maine such as moose, loons, puffins, lighthouses, blueberries, lobster, whaling, hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities are also a great source for inspiration. I hoped to use these themes in the many items of the store.

As the years have progressed, I have designed and created new items that have become unique and exclusive to The Christmas Vacation Shop.  Many of these items are included in this shopping website and are proudly made right here in Bar Harbor Maine. They are original designs and represent years of effort, inspiration, and dedication to creating a truly unique fusion of local resources and inspiration.  Lobster Claw Ornaments, scenic and holiday versions, are among these unique items.  I have also created a beautiful selection of crushed shell and sea glass ornaments as well as originally painted ceramic designs and wood relief ornaments and gifts.  These ornaments are offered at the shop and online and I have included special articles to offer information about the one of a kind nature of each item.

Browsing the shop, I hope my commitment to providing visitors and customers a unique shopping experience with many Made in Maine, Made at the Shop, and Made in the USA items with locally sourced products shines through. And on any given day, you will see one of our artists working in the shop creating these one of a kind gifts, offering friendly service, and downhome information about Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. We truly are a hands-on store, and I value the guys and gals who work with me now to create wonderful gifts and a fun atmosphere in the shop.  Not only do you see us working, but we can tell you about the process and the history of the gifts in the shop. The summer season is a really fun time so we love to meet the folks that come to visit!

As the winter season begins, visitors decrease and the chill increases.  Bar Harbor is still beautiful but many of the shops are closed.  The Christmas Vacation Shop does not close but instead, we begin to expand the original personalized ornaments that started this venture and offer our services to customers in the shop and online.  And, while the personalized Christmas ornaments inventory is in the shop, we begin to work on the new designs for the upcoming year.  Talent and inspiration can occur anytime so we are always ready to brainstorm!

I strive to showcase the many talents and artistry that have created my little Bar Harbor Christmas Gift Shop into the unique store that it is.  I invite you to come visit, browse the shop, ask questions, and look online.  Each year, I learn a little bit more, create new designs, and welcome visitors to this beautiful place we call home, Mount Desert Island in Maine.

The Christmas Vacation Shop is truly a special place, beginning with a hope and a dream, and a prayer or two, to be a gift shop inspired and reflecting the talent of Bar Harbor that I hope to not only share with you but also to offer you a vacation treasure you can take home as a wonderful memory of your visit here. Just as we offer wonderful gifts, our visitors and customers give us the greatest gift of allowing our heartfelt art to become a part of your treasured memories.

Thank you for bringing a true piece of Bar Harbor Maine, created right here at the Christmas Vacation Shop on Mount Desert Island, in the heart of Acadia National Park home with you.