Nope, not at our bookstore – no Christmas music, no tree, no decorations. Not yet.

But I do want to mention a few things about the upcoming holiday season:

Sorry, no gift-wrapping this year. I’m terrible at it – I’m sure the recipients of all the books I sent out today, plain shipping bags, a little tap, will testify to that. My grandmother used to say I was SO GOOD at wrapping presents. Ha. I’m on to her, now, rest her soul: she probably stunk at it too, and it was her way of making ME do them all!

No St. Nick, either. Guess kids only like to go to the malls for that, but I guarantee you would have had a shorter line at the bookstore. And you could take all the pictures you wanted. But, well . . .

BUT! We do have other cool things – like cookies and cocoa and coffee. And handmade hair bows and dresses and natural, organic skin products and candles and such. And t-shirts and water bottles. And free show tickets!

Oh yeah – and books. We have kids’ Christmas books, and NEW “Santa is Coming to St. Louis” books – way cool! And new book deals for grown-ups, too. And more than 100 titles, new books, by LOCAL AUTHORS!

Okay, okay, we’ll have all those things, and more, definitely after Thanksgiving – merry Christmas all around! In the meantime, I’m taking off at least three days that week, maybe more. Depends on badly my housework and decorating and cookie baking and (ugh) present wrapping are behind, at that point.

But, since we saw so few of you that week over the last two years, and I NEVER get time off, and it seems like I won’t be putting anyone out, I’m going to do it this year – completely shut down November 27-29. Woohoo! Believe me, I’m counting the days!

So, yeah. No Black Friday deals, either. Sorry. J