December is an exciting time of year, no matter how you observe the holidays. People decorate, gather together more often, and honor family and friends with kindness and gifts. In this issue, we celebrate the holidays by highlighting women entrepreneurs.
Marilyn Allen opened her gorgeous Victorian to us, and we are thrilled to share it with you. It is like a Christmas museum! Marilyn has all kinds of unique and amazing collections that she displays all year round, but Christmastime is even more special. Her entire home makes you smile. This decorator extraordinaire owned a hand therapy clinic in Tulsa for many years, and we are lucky she is now a part of our community.
We love decorating ourselves as much as our homes during the holidays. December is the busiest month of the year in the jewelry business. Our Marvelous! Woman in this issue is Beth Carter, owner of Carter’s Jewel Chest in Mountain Home. She became an entrepreneur at 21, and still loves selling and wearing jewelry. She is also known for her generous philanthropy. I know you will find her story inspiring.
You may be familiar with Pig & Cotton Clothiers, a local company formed by entrepreneurs Michelle Webb, Cara Coleman, and Shaunda Goodwin. They took Christina Decker with them on a girlfriend getaway thrifting at First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas. Oh my! Cara’s story about the trip will make you want to hitch up a U-Haul and hit the road. They had a lot of fun in a short amount of time and came home with memories and treasures.
You’ll notice a lot of full-page ads in this issue, many of them from women entrepreneurs. I hope you’ll seek them out, ask about their own stories, shop with them, and be inspired by them.
Many of you probably have your own Christmas Village collection. Diane Ogborn writes our Marvelous! Voices essay in this issue about the village she gave to Hospice of the Ozarks in honor of her mother. She puts it up every year for families at Hospice House to enjoy. What a wonderful way to spread a little happiness where it might be in short supply.
Estella Tullgren has some holiday recipes for you to try in her Bella’s Table column. You told us that you have saved her column for five years, so we took all of those recipes and put them in a book for you! Bella’s Table Cookbook is the best holiday gift of the season. You’ll want one for every cook on your Christmas list. Estella has been busy signing books, and she’ll be happy to sign yours. You’ll find her at Nature’s Way on December 2, Gifts for Girlfriends at the Ramada Inn on December 3, she’s teaching a Marvelous! Mini on December 17, and we’ll have books available at Marvelous! Girls’ Night Out at Big Creek on December 20. Books are also available at the Pink-a-Dilly gift shop at Baxter Regional Medical Center, Gift-Tiques, Nature’s Way, Raimondo Winery Gift Shop, and Judicious Spirits.
Participate in our February/March issue by answering The Question: What is your favorite way to enjoy nature?
All of us at Marvelous! wish you a holiday season filled with friends, happiness, and good, healthy cooking! M! December 2016/January 2017
Love and peace,
Deb Peterson
Publisher, Editor
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