Once upon a time Victoria had no fewer than 3 dedicated Christmas stores. Last year, the "Original Christmas Village" closed after the owner died and his wife decided to sell the building and retire back to Germany. This has left Victoria with only one source of all those special Northern European Christmas items that the season requires: The Ladybug Boutique!

Our customers have always known that the Ladybug carries Scandinavian Christmas goods, but now the word is out that we also have all of the Advent, pyramid and chime candles the season requires. This year we have added beeswax Chanukah candles, as well and have vastly expanded our selection of traditional Christmas ornaments.

To give our customers lots of time to stock up, we are even going to set up Christmas a little earlier this year... Look for the little elves sneaking in after Thanksgiving!

Interesting and new is my goal, and to that end we are really pleased to introduce the wonderful stained glass windows from Glass Artisan Maryann Shoemaker. Maryann works using the traditional "copper foil" method to create magnificent new windows that evoke the traditional styles of a bygone era. Suitable for architectural installations or for hanging up instead of drapes, these fabulous windows are a bit of an investment, but worth it for a unique piece.

It has been a long time since my last blog post. Waiting for a new hip slowed everything down, and looking after the website was not the highest priority. Now though, with my new parts doing great, my mind has really turned back to refreshing the Ladybug and bringing the store back from "caretaker" mode.

Leslie, Mary, Betty and Judy have gone all out keeping the store in good order, but new and interesting is up to the "Big Bug"  - Me!  :)

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Lately, the Danish concept of Hygge has been traveling around in meme land. Given the Scandinavian roots of our store and the fact that we are chock-a-block full of beautiful Danish candles, we have added a new tab to help you add a little Hygge to your life!

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Hi to all fans of the Ladybug! Of course, I'm always willing to admit that I'm the worlds worst blogger, but at least the Facebook Feed is updated a few times a month!

It is hard to believe that another year is in the homestretch. A busy one it has been, too.

After most of two years, we decided to reconfigure the booth at Renaissance on the Langley Bypass over on the Vancouver side, to feature a candle wall in the main part of the store. There will still be a case full of collectables, but the focus on our Danish Taper Candles makes more sense moving forward.

Starting in the Spring of 2015, we will introduce selected vintage and antique items to the main store, as it is getting very difficult to obtain Danish Iron new and some very cool candleholders come up if you keep your eyes open!

Meanwhile, we are through Thanksgiving and zooming towards Christmas! The big order from Denmark is scheduled to arrive in Vancouver on October, 22 so we will be loading the stock before the end of the month. Lots of new candles and much Scandinavian Christmas Decor... Always a lot of fun.

If you like us on Facebook, you will get a special treat: A free pair of H4 tapers in any colour, whenever you spend $20.00 or more. I find it's easiest to just google "Ladybug Boutique Victoria" and then follow the link to Facebook... There are thousands of Ladybug things on Facebook proper and it is tedious trying to find the right page.

Thanks to all of you who have continued to loyally support our, and many other, small businesses during this long period of economic difficulty. Small businesses give communities their unique flavour and it is great to be able to continue operating a special little store, in ours.

Cheers,

The Big Bug!

Much activity in Ladybugland since the last post!

Our New Satellite Store is up and running at Renaissance Furniture on the Langley Bypass in Langley, BC, south of Vancouver. It is at 20560 Langley Bypass, (604.530.0692) on the right, when you are headed East.  The Langley Bypass is the extension of Highway # 10 and is easy to find. Of course, in this age of GPS and Google Maps, you just look it up!  We have set up our full selection of tapers, just like the home store, and have a selection of Danish Glass and Iron for you peruse, as well.  Renaissance Furniture specializes in reproduction and reworked furniture, with an emphasis on re-purposed wood and metal.  Many of the pieces are unique, specialty items you won't see anywhere else.  

Part of the store is set up as a Vintage and Collectables Gallery, which is where we are!  If you are wondering why we would be there, given that the only thing in the main store that qualifies as vintage might be the staff and owners, well, that is because this location allows us to pursue our interest in Antiques and Collectables.  Which is why this location is called Ladybug Candles & Collectables!

Of course, we haven't been neglecting the main store either.  With the end of our much missed neighbour, Continental Kitchen, we have returned to our roots and introduced new lines of textiles. Runners, tea towels, dishcloths, potholders and a wide variety of woven and cork-backed placemats, from famous North American companies, compliment our existing Swedish linens from Ekelund and hand woven placemats from Lori Davies on Saltspring Island. The bright colours and patterns really feel like spring!

We are continuing to expand our candle selection, as well, with more colours in our Danish pillars and drop candles.  This is also a great year for glassware. New patterns from both our friends at Mad About Glass in North Vancouver and John and Ulrike Paulsen at Dansk Glaskunst, fill the section with still more colour.

All in all, much to see at both locations!

Mention this post and get a free pair of H4 tapers with any purchase over $20.00 at our Victoria store!

Enjoy Spring!