Christmas in Toyland

By Whitney Ormand, Holiday Olé Market 2014 Chair

Trees and lights at HEB, red cups at Starbucks, peppermint bark at Williams-Sonoma… It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  In fact, it looked a lot like Christmas, Christmas in Toyland, that is, at the Expo Hall last month.

  

We had 115 fabulous merchants from all over the country, and I know I got a lot of Christmas shopping done.  I may or may not have bought a few things for myself, too, but isn’t that part of the fun?  I think I took four loads of shopping bags to the car! 

And the special events the party team put on were absolutely amazing!  We kicked off the weekend with Sneak Peek featuring a silent auction, live music, fabulous food…and of course, shopping!  And lots of husbands enjoyed the big screen and whiskey in the Reindeer Stable that night.  I know mine did!  

Sneak Peek Silent Auction

Friday morning, we enjoyed a brunch event complete with Kendra Scott door prizes and a truly wonderful speech about friendship, motherhood and real life by Melanie Shankle.  If you haven’t read her best seller, Sparkly Green Earrings, I suggest you run to Barnes & Noble and pick it up!  Consider it your Christmas gift to yourself – enjoy!  

Author Melanie Shankle at Ready, Set, Shop!

Friday night capped off with Girls’ Night Out where ladies ate, drank and shopped ‘til they dropped!  

No one went home empty handed!

Saturday morning was my favorite event, and I don’t even have a little one…not yet anyway!  He’s scheduled to make his debut next month.  

My little one is due any day now!

Pajamas & Pancakes was such a fun morning!  Precious kiddos in their pajamas, delicious pancakes, painting, letters to Santa, and even a performance by the Sugar Plum Fairy!

The Sugar Plum Fairy enchanting everyone

And of course everyone wanted their picture with her

Want to know the best part of the weekend though?  ALL the funds raised by this event go right back into our community!  Our mission is to promote voluntarism, develop the potential of women and improve the community, and each and every dollar raised at Holiday Olé Market does just that.  We’re working on final numbers, but we’ll absolutely share those as soon as they come in!

The history of  the Junior League of San Antonio

All of our merchants, donors, sponsors, shoppers and volunteers make this event possible every year, and for that, we are eternally grateful!   We appreciate the support of our major sponsors: Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, Capital Group Companies, Baptist Breast Center, News 4 WOAI, Bjorn’s, South Texas Money Management, Broadway Bank, Brio Tuscan Grille, Magnolia Pancake Haus, Corner Bakery, and especially our presenting sponsor, Valero, for their continued support!

Thank you to our sponsors!

And I would be remiss if I didn’t take a minute to thank the fabulous women on the Holiday Olé Market committee for their time, hard work and dedication.  Without them, this event would not be possible!  It is truly an honor to work with such an amazingly talented and committed group of ladies, and I continue to be amazed by the strength and character of our Junior League of San Antonio volunteers.

2014 Holiday Olé Committee

On behalf of the JuniorLeague of San Antonio, thank you for your support of this event!  And you better make plans now to join us in 2015!  My assistant chair has great things planned for next year’s show.  Trust me, you won’t want to miss it!

Olé!

To all the mothers of "youngish" children out there (you know who you are), let me live vicariously through you. I'm about to tell you about two very cool JLSA Holiday Olé Market-related events that circumstances are unfortunately preventing my daughters and me from attending. So I want you to go. And I want you to tell me later about how much fun you had--okay, you don't have to rub it in. Be easy on me. But if you could take a few pictures and send them to me, that would be swell. Just so that I could feel like I was there, you know? Because I'm going to say it again: I hate that I am missing these two events!

First up, next Friday, October 26, you have the opportunity to attend a brand-spanking new Holiday Olé Market event called "Starstruck -- A Red Carpet Event." From 4:30pm to 6:30pm, you will be treated to a fabulous "tweenage" fashion show by Allie G's (a fantastic kids' clothing boutique in Alamo Heights) with entertainment by none other than RADIO DISNEY. My almost-9-year-old daughter, Eleanor, was all fired up to do a little turn on the catwalk a month or so ago when we realized we had a legitimate direct conflict (her elementary school's biggest fundraiser, the annual fall carnival) and we had to bail. I'm sick that we are missing it, and I just know it's going to be an awesome event. I had just bought my tickets when I realized we couldn't go, so I'm sending a good friend of mine, along with her mother and her daughter, to enjoy the style show, sample tasty snacks and drinks, pick up a little swag, and have a great time shopping Olé afterwards. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here.

The following morning, on Saturday, October 27, from 9:00am to 11:00am, you simply must take your little ones to the first-ever "Pajamas & Pancakes" event at the Holiday Olé Market. While you are enjoying your delicious pancake breakfast, participating in fun hand's-on activities from The Royal Canvas Painting Parlor and the San Antonio Children's Museum, having a great time listening to The Twig Book Shop's Miss Anastasia perform a spectacular story time, and doing a little shopping, I will be sulking cheering for my daughters on the soccer field sidelines. Go it alone or with friends, or meet up with the JLSA Moms' Group, headed by Carrie Lane. (Contact Carrie at jlsamoms@gmail.com for more information on the Moms' Group!) Kids under 2 are free, the over-2 set costs just $7 a ticket, and adult tickets are $15 and include general shopping all day Saturday.

I LOVE the way that the awesome Olé ladies are extending the League's unique "shoppertainment" experience to families, and these two events really round out the great line-up of events surrounding the JLSA's annual Holiday Olé Market. It's all happening at the San Antonio Shrine Auditorium, 901 North Loop 1904 West, San Antonio, Texas 78232.

By the way, if you also have too much on your plate next Friday afternoon and/or Saturday morning, there are still other fun events to attend sans kiddos, or you can just head out to Olé to do some good old fashioned shopping! I, for one, will be at the Preview Party on Wednesday, October 24. Olé, Olé!