TREASURES FOR YOUR TREE

from Kendall County Magazine_Winter 2022

by Shaw Media

CALENDAR

Ornaments

TREASURES for yourTree

Find Kendall Countythemed ornaments from various makers at this downtown shop

By Chris Walker Photos provided by LZeeDoodle Designs

Unless their additional weight causes your tree to tilt or tip over, you probably don’t have too many ornaments on your Christmas tree. Still, it takes patience to decorate your tree. Too many ornaments take away from the beauty of the tree; too few get lost within in it rather than showing it off. It’s a task that’s most enjoyable when multiple participants gather to decorate, reminiscing about past holidays, listening to holiday music, drinking eggnog and quoting “Christmas Vacation.” While the addition of a new ornament that represents Kendall County won’t be a huge holiday makeover for your tree, it can serve as a subtle reminder that there’s no place like home, especially at Christmastime. A variety of ornaments may be for sale at most stores, but Kendall County-specific ones are much harder to find until you make your way to Hudson Design House in downtown Oswego. “We carry Oswego ornaments and everyone seems

to love them,” says Leslie Hilderbrant, a designer who also owns Hudson Design House. “People are proud of their hometown, especially anyone from the Midwest. We now carry several different local towns.” Hilderbrant originally carried Kendall County-specific signs. After becoming an instant hit, ornaments and other items followed. “We have expanded our line of goods to pillows, kitchen towels, glasses and even tees,” she says. “It’s a great gift to give anyone.” Design by Jessica’s Jessica Marozas likes to keep up with the latest trends — you’ll see some of them in her Kendall County-themed ornaments at Hudson Design House. “I’ll have the Yorkville with the ZIP code and the Oswego with the ZIP code and I’ll also sell a lot more personalized ones,” she says. “I do wood slice ornaments, acrylic, some ceramics. I like to switch it up. I’ve done some glass ball ornaments. I’m trying to add a little more variety this year.” Also at Hudson Design House this holiday season, LZeeDoodle Designs will offer a snowflake ornament with the city name, such as Yorkville, cut out of it, with the words “There’s no place like Home for the Holidays 2022.” “They are woodcut, laser cut and they are layered,” says designer and owner Mary Sullivan. “The back layer is in a red foil. It’s the third year I’ve done something for Hudson and we’re trying to change it each year and keep it interesting.” Those who already have them may have purchased them from the Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce, as it used to sell commemorative ornaments every year, including those created by the late Ed Arnold Jr. and his Ed’s Urns business. “One year we did one for the Veterans Serenity Park and raised money for the American Legion,” notes Angie Hibben, president/CEO of Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce, adding the chamber has been unable to do another since Arnold passed away.

Imagination Print & Design can create ornaments and other items related to the holiday season. Since opportunities for such ornaments appear to be limited in the area, if you have an idea in mind, consider sharing it with owner Kelley Rice and her team. Plus, her shop is mere feet away from Hudson Design House.