Holidays 2014

Wishing everyone in Menlo Park and Atherton a Merry Christmas!

by Linda Hubbard Gulker on December 25, 2014

For our Christmas post, we’re spotlighting a grapevine Christmas tree made by long time Menlo Park resident Marcia Friedly. She explains:

“The grapevine is on my fence in the front yard. It’s a Roger Red vine, and you have to trim it every winter. In the past, I’ve used the cuttings, which are very pliable, to make wreaths.

“Last year, I got the idea of making a tree from the cuttings. It’s at least five feet tall, and we stored it with the lights on. The ribbons that adorn it are also from recycled material, and I also added ornaments.

“This year I made a smaller version for my daughter. Guess you could say that I love arts and crafts — and hate throwing away things than can be used!”

Photo by Irene Searles

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Santa Claus comes calling to west Menlo Park

A west Menlo Park holiday tradition is a neighborhood party held in conjunction with a tree lighting in Pam and Oscar Salvatierra’s front yard. This year both the Menlo Park Fire Department and Santa Claus came calling. We love the goofiness of Pam and Oscar’s grand kids and the regal poise struck by Mr. Knightly, a Standard […]

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Luminarias light up Menlo Park streets thanks to Jim Schott and his neighbors

For the past two Christmas Eves, around 900 luminarias have lined three streets off of Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park — Cotton, Hobart and Hillview. And they’ll be making an appearance again this year. The luminarias are the work of Cotton Avenue resident Jim Schott, whose inspiration came from his brother who lives in Cranbrook, NJ, where half the […]

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Ace is the place for last minute gifts and practical stocking stuffers

Downtown Menlo Park has almost always had a hardware store. The “almost always” qualifier is because we seem to recall that when the original Menlo Hardware closed, downtown was left without one. That was remedied when ACE opened in 2006 at 700 Santa Cruz Avenue. It has since expanded twice, taking over adjacent space first in 2010 and […]

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Hats, shoes, gloves, and more – take your pick at Blue Illusion

Blue Illusion (779 Santa Cruz Ave.) opened at the end of the summer. It’s an Australian chain that features French-influenced clothes. When we talked to store manager Adriana Ivanov, she stressed that all stores try to forge a community presence through fundraising efforts. There are lots of gift items available. Pictured here are hats from $39, soaps […]

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Girl Scout Troop 61720 works on service project to help shelter animals

Reports Girl Scout Leader Grace Zales: “Girl Scouts from Junior Troop 61720 gave away holiday gift bags of homemade dog biscuits and collected donations for their Bronze service project to help animals at the Humane Society shelter this past weekend. They will be using the donations to furnish one of the shelter’s ‘dog condos’ to […]

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Happy Quail Farms peppers that look like ornaments

We’ve photographed quite a few peppers brought to the Menlo Park Farmers Market by nearby Happy Quail Farms. The reason: They are so colorful it’s almost impossible to walk by without taking a snapshot. Today we spotted something we hadn’t noticed before — a mix of red, green and yellow peppers that made us think of […]

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Pretty wood and shiny accessories make for great gifts at Menlo Hardwood

Editor’s note: We’re highlighting holiday gift ideas that can be purchased in Menlo Park. Designated downtown parking lots have extended holiday hours — up to three hours. Menlo Hardwoods (first profiled last March) is not all about big (and beautiful!) table tops. The store also features a range of gift items, including books, candles, and […]

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Stylish winter looks come in brown at Graciana

Editor’s note: We’re highlighting holiday gift ideas that can be purchased in Menlo Park. Designated downtown parking lots have extended holiday hours — up to three hours. When we interviewed Graciana owner Diana Ferrari earlier this year, she commented how black remains a favorite customer color. But for the holiday season, the store has some potential […]

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HOME isn’t just about interior furnishings – there are gifts, too

Editor’s note: We’re highlighting holiday gift ideas that can be purchased in Menlo Park. Designated downtown parking lots have extended holiday hours — up to three hours. Owned by interior designer Blair Morgan, HOME has graced the corner of Santa Cruz Avenue and Crane Street for just two years. And while most of the merchandise is […]

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Gitane owner Malika suggests accessories and jewelry as great holiday gifts

Editor’s note: We’re highlighting holiday gift ideas that can be purchased in Menlo Park with the idea of shopping local. Designated downtown parking lots have extended holiday hours — up to three hours. Malika, who owns Gitane at 855 Santa Cruz Avenue, likes to point out that she has gift items for both mothers and daughters, in other […]

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