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This is an excerpt from an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune : "The parent company is looking for a buyer for its collectibles subsidiary after it was unable to sell its entire enterprise. Former management thought they couldn't do anything wrong, which jumped back and bit them. Department 56 , the venerable retailer known for collectible giftware and limited-edition Christmas decorations, was put on the selling block by its parent firm, Lenox Group. Struggling Lenox said Monday that it is in "advanced discussions" regarding the sale of Department 56 after it was unable to find a buyer for all of Lenox, which includes Lenox and Dansk tableware and Gorham silver settings. Lenox has been looking for financial suitors since January when its board hired Berenson & Co. to review strategic options "including a sale of the [entire] company, a sale of a portion of the company, and raising additional equity capital." "While market conditions have ham...

Recently we stayed at the Connecticut Children's Memorial Hospital with our newborn son -- he was having digestive issues and they suspected " pyloric stenosis " - a muscle which had grown too large and was obstructing the digestion of milk to the stomach. Luckily, it was not that and no surgery was needed. They ultimately confirmed an earlier diagnosis of acid reflux -- pretty common. The staff at the hospital were very caring and considerate. The doctors were extremely good and we felt our son was in good hands. We were able to stay there with him, which helped ease our minds. I highly recommend this hospital (kind of makes me happy that in my younger days, we used to hold charity events for this same hospital. Now I know why...) FYI, the baby is happy and back to his old self, aided by a little prescribed Zantac derivative. Department 56 should take a peak inside this amazing hospital. I am sure they would be inspired by the curved hallways, colorful walls, children...

Image via Wikipedia Faith Hill , September 16: "It's summer and it's hot, but even so, Faith Hill is quick to warm up to talk about Christmas. Which is more than appropriate as she starts promoting the first Christmas album of her 15-year career, "Joy to the World," due September 16 on Warner Bros. While many Nashville-based artists record holiday records early and relatively often, Hill's was several years in the making and intended to be her definitive take on the season. "Joy to the World" is overwhelmingly a collection of standards, be it the big, booming orchestral arrangements of the title track or "Oh, Holy Night" or swinging, big-band, vintage-sounding versions of more lighthearted fare such as "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Holly, Jolly Christmas... click here to read the complete announcement Sheryl Crow , September: Christmas came early for Sheryl Crow this year, thanks to a holiday album that will go on sal...

Image via Wikipedia Everyone's favorite holiday classic "A Christmas Story" is being released in Blu-Ray format as an "Ultimate Collector's Edition". Expect to get it on November 4 in stores everywhere... Click here to read the complete product release story A second press release on the subject : "Here’s an early Christmas present: a new (and hopefully improved) version of “A Christmas Story” is coming to Blu-ray this November. Sure, you’ve probably OD’d on the 24-hour marathon that TBS runs every December 25. However, this “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” stuffs your stocking with a holiday cookbook, an apron and a set of cookie cutters. If there’s no “leg lamp” shape in that cookie set, it will be a disappointment of fruit-cake proportions! Unfortunately, the bonus goodies are all that Warner has announced at this point. We’re guessing there has to be some other tidbits on the disc, considering the movie was first released on Blu-ray in December 2006....

Always eager to peruse the list of newest halloween pieces, this year's releases for The Original Snow Village Halloween collection were not met with the greatest fanfare from my wife or I. Our friend Arnie, though, was very excited, especially for the "Monsters of the Deep". After looking at the piece a second time, I'd have to agree with Arnie - it's a very cool looking piece which would go well with "Dr. Lunatics' Laboratory", especially. Item #: 799936 - "Monsters Of The Deep" Collectors' Edition Size: 10 x 7.5 x 9.25" Retails in the US for $125.00 Product Details: - Sea Creatures rotate around the aquarium - Includes adapter cord with 12V bulb Collector Notes: - Introduced December, 2007 - Hand-numbered Limited Edition 13,000 Below is a custom search of Ebay results for "Monsters of the Deep". Maybe you'll be able to beat $125 (this may not show up in your favorite email or rss reader, so you'll have to clic...

If you haven't tried Twitter yet, it's a combination blogging system and instant messenger. It's becoming incredibly popular. People write "tweets" (posts) to it and who ever is subscribed to it receives a steady stream of updates from everyone they are connected to. Also called "microblogging". I've added a feed on the sidebar ----> which shows the latest "tweets" about Department 56 , in real time. It's a live pulse on what people are saying. Here's an example of things you may post on Twitter to update your friends on what you're doing: - Just cleaned up the kitty litter - Changed Liam - Fed Liam - Thought about a blog post to write today - Wondering if Ebay is really as evil as they seem these days - Remembered my idea for a Twitter story - Made Rachael a peanut butter bagel - Posted to D56 sales Totally irrelevant stuff, but also incredibly addictive. Related articles by Zemanta Open source microblogging site may become...

Image via Wikipedia From the wires: Gary Oldman (of Batman Begins and "The Dark Knight") not only confirmed that he is in Robert Zemeckis’ upcoming performance capture adaptation of A Christmas Carol , but revealed that he is playing three characters in the film. “I play [the ghost of] Marley, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim ,” Oldman told /Film at the Dark Knight junket. “I saw the designs, and the realizations of London and the characters. The design of it, and the look of it, is beautiful. It’s quite stunning. It should be quite magical.” Oldman isnt the only one playing multiple roles. The film stars Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge , the Ghost of Christmas Past , the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come . At one point Michael J. Fox was rumored to be Tiny Tim, and Christopher Lloyd as Marley’s ghost. Both Zemeckis regulars are even inaccurately listed as such on imdb. Oldman talks about the unusual performance capture process for Tiny Tim: “They p...

Image via Wikipedia Straight from the " A Christmas Story House " Newsletter: For those of us who have been fans of the movie for years, I'm sure the excitement must be building in anticipation of the "A Christmas Story" 25th Anniversary Celebration & Convention . 2008 marks the 25th anniversary of everyone's favorite holiday film. A Christmas Story House & Museum is planning its fourth annual event to mark the occasion. The 25th Anniversary Celebration & Convention will feature appearances by seven original cast members, the premiere of two documentaries about the movie, rides in the original movie fire truck, a BB gun range in the back yard of A Christmas Story House, special exhibits of original props used in the movie, and a speakers series featuring members of the cast and original production crew. The celebration will take place Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 28-30) at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel and coincide with Cleveland's Winter...