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n T FIXC hristine Vego decorates the M in im ax H allm ark G allery for shopping pleasure (top).Jessica Lipsky teaches the creation of holiday cheer at her Fabric A lternative (bottom ), orshe'll supply it ready-m ade. Carole de Beer and M ich ael C atusco at Scribbles (right) supplyshoppers w ith stockings to hang by the chim ney w ith care as w ell as fleets of angels andoth er holiday trim . (Phoenix Photos by Kathryn Kirk)Continued from Page 16Christmas and Chanukah gifts. Opalescent, mylar and fabric ribbons in jewel-like colors complement the wrapping paper, some of which is imported from Italy.But even in a place like Scribbles, where the spirit reigns triumphant, holiday burnout may be inevitable. Carole de Beer, the store%u2019s owner and creative genius, says she is more in the spirit now than she will be in a couple weeks. What happens? %u201cI get tired of red and green,%u201d she says simply. %u201cI get just plain tired.%u201dThe shining white tree in the window of Larry Gordon%u2019s Christmas Room provides only a hint of what lies inside. Welcome to an old-world Victorian Christmas, complete with brass angels, baskets of flowers and lace and ceramic doves. Every spare inch of space is covered with ornaments, from the elaborately costumed porcelain dolls ($7.50-$50) that are one of the specialties of the shop to a pink glass Kewpie doll holding a Christams tree ($5).A porcelain ballerina in tulle ($5), a sequined white butterfly ($4) and a package of glass icicles ($5.75) are only a few of the treasures that lie spread over the antique four-poster bed and the nooks and crannies of the shop. But unbelievable as it may seem, more is on the way, as Gordon and his staff prepare to display a new shipment of holiday trim.Holiday Mistletoe MakesFor a Joyous Kiss-massIf you don%u2019t want to add to the tripled holiday load of the U.S. Postal Service, or if you%u2019re too lazy or busy to send out Christmas cards, a simple visit to the florist can get you quickly into the Christmas spirit. Florists are preparing for massive orders of poinsettias, pine roping, wreaths and holly for home decorating and the party season. Don%u2019t forget the mistletoe: if a single sprig gets you a kiss, think what a whole garland can do.Florists could fill an encyclopedia withtheir decorating ideas, from the simple to the sublime. Many carry greeting cards and ornaments as well, if you decide to send at least one card out to your old college roommate or your mother in Ohio.The many employees of James Weir Florist, Ltd. at 160 Montague Street, telephone 624-0274, are ready for the holiday rush and their long, busy days, although owner Bernard Atkins claims he doesn%u2019t get into the spirit until he turns the key in the shop%u2019s door at 4pm on Christmas Day. %u201cMy attitude toward Christmas is %u2018bah, humbug,%u2019 Atkins says, but his sparkling eyes leave a visitor wondering how he%u2019d look in a flowing white beard and a wellpadded red velvet suit.Weir wires flowers and fruit baskets to other cities and countries, including Europe, South America and Canada (from $30.75 up), but most of the store%u2019s business is concentrated in New York state and Florida. %u201cWe can%u2019t stock enough poinsettias for the holidays,%u201d says Dan Hresko, a veteran of Weir%u2019s holiday rush. The familiar blooms are available in red, pink, white and marbled ($4-$50).Bill Hartgrove, a florist extraordinaire at Franchot and Rose Lee%u2019s Nature%u2019s Lane, 87 Pineapple Walk, telephone 855-4714, happily describes the unusual holiday decorations the shop creates for the season. %u201cWe have things not usually connected with Christmas,%u201d he says, %u201clike lovely work with French tulips and amaryllis or wreaths decorated with fruits and nuts.%u201d He will be dispensing holiday spirit to the Heights Garden Club in a lecture on creating the decorations that are the shop%u2019s specialty.Ann and David Pregosin of The Village Green garden shop at 814 Union Street in Park Slope, telephone 638-6900, are ready to turn any holiday %u201cbah, humbug%u201d into an exclamation of pleasure, iney even carry Christmas trees, but please order early. In addition to the wide variety of plants they carry, the Pregosins are expecting to fill many orders for poinsettias and Christmas greens.Their attractive store, complete with goldfish swimming in a fountain, is filled with enticing displays of ornaments and cards. A large assortment of quilted, knit, brass, felt, and wooden ornaments ($2-$6) appears at every turn. Knit Christmas stockings ($5.50) love to hang by your chimney with care. And this year, a special, local gift is available in Ann Pregosin%u2019s book, %u201cHow Not to Kill Your Houseplants%u201d ($9.95) which was published by Macmillan last May.Fonda Sara, owner of Growing Things, 81-A Seventh Avenue, telephone 638-0918, has even given her employees holiday reading material to get them into the spirit of the season. Louis Bauer, who helps customers at the shop, is enjoying A ChristmasAnn Pregosin of The Village G reendispenses her plant w isdom in \Kill Your H o u se p lan ts ,%u201d her new book whichis available for holiday gift-giving.Memory and One Christmas, two of Truman Capote%u2019s holiday reminiscences.%u201cIt takes me about seven seconds to get into the Christmas spirit,%u201d says Sara. %u201cWe even play Christmas music in August in the store.%u201dGrowing Things specializes in unusual and custom flower arrangements featuring the many varieties of flowers that Sara dries in her shop. Her custom-decorated evergreen wreaths ($20-$50) use either dried or fresh flowers. A very special Christmas wreath is ornamented with fresh roses and orchids. Blue Spruce, Incense Cedar and various Blueberry Junipers are some of the less-familiar greens she carries for the holidays.Sara is creating baskets of holly and dried flowers for home decorating or gift ideas ($25-$50). The baskets are painted and filled with an unusual and charming mixture of dark holiday green and dried flowers, Crabtree & Evelyn soaps, and wines from I^eon Paley Ltd., located just across the street.Here Are Some Crafty IdeasTo Personalize Gift-GivingNow is the time to start making gifts. A couple of shops and a little ingenuity will set you on your way to creating simple but charming Christmas gifts and ornaments. Both have creative, energetic people to help you sew or knit them, from sweaters to dolls to small ornaments. One supplies gift certificates for knitting classes. One will go ahead and make the item for you if you have the creative urge but lack time or %u201csticktoitiveness%u201d to complete the project.Visit Jessica Lipsky at her Fabric Alternative at 78 Seventh Avenue telephone 857-5482, for inspiration. If you don%u2019t end up* * - %u2014 A'- - *--'A * %u2014 %u00bb> J %u00ab l l K o n n i f \\ju y n i g u i c n n t v u i u n v u u w u %u00bb * m %u00ab %u00absweet and clean on one side and nasty and dirty on the other ($7), or the materials at minimal cost to create your own ornaments from scratch, you can purchase anyContinued on Page 20D ecem ber 4, 1986, TH E P H O E N IX , Page 17