The first chef themed Fairy I did outside of Christmas was actually an inspiration from my brother David. He & his wife like to cook, and very late one nite, while he was at my home and we were talking, the beginnings of that Fairy were laid out. Since then, I have done quite a few cooking themed Fairies.

For this year, 2008, I did the Cookbook Fairy, which includes some of my favorite recipies my mom used to cook. I actually made up a tiny little book with the actual recipies. Now…for those of us who are visually challenged…(like we cannot read something that small)…there is a link on the RECIPIES tab at the top of this page, where you can view and download these same recipies. The Fourth of July cake was always both my dad’s & my birthday cake, as our birthdays are the same week as Indpendence Day. (And I thought those fireworks were for MY birthday!!)

If you want to try out some of those recipies, let me know what you think of them. And if you have any 21st century revisions to them, feel free to share them! My mom was always great about twisting recipies in unusual ways, often with great success.

My 2008 Cookbook Fairy makes for a great kitchen companion, just as he makes for a great summer gift. At least for me, my cooking seems a bit better with the Cookbook Fairy around.

I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Earlier this year, one of my staff members had a class reunion to go to. Now, this was not your ordinary class reunion…it was held at the White House. Donna Hunsinger, who is the assistant manager of my Atlanta showroom went to school with Laura Bush, and graduated from Midland High School in 1964. Donna wanted to take a gift with her, and asked me to sign the Fairy of Miracles for Mrs. Bush. As many of you already know, the Fairy of Miracles benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as I have guaranteed through the sales of this Fairy a minimum of $20,000 each year for 2008 & 2009. I had the opportunity to get a tour of St. Jude last summer and was amazed and impressed with the work they do in the fields of research and medicine. With the amazing research, and resulting miracles performed at St. Jude, I hope through your support and purchase of the Fairy of Miracles, even more money can be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

OK…back to the White House story…

Being at the White House, everyone wanted their picture taken with the President and First Lady. Well, when it came time for Donna and her husband Ray to get their photo taken, Donna was being a bit ornery, and when the President put his arm around her, Donna looked up at the President and said “…well…is this the time when I pinch your butt?” Before he could answer, Donna had already pinched the President of the United States on his butt and at the same moment, the camera flashed! You will have to click on the photo to the right to enlarge it and see if he enjoyed it. You can also see the nice letter our First Lady, Laura Bush sent to Donna & Ray thanking them for the gift of Fairies. (The President was given a VOTE Republican Fairy…we figured that was the way he was planning on voting this fall.)

Click on one of the fairies above to view the Mark Roberts Straw Polls.

ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL is a registered trademark of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Inc. ALSAC is a service mark of American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities, Inc.
©2007 American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities, Inc.

With all the challenges & problems we face, no where else in the world is there a greater country than America! When I was designing the Uncle Sam Fairy & the 2 “VOTE” Fairies, part of my research involved reading up on the Declaration of Independence & United States Constitution. Although I had studied them both in school, and am familiar with the general contents, I have to say that I was truly impressed with the genius of the authors. The beginning of the 2^nd paragraph of the Declaration of Independence states:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

These words are so powerful…pure truth in all it’s beauty. I must have read these words over a hundred times, weighing the value of each word, marveling at the profound wisdom of its authors.

And from our Constitution, the dramatic words from the preamble:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The July 4^th holiday gives us time to reflect upon & celebrate the greatness of our country. Designing the Uncle Sam Fairy, VOTE Republican Fairy & VOTE Democrat Fairy was a labor of love after reading our cherished federal documents.

A few months ago, I had been spending a lot of my time out in my warehouse, signing newly retired Fairies…and there are quite a few of them. At least it seemed that way since it was pretty darn cold out there at that time of the year!

As I often do when I am at a Signing Event, I have this curious tendency to look at the Limited Edition number of many of the Fairies & Santa’s that I am signing. What surprised me was how many low numbers I have been signing…

#130 of 3,500 for the Della Robbia Fairy, Med. (51-56438)
#3 of 500 for the Lemon Drop Fairy, Lg. (51-61652)
#40 of 1,000 for Mr. Easter Bunny Fairy, Sm. (51-75620-LAV)
#6 of 2,500 for the Della Robbia Fairy, Lg. (51-56440)
#1 of 1,500 for the Christmas Ornament Fairy, Med. (51-56456-PUR)
#38 of 1,500 for the Christmas Tree Fairy, Lg. and (51-56452)
#’s 1, 2 and 4 of 1000 of the Christmas Ornament Fairy, Lg! (51-56458-PUR)

I was telling my warehouse shipping & receiving manager that this seemed odd to me, especially since many of these newly retired Fairies were originally introduced 2 or even 3 years ago. As it turns out, as shipments from the factory come in weekly, oftentimes, the earliest shipments are the ones farthest back on the shelves, especially since we start getting a seasons first shipments up to 9 months in advance. Thus, many of the lower Limited Edition numbers that come in first get pushed to the back, while the most recent shipments are pulled to fill orders.

I’d like to see more of the lower numbers get to the retailers, so we are now improving how we manage our inventory…but in the meantime, don’t be surprised if you find a retired Fairy or two at your favorite retailers with a very low number! You can also go the PRODUCTS tab and then to the RETIRED COLLECTIBLES tab of the website to see all of my Fairies that have made it to retirement.

Since the summer tradeshows are going on in June & July, let your favorite retailer know now which Retired Fairies you are interested in so they can reserve them for you before they are completely gone!

Over the Mother’s Day weekend, I had my first Signing Event of 2008, which was a great success! I got to meet many new collectors in addition to seeing old friends who have been collecting for years and still come out to see me and have me sign their Fairies. All in all, it was a great day…the retailer was busier than last year and my house did not burn down. OK…first things first! The store was very happy that I had to stay over to sign everyone’s Fairy purchases and they were thrilled with a larger turn out than last year. Of course, I was glad too. It is an honor and a privilege for me to meet so many collectors for whom I am always grateful to. I am glad I can bring into their lives some magic on a daily basis.

Now…about the drama of the day. I left home and went to my office before heading from Santa Ana to the retailer in San Diego County. I had left myself 2 hours, as it is about an hour and a half drive, and I wanted to get a quick bite to eat somewhere before the event.

Thank God for small miracles! The gardeners were at my house that Saturday as they were behind last week, and did not make on my usual Friday. He called me on my cell phone while I was still at my office. Panicking, he told me smoke was pouring out of my kitchen! I broke a few laws, but I got home very quickly with no injuries or accidents. And yes, there was thick smoke everywhere!! You see, I had put on a pot of left over home made chicken soup to heat up and eat before I left…which of course, I totally forgot about

Thankfully, there was no damage except for a bad smell of burned chicken. I did learn that my smoke alarms did not work, so I think this was a blessing in disguise.

One of the most popular items from this Signing Event was my new little elves. These are some of the most charming little creatures you will ever find at the North Pole. They actually are baby Fairies. Click on the little elf here to get the first 2008 sneak peak at my Elves. They will be available at selected retailers in the Summer.

I will have another surprise sneak peak at some of my newest 2008 introductions in a couple of week’s right here on my home page Notes section. Like my new Elves, the next sneak peak will be something totally new!

Take care!

A (very) long time ago, when I was in the 1^st grade, in my class, each student grew from seed, a plant that would be ready for our mom’s on Mother’s Day. I remember watching it daily, from my fascination of a seed germinating, to watching it grow into an actual plant. I don’t recall the type of plant that I grew, but can vividly remember the day I brought it proudly and carefully home to give to my mom.

From the school yard to the big yellow bus that would take me home was a brief two minute walk. There were two separate school buildings…1^st through 3^rd grades were in one building, while the 4^th through 6^th grades were in another building. The bus that went by my street was always parked at the other building, hence, my short walk to the bus.

When the school bell rang at 3:05pm, about 500 or 600 kids from both elementary schools descended en masse to the busses, as they promptly left at 3:15pm. Well, the school bell rang and with much care (as my 1^st grade teacher instructed), I carefully guarded the plant I had grown from seed and would soon give to my mom.

Out of no where, an upperclassman, maybe a 6^th grader, running through the crowd of kids, ran right into me…crashing right into me was probably more accurate. My precious little plant in its 3” terracotta pot went flying through the air. I can still see it today in my minds eye. In slow motion, crashing to the ground, the pot breaking into 3 or 4 main pieces, the dirt splashing the ground, while my previous, living plant snapped into 2.

At the moment of impact, when the upperclassman ran into me, I screamed…maybe shrieked is more accurate! Two or three seconds later, I can’t say that I cried…no…I sobbed! I sobbed uncontrollably. This was the worst moment in my little life. I was now the only one in my class who would not be giving my mother the plant we’d grown in 1^st grade. I didn’t stop sobbing until I got on the bus.

I don’t know who the boy was who so innocently crashed into me, nor did I ever know why he was in such a hurry. He did his best however to console me…he apologized profusely and helped me gather the pieces of my now shattered Mother’s Day present. I remember seeing him put the pieces into my hands as tears streamed down my face. He continued to do his best to console me, even walking me to my bus.

On the school bus ride home, I wept a good part of the way. No one had to ask why…they only had to look at the broken pot, the snapped in two flower & the shattered dream of a little boy to know why he was crying. The other 1^st graders on the bus all had their plants. They understood my sadness.

The bus would let us off at the end of our street and all the kids walked home from there. The walk to my house was only a few minutes. It seemed like forever that day.

There was mom, as always, waiting at the door for me. Proud of her #4 son, she greeted me with a smile, a hug and a kiss every day. This day, I got more…much more.

When our eyes met, when we saw the expressions on each other’s faces…Mom’s of happiness to see her son…instantly turned to her own heartfelt sadness at what so obviously had happened. My sobbing started all over again…not nearly as much as in the schoolyard, but still, many tears from this little 6 year old boy.

With the patience and love only a mother knows, she listened to me tell my tragic story…and she let me cry as a mother sometimes should do. She held me till I didn’t have any more tears. A precious and tender moment of a mother and son bonding.

Then, she soothed me with her soft voice and tender words…words she lived by. She stroked my hair and told me that no matter what…no matter what, she would always love me.

Such pure and undying love…that of a mother for her child. For this and the countless little things that our mothers do for us we celebrate Mother’s Day.

I hope you will check out the CHARITABLE CAUSES section of my website. There is a beautiful storyline along with an automated slide show, which I am SURE you will love. Over the years, some of my staff & I have dressed up and visited various children’s hospitals around the country…mostly the Oncology floors. We brought many smiles to some very sick children’s faces on those days. We also gave each child at least one Fairy of their choice.

The storyline is from our 2005 visit to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Subsequently, we have made visits to children’s hospitals in Reno, NV, Pittsburgh, PA and Wilmington, DE.

If I say so myself, Rose, Peter, Joyce, Jong, Isabel & Sheila look…well…magically outstanding! We really do believe in celebrating the magic of life and those visits are some of my favorite days which I will cherish.

      OK, I am guilty of not yet thoroughly studying all the pages of the website. I recently needed to refer to the RETIRED FAIRIES section and I became intrigued…not only with some of my older and retired designs, but just the ease and simplicity of searching for and looking at those retired Fairies & Santa’s. Check this section out…notice the evolution over the years of the Fairies costumes, the amount of detailed trimmings and jewels, etc. There are quite a few “oldies but goodies” to see. I love the older designs…they are all pretty wonderful, and I actually became inspired to do some new creations when I was exploring. My in house experts, Rose and Jackie will be glad to search for retailers near you who may have some of the retired Fairies or Santa’s you may want. You can contact them directly at Info@Christmas-Magic.com

      And when you have a little more free time, look around at some of the different sections of my website. I think you will enjoy what you find…I did!

Easter is so early this year, falling on March 23^rd. We often think of Christmas as the most important holiday in the Christian calendar, but according to virtually all Christian religious scholars, Easter is far and away the most holy and important holiday of the year.

As Christian’s, we celebrate Christmas, commemorating the birth of the Christ child, Jesus, the son of God. Yet it is from his teachings and through his death and subsequent resurrection that our Christian faith has developed, persevered and grown throughout the ages. Such a powerful and world changing event the resurrection was; that the calendar that our entire world uses every day begins with and is centered around this momentous and miraculous event.

Easter seems to fall at just the right time of the year. The weather is turning for the better, the leaves are starting to come out on the trees, flowers begin to bloom, giving us many reasons to be not only thankful for what we have, but happy for the coming Spring season! What a great time of year!

Happy Spring and a very Happy and Joyous Easter!

St. Patrick’s Day is soon upon us. Another centuries old holiday tradition and celebration. It is said that St. Patrick drove out the snakes from Ireland. It seems that all of us, especially here in America enjoy this day. Of course, the Irish celebrate this with much vigor, and we hold a toast to them on this great day!

I recall my first St. Patrick’s Day working as a teenager at a local florist. I could hardly believe my eyes when I un-crated a thousand green carnations flown in from some country in South America…Columbia I believe. GREEN CARNATIONS! What would they come out with next…I really thought I was living in the modern era! I was only 15 at the time, and I had to be in school on St. Patrick’s day, but what I really wanted to do was go downtown to the plaza with some of the staff of the shop and hand out free green carnations to the people that morning. It sounded so exciting…giving away something free…just being nice!

Well…I was 15…I couldn’t drive and I had to be in school (yuck!) Thus my only part in this was that I was one of the “lucky ones” to attach a card to each of those 1,000 green carnations that said “Top of the Mornin’ to you!”

I remember when the ladies from the shop would tell me later how much they enjoyed their morning of giving out free carnations. I can still see the smiles on their faces, hear the joy in their voices…the simple pleasures of life in a small town.

I have always enjoyed designing a St. Patrick’s Day Fairy, and now you know the story and inspiration behind this year’s design!

Top of the Mornin’ to you!

A centuries old tradition, St. Valentines Day is a day where we express our deepest love, reserved for someone very dear to our hearts. I remember well, so long ago, when I was 14 or 15, at my very first job at a local florist…working what seemed like endless hours around Valentine’s Day. I couldn’t believe the craziness behind the scenes of a florist on this day! The store, full of customers, the phones ringing constantly, designers, delivery drivers, sales & office staff…and me…the “cleaning boy” as I was referred to…all rushing around. It was like a beehive with people going in every direction…each as busy & hurried as humanly possible…there was much to do and time was precious!

When it was finally over, everyone was exhausted, but with an amazing sense of accomplishment! I did this for about 7 years before I started my own company. I still work very long hours and have assembled a great team over the years. That image of a beehive of activity remains true today at my company. With much thanks to you, we are very busy throughout the year. This truly is a labor of love.

Many thanks go out to you along with a wish for a wonderful St. Valentine’s Day.

Much thanks to so many of you for helping to make 2007 not only a successful year, but also a rewarding year! We have received so many nice emails, letters and cards not only to me, but also to my wonderful staff for their timely & accurate attention to your needs.

The tasks of designing, producing & delivering so many unique & wonderful pieces are often a challenge, yet we feel rewarded by the approval you show us through your passion of collecting my Fairies & Santa’s year after year.

From all of us…with much gratitude, a very heart felt thank you for your continued support.

Happy New Year!!

With the Presidential elections coming and the primaries so early this year, I thought it would be fun, in the spirit of our civic duty, to give us elfin lovers (you and me), a playful way to show our support for our democratic system of voting. Thus, new for 2008 are my VOTE REPUBLICIAN & VOTE DEMOCRAT Fairies. Not only will these be available from your favorite retailers very shortly, you can also participate in our very own “straw-poll” by voting on this very website at the link below!

When you register your VOTE REPUBLICIAN or VOTE DEMOCRAT fairies, those registration cards will be your actual “votes” for the “election”, which we will post as the registration cards come flooding in. So, in the meantime, cast your “straw-poll” vote at the link below. And remember to vote when the primaries are held in your state and on Election Day in November.

VOTE HERE

For quite some time now, I have been working with St. Jude Children’s Hospital in order to come up with a Fairy specifically benefiting this wonderful organization. The result is a magnificent new Fairy appropriately called the “Fairy of Miracles.” He has bright, vivid colors and a staff of charms, including a rainbow, a star, a heart and a dove.

With your purchase of each small, medium or large Fairy of Miracles, I will be donating $3.25, $8.85 or $12.00 to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. This very special Fairy should be available around March or April, maybe even sooner. So please contact your favorite retailer today and reserve yours. I am sure you will not only love the Fairy of Miracles, but that you also will be heartened to know that a portion of your purchase will go a long way towards Pediatric Research at St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Prompted by a recent post on this website about my web address (www.xmas-magic.com), what previously had been unavailable to me (www.Christmas-Magic.com) was now available for purchase…which I promptly did!

In our overly politically correct world, where in some communities, Nativity Scenes are no longer allowed, “holiday trees” are the norm and “Merry Christmas” is discouraged…

I want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year. A Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends.

At last…it’s here…the most magical time of the year! My best wishes to all of you for a Very Mery Christmas and a Happy New 2008 Year.

I have greatly enjoyed meeting so many of you on my Signing Tour this Fall. With the great turn-outs and getting to meet with so many collectors, it continues to be a very enjoyable experience for me.

I hope you enjoy all the new & interactive features of my new website…my art department and I.T. staff really did a great job if I say so myself. Take some time to look around the site…there are many different sections where you can post your own blog (comments) & read the comments of others. You can find my Signing Tour schedule under the EVENTS tab and you can even vote on a few of my new 2008 Spring Fairy designs.

So browse through the site…post your own comments & let me know what you think. Hope to see many of you this season!