Tucked away in what could only be described as a Norman Rockwell-esque town on the coast of North Carolina, is The Christmas House.
Beach-goers and tourists flood this little town daily during the summer months, mostly on the hunt for beach t-shirts and fresh fried seafood at a local restaurant. Southport does not disappoint, delivering on all those needs, all while maintaining a genuine old-time Americana feel . The town was named one of America’s most charming seaside towns in 2018.
Dotted between the boutiques, toy and surf shops, are an array of historic homes, all of which have been meticulously maintained to their original glory. The Christmas House is no different, and cannot be missed, as its just off the main intersection in the heart of Southport and is the only house in the city covered in candy canes!
The year-round Christmas themed gift shop is housed in a 134 year old house that is filled to the brim with charm and holiday treasures.
Beautiful gardens surround The Christmas House and white gazebo filled with Adirondack chairs that seem to call for you to ‘sit for a spell.’ But alas, we had some shopping to do!
I should stop here and explain that there are a few things I always look for in Christmas shop to really make it worthwhile: selection, price, presentation. The Christmas House delivers on all three!
Despite the large crowd of people that had spilled into The Christmas House when our family visited on a very hot and muggy June day, I was able to take in literally thousands of meticulously curated ornaments and small Christmas décor items in every room.
The second floor features a very special display which The Christmas House has become known for. Santa’s Bedroom is tucked away on the second floor and includes a full size four poster bed with life-size Mr. and Mrs. Claus waiting to greet guests. The Claus’ are surrounded by decorated trees and collectible toys and puzzles for shoppers to peruse. Little ones can even drop a letter to Santa while they are there!
It was adorable and festive and so perfect in this special boutique. (And, I need to figure out how to include this as part of my Christmas décor this year!)
Recently, I’ve found that when I shop at specialty Christmas stores (by that, I mean any store that is not a big-box retail store), I’m in search of really unique and special ribbon. The Christmas House did not disappoint. Their selection of ribbon is on display throughout the store on hundreds of trees and wreathes and swags that dot every corner, but there is also a dedicated room with seasonal ribbon offerings.
One of the online reviews for The Christmas House stated that you only need to like two things to really enjoy visit to this store: Christmas and candy.
Did I mention that absolutely, ginormous selection of candy they have? Hundreds of flavors of salt water taffy and all the candy-store favorites to answer your sweet tooth craving.
Our family highly recommends the watermelon, pear and banana split flavored salt water taffy. For those that are a little braver, try the chicken & waffle flavor!
What did we walk away with from The Christmas House? Oodles of ideas for our own wreaths and swags, a few special ornaments (none of which were priced above $8), and this retro printed canvas of Santa Claus (just $14.99).
Oh…and three pounds of salt water taffy!
