Alpine Lodge, Thoughtfully Wrapped – A Christmas Shopping Experience
There are few things more satisfying than finishing your holiday shopping early—especially when the experience itself feels like a gift.
On October 29, I attended the press preview of A New View’s 2025 Christmas Shop in Ashburn. While parking, I caught sight of owner and creative genius, Kim Harris, putting the finishing touches on the ‘chairlift.‘ Today, I returned for the official opening. I left with my holiday shopping and wrapping complete.
Magical treasures capture the imagination – from whimsical hedgehogs to elegant tableware
Kim has once again transformed her furniture and gift boutique into winter’s magicland. This year the magic unfolds at an “Alpine Lodge.” Skis and snowshoes lean casually near a bay window where snow swirls outside. A tall tree glimmers nearby, dressed in emblems and patches from local ski areas—a nod to the season’s adventures and the spirit of home. The theme is subtle and sophisticated, never overwhelming; it speaks to anyone who appreciates creative craftsmanship, beauty, and warmth, whether they have ever set foot on a ski slope.
The Reading Room – where children’s storytime will be held in the coming weeks.
The ‘reading room’ complete with cozy leather chairs throws, and shelves was brimming with one-of-a-kind items imagines, designed and made by Kim. To leave the room was a challenge. I returned several more times.
Sparkle, lights, and brilliant ideas shine bright on every surface and in every corner
Inside, the experience was calm as freshly fallen snow—joyous, thoughtful, and unhurried. Soft music, gentle fragrance, and smiling staff invite you to browse with intention. I carried my list of friends and family, creating “packages” one by one. As each was completed, a member of the sales staff labeled it with the recipient’s name for Kim’s signature TLC wrapping. Fourteen packages in all—each personal, handmade, and completely unique.
L: Kim touches up the ‘chairlift.’ Center: Laine extends warm welcomes R. Wall art is ‘crystalized’ for just the right effect.
Watching Kim in action is to witness a creative force of nature. She is Santa and all the elves in one, with a touch of Snow White’s dwarfs for good measure—industrious, joyful, tireless, and always humming with purpose. Every garland, every candle, every perfectly placed ornament carries her unmistakable energy.
Walking to my car, grateful and thrilled with my early accomplishment, I suddenly realized that I had missed a friend. Good that I checked the list twice. I returned to the shop. Within minutes, we had assembled the perfect package to brighten senses and bring cheer. A New View: resourceful, gracious, and always ready to make your day a little more beautiful.
An old green door has been repurposed as a Christmas tree
Among the treasures that caught my eye was a caned French armchair. It was graceful, timeless, and impossible to forget. My mind was reeling with ways to make it work in my home. Alas, caning and cats are a mismatch. Instead, I wished it to someone who will cherish it as much as I admired it. That, too, is the spirit of the season—finding joy in beauty, even when it is meant for someone else.
The custom ‘chairlift’ garden bench.
My holiday shopping drama is over before it begins. Beautiful and unique items. Incredible displays. Fabulous people. I hated to leave. Leave I did, before more items beguiled me.
Kim will start planning, collecting, and designing Christmas 2026 on New Year’s Day!. Sleep? Not for the creative minds. I can sleep now that my shopping is done.
A New View Home Décor 20800 Ashburn Road • Ashburn, VA 20147 703-852-0204 • newviewashburn@gmail.com Follow @anewviewashburn for a glimpse of the 2025 Alpine magic.
In January 2020, a friend posted a Facebook link to a Shakespeare project, “Shakespeare 2020,” reading all of the plays, Sonnets, and poems by William Shakespeare in 12 months. I did not think twice, I joined the group. What had I just signed up for??? I own a busy real estate brokerage firm, run a horse farm, I have a husband, 2 dogs, and 5 cats, and my 96-year-young mother had come to live with us just before Christmas 2019. And . . Shakespeare too?
Why NOT? I would give it a try. No cost, no commitment except to myself, and I wanted to see if I was smart enough to work through literature for which I had more than a mild curiosity. One compelling reason was to improve and strengthen my writing.
My good fortune is that I attended an unusual and experimental public high school. There, my luck expanded to be placed in an English class with an incredible teacher, WilliamTeunis. He piqued my interest in literature (especially, Shakespeare) through his enthusiasm and exceptional teaching. In his class, we read plays – acting out roles; we wrote short stories, essays, parodies, and plays. Shakespeare was attainable and most enjoyable. The more we did, the more I reached. My English experience abruptly ended with his drowning at the end of my sophomore year. Since then, I doubt that I have written a sentence without asking myself, “What will Mr. Teunis say about this?”
“One day when I have time, I will read the plays.” My thought when I purchased this book in 1994
Over the years, my Shakespeare interest was occasionally rekindled whenever I found a book related to the plays. Once, when I was shopping in Costco, I came across the Complete Works of Shakespeare. “This would be a good resource if I ever have the time to sit and read,” I thought, being the eternal optimist. I purchased the book. Other times, also in Costco, I bought, Shakespeare’s Kings, in hopes of one day learning something about the histories (because I glazed over in my British History course in college); another time, I discovered and bought the 3-CD set of the Sonnets which I played in my car for months. So…when the Project appeared, I was armed and dangerous.
So began the adventure of 162 days
My journey began on January 9, 2020 with Twelfth Night. Yikes! The print in my book was microscopic! I focused my eyes and found that the words readable. Somewhere in Act 2, I remembered my English teacher’s remarks that Shakespeare wrote plays which were performed to audiences. He wrote for theater and not for fireside reading. How was I going to do ALL that reading when the plays must be experienced? I discovered Librivox!
On Librivox, talented and generous people joined forces from around the world to read almost all of the plays. YES! I was thrilled by my discovery. Aside from my relentlessly working and riding horses, I am passionate about walking my dogs for miles (we walk a 15 minute mile most days for 2-5 miles). I took Librivox on our walks.
I listened to Hamlet at the magical arboretum where trees took on the personae of the ghost, Gertrude, Hamlet, Laertes, Polonius, Claudius, and a stick in the pond resembled Ophelia. When I was annoyed that Great Falls Park had been closed, we hailed elsewhere where Macbeth was the perfect answer for my dark mood. The early spring blossoms in our sweet town’s yards were a nice backdrop for Measure For Measure. We heard acts of plays in my car or truck en route to our destinations. I have a favorite gas station where I buy inexpensive diesel for my truck. I love that my broadcasts are not interrupted when I turned off the ignition to fuel. I recall something about a “pie” from Titus Andronicus while the diesel flowed into the tank of my bright blue Silverado.
The Shakespeare 2020 project was brilliantly developed to be completed in 12 months. Well, being very curious, and having determined that I would complete the entire canon before Mr. Teunis’ 50th anniversary of his drowning (so that I could write a tribute article about him) I accelerated my reading/listening and behold, I finished the canon. There were times in King Lear and the Rape of Lucrece that the thought of closing the book and deleting the Librivox link were very compelling. HOW can a decent person know about such stuff and write about it, and worse, WHO would want to be entertained by THAT???? I decided not to judge by my values and carried on.
Opportunities to discuss Shakespeare arise in unexpected places
The Project was not just a syllabus, it was a treasure trove of intelligent, knowledgeable, and creative people who already knew a great deal. They shared their insights and enthusiasm with the 4,900 members of the group the Facebook page . The depth of resources, intellect, and understanding was staggering. My Shakespeare “library” grew along with my curiosity and understanding.
During my haydays in Mr. Teunis’ class, I heard him tell us that theater, during the Elizabethan era, competed for audiences from among other public interests including bear baiting and public hangings. “Uh-hu, OK, whatever,” I thought, at the time. Now it came to back to me why certain plays were so grotesque. The poor playwright had to capture audiences’ attention and be competitive. Therefore, Titus Andronicus, Lear, Rape of Lucrece, among others.
My friends with whom I shared my Shakespeare adventure looked at me sideways most of the time. One friend, much older than I, said to me, “He should have died earlier. There would be fewer plays with which to torture students.” It seems that he is not alone in that opinion and that most people’s literary experiences were not as positive as mine. My friends were surprised that I cared about Shakespeare, let alone that I would embark on this journey.
My book collection grew
Until this Project, I had danced around the periphery of the Bard. I had done my share of academic study with Mr. Teunis, then, watched fabulous ballets including A Midsummer Night’s Dream with New York City Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet; The Winter’s Tale and Romeo and Juliet with the Royal Ballet and attended Folger Theater performances throughout the years. After completing the canon, I purposed to watch as many plays as possible. I have managed to see about 20 plays, listened to Patrick Stewart reading the Sonnets, and I discovered brilliant lecturers from Harvard, Yale, and the University of Virginia.
The Shakespeare 2020 Project opened a new world of discovery and connections as I never expected. I met (virtually) fascinating people (some of whom I could not find a single point of agreement) who stimulated me to think in different ways. I became acquainted with the creator of the Project, Ian Doescher, a young, creative author who has written many wonderful books in the “Shakespeare style” (do look at his link, you will be amazed by his creativity) on themes including Star Wars, Clueless, Luke Skywalker, and myriad more. My new connections and friendships are treasures. Another bonus is that I connected with high school friends who also valued Mr. Teunis (I should mention that our strange, experimental, free-for-all high school turned out amazing humans who touch the far reaches of the world because of Teunis [and others like him]).
A Plutarch Quote: “ The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled
As the Project draws to a conclusion, the experience, the discoveries, the friendships, the challenges, and the curiosity have helped me learn much about myself, given me discipline to persevere, and hopefully helped me write a little better (all the while hearing Mr. Teunis’ remarks, lectures, and gentle admonitions to do “better”).
By writing this article, I experienced the vastness that is Shakespeare. Questions continually arise. My opinions have no bounds. Stay tuned for future supplements to my “Shakespeare Adventure.” The learning is just beginning.
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