remember, our mom had been collecting nostalgic Christmas decorations. Eventually, she had accumulated so many trees and ornaments, that we began to decorate every room in the house a different theme. It’s safe to say that our enthusiasm for the Christmas season and holiday décor was passed down from her!      

    Naturally, Christmas shopping was a huge part of our childhood and a family pastime. Our favorite place to do our Christmas shopping was Downtown Long Grove, a quaint little village lined with cobblestone sidewalks and charming, vintage shops. Our family’s favorite store there was the year-round Christmas shop. We loved it so much that we used to tell our parents that we wanted to open one just like it, when we grow up. Little did we know, our Christmas wish would one day come true, and we would own a shop in the heart of Long Grove Village.

    The journey that led us to opening our shop was nothing short of a Christmas miracle in and of itself. Feeling burned out by our daily routines, we decided to spend our first Christmas in California. It’s no secret that California is known for its glamour, and Christmas is no exception. As expected, we visited every Christmas hotspot in Southern California, and we were mesmerized by the glamourous and modern take on the traditional holiday. In typical fashion, we started concocting an imaginary business plan for a Christmas store that we didn’t believe would ever materialize.

     Fast forward to a few months later, we decided to go for a late-night cruise one day. We ended up driving through our favorite childhood town, Long Grove, IL. The whole town was decorated for Christmas, which we found odd, considering it was now, the middle of spring. After doing some research, we found out that they were filming a Christmas Hallmark movie (featuring Mario Lopez), in the newly renovated and vacant building. If this wasn’t the biggest sign from God, I don’t know what is. We decided to jump on the opportunity and pitch our idea to the owners. They loved it! Three months later, we opened the Christmas shop that we had been dreaming about since we were little girls, and it exceeded our wildest imaginations. Not only did we keep the magic of a traditional Midwestern Christmas alive, but we also brought a touch of West Coast glitz and glam. It was only fitting to name her Ritzy Christmas.  

      Ritzy Christmas is just steps away from the Historic covered bridge of Long Grove. In the month of December, Horse-drawn carriages operate right outside our door. Families can be seen doing their Christmas shopping, while drinking hot chocolate and enjoying the holiday season with their loved ones. It is a scene straight out of a Christmas movie, and it is truly magical. We can’t begin to tell you what possessed us to take a ride to Long Grove on that random spring day, as we hadn’t been in years. Some may call it fate; we like to believe it was a perfect Christmas gift from God.