Thursday, December 17, 2009

Only I Didn't Say "Fudge". I Said Thee Word.

I'm a big fan of traditions- making them or carrying on with old ones. And every year around Christmas it's a tradition to visit a particular candy shop in a small town where I grew up, a candy store I've been going to since I was a kid. It's changed ownership and store names over the years but it's one constant is remaining a candy store. The shop is small, with large front windows and has been in the same old, turn-of-the-century brick building for decades. The charming kind of place with deep roots in the town's history that you'd find in just about any small (old) town, USA.

Anyway, I stopped by last week and lo and behold, they have a Christmas Story theme in one of the windows! I'm sure many of you have a special place in your hearts for a Christmas Story- I sure as hell do! How could you not? And as I'm sure it is in your homes, here it's been a tradition for the past few years to have the movie on tv all day in the background on Christmas day, thanks to the 24 hour marathon on TBS. (Side note: Can you imagine the residuals the actors are getting from the movie being played 24 hours straight?! And if they don't, they're getting screwed.)

I took some pics of my small town shop & it's windows, just for Christmas-y fun! The pics aren't great, but whatever. It's the thought that counts, right?



Front of the shop. Obviously. The Christmas Story window is on the right.




The display is small, but so cute! There's a box that says Fragile ("Fra-JEE-lay. That must be Italian!"), a vintage table & tablecloth with the infamous leg lamp on top. On the right side of the table is a retro bar of Lifebuoy soap and a replica of Ralphie's glasses. And of course "Ol' Blue"- the Red Ryder bb gun on the floor!




From inside the candy store, looking at the display from behind.



But also sitting on the table was this:



It says "Certificate of Authenticity. Original piece of "A Christmas Story" house, signed by the owner, Brian Jones.


And I'm all, "who the balls is Brian Jones?!" So I researched it, and apparently the original house in the movie was auctioned on ebay (ebay! oy.) Did you know any of this? Because I did not. The house sold to a Christmas Story superfan named Brian Jones, who then took the house- which looked like THIS:



Oh sweet jebus. The horror! It's nice and all, but come ON...


...And restored it back to it's "original" 1930's condition, the way it looked in the movie:



Ta-da! How freaking awesome is that? Of course, there's also open house tours, a museum, booking for people to get married there- he preserved it into a huge empire of childhood memory fun! Like what Disney turned into. Only there's no eternal contract with the devil.



He did keep the original beat-up mailbox, and I love that he did.




If you want to see more pictures of the house or get info on tours or whatnot, you can visit the website at www.achristmasstoryhouse.com!

11 comments:

  1. I loved this movie from the moment my friends and I saw it in the theater. That entire winter we reenacted the tongue on the pole scene. I begged my husband to go with me to Ohio to visit the house for the big grand opening - complete with the stars, etc. But we have yet to get there. I followed the actor's careers a bit throughout my teens. I was such a fan of this film. I'm even MySpace friends with the Ian, the kid who played Randy. Great post! That candy store looks awesome!

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  2. You knows, since the half of the Cloister from Saint Guilhem is in the Cloister Museum of New York, nothing surprised me !!! Money makes this world.

    How many paid the guy for this wooden house ? I hope he doesn't lived in the tornadoes belt !! ;p

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  3. Hi, Ally!
    Oh my gosh, you did the pole scene? (Wow, that sounded filthy.) Did your tongue get stuck?

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  4. I was really, uh, "busy" in the 80's and never saw this movie until I met my husband in 2001. Yea, I know, the 90's were "busy" too.

    Anywho, it's now one of two holiday movies I must watch (the other being Love Actually 'cuz it's cute. shut up.)

    And some day I will own a leg lamp.

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  5. great pics! i love the window & the house!

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  6. Great post. That display is so cool. "A Christmas Story" is such a holiday classic. I've seen it so many times over the years. I love going to candy stores.

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  7. Ha ha Inky! My 90's memories are very sketchy at best, thanks to being "busy" as well. You know, with my quilting bee. *whistling and looking the other way.*

    And I will only minimally make fun of you for "Love Actually" because I have a holiday chick flick guilty pleasure too, and that is "the Holiday". Quiet. Jude Law is in it, is all I'm saying.

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  8. I love it. The movie and the Post.

    I have a Red Ryder BB Gun (a vintage one)...and a leg lamp. Would you expect any less? Great pix of that store you took too, very nice:)

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  9. Howdy
    OMG I did not know this !
    Being old as dirt this is after my time,but it is my son's favorite childhood movie.
    He recently explained to his Dad and I why it was the best Christmas movie ever made :)
    We have been giving him an ornament each year and he must know about the house if not I can't wait to be the one who tells him :)
    Thanks to you Kim !!!!!!
    I love your Candy store tradition.
    I wish I had a constant in my life.
    My parents had no roots and my hubby and I have moved around for many years with his work but oh how I love traditons at Christmas time.
    Big Hugs
    Happy Trails

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  10. For years, it was hubby and my tradition to go out for Chinese on Christmas Day, so this movie is close to my heart. I swear I had one of Randy's snowsuits. They were made of evil. And the flagpole scene? Yeah, my eldest "gifted" child tried that once. It didn't end well.

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