On Saturday, May 14, celebrate Gardenology with flowers from our Conservatory.  Bring in a container from home, or purchase one at The Little Traveler and our talented staff will artfully arrange your selection of flowers for you.  We will offer a $5.00 coupon toward a purchase of full priced items in our floral department (minimum $10 purchase).

Be sure to come and see our selection of ribbons as well.  We will be happy to make your choice of custom bows with  any ribbon – perfect for a wreath, door or stair case.

The Linen, Bath and Paper Departments at The Little Traveler are proud to provide a variety of made in the USA products for our customers.

Bath Items Made in the USA

Our bath department offers several options.  Camille Beckman, a company based outside Boise, Idaho, is especially community minded.  The company was founded on the premise of providing affordable luxury bath items and creating jobs in the local market.  Camille Beckman glycerin-based hand creams and lotions are best sellers in our bath department

Backyard Soaps & More, a Port Huron, MI comany, is the realization of an American dream.  Backyard Soaps & More began as a hobby in the kitchen of Kelly Agostinelli in 2001. She made red, strawberry scented heart soaps for a friend’s bridal shower and they were a big hit!  The hobby quickly morphed into a family business with an all women crew and has grown from there. The Little Traveler has many “flavors” of Backyard Soaps & More 100% pure glycerin soap slices.

Backyard Soaps & More Mango-Coconut Slice

Linens Made in the USA

Table-scapes can be built around not only items made in the USA, but on the Fox Valley alone.  Shine, a custom table decor company, designs 54″ squares and runners using beautiful fabrics.  Karen Ballard, another department favorite, features quality crafted linen pieces in fabulous color selections and patterns.

Tapestries from Manual Weavers come to us from North Carolina.  These woven wall decor pieces are available in a variety of sizes and price points.

Paper Products Made in the USA

Several of our card companies are proud  to offer cards printed in the USA.  Marian Heath Greeting Cards of Massachusetts  has been part of The Little Traveler family for many years, offering a large variety of cards for every season and occasion.  Recycled Paper Greetings, a division of Papyrus, offers many of our favorite cards and is based right here in Chicago.

Looking for a guide to help you navigate the world of texting?  Check out our Texting Dictionary of Acronyms by CG Publishing, printed right here in the USA.

For simple yet elegant displays, pick up an 18-inch pastel egg tree or kissing ball. Our acrylic crystal Easter decorations sparkle in the sun and will keep you inspired through the spring!

Bring a friend and together you’ll learn how to create or select the perfect floral centerpieces, swags, and garlands for your home.  You’ll also get interior design tips such as how to set a stylish spring table and incorporate the latest home fashions into your decorating.  But home decorating isn’t all that’s important for your spring entertaining, so our home experts will also give you tips to make impressive gourmet treats and choose appropriate wines.

Luncheon and fashion show included. Seminars are April 6 and 7 with breakfast beginning at 9:15am in our Atrium Cafe. Fee is $17.50 per person, and includes a $5 gift certificate. To RSVP, call 630-232-4200 starting at 10am March 30.

November 9, 10, 18 & 19, 2010

Our famous one-day workshops will prepare you to be the hostess with the mostess AND the guestest that’s the bestest this holiday season.  You’ll get first-hand training from interior design and home entertaining experts, who will show you how to create stunning table settings, lovely centerpieces, and festive garlands and swags.

But decorating is only half of the entertaining picture, so we’ll also give you great ideas for quick appetizers, delicious cookies, and the best wines to bring or serve at your holiday parties.

And for the finishing touch, learn how to put together stylish fashions for your festive gatherings.

A tour of the shop will follow the program, and luncheon and fashion show are included. Tickets are $17.50 per person, and also include a $5 gift certificate to be used on the day of the show.

Call 630-232-4200 on November 1 to register for the November 9 and 10 seminars and on November 3 for the November 18 and 19 seminars.

Creator of “table-to-wear,” the ready-to-wear concept for the table, and winner of the prestigious 1996 “Tommy” Award for Best New Printed Home Accessories, Patricia notes, “This is how we express ourselves today…the table is a personal statement of how we live with our family and friends.”

At The Little Traveler, we love Patricia Spratt for the Home because of its beauty as well as its easy care.  These placemats, napkins, tablecloths, table runners and various decorative accessories, sewn in Connecticut, are 100% cotton and innovative cotton blend fabrics. Most are machine washable on a cold and delicate cycle.

We’d love to have you visit The Little Traveler to see our lovely Patricia Spratt vingnette in our Linen’s department.

The Little Traveler Christmas Department welcomes the return of the Fontanini Crèche set. This beautiful Italian manger set tells the full story of Christmas with numerous characters and expansive manger/village setting.

Shake it up for Christmas! We have a fabulous collection of snowglobes. You’ll love the charming new contemporary globes – Santa, snowman, or tree for only $25.

Swarovski 2010 Holiday Ornament is now here!

2010 Swarovski Breast Cancer Collection: 2010 Pink Hope Collection features a pin, pendant, bracelet, charm, tac pin and pen. Swarovski will donate 10% of sales to the Libby Ross Foundation.

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We just received our largest shipment ever of Limoge Boxes. These delicate collectibles from France go fast. Come see the fashionable hats, purses, violin cases, animals and more.

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Baby Joining Your Family? We are one of the few stores that carry a full line of keepsake baby items: commemorative cups, bowls, spoons, tableware, piggy banks, and our newest – a Peter Rabbit dish set from Wedgwood.

All gifts don our signature ribbon.

We also carry a new full line of dishes inspired by the old world look of the wine Cellar. The elegant serveware and practical tableware will make your table charming.

Table linens in 54- and 66-inch squares from April Cornell, Karen Ballard, and Patricia Spratt provide a luxurious splash of color to your autumn decor.

Transform those blank square walls into something spectacular with our new collection of metal pieces, mirrors, and pictures.

‘Leaf ’ your cares behind as you enter our paper department this fall: Gorgeous fall patterns adorn paper plates and napkins. New rectangle plates add a contemporary flair.

Sugared gourd card holders and battery-operated mini lamps add sparkle to your fall table.

Image is sample of products. In-store stock may vary.

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Introducing several new patterns to complement your summer table!  Check out our new Majolica-like patterns in lovely shades of spring colors.

Enjoy your wine in one of our hand-painted wine glasses.  No two are alike so you can avoid the never-ending question of “whose wine is this?”

For fans of Lolita we have a summer selection of plastic wine glasses and plates. Great for your girls nights on the deck.

Image is a sample of the type of products we carry in our store. In-store selections may vary (Pictured: Avanti Lolita Shopaholic Apron)

• Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature this season with birds, butterflies, trees and flowers proudly displayed on linens, night lights, chandeliers and towels.

• Many of our towels have 100% cotton threads, some contain bamboo and all are wonderfully absorbent and beautiful. Choose from soaps, lotions and perfumes featuring the lovely scents of nature – light florals, spicy ginger, luscious pomegranate, wonderful citrus and calming lavender.

• Calling all girly-girls!  Get your Avanti Lolita here!  This signature line features a hot pink, white and black palette with fun girly-inspired theme: pillows, aprons, sweet towels, make up bags and more.

Pembroke Bedding and Window Treatments by C&F

We love the linens from April Cornell! Her use of lively color and nature-based design can be found in both her signature linen collection as well as in our C&F quilted collection.  Ms. Cornell designs with women’s tastes in mind and she has definitely pleased us!

Brighten up your life with something from our vast collection of lighting.  Let table lamps, floor lamps and chandeliers become part of your accessory decor by adding texture, height and color.  You will find ceramic and metals as well as Quiozel stained glass and beautiful imports.

Artwork – think beyond the single piece and move on with more interesting groupings of four or more.  Mix and match mirrors, pictures and metal wall pieces for a fresh new look.  We have new hand-selected imports arriving in March!

Children's Towels from Kassatex

Our Bath Department brings us wonderful items from around the world:

• First stop, Australia, where Urban Rituelle products are created.  “Celebrating life’s simple pleasures and enhancing daily rituals” makes this perfect for today’s busy lifestyle.  Body balms, shower gels, eau de parfums and other items are available in a variety of fragrances such as Pomegranate, White Orchid and Lotus, Green Tea and Ginger Apple.

• The Provence area of France is our next destination with our fabulous Pres de Provence products.  All are made with centuries-old methods using the purest vegetable oils, rich shea butter, and the finest natural and organic ingredients.  Try the new bubble bath with coconut oil and vitamin B5 or the two new varieties of their wonderful quad-mulled soap in lime zest and gardenia.

• Crabtree and Evelyn, a long time favorite at the Traveler, brings us ingredients found in many an English garden – lavender, rose and lily of the valley. The lovely botanicals are infused into a variety of creams, lotions, soaps and perfumes. Citron, made with honey and coriander, is a brand new line featuring an age-defying hand remedy.

Avanti Greenleaf Embellished Terry Towel

• Shelley Kyle draws on her Southern United States roots and her European travels for inspiration in her signature bath products. One-of-a-kind scents, luxurious hand-made products and simple pure ingredients combine to make these products some of our new favorites.  Treat Mom to one of her unique combinations of fragrances such as gardenia and tuberose with blood orange, madonna lily, white nectarine and cashmere musk.

The seminars are April 21, 22, 28, and 29 with the fun beginning at 9:15 am in our Atrium Café. Fees are $17.50 per person, and include a $5 gift certificate. To RSVP, call 630-232-4200 starting at 9:30am April 7 for the April 21 & 22 dates, and on April 8 for the April 28 & 29 seminars.

Lismore Castle, County Waterford, Ireland

The company of Waterford was first established in 1783 on land adjacent to Merchants’ Quay in the heart of the Irish harbor town of Waterford. Its founders were two brothers, William and George Penrose, who were important developers and principal exporters in the city. Their vision was to “create the finest quality crystal for drinking vessels and objects of beauty for the home.” More than two hundred years later, the reputation they established for creating glass of unsurpassed beauty and quality has transcended the intervening centuries.

The beginnings of glass making in Ireland are lost in the mists of time but there is sufficient archaeological evidence to show that, from the early Iron Age, glass was regarded with respect. Indeed, medieval documents can prove glass making existed in Ireland back in the middle 13th century.

In the beginning, William and George employed 50 to 70 people, led by a fellow Quaker, John Hill, from Stourbridge in England, and succeeded in producing crystal with a purity of color unmatched in Ireland or England. Merchant ships sailed regularly from the port of Waterford with cargoes of crystal bound for Spain, the West Indies, New York, New England and Newfoundland.

But less than 100 years later, the initial company failed due to lack of capital and excessive taxation. Nevertheless, in what seems a remarkably short amount of time, Waterford Crystal had acquired an unequaled reputation that transcended the intervening century.  In 1947, while Europe was still in ruins after the second World War, the enterprise was revived, and a small glass factory was set up in Waterford just 1 1/2 miles from the site of the original glass factory.

From 1783 to today, Waterford Crystal continues its dedication to purity of color, design and quality.  Waterford Crystal is considered the leading brand of premium crystal, sought after by collectors and connoisseurs from around the world. The Little Traveler is proud to be a trusted retailer of Waterford crystal.  Each piece of Waterford can be recognized by the signature on the base with the word “Waterford.”

In November 2000, Waterford Crystal was named as the top world class brand in the United States by a survey conducted among 30,000 people by the Princeton, New Jersey based independent market research company, Total Research Corporation. Total Research said that Waterford Crystal was judged by American consumers as the brand with the highest quality out of 19 world-class brands in the US market.

In 2002, Waterford celebrated the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Lismore pattern of crystal. Almost every year since its inception, Lismore has topped the popularity list and has been the biggest selling pattern of crystal in the US and the world. But there are others among the repertoire of Ireland’s most famous export that have gained their own following – Alana, Carina, Araglin.

From the Original Snow Village Series

The Department 56 Snow Village was inspired one Christmas evening when a group of friends went out to dinner at a small country inn nestled in a quiet river town. The lights sparkled on the new fallen snow, inspiring the visitors with Christmas memories.  To preserve the magic of the moment, the idea for a miniature lighted Christmas village was born.

Now headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Department 56 is the premier name in giftware and collectibles, including hand-painted porcelain bisque Snowbabies™.  But Department 56 is still best know for its charming hand-crafted lighted village displays, which have been expanded to include not only The Snow Village Series, but  The North Pole Series, The Dickens’ Village Series and many more.  Festive fall displays are also possible now with Dept 56 Halloween buildings and accessories.

From the Legends of Sleepy Hallow-een series

Create stunning, memorable displays that reflect your style and imagination.  From the quaint Dickens and Snow Villages to the magical North Pole to spooky Sleepy Hallow, Department 56 villages are thoughtfully created using hand-craftsmanship and the highest level of architectural detail to achieve authenticity.  And what better place to put together the village of your dreams than our very own Little Traveler building in the picturesque village of Geneva, Illinois?

Each year, certain Dept 56 products are retired.  See which village items will be retired at the end of 2010.

From The North Pole Series

Available as supplies last throughout Nov. and Dec. are:

• North Pole Palace from the Dept 56 North Pole Series

• White Castle Restaurant and Northgate School, Home of the Northgate Polars from the Dept 56 Snow Village

• 48 Daughty Street from The Dept 56 Dickens Village

• Union Station, “21″ Club and Golden Ox Market from Christmas in the City

Each set includes a lighted building and accessory people to create complete village displays.

Pick up your Holiday value sets, specially priced at $79 for the annual holiday event:

North Pole Penguin Visitors’ Center, Snow Village Richmond Holiday House, Christmas in the City Prescott Hotel, Dickens’ Village Christmas at Regent’s Park House.

REVISITED 25 YEARS LATER… THE ORIGINAL SHOPS OF DICKENS’ VILLAGE…

From the Dickens' Village collection

In 1984, the Shops of Dickens’ Village, which later became the Dickens’ Village Series®, was born with seven small and simple designs representing the core elements of an English town in the 19th Century.   In 2009, Department 56 celebrates the Silver Anniversary of the beloved Village.  To commemorate this anniversary, Department 56 is pleased to introduce several inspiring new pieces, by giving collectors a fresh series of buildings based on the classic pieces introduced in 1984. A wonderful way for customers to complete their Dickens Village displays.

Introducing the NEW Interpretation of:

• Crowntree Inn • The Neilan Lund Gallery• Golden Swan Baker • Abel Beesley Butcher (Available while supplies last.)

Additionally, we are pleased to offer an impressive collection of other nativity scenes. Crafted in various sizes, these scenes are beautifully designed in porcelain, sculpted metal, wood and resin. Whether adding to your scene or just starting your collection, our nativities are worth the trip to inspire you.