Although snow and cold temperatures are definitely not for everyone, a growing percentage of individuals have come to love and innately appreciate the pristine serenity and deep enthrallment that can be extracted from the areas, like Vail, Colorado, Alta, Utah and Lake Tahoe, California. Consistently pounded with massive amounts of light fluffy snow have transformed these areas into hot spots that attract thousands of ski and snowboard fanatics.

Mountain-side, après ski and snowboard living has become more than just a fad around the United States and Canada; for many it has become a way of life. Even individuals whose permanent residence lie outside the parameters of the resort’s boarders, if they ski or snowboard, will likely own a second home within a five or ten mile radius of the mountain base. Maybe it is the need for a wood fire, or layers of thermals and numerous cups of hot cocoa, but something about visiting and owning a home in the mountains really encapsulates the essence of family and warmth.  I can speak from experience, as an avid skier myself whose family owns a house in the mountains, every visit is like a retreat and escape from reality. Ski weekends for me mean; relaxation, family, heaps of delicious hot food, and long runs hitting last night’s powder!

Lighting your home is vital in ensure your family’s mountain-side retreat fully embodies this unique, warming, and homey ambiance. Stark and uninviting fixtures can instantly ruin that certain vibe you are trying to put forth and inspire. First impressions are everything; create the perfect entrance to your glowing home by using one of Arroyo Craftsman’s meticulously crafted outdoor fixtures. The Evergreen Series or the Timber Ridge Mountain Series would be the perfect additions. Illuminate the interior of your home with creations by Cherry Tree Designs; a company whose use of rich colored wood and softly colored paper materials will add warmth to any home.

Don’t miss out on making your mountain-side sanctuary and haven ever more welcoming and attractive to all your friends and family.

For many, a season that was once characterized by festive heart-warming family gatherings and century long winter traditions has in many cases given way to the ‘rat-race’ that defines the American consumer. Whatever happened to the small joy and burst of excitement you got when you found that perfect gift for those special people in your life, and just couldn’t wait until it came time for them to open it. Unfortunately its seem like today, consumers are less concerned with finding that one unique gift and rather more focused and easily disheartened about not finding  the very exact items on the checklists provided by each child, spouse, friend and family member.

However try not to worry too much, for this is not a blog to rave and rant about all the so called issues with the U.S marketplace, rather I am writing to offer a solution and way out; when things look the bleakest and when it seems humanly IMPOSSIBLE to visit one more department store, Crescent Harbor will shine like a beacon of light in the craziness that embodies “holiday shopping”.

Crescent Harbor is the online presence of The Lighthouse, a business located in the small seaside town of Kennebunk, Maine, which has been owned and operated for the last 35 years by the Tonneson Family. In 2007 Beth and Tim Fossett purchased the company from Beth’s parents. Although the company has seen dramatic structural changes, with the creation of the website: Crescent Harbor.com and more recently Crescent Harbor Kids.com, they continue to uphold the underlying mission that made The Lighthouse successful for so many years. This company promises to provide unmatched quality products and customer service. Even with the expansion to the world of the fast-paced Web, as a customer inquiring about a product, refreshingly enough you will ALWAYS be received and answered by a REAL person. Questions and concerns regarding products, lighting suggestions and tips, and shipping are all answered quickly and expertly.

And so if you ready to take a break this holiday season and experience a truly unique shopping experience, where your happiness as a customer is genuinely cared about, then visit Crescentharbor.com. Not only will we make the shopping this holiday season virtually painless, but we guarantee to help find that distinctive gift for the special people in your life.

A table or floor lamp for example would be the perfect present; personalize the gift by presenting the crafty, fashion forward person in your life with Fairlane’s glass fillable table lamp. Or buy a sleek desk lamp, like Holtkotter’s Halogen Table Lamp to help illuminate the space for that hard-working professional of yours. Additionally, Cherry Tree Design has masterfully crafted this beautiful floor lamp, which would be the perfect holiday gift to help warm and light a dark spot in any home.

Don’t let the holiday blues get you down this year, Crescent Harbor exemplifies the core traditions that are remain resilient in most family businesses in Maine. This year experience what we consider the holidays, the Maine way!

One of my favorite conversations with our customers goes something like this, “I bought my outside lights from “XYZ Big-Box Store” last year, and they’re already falling apart! Will your stuff last longer?” My answer is always a resounding yes. One of the lines we carry, Brass Traditions, makes their fixtures by hand from Brass and Copper and I drive by many houses every morning that have had these fixtures up for 20+ years. The other company we deal with that makes outdoor fixtures is Seagull Lighting. Seagull does manufacture their product in China, but again they use brass and other top quality materials to ensure that their fixtures will last for the duration. We have been selling Seagull products for over 20 years with no complaints about durability. Many customers will ask why our Seagull fixtures, which are made in China, stand up so much better than the fixtures they buy at the big box stores. The answer is that the products at the big-box stores generally are not Brass fixtures and once the paint, or other finish wears off the fixture the elements eat at the metal and the fixture rusts or otherwise deteriorates. With our proximity to the ocean we also often find customers complaining about indoor fixtures rusting for the same reason.

We have always tried to stock the highest quality lighting fixtures and have stood behind our product. Now we’ve set out to provide an opportunity for people outside the state of Maine to have access to the same high quality fixtures by putting it out on the web at http://www.crescentharbor.com/ . While we know there will always be a market for lower quality lighting fixtures, we also recognize that a large majority of people recognize the value in buying quality fixtures that will last a lifetime.

So, we’d love to hear from you! The weather is reallty starting to break, and we’ve taken a few walks on Kennebunk Beach Next time you are up in our neck of the woods, stop in and say hello.

Should you ever be up our way over the summer, stop by and visit Crescent Harbor Lighting. The whole gang here would love to see you!

We featured the Mariana Sand-Dollar lamp this month as it seems very in keeping with the Maine style and would be the perfect accent in any summer beach cottage. It seems like something you would find in Martha Stewart’s beach house.

We look forward to helping you with your decorating needs, feel free to call or email us with your specific decorating challenge.

Lighting in Maine takes on many forms, and we are happy to help those with their lighting needs at Crescent Harbor Lighting.