On December 16th Shawna (Executive Director), Jamie (Business Manager) and myself – Brenda (Marketing Manager) attended the 2014 Downtown Christmas Window Display Competition Awards at the Waterfront hotel. This fantastic evening was put on by the Downtown Business Association and Pearl and Pine was beyond excited to accept the award for BEST OVERALL 2014!!
Below you will find the Speech of our winning entry from judge Doug Cockell
“Welcome to Christmas bling that says congratulations; now put your feet up in your rhinestone
Dolce et Gabbana flats and just… take it easy.
Look at that full sized tree nestled in a snowdrift of white staircase, its roots draped in
silken green, its top an nicely ecumenical snowflake.
Ah, yes, notice the two striking branches in autumn red amid the evergreen— as though
a couple of boughs had voted deciduous in the last frost …to stop the greens from taking Halton
South, I guess.
Here are trees both decorated and modestly plain, and even a few bare-branched
saplings, leafed again in tiny lights. There? Gold baskets spilling a cornucopia of pinecones.
Security is handled by life sized nutcracker soldiers armed with candy canes and grins
that would strike fear into the heart of a hazelnut. They have rouged cheeks and natty vandyke
chin whiskers, and their scarlet tunics are bright with halogen buttons which seem even bolder
against the green enamel of their clown-striped breeks. Ah, and epaulettes you could set a mug
of cider on—and still have room for a cupcake.
Here Poinsettias are the invasive species, reflecting deeply in every glass and marble
surface, everything flooded with light from windows as austerely bright as Japanese screens.
There are pearly bowls filled with crystalline pears on the marble counter that make me
think of Snake Road after last year’s ice storm. A garland, full and fat with pine cones, bubbles
of red glass, and poinsettia leaves, sags from its opulence.
I’m especially struck by a large, many facetted reindeer that might have been designed
by Frank Gehry to prance outside the ROM on Bloor Street. He’s hoofing his way through a
cranberry marsh of little ornamental globes. His sparkling flanks, which even under the
fluorescents seem to reflect an impossibly starry sky, are set off with a red choker—this sporting
a simple sprig of three red leaves. Maybe in the photo you’ll see the way the light strikes him
right between the five point antlers, giving him a sort of feisty halo that says, “back off, brother”.
Even his pert Matterhorn of a tail looks architectural—in a cheeky way.
Oh, and over there on the floor, overseen by a big Teddy bear looking very Steiff in his
smart brown coat, there’s a big wrapped gift, complete with checkered paper and broad ribbon
bow—but the top is open —and inside? More wrapped presents. A secret Santa drop? or Toy
Mountain donations?—I can’t tell, but either way it’s a nice human touch.
I could go on, but I think it’s time to call on our special guest presenter, whose esteem
quotient, by the way, is way up there: Mike Wallace.”
