Planning for Holiday Shopping : Holiday Fashion 2009

Are you one of the Americans who are planning to start their holiday shopping early this year in hopes of being able to shop smarter and spend less? If so, you are not alone. This year, many consumers are expected to be out looking for good deals earlier in the holiday shopping season simply because so many people are on tight budgets due to high energy and food prices and fallout from the subprime mortgage fiasco. Black Friday, which is the day after Thanksgiving, has traditionally been known as the official kickoff of the holiday shopping season. However, according to a National Retail Federation survey of nearly 8,000 consumers, over 40% of shoppers say they will start holiday shopping *before* Halloween, which is right around…now. So if you haven’t started your holiday shopping yet, maybe you ought to think about doing it soon. By the way, it does not matter what you purchase for the holidays, as long as you purchase "clothing" or "fashion accessories". Stay away from electronics etc. We need to support the fashion industry! Are you set with your holiday shopping strategy. P.S. Don't forget about cyber Monday... Note: image used on this blog post. Source: Lynn Haney collection. About Lynn Haney Texas artist Lynn Haney made his first handcrafted Santa figure after being inspired by an antique German candy container. Each figure begins with a design concept, then Haney sculpts an original head in clay. A mold is made and used to reproduce the design in a wood/resin composite. After the face is carefully painted, the figure is assembled by hand, dressed with an exquisitely handcrafted costume, then given a beard and hair made of mohair, wool, and other natural fibers. Upon final inspection, each piece is signed by the artist.