HOME (DECORATING) FOR THE HOLIDAYS

These Christopher Radko ornaments were available at the Fantasticks, including, at top, a set of three Hansel and Gretel ornaments, and below, a decorated bell and "Bearly Awake," the 1996 Pediatric Cancer design.

A family of Boyd's Bears was on display at Ye Ole House, 120 Broadway.

Stella Tarr has a village in her dining room.

It's a Christmas Village -- complete with tiny trees, people and bunches of little ceramic homes.

Tarr, 84, started collecting seven years ago. Since then, two of the Cape Girardeau resident's four children have added to the collection each year.

"She used to help decorate St. Vincent's Church," daughter Joan Sachse said. "When she couldn't do it any more, she really missed it. We decided to do something about it."

Visitors to Tarr's South Park Street home can't help but notice the Christmas atmosphere from the moment they enter. Silk poinsettias sit all over the red-carpeted living room. A garland intertwined with multi-colored lights winds its way up a banister.

In the dining room, temporarily called the "Christmas room," sits the Christmas Village, an antique nativity scene and several replicas of Santa and Mrs. Claus.

There's a Holiday in Motion set on a tabletop. The amazing machine makes tiny figures twirl on an ice skating rink while others bicycle around them. Carols play in the background.

Tarr said she and her husband always go all out for Christmas.

"All our family comes in, and all of our children are here," she said. "Christmas is just a glorious, thankful day for me."

That sentiment, combined with a love of holiday decorations, motivates most people to change their homes at Christmastime. Betty Weber, sales manager at The Fantasticks in the Plaza Galleria, is used to helping people find what they need to decorate their homes.

Christmas Village is just as popular as ever this year, she said. It comes in several themes, including Snow, Dickens and Alpine.

Weber also is selling lots of Christopher Radko Ornaments.

"They're all handmade replicas of ornaments he had growing up," she said. "This year, Radko is offering one ornament that all proceeds go to pediatric cancer research."

The ornaments are popular because of a return to traditional Christmas decorations, Weber said.

In years past, specialty trees in all different colors were popular. Fashionable people shied away from the usual Christmas colors and ornaments, decorating instead with silk flowers, ribbons and bows. They decorated trees in mauve, peach and other pastel colors.

This year, red and green, burgundy and hunter green are the colors of choice, Weber said. She also is selling a lot of pewter items, including trays and candlesticks.

At Ye Ole House on Broadway, Yankee Candles and Boyd's Bears are all the rage, according to store manager Alisa Uptain.

Each of Boyd's Bears is made in limited quantities and is given its own name. The store is nearly sold out of the unique decorating items.

Karla Ross, the store's administrative manager, said she gets a lot of good ideas working in the holiday atmosphere. She is surrounded by Santas, angels and the like all day.

"It's inspirational," Ross said. "For example, I put some of the winter cress we use in our baskets in my tree this year."