Sheyda Best’s “O Christmas Tree” ornament (credit: Crown Center)
2024 Mayor’s Christmas Tree Ornament
For this year’s 38th Annual Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund, Hallmark artist Sheyda Best designed a unique wooden Christmas ornament. The 2024 ornament, called “O Christmas Tree,” was laser cut from the wood of the 2023 Mayor’s Christmas Tree that stood on Crown Center Square last year. The design, painted in red, green, yellow and white, features a stylized tree decorated with ornaments and candy canes, topped with a star and with presents piled underneath. “The Mayor’s Christmas Tree ornament is a uniquely Kansas City tradition,” said Stacey Paine, president of Crown Center Redevelopment Corporation,” and it celebrates the spirit of giving within our community.” Proceeds from the sale of the ornament benefit the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund, which assists Kansas City residents in need during the holidays.
Price: $18.95, plus tax. Available beginning Nov. 29 at Crown Center Customer Service on Level 2 of the Crown Center Shops, or call 816-274-7251.
Lucky Rabbit Books
Just like its whimsical exhibits and interactive displays, the Rabbit hOle’s museum gift shop, also called Lucky Rabbit Books, is a fabulous place to get lost in a delightful arrangement of books and other goodies. The shop stocks books for all ages, offering something for everyone.
Visitors to the gift shop will also find the very books featured in the fantastic exhibitions throughout the museum. “The Runaway Bunny” by Margaret Wise Brown, “Madeline” by Ludwig Bemelmans, “Petunia” by Roger Duvoisin and the “Frances the Badger” book series by Russell and Lillian Hoban are sure to foster a love of storybooks in readers of all ages.
What makes the gift shop especially unique is a section of out-of-print books that may not easily be found anywhere else. Create a nostalgic experience for those who may have grown up reading such books as “Come Follow Me” by Gyo Fujikawa, “Tooth-Gnasher Superflash” by Daniel Pinkwater, “Perez and Martina” by Pura Belpré and “Uptown” by John Steptoe.
An eccentric section of the shop is a “Cabinet of Wonders,” where the curious customer can open drawers labeled “sticky,” “just blue,” “teeny weeny,” “blah” and other intriguing adjectives. Everything in the cabinet is only $5 each.
Other categories of books featured in the store include board books for the little ones, hardcover picture books, graphic novels, award-winning books, autographed books and books for adults.
For those who want a non-book gift to showcase their love for the Rabbit hOle and children’s books, visitors can purchase games and toys, t-shirts, hats, tote bags, postcards, pint glasses, bookmarks and journals.
In the future, the store will offer a continual schedule of traditional bookstore programming including storytimes, baby music times, book clubs, craft workshops and author events.
Lucky Rabbit Books is open to the public and does not require museum admission. Visitors can also purchase select items on their online shop: www.rabbitholekc.org/shop.
Piñatas by Renee Ibarra
The winter holidays aren’t the only time to celebrate! For those looking for a smashingly fun party activity for any season or occasion, check out Renee Ibarra’s homemade piñatas. And “homemade” is as accurate as it gets. She works on her piñatas in her home in Shawnee, Kansas, and displays them proudly in her dining room.
Ibarra claims the idea of making piñatas simply fell in her lap. She said she would typically bring coffee and doughnuts for ministry at her church. She noticed all the boxes would pile up in the trash can, so she began to gather them, noticing their potential for a creative project.
Nearly all the craft materials she uses are recycled fragments from food storage containers, craft materials that belonged to her daughters when they were young, and other found objects. Ibarra says the only parts she purchases for her piñatas are the crepe paper and the hooks, a sustainable approach that reduces waste and provides a second life for items and materials that would otherwise be thrown away.
The piñata has strong cultural and religious significance in Mexico, which Ibarra contemplates frequently. The works symbolize charity and sharing in divine blessings and gifts, and the experience of being blindfolded while participating in the piñata ritual represents faith and overcoming sin.
Ibarra creates colorful piñatas of popular characters like SpongeBob SquarePants or Minions as well as piñatas of unicorns, fire trucks, basketball courts, underwater adventures and themes related to holidays like Hispanic Heritage Month. Ibarra says she will also take custom commissions for specific subjects or themes for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and more.
The piñatas sell for $50 each and include plenty of room inside for candy and goodies. Contact marissaibarra11@gmail.com to purchase or commission a piñata.
