It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas . . .

On Black Friday, the fairy lights in the trees on Warren Street sparkled for the first time this season (or at least they were noticed for the first time by this observer).

Earlier on Friday, the trees at Second and Warren streets were "yarn bombed" by a group of knitters who gather regularly at Verdigris Tea & Chocolate Bar to knit. They transformed one of the trees into Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and others into red and white striped candy canes. John Mason reported on the crafty escapade in Saturday's Register-Star: "Second and Warren stunned by yarn bombers."

Some shop windows are already decorated for the holidays--for example, the icily elegant polar fantasy created in the windows at Finch. Others will be decked out this week as Hudson's new proprietors prepare for Winter Walk, the Hudson Opera House's festive start of the holiday season, coming up on Saturday night.

For Hudsonians looking to decorate their domiciles for the holidays, a pop-up shop has appeared, in the versatile little space we know and love in the warmer months as LICK, providing all the greenery and natural things needed to festoon the home--inside and out.

Kate and Marilyn of Cedar Farm have filled the tiny space at 253 Warren Street with all manner of natural holiday ornamentation--wreaths lush green or twiggy, bittersweet and other woody things to stuff into urns, door hangings, mantel displays, amaryllis, paper whites. The shop, which opened for business on Friday, will be open today from noon until 6 and next weekend--Thursday through Sunday--as well.