SLHL: Do you provide the lights for homeowners or can they use their own?
Mark: We do provide the lights, but if the customer would like to use their own then we will work with them on a time-and-material basis.

SLHL: When is the best time to call to set up an appointment for holiday lighting?
Mark: When thinking about holiday lighting, it best to call late September to mid-October to ensure your lights are up in time to enjoy them throughout the holiday season.

Gamlin Whiskey House combines the best of two worlds: It’s a bar offering about 300 whiskeys and a Southern-inspired steakhouse.  “We always had a dream of opening a whiskey restaurant, and we just went for it,” says Lucas Gamlin, who owns the restaurant in the Central West End with his brother Derek. They also own SubZero Vodka Bar in the Central West End, and Tahaá Twisted Tiki Bar in the Grove.

 “Whiskey is really my passion, and I think yours as well, Lucas?” Derek says. “Definitely,” Lucas answers.

Santa will have a new name on his list when he visits the home of Jassen Johnson and Sarah Kramer this year. Baby Windsor arrived in September and will be celebrating her first Christmas with her parents and two siblings, Hartman, age 3½, and Sloan, 2½, in their beautifully renovated residence in the Central West End.

Still stuffed from the previous evening’s feast, a West County family spends the day following Thanksgiving decking their house in holiday décor. Cozy in their pajamas as a fire crackles in the background, it’s a family affair, says the wife, who heads the decorating duties. By the Monday following the autumn holiday, their traditional, French-country two story is transformed from everyday into a magical holiday wonderland.

Editor’s note: With work done outside, this is the time of year gardeners begin to dream about next year’s plantings. This charming garden began as a personal, then family, project that the parents and also their children now wish to share with a wider audience. To protect their privacy, they have requested we not use their names. You can read more about the family’s gardening adventures, accompanied by beautiful photography, at www.spygarden.com.

Don't let your holiday gift-buying list stump you. For the gardener in your life, consider one of these great gift ideas from local area landscapers.