Margaret Logan Style

Forget about cozy cashmere, cheese of the month club, or a run-of-the-mill necktie. What the fellas really want this Christmas is a pair of bear claws. Bear claws, you ask? Pray tell.

With leather pads, fleece lining and rabbit fur all around, bear claws really are something to behold. A statement piece, as I like to say. A real conversation starter. And trust me, people will be talking should you take to the streets in these things. Oversized and omnipresent, they are the kind of thing my mother would have put in everyone’s stocking, meant exclusively for the back of the car, of course, should inclement weather strike you unprepared.

I caught them out of the corner of my eye as I was strolling by Joseph’s on Fore Street the other day. There they were, in the window, larger than life. Stopped me completely in my tracks. They made such a visual impact on me, in fact, I featured them in my “Ultimate Christmas Stocking” segment on 207 last Tuesday night.

Check them out. You’ve got to see them to believe them!

Margaret Logan on ‘207′ December 11, 2007

There’s nothing quite like a stroll around the Old Port during the holidays…Red ribbons atop wreaths of evergreen and twinkling white lights give it all such a festive, old world feel. A bit like Charles Street and Beacon Hill. Historic and yet gentrified, it’s lovely and serene. Especially after a snowfall.

Now, the best way to embark on this sort of stroll is “agenda-free,” destination unknown. Put down the To Do list (both literal and internal) and just walk. I did this on a whim the other day, with no expectations other than to clear my head and get some fresh air after two days of being “snowed in” with one too many Elmo videos.

It was a moment right out of Bedford Falls. Charming and genuine, full of people I care about, in a town I truly love. It should be said, unexpected surprises and chance meetings are made all the merrier and more precious this time of year. Our hearts are just a bit more open, I think. To the magic. To the wonder. To the goodness.

And so there I was, putting quarters in the meter on Exchange Street, not yet even out of the gate, when I see one of the friendliest faces I know.

“Mikey!”

“Margaret,” he says, a grin beaming from ear to ear. “How ya doing?”

Bumping into Mikey, surely Portland’s most cheerful, down to earth and wickedly funny mailer carrier, is enough to make anyone’s day, winter, spring or fall. But when you’re lucky enough to land a hug from the guy? It must be Christmas time…

The moment continued when I went into Stiletto to visit Mary Ann, one of Portland’s most stylish women, to chat about the latest and greatest in fashion news, only to leave with the kindest of words, an unexpected gift and a warm holiday embrace.

It doesn’t get any better, I thought to myself as I walked along, warm Peppermint Mocha in hand. Tiny, bustling streets full of holiday cheer. Anyone’s for the taking, with a brief moment to spare.