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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 24, 2005 A singing, dancing Santa hangs from the ceiling of Hair Extraordinaire, where hairstylist Lois Marchant has placed about 100 animated creatures for the holidays. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell HOLIDAY TRIMMINGS Medford hair salon comes alive for Christmas ... with the help of a few friends By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune hen it comes to animated Christmas creatures, Lois Marchant acknowledges she may go just a wee bit over the top. The friendly hairstylist at Hair Extraordinaire has stuffed the shop with singing and dancing holiday animals. There are Santa Clauses, snowmen, dogs, moose and assorted creatures, all jumping and shouting with holiday spirit. "Everything sings and moves," she says. "It can get pretty crazy." No, a zoo at feeding time can get crazy. This is sheer bedlam, but with a jolly twist that would fill even the Grinch’s heart with joy. Customers regularly bring in their spouses and friends to see the stuffed creatures come to life. Advertisement "I really love Christmas," explains Marchant, 61, a hairstylist for 44 years. Some are noise-activated; others spring to life at the touch of a finger. She presses the belly of a fat little snowman. "This guy gets a little noisy," she warns. With that, the roly-poly fellow belts out "Frosty the Snowman." The pat of a robust bottom just down the aisle causes a Santa Claus to snore away, apparently exhausted from his holiday labors. "And this guy jumps all over the place," Marchant says, pointing to yet another Santa. "Let’s jump for Christmas!" the toy shouts as it leaps up and down on the counter. A few feet away a moose is wiggling its ears. "He sings, too," she says. What about the four-foot Santa? No doubt he rattles the roof. "No, he just stands there, holding that little sleigh," she says. But a Santa dressed like a logger and wearing snow shoes makes up for the other’s silence. "You know you make me want to shout!" he bellows in a rock ‘n’ roll holiday salute. A nearby Christmas cowboy strums a guitar to the tune of "Jingle Bells." Take the root’n toot’n snowman. Please. He sings "Sleigh Ride" while, well, tooting. Moving quickly along, you find an old English sheep dog barking out, "Oh Christmas Tree." Not to be left out of the pack, a St. Bernard warbles, "Dashing through the snow ..." He sounds suspiciously like Bing Crosby. "When you turn the lights off at night, some of them are activated," Marchant says. "It’s quite interesting." She began collecting the animated creatures some three decades ago. "I keep my eye open anywhere and everywhere for these things," she says. "I look at all the stores for them." She figures the furry creatures in the shop represent less than half of her Christmas population. "My garage at home is filled," says Marchant, who is single. "After it’s all over, I pack ’em and my son (Brian) stacks ’em. "I tell him, ‘Hey, when I’m gone, look what you get.’ " The singing critters are put away after New Year’s until they are called to perform next December. "Then we go right into Valentine’s Day," she says. "I decorate from Halloween right on through the Fourth of July. I love the holidays." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at HOLIDAY TRIMMINGS ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Advertisement s