Christmas by Design
Elf-scapade Elf-stravaganza
A burst pipe in her NYC apartment/luxury boutique means Charlotte has no place to go but home to her small town for the week leading up to Christmas. Complicating matters, she has also been selected to participate in the Macy’s-esque Christmas Eve fashion show to showcase two original, accessible-to-the-masses holiday outfits. Despite the ask being the opposite of her norm, a chance run-in (literally - hello, Chevrolet product placement) with the local mechanic, Spencer, means she has help in her endeavour.
Obviously, she wins the competition. We all know how these things end. Even though she bails on the show at the last minute to make sure she’s back in the small town in time for the pajam-boree. But I digress…
I get that there needs to be some situation that throws the leads together in these things, but really… Spencer is portrayed as the town’s most eligible bachelor and widower. Fine. But these grown ass women acting like tween girls trying to catch him under the mistletoe… Come on!
Anway - Spencer needs someone to help keep the ravenous local ladies at bay, and Charlotte needs someone to help her understand what the normies want to wear. And so we get the Hallmark version of Holidate (on Netflix, check it out) as they agree to +1 each other for the week and inevitably wind up together. Wins all ‘round!
Ok. As these movies go, this was a pretty solid B-movie on the Hallmark scale. Definitely had some of the standard Hallmark awkwardness, but somewhat more believable that they could develop a connection over some of the other flicks I’ve seen. Cover photo makes it seem more twee than it really is.
Classic Christmas movie tropes:
Big city girl back in her small town
Small town Christmas events galore: Cookie & Cocoa Crawl; Christmas family games night; Christmas bingo night; and of course the Christmas Eve pajam-boree
Filmed in Canada - Hello Almonte, Ontario!
You’ll like this if…
You enjoy seeing all the different community events that could take place around the holidays in a small town and love the century homes dotted around Ontario.
SCORE: 6/10
Tell me more!
A fashion designer gets accepted into a Christmas challenge to create a new holiday-themed collection and not only finds the inspiration for her next line but decides to redesign her approach to what’s most important in life. Starring Rebecca Dalton and Jonathan Keltz.
