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Tour Features White House Ornaments, Upside-Down Tree

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By BARBARA ROUTEN, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 13, 2007

BRANDON - The General Federation of Women's Club Brandon Service League will present its 15th annual Holiday Home Tour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 8. Tickets are $12 per person and will go on sale Monday. League members will treat guests to refreshments and tours through the homes of Allen and Lynn Despain, Raymond and Patty Conrad and Wally and Claudia Ingram.

The Despains have a Noah's Ark room and a kitchen with an upside-down Christmas tree. They have 10 themed Christmas trees.

The Ingrams' house reflects generations of military service with collections from travels around the world. Christmas trees are in every room, and the dining room boasts a White House ornament tree.

One house will serve refreshments; another will hold a holiday boutique and the third a sale of homemade goods that have been wrapped or placed in festive baskets and tins for gift-giving.

The Conrads' 9,300-square-foot home sits in the middle of 53 country acres. The family room fireplace mantel replicates one at the famous Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., and a 'Thanksgiving with the Conrads' cookbook in the kitchen tells the family history.

'The home tour has become a tradition for many families each year,' said league President Rosemary Zameroski. 'Not only is the price a great value for a memorable holiday experience, but you are donating to a very worthy cause as well.'

This and other fundraisers enable the league's 70 members to work on many community service projects each year for charitable organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the Bill Carey Boys & Girls Club of Brandon, six local schools' arts departments, the Brandon Care Pregnancy Center, the Brandon Outreach Clinic, the Emergency Care Help Organization, Everyday Blessings adoption agency and the Good Samaritan Mission.

All women in the greater Brandon area who have a heart for service are welcome to inquire about membership. For information about the league and its activities, visit www.bsl.cc .

For information about the home tour or to purchase tickets, of which only 800 are being printed, call Candy Jackson, home tour chairwoman, at (813) 624-3453. To inquire about corporate sponsorships, call Sandy Pullinger at (813) 684-5479.

Tickets may be purchased from any league member. They also will be available from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 26 and 27 and from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 28 in Center Court at the Westfield Brandon mall 'at a table with a Christmas tree,' said Joyce Pemberton, publicity chairwoman. Pemberton's home was featured on last year's tour.

While they last, tickets also may be purchased at the Green Boutique, 1032 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico; the Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium, 2080 Badlands Drive, Brandon; David Andrew Hair Studio & Spa, 725 Lithia Pinecrest Road, Brandon; the law office of B. Lee Elam, 101 E. Lumsden Road, Brandon; and the South Shore Group Real Estate office, 16637 FishHawk Blvd., Suite 103, Lithia.

Crafts, Jazz, Jesus And Java

BRANDON - St. Andrew's United Methodist Women invite the public to their 39th annual fall craft fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 27 at the church, 3315 Bryan Road. Proceeds from purchases of items handmade by local crafters, goodies from a bake sale and hot dogs, nachos, black beans and rice from the St. Andrew's Cafe will benefit missions through the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. Anyone interested in renting a booth may call the church office at (813) 689-6849.

The public also is invited to the church for 'Jazz, Jesus and Java' at 6 p.m. Nov. 4 on the lawn. David Pruyn will direct the Jazz Legacy Big Band and Friends while concertgoers relax under the stars and sample coffees and desserts. There is no fee, but a love offering will be accepted.

DAR Speaker To Discuss Genealogy Research

RUSKIN - The Col. George Mercer Brooke Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will meet at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the meeting room of the South Shore Regional Library, 15186 Beth Shields Way. Hostesses Catherine Goodrich and Nancy Payne will serve refreshments at 1 p.m.

At 1:30 p.m., the featured guest speaker, Don Churchill, president of the South Bay Genealogical Society, 'will share with us the outstanding genealogy section of the library,' said Payne, publicity chairwoman.

Chapter members, members of other DAR chapters and any women interested in applying for membership may attend. For details, visit www.geocities.com/cgmbdar or call Payne at (813) 634-6017.

Snippets

The Riverview Garden Club will hold a plant sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, in front of Captain Jack's Food and Spirits, 9409 U.S. 301 S. in Riverview. ... The Brandon Newcomers Club invites new residents and anyone else in the area with the time and desire to make new friends to join members at 9:30 a.m. the third Wednesday of each month at Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association, 619 Vonderburg Drive, Brandon. For information, call Jo Anderson, publicity chairwoman, at (813) 654-3456.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, e-mail neighbors@tampa bay.rr.com or call (813) 657-4531.

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