rearranging the Elf with Rickelle and
Justin Hadley for the story’s photo
shoot. Not only that, but seeing all
the crazy scenarios families find
their elves in (fishing for goldfish off
the toilet seat, swinging from the
ceiling, sneaking into the cookie jar,
wrapping the children’s tennis shoes
in cellophane, etc.) makes me want
to join in on the fun. But did you
know that “The Elf on the Shelf,”
started as a Christmas tradition
with a local family nearly 50 years
ago? Cobb Life writer Jon Styf spoke
to the founders about how they’ve
grown from a small family-owned
business to a global Christmas
enterprise in just 16 years.
Holiday shopping usually makes
the cut for my traditions, too.
Believe it or not, searching for the
perfect gift for my friends and
family brings me more joy and
excitement than receiving any gift.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not one to
turn down a present. But there’s
something special about hand
selecting an item that reminds you
of someone else and seeing their
face when they unwrap it — retelling
the story of how you found it and
why you picked it just for them. As
an avid art and antique collector, I
often find these unique gifts in
curated spaces, like Knoke Fine Arts.
Dave Knoke has been selling
southern art off the Marietta Square
for 50 years. This will be the last
year Knoke will keep his doors open
as he heads into retirement. You can
read all about the history in our
latest story in this issue.
Of course, this season wouldn’t
be the same without the special
people in our lives. In an age when
health, family and life are at the
forefront of our minds, they become
even more essential to us during the
holidays. We get a glimpse of how
important our loved ones are, how
fleeting life can be and why it’s
important to make every moment
count. This issue, I had the pleasure
of getting to know Sharon Sigler, a
four-time cancer survivor who is
easily the most bubbly, charming
woman I know. Sharon was candid
with me about what it was like
discovering she had ovarian cancer
when she was about the age I am
today. Her journey of thriving
despite her health circumstances
and finding faith and hope in
everything she does is an inspiring
story. I hope you can appreciate her
tips from her survival tool box and
other lessons she’s learned about
appreciating life and living to the
fullest.
I certainly can’t leave out the
special musicals, ballet recitals, tree
lightings and Santa meet-and-greets
happening all over town. Though
I’m personally fond of “The
Nutcracker,” we have a list of many
different events in our Holiday
Happenings list.
We also have a list of December
releases — the movies we’ll be
watching, the shows we’ll be
streaming and the books we’ll be
reading — a fun look back at
Christmas Past with our Now &
Then segment and a Q&A with local
author Don Buchanan about his
debut novel that bloomed from his
own family history.
I enjoyed putting together this
issue for you, like a gift crafted from
the many hands that work together
to make Cobb Life. I hope you have a
wonderful holiday season and a
Happy New Year!
— Madison Hogan
Cobb Life Editor
BEHIND THE COVER
Months before publication, MDJ Vice
President of Content JK Murphy and
I discussed revisiting “The Elf on the
Shelf” for the December issue of Cobb
Life. Having grown up in Cobb County,
I personally know how deep the Cobb
County ties run with “The Elf on the
Shelf” tradition; I can recall when the
book was read aloud to my fifth grade
class circa 2005. Murphy and I knew
this story would need a magical image
on the cover. I reached out to Gabriel’s
Bakery, a local staple for desserts, fresh
bakery items and delicious dishes, to
craft our Elf on the Shelf-themed cookies
on this issue’s cover. Special thanks
are in order for Mo Bednarowski, financial
advisor at Gabriel’s, who helped
make this magical shoot happen. Trust
me when I say, they tasted even better
than they looked! We certainly couldn’t
have done it without Justin and Rickelle
Hadley from HADLEY(s) Photography.
Rickelle was able to dig out her original
Elf she used with her own children
and other Christmas decorations we
used for the photo shoot. Here’s to a
Merry Christmas, happy holidays and
a wonderful New Year to you and your
family. — MH