With amazing views of Elliott Bay, the city of Seattle and the Olympic Mountains, the historic 1915 Rivelo/El-Kawa home was the ideal setting for an enchanting taste of holiday touches - and one of six stops on the bi-annual Magnolia Holiday Tour of Homes held last Saturday.
The tour, which was first held in 1982, has become increasingly popular over the years attracting hundreds from all over Seattle to catch a glimpse of the festively decorated homes.
"The turnout has been great," said tour guide and head hostess Mary Hensley. "We've were very busy all day, which was wonderful, and we had a lot of fun."
Each home that was showcased gave visitors different variations on Christmas decor, from a warm, inviting, traditional look at the Greaves Home to a more art deco look at the Graham Home.
"These homes are so beautiful," said Bella Nazoli, a resident of Seattle and tourist. "The homes themselves are fabulous, then they add the sparkling Christmas decorations and it becomes breathtaking."
Guests were greeted by volunteers who answered questions and choreographed the tour to spotlight each of the enchanted rooms.
"All ticket proceeds from the tour go to the Association for Catholic Childhood (ACC), which is a volunteer organization that helps children and families in need around Western Washington," said Anne Friday, a volunteer with the group. "In 2008, we raised right around $37,000, it really is a great organization."
Some of the services and programs that ACC provides are adoption, children's mental health, foster care, day care and youth centers.
The tour ended at Our Lady of Fatima Parish Social Center with a holiday craft boutique featuring an assortment of Christmas gifts and refreshments at the Tea House.
"We gather together to put this on every other year for a good cause," said Hensley. "Most of us live here in Magnolia, raised our kids here and have been friends for a long time. We are like one big family and we enjoy getting involved with the organization of the tour."
The next Magnolia Holiday Tour of Homes is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012.[[In-content Ad]]
