For many, the holiday season begins with Black Friday and all the sales at box stores and online. But for others, it does not start without other more festive seasonal traditions. One holiday tradition for many north Lake Washington residents is a trip to Chalet Cadeau.

The store relocated from downtown Kirkland to Bothell, next to the new Safeway at 24110 Bothell-Everett Highway, last spring and has maintained the same sense of holiday tradition and charm.

“Christmas takes a lot of time to set up and take down,” said owner Wendy Marshall. “When it is all set up and pretty, I love it.”

Marshall said that the transition from her normal merchandise to the holiday merchandise is tiring and stressful but worth it. The store is currently full of Christmas ornaments and decorations but it wasn’t always that way for Marshall and her staff. When Chalet Cadeau was in Kirkland, Marshall opened a year-round Christmas decoration store on the same street as the regular store. Marshall decided to bring the two stores back together with the move from Kirkland to Bothell.

“The Christmas store really needs to be in a tourist area,” said Marshall. “I have a lot of loyal customers. There were already a lot from Bothell.”

Chalet Cadeau started out in downtown Kenmore in the Schnitzelbank Building on Bothell Way where Snapdoodle Toys is now located.

Marshall and her family moved to Washington from California during the 1990s because of her husband Jeff’s career. She started Chalet Cadeau in 1997 after being unable to re-aquire a job as a court reporter.

“We knocked three holes in that place to take some extra space,” said Marshall of the original location.

The store’s year-round merchandise is an eclectic mix of collectibles and gifts, ranging from jewelry and baby items to greeting cards and knickknacks.

“I just loved shopping,” said Marshall. “In the beginning I picked what I liked but I started to learn what the customers want.”

Marshall said that after Christmas the real shopping begins for her, as she flies to Atlanta to buy Christmas merchandise.

“There are six floors and I shop there for a week,” said Marshall. “A lot of people want made in America and we have a massive selection of cards.”

Chalet Cadeau also gives back to the customer with free wrapping all year round.

“It is a big expense but it is also a nice way to say thank you for shopping here,” said Marshall. “Everyone used to get presents wrapped. Now you’re lucky if it is in a box.”

One trend that Marshall wants to follow is making Chalet Cadeau items available online. “I think it will be within the next year,” said Marshall. “It is really expensive to do. We started doing it just before we moved to Bothell.”

The biggest expense is for shipping and then Marshall and her five employees have to take a photo of everything in the store.

A lack of parking and escalating rent forced Marshall to move from downtown Kirkland.

“I thought it would be a better space with a lot more parking,” said Marshall. “The building in Kirkland leaked and the rent was about $20,000 a month. My customers would shop and go to lunch and come back and they would have tickets on their cars. [The move] happened pretty fast and we were downsizing but the move was a good one.”

Chalet Cadeau will welcome back harpist Bronn Journey on Nov. 30 for an in-store concert from 1-4 p.m. The store held its annual Christmas Open House on Nov. 23. The Open House will include door prizes, a dip tasting, apple cider and 20 percent off select items.