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As holiday legend tells it, many years ago (in the '80s) children of the Chippewa Valley could venture into the London Square Mall at Christmastime, and deep within the heart of Prange’s department store, they could find a talking Christmas tree. And with this tree, they could share their hopes and dreams for the holiday season. The tree's name? Bruce the Spruce. Some kids were awestruck. Others were terrified. The older ones were bored.

Well folks, the legends are true. In 2007, Volume One conducted exhaustive research into the myth of Bruce the Spruce (two phone calls), and we came to the startling revelation, that yes, the talking tree was indeed real, and it did indeed appear at the mall every year. You can read our official report on Bruce the Spruce right here.

And now, those of you who remember and believe (or just like awesome t-shirts) can relive the spruce-scented magic with a limited run t-shirt from The Local Store. It's 20 bucks and it's specifically designed to trigger that magic mixture of nostalgia and vague anxiety that can only be produced by an animatronic Christmas tree with giant eyeballs that talks to you like it's no big deal.

GIVEAWAY! And we'll be giving one away! From now through Sunday (12-9) you can stop into The Local Store (205 N Dewey Street, downtown Eau Claire) and enter to win one of these fine, festive garments. Just ask our gorgeous/handsome shopkeep about how to signup. The following Monday, we'll announce the lucky winner.