The two holiday front windows that Lorrie Kingrey and Rachel Russell designed for their New You Beauty Shop on Third Street have taken the honors in the inaugural Ironton in Bloom Christmas window contest.

“We are excited,” Kingrey said after learning that they received the most votes from residents of Ironton to take the win.

The two women have owned the shop since April and received 127 votes out of the 438 votes cast during the three-week contest.

A Santa Claus in a Christmas street scene was the theme of one of the shop windows, with the other one showing a winter scene with blue icicle lights, snowflakes and a snowman one of the shop’s customers had made for them.

The goal of the contest was to increase the number of holiday decorations in Ironton businesses both downtown and throughout the city and to bring more people to the area.

“I am elated with the results,” Carol Allen, president of Ironton In Bloom, said. “Ironton, I think, looks as beautiful as I have ever seen it. All of our businesses participated at some level or another.”

Throughout the contest a voting box was kept at the lobby of the Ironton City Building where voters could drop off their ballots.

“I really appreciate the residents supporting the businesses,” Allen said. “For our first time I think that says something that people did take notice and are supporting the business effort. I know the businesses feel the same way and we thank them for decorating. They feel equally supported by Irontonions. It is a win-win.”

The winners will receive a $50 cash award.

Ironton in Bloom, the volunteer beautification organization, will now focus on its next two projects: the development of a community garden and starting a native garden at the new St. Mary’s Medical Center-Ironton Campus.

The goal of those projects is to show “how plants can make a difference in our lives,” Allen said.