First Quarter Newsletter 2011 

Where did it go? How can Christmas be behind us already? We worked so hard preparing for the holidays and making sure the store is stocked and ready for all of you and now, so quickly it is over.

We are having our annual after Christmas sale and it will run through February so if you need things to add to your tree for next year at a very reasonable price, now is the time to do it. There are thousand so of ornaments, garlands, lights, wreaths and pine roping left to choose from. You will save 50% on all your purchases, however as always we do not include any collectables, local art or designer pieces. All items that are not included are tagged but 90% of our product are reduced. We still have a few trees left but they are fast disappearing. Get your friends and come see us sometime in the next 6 weeks and enjoy shopping without the crowds. It is amazing how quiet it gets this time of the year. As a matter of fact the entire area is quiet so now is the time to come if you don't like crowds. All of our shops here at the farm are open year round. For more info about the shops on the farm visit www.amishfarmvillage.com. Keep in mind that our hours have changed for the winter and we are open Monday through Saturday 10-5.

Next week we will begin our winter buying trips to get ready for Christmas 2011. We will visit three cities this year on our quest for new and interesting products to add for our next season. These trips are fun but they are very tiring and hard work. The first trip will be a total of 9 days followed by two shorter trips. We will be excited when we return and looking forward to new products coming in starting in June. It will be interesting to see what the new color trends will be which carry over into home decor as well as clothing.

When we return from our travels we will begin the long process of redecorating each room and each tree in the store. The process will take about 4-5 months. If you visit the store during this time be prepared for what might look a bit chaotic. It's a rough couple of months when we start taking everything off of all the trees and moving product from one room to another. All the trees will get fresh lights and a remix of product. We will start the design process of new areas for new products we find as well as just moving themes to give the store a fresh new look.

We want to thank all of you for your business this past year, we appreciate it when you bring your friends and family members to the store. We have enjoyed some of your comments on our Facebook page and are planning a Facebook page for our customers to post their pictures with Santa and Rudolph. We have a wonderful Santa who is in the store during the holidays and some of you have brought your children into the store each year since the children were born to take pictures and now you will be able to share your photos on these pages. Watch our site for information as the page becomes available.

Hopefully the winter months will pass quickly (at least for me, as I am not a fan of cold weather) and spring will come with warm air and birds singing, oh I cannot wait! For those of you who love winter and cold weather I do hope you get all you want and enjoy every minute of it. But really now, doesn't spring sound good?

 

 

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Tis the Season spring newsletter - March 2010

It may only be spring but Christmas is happening at Tis the Season. Our designers have been busy all winter tearing the store apart and reassembling it with flare! Many new trees have evolved with spectacular lighting and decorations as new product has begun to arrive. If you are familiar with our store you may be aware of all the work that goes on during the cold winter months here in the store. If not, let me fill you in.

While the snow is blowing and the cold wind is keeping you snuggled up at home our designers are busy with what sometimes appears to be "destroying the store". Rest assured it is only the beginning of an entirely new look for the next season. taking one room at a time each tree is stripped down and then re-lit with new lights, new themes  and new colors. At times entire rooms are moved from one area to another. Sound like hard work? Oh yes, which is why it takes nearly five months to get the entire store done. But when it's done it is worth all the effort and we are sure you will agree. Our goal each year is to have the project done before our Christmas in July sale which will begin July 5th. By then more than 60 trees will have been redecorated and a number will have been relit but awaiting more new product. New product will come into the store each week starting in May.

As areas in the store are undergoing their transformation we take into consideration what new things are coming into the store. 90% of our ordering for 2010 has been done since January. At this point we are finishing up smaller orders and getting organized so that we can handle all the new things coming in and have a plan for them when they get here. Elves are everywhere so this year we will be adding a small elf section to the store. Last year we brought "Elf on a Shelf" into the store which is a cute book and elf set for the kids. If you haven't seen this book you can check it out on our website. Lighting is another thing that is growing in leaps and bounds and we are excited about a new LED light we found this past week that looks just like the regular mini light (believe me you cannot tell the difference) at a more reasonable price. They are still more expensive than your old fashioned mini lights  but they are more reasonable than most LED lights, they will save on your electric bill and they will not get hot. There are many different styles of LEDs coming with more vivid colors and unique shapes, this will make lighting more interesting and the lights become more of an ornament for your tree.

We have quite a few things reduced in the store including a number of ornaments and our sale barn is open again for the year. Grab bags are back for a limited time only so come soon if you are wanting one.

We are looking forward to a new season with lots of new product and we are excited about seeing you again.

 

 

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Especially for You, From The Desk of Jo Ann Hershberger  -  January 2010

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the first of our quarterly newsletters that I will be posting to our site. Thank you to all of you who have taken time to browse through our site and to those of you who have visited our store. I enjoy meeting all of you and appreciate your enthusiasm about our shop.

I have just come back from a buying trip for product for this fall and I am anxious to tell all of you about some of the great things that are coming to Tis the Season for 2010.

We are open year round and if you decide to stop in the store this time of the year you will see all the work that goes on while our staff is creating a new look for the holidays of 2010. For the next 4-5 months each tree (all 100+) gets stripped down and we start replacing all the lighting. All the product gets remixed to create new looks and as new items come in they are added to each tree. The entire store is rearranged and a new look for the year eventually emerges. It is an exciting time of the year for me. I love to see the new look and am always curious what the designers will come up with. It seems each time I go into the store something new has appeared.

We are currently having sale throughout the store so now is the time to come and do some shopping if you want some real bargains. Most items in the store are fifty percent off with the exception of collectable and some specialty items. Our sale will continue through February and there are still lots of items including trees available.

Now let’s get to the good stuff! Our buying trip always comes right after the holidays but most of our new product won’t come in till June or later. There are some things that will come earlier but the bulk of it won’t be here till later in the year. I am excited to tell you that we are adding Steinbach Nutcrackers to our store this year. We have been asked by our customers for these German nutcrackers and this year we will be getting a nice selection. We will be placing them on line so watch our site for this addition. We will most likely show the pictures on line before we actually have the pieces in the store.

The second exciting news is for those of you who have purchased our Byers Choice Barbara. Her mate “Eli” is on order and will hopefully be in the store by June. We have had many of you asking for him so watch the website for his arrival.

Each year we add custom ornaments to the store and we will have a new one coming from Heartfelt Gifts. This will have a quilt block on it and come in a nice gift box. Look for this ornament sometime in June. There will also be a personalized ornament from Baldwin Brass/Chemart for those of you who want a brass piece.

We are currently working on creating a mini tree with an Amish theme. A locally made tree skirt, several ornaments and an assortment of ornaments we found on our shopping trip. We will post this on-line as soon as it is available.

Currently we are talking to a local man about doing some one of a kind Amish type buildings similar to Christmas Villages but larger buildings. These will be made of rough wood and work beautifully with primitive style decorating. Because they are one of a kind they will only be available in the store. Currently we are looking at an Amish house, barn and school. Once they get to the store we will see what the response is and if they do well we will have him make all we need. He will also be working on a few other “one of a kind” items that will be available only at Tis the Season. This is so exciting and I hope you can get to the store to check them out later this sum mer.

There is also lots of new ornaments, trees and lights that will be coming in this fall so make plans to come see us, we enjoy your visits. There is still a lot of color in the mix for 2010 but we also ordered lots of the golds and silvers our customers love. We have swit ched to a new tree company that we felt gave a better product and better service. Always check and make sure any tree you purchase has all metal parts. Plastic hinges and clips break easily and a prelilt tree with cheap lights on it can be a painful experience. You can save money up front when you purchase an inexpensive tree but remember that you want your tree to last for years. Proper care of a prelit tree is easy maintenance and will insure that your tree lasts for years.

I am not a big fan of winter so seeing the month of January come to a close is good news to me. I am ready for spring flowers and green grass. I am sure that 2010 will fly by just as quickly as 2009 did so I am trying to enjoy the winter as much as I can, but I am excited to go to Florida for a week to see my parents and some sunshine. I hope to see all of you at the store sometime so please stop in and say “hi” when you are in Amish country. This is a good time to come to the area if you want a more relaxed pace and less traffic than the summer months offer. Many of our motels and bed and breakfasts offer special rates so check out some of our local websites for more info. The Holmes County Chamber is a good place to start.

Jo Ann Hershberger

 

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