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