Last Minute Gifts

It's the last weekend before Christmas and we have been blessed with snow. Snow, snow, snow and it looks like more is on the way.

HIHO, WITH A BLANKET OF SNOW AT THE FRONT DOOR

It felt so genuine to say "Merry Christmas" as I shoveled with snowflakes drifting in the breeze. Maybe it's the Buffalo in me. ( I was born and raised in Buffalo New York, yup lots of snow.) The small retail shop owner in me is not as thrilled with the snow. But I was thrilled to see my paperwhite bulbs coming up. Lets see, snow and paperwhites it's beginning to feel like Christmas.

PAPERWHITES BEGINNING TO SPROUT

Well the last of the small fluffy owls are all gone and many of the trees in the shop are looking picked over, but we still have some super gifts for you last minute shoppers. We put together some gift baskets!

Great Window Display!

....makes you smile right!

This is in the window of Fishs Eddy in New York City.

A Delightful Day

Today was my last day off till Christmas and I spent it with my two favorite girls. We had planned a trip to the city with"Auntie" Claudia, but bad weather was threatening a bad hair day and a stomach thing laid up Claudia, soooo... we went shopping. Isn't that what girls do when things start going wrong? We visited Rhinebeck and all their little shops. Had lunch, giggled and just enjoyed the day off together. It's so nice for me to be able to support other small businesses, it always seems I'm on the other side of the counter. I was able to get a good amount of presents checked off my list.

MY DAUGHTER'S, AUBREY AND WHITNEY

Our holiday hours begin tomorrow, we will be open every evening till 8pm, opening at 10am. So let us help you with your list...yes we will be open on Christmas Eve but only till the late afternoon. I need to get ready for Santa's arrival and so do you!

THE PERFECT HOSTESS GIFT

As the holiday season gets closer and time is running short, don't forget hostess presents. These beautiful Nantucket baskets are full of paperwhite bulbs. They are packaged by a company that employs mentally challenged adults. The baskets have a plastic liner and the bulbs have already been planted in soil. All that needs to be done is watering. The baskets come in three different sizes and with both red and or white ribbon. The largest size is only forty dollars.




So whether it's a small gathering of friends, grandma or even your boss these blooming baskets are sure to be a lovely, thoughtful gift. Join us here at HiHo in supporting a business that gives back, while giving a present that will keep giving.

Yummies and Goodies

What would the holiday be without sweets? We have a number a different choices this year. When we visited the trade shows I tasted every form of confection I could get my sweet tooth around. It's a tough job but someone has to do it. Peppermint Bark is my personal favorite so after trying every companies version, I choose Simple Scrumptious's bark served up in wonderful packaging. We are selling their Peppermint Hot Chocolate as well. I have always been a hot chocolate drinker,( I don't drink tea or coffee) the season does not effect my consumption, it's my hot drink of choice. I was very fussy about picking a cocoa.

We added caramels to or product mix after the last gift show. They are always on our counter, a few local merchants have an addition to them...(you know who you are).

Candy canes, peppermint straws, ribbon candy, chocolate covered pretzels, small chocolate trees....well the shop is one big temptation. As always the packaging needs to have a vintage flare and compliment the color stories in the rooms.

We even have candy for the naughty person on your list....black cinnamon nuggets....candy coal.

Tree in a Can

AUNT SADIE'S TREE IN A CAN

After two large orders of Tree in the Can candles selling out, we have restocked are shelves once again. Now is the time for you to stock up! One scent with lots of labels to choose from. Two for you and one for a friend, a great hostess gift.

WHY DECORATE FOR THE HOLIDAY?

Why should we spend endless hours unpacking breakables and rearrange our living spaces to accommodate them? Some how putting up the lights, searching our minds to recall how we set all of it up last year and obsessing over the spacing between ornaments makes us feel good?? Hmmm... I don't know, it's an added bonus if you enjoy the preparations, but you know, you and your family love the end result. A transformed living space ready to entertain in, even if just for the immediate family. An American tradition...like watching fire works on the fourth of July or Trick or Treating with your siblings.
Every year our house is completely decorated for Christmas by the tenth of December (Whitney's Birthday) but not this year, Whit doesn't get home from school till Monday. She had asked to please wait for her arrival before the decorating begins. I am sorta spoiled, not everyone has a willing helper to do the lights on the tree. She has learned well the art of layering the tree....fluff, lights, fluff, filler, fluff, ornaments, birds, bows...view. With over twenty five years of collecting ornaments, the tree usually takes two days.
One might think with the shop so decorated for the holiday I might cut back on the home decor, however the shop feels public to me...you know none of the ornaments are attached to a memory yet.

OK... I wanted to give some tips on planning your decorating this year.

1. organize your decorations by color, they will compliment your homes decor better

2. groupings or small clusters, telling a story with items is always better than spreading the decorations everywhere

3. holiday music helps set the mood...you will get more done

4. those tacking plastic pieces from your husbands childhood tree will look better grouped on a wreath, the more the better, you can tell him they were so special you wanted to highlight them

5. there is nothing wrong with having a fake tree, just be sure to light a "Tree in the Can" candle, you don't want to miss out on the pine scent in your home for the season

6. tinsel is a must, if you don't want the mess you can always get reusable tin tinsel

7. when decorating the tree... pool a fluffy quilt under it until all the ornaments are safely hung

8. save those silly holiday drawings the kids did in grade school in the bottoms of your decoration boxes, they will get a kick out of them every year

9. mistletoe

10. don't try to get it done all in one day...remember you are suppose to be enjoying yourself

I'm sure I will think of five more things after I post this blog, but I know you understand when I say I love decorating my home. I love being surrounded by Christmas past while enjoying being in the moment of this years memories in the making.