In the Begining of Last Week

Lets see what have I been up to????

I have been working and working....and not much more. The shop is set for Christmas and the Open House weekend was a success. Every year we transform the shop in one weeks time from Fall to Christmas. Each year I challenge myself to top the displays of the previous year. It takes a lot of planning, lots of support from family and friends, but most of all many continuous hours of merchandising and decorating by yours truly. I LOVE IT, on so many levels. The transformation started last Monday night when the HiHo elves arrived and went right to work...Daughter Aubrey with friend Lucy Carol and Maggie Ms. Ashley Claudia and Liz Steph Robin and Vicki Mr. HiHo and son Everett Eva and daughter Whitney Natia and WhitneySusan

With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching may I just state how grateful I am for these elves. I have not had a moment to take shots of the finished rooms but I promise to post them soon. Whats next??? I see sleep in my future :)

Boxed Note Cards...

....a Season's Greeting. Each year I ponder whether we should offer boxed cards at HiHo. We have carried a few, but I have never found ones that felt like they belonged in our merchandise mix....until this year.

Please forgive my flash on the boxes, I assure you the photos are wonderful. Well....and charming, sweet, nostalgic and melt your heart squeeze a cheek fantastic.

What does a green Christmas mean to you?

Customers keep asking what the themes are going to be here at HiHo this holiday season. Every year I keep them a secret, you see each year we decorate every room of the shop in a different theme and or color.
But I'm pretty good about not sharing the themes, I like the element of surprise, the weekend of our open house. The different reactions to the huge transformation that takes place in only a few days...are always fun.

However I decided to share these pictures... giving you a hint of what a green Christmas theme maybe at HiHo. Wink-wink.

You really didn't think I was going to spill the beans did you??? Oh...thats a hint too!

HiHo's Holiday Open House

What will be inside these doors, come November 14th & 15th? Magic!

A full year in the making, the beginning of the 2009 Holiday Season. Inspiring displays, created by the HiHo family and staff. An amazing assortment of old and new merchandise gathered all in one big wonderland. Join us for refreshments, and be engulfed in the celebration of the season.

HiHo Hunting Inspiration

Look what I found in my hunt for Christmas display inspiration.Vintage displays that bring me back to my childhood.
Isn't that what Christmas is all about?? The recollections of holidays of the past, the nostalgia and the smile it puts on your face, even when know one is looking.
Each year I attempt to top the displays from the year before in hopes of HiHo becoming part of someone Christmas past memories of the future. A trip to down town Buffalo at Christmas time was a huge outing, we put on special clothes and had to hold hands, while we walked by the windows. I even recall referring to certain stores not by name but as Christmas stores.
This last picture is of a grocery store, the trees are stacked cans of food....you can't beat the inspiration!!!

Happy Halloween

I'm sure the rest of the world is planning for the Halloween weekend, taking in the views, with all there colors, maybe even carving pumpkins. I continue my relentless preparations for the HiHo Holiday Season ( you know I love it). My kids are a little older now, they will wait until the evening of and then throw something together....Mom really won't be included, unless they need something,( money, safety pins, a ride). I am writing this post to assure my readers I do stop and smell the pumpkins....once in a while. Mr. HiHo and I stepped out last week as the Phantom and Phyllis Diller. Enjoy the pictures, and........Happy Halloween!

Real or HiHo Real?

I don't know if I live within the real world of retail, but certainly have created my own world of retail. The Fall Season is in full swing, tourists finding us for the first time and locals checking in for honey and cards, the pace is quickening as we cross our fingers for a huge fourth quarter. It's count down time, two weeks until we put up holiday trees and magic. Only days later our open house. Flash forward to the famous Black Friday and our only fears are weather and keeping up stock levels. I've been drawing and plotting, changing plans as things sell and my ideas grow. Today and tonight I struggle with big decisions, like how many Candy Canes are enough, what brand of Peppermint Bark and how many ounces of Ribbon Candy make a nice gift box? The bottom line, this time of year whether its in the real retail world or in the HiHo retail world we are focused on the bottom line. Tonight it is fun and Sweet!!!