What are you thankful for?

It is 7:30 on Thanksgiving Eve, and as I sit here at my computer in the store, my body is tired, my eyes itchy and my feet telling me enough please!! Of course I have spent the day running errands and getting the store ready for the official start of the holiday season. Not only that but I am deep in wedding mode for this weekend. A beautiful Autumn theme for Katie and Dan's wedding on Saturday. Styling and creating the event completely. I have to work tomorrow, to prepare and will be up at the crack of dawn on Friday morning to pick up flowers and start the work. Saturday will be a non stop whirl of delivering setting up the church, the venue and then breaking it all down. Why do I do this I ask myself each time I commit to a designing a function.
My body and mind cant take it anymore, and why did I say yes on a holiday weekend. Well. I would not have it any other way!! I am so thankful that I was blessed with an artistic eye, I get such a thrill when someone smiles at my work. As I deliver the bouquet to the bride and she gets tears in her eyes and the mother of the bride is speechless it is all worth it. Every last minute of stress and planning.

I am so incredibly thankful for all of you who visit Mulberry Market all year. But this time of year after spending hours preparing displays and attending to each little detail. It thrills me when you compliment the displays and feel a little of that magic of the holidays.

Ann, has not been able to be a part of Christmas this year at the shop as she is going through another round of chemo. It's so hard for her not to be apart of the festivities and we miss her here everyday. But we are also so thankful that she is in remission and will be back to herself again this spring.

We wish you and your family a blessed day of togetherness tomorrow. May you continue to be thankful for your blessings, friends and family. I know as I sit with Dad tomorrow eating turkey and Grandma's stuffing, I will be sending my thanks for each of you.

Thank you for being such a special part of our shop. We look forward to seeing you during the holiday season.

Gobble Gobble... Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only a week away, and that "Black" Friday is one week from today. After working for 20 plus years in retail, I have worked everyone of them. When did it become a war?

I remember as a child, after a day of turkey and watching the parade. Mom and I would get up early the next morning, bundle up and go to Monmouth Mall and stand with thousands of other parents and kids waiting for Santa Claus to jump out of a plane...Yes, he arrived from a plane and the day after Thanksgiving not the first day of Fall like most malls now. I still can see it, Santa would parachute over the mall and when he landed, a ambulance would scoop him up, just to make sure he was alright. Then in just seconds Santa (the real one) would appear...we would all rush the stage ringing bells and cheering for the jolly man. One year, I was seven I think, my belief in the ole guy was wavering.

But as Santa stood on the stage telling us how excited he was to see us and what a grand Christmas season it would be, he looked out over the crowd made eye contact with me and said.."Oh look at all the boys and girls...I see Michael, and Susan and oh, look there is Sheri Nicholson" !! Well you can imagine what that felt like....I still smile and get tears in my eyes when I think of the wonder of being that little girl. Who for just one more year anyway believed in the magic of Santa. Years later in my teens my father finally admitted that the man who played Santa that day was a friend of his.

My parents were so good at Christmas, each weekend leading up to the big day was another adventure or task, baking cookies with grandparents and aunts, decorating the tree, visiting nursing homes to distribute goodies, and of course always a caroling party.

Not once did my parents ever take me to a toy store or any big box store so that I would have a chance to peek at toys. Mom and Dad never got up at 4 am to stand in line at Target (Kmart then) to maybe get a chance at grabbing a hot toy.

That is not what Christmas is about, that is not what gift giving is about. One of the things that we try to stress here at Mulberry is finding the perfect gift for someone. Not the most expensive or one you have stood in line for. Gifts should be chosen from the heart. We want to be here to help you celebrate with beautiful decorations, invitations and special gifts.

So, no lines here at 5am on Black Friday. No Doorbuster for us.

But what we will do is offer you longer hours to shop, beautiful gift wrappings, and a cup of tea or coffee while you shop.

Come visit soon, new items arrive everyday...so every time you shop its new!

Have a great weekend, as you prepare for Thanksgiving. For us, we are blessed and Thankful for our wonderful family of customers!

What a wonderful weekend! Everyone enjoyed taking the first peek at Christmas. Although Mother Nature decicded to give us a little bad weather...everyone still had a bit of Christmas spirit when they left. This week we keep preparing and getting new items in...wait till you see the glitter pinecones till fill your home with! Oh, and the new dips from Stonewall yummy...especially if you put them in a "delightful" dip chiller. The personalized mugs are here too...so many colors and patterns to choose from.

Come see us soon

Mulberry Market Holiday Gathering

November 12th - 15th

Join us to preview the 2009 Holiday Season

The market is all a glow and glitter with decorations and darling gifts for everyone.

New items are arriving every day...you never know what you will find.

Why you should come and visit this weekend.

1. Bring your postcard and you get to try your holiday luck with a turn of the "TurKEY"

Pick a key from the horn of plenty and if it fits into our turkey treasure chest you win!!

The prizes are really fun...we promise.

2. Each time you make a purchase with us from now till Christmas you will be entered to

win a Mulberry Market Shopping Spree. How fun would that be!!!

3. Yummy tastings featuring our Stonewall Kitchen and Barefoot Contessa items...have you ever tasted the barefoot contessa peanut Brownies? OMG , enough said!

4. Select specials throughout the market....our toy sale is still running to help Santa and his list

5. Use your postcard for 20% off any one item in the shop

6. A wander through the holiday trimmings at Mulberry will be sure to put you into the holiday spirit.

We hope to see you this weekend and throughout the holiday season, remember if you don't see what you are looking for...just ask...We have all kinds of magic up our sleeves

Love, Ann and Sheri

Market Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10-6 Sunday 12 -5

Holiday Hours after Thanksgiving Monday - Friday 10-7 Saturday 10-6 Sunday 11-5

What a busy day!! Trimming trees, hanging garlands and making bows. Each display is so detailed and theme related for Christmas that it takes a lot of time. Of course this is just the beginning as new items arrive daily!! Then it's time to wrap teacher gifts and all of the grab and go gifts that you all love so much. This year we have NEW personalized travel cups in any color and name or initial. We print them while you wait...great for a special gift. We are going to fill them with Hot Cocoa mix and the barefoot contessa new dark chocolate covered graham crackers...can you say mmm. Oh, and a perfect gift for the gents too!!

Another day of decorating: Here are a few favorites of mine for Chirstmas 2009

1. A cat and dog themed tree...wait till you see the little mice for the cat to chase..so cute

2. Glittered Balls ....or I refer to them as boobles...to add to a jar, hurriacane around a candle

etc. They were a big hit last year and now they come in 2 sizes and 4 colors!!!

3. Believe Plates from that are Christmas RED....perfect for a candle and potpourri or cookies

Can not wait for all of you to see our hard work....back to making bows and trimming!

Day 2 of Set up...OMG I opened my favorite box today. The darling snowmen and angels from Hearts and Ivy. Handcrafted in the USA! Ann LOVES to wander in there booth at trade shows and I just walk away and let her play. Year after year these come in and every year people ask for them. So don't delay they sell out fast!!

Deck the Halls...

It all begins today!! We are in full Christmas mode. The Christmas music is on...inspiring us to be festive. The Trees have come out of hiding and we are trying to keep smiles on our faces as we light them. You know how that goes don't you? Seems it always falls to me to figure out the strand that won't lite. So happy to have Ann here today, she is working for a few days with the change over before she has to go through another round of chemo. When you want to define "Brave" and "strength" you just have to think of her battle with leukemia.

Keep checking back for updates on the progress of Christmas trimming and I promise to post pictures when we are done. Back to the trees....