Do They Know It's Christmastime?

Hello friends and welcome to the merry month of December!  The year is quickly coming to an end, and I hope it has been a wonderful holiday season for you and your family thus far.  Around here, December is a time of crisp cool weather before wintertime begins in earnest as well as festive Christmas decorations and end-of-year celebrations full of camaraderie and family fun time.

Ever since I was a child, I've always loved driving around and admiring beautiful Christmas lights and relishing the happy feelings they bring.  In many ways, I still feel like a child during the holidays because it brings back so many memories of holidays past.  The weekend after Thanksgiving is the beginning of the Christmas season as many local towns are sporting their Christmas decorations by then as well as presenting their annual tree lighting festivities.  As I've shared many times, it's the weekend I visit the local antique malls, quaint shops and markets to get inspired and kindle a little extra Christmas spirit.  After my annual trek this year, I can definitely report that my area is suffering a lack of Christmas spirit.  For the first time I can ever remember, the stores did not have Christmas music playing, there were no Christmas carolers at the annual festival, and many of the stores have drastically changed their focus.  I saw this coming about two years ago, but it didn't make the culture shock any less jarring.  The beloved antique shops I have frequented for years and years are now transitioning to selling dollar store junk and plastic toys and models.  For the first time, I bought nothing and left feeling more angst than Christmas spirit.

Next I decided to try another small town which is known by word of mouth to have great antiques and shops of delightful doodads.  Never having visited before, I was excited to see some new sights.  Unfortunately, it was more and more and more of the same.  Dollar store junk priced at exorbitant prices and a few lackadaisical vintage items at shocking prices. The tiny little town was bustling and it did feel somewhat festive so everything was not lost.  Although I probably would never go back there, I enjoyed a somewhat pleasant day of visiting a new place but, again, I bought nothing and was ultimately disappointed.  I'm not a fan of this new homogenization of small town America but I'm fully aware it is a sign of the times.  I'll never understand the attraction of replacing the quaint antique stores, mom and pop establishments and unique little boutique stores with wineries, dollar store "boutiques," and upscale pubs and breweries that are all apparently based on some cookie cutter plan.  Every small town I've visited within a 50 mile radius has become a carbon copy of this model and, to me at least, it's completely uninviting and unattractive.

I've gone a lot further afield than I intended, but all of this to say instead of feeling sad about all of the above, it makes me more determined than ever to make Cherry Rose Cottage something special.  I want the website and store to have a true small town feel and be a fun and comfortable place to shop.  I don't want to bombard you with popups every few seconds when you choose to visit.  I'm not going to send you 20 emails every day.  You won't receive 5, 10, 15 reminders to fill out a survey (although I'm always happy to receive messages regarding what you think about your shopping experience at Cherry Rose Cottage).

Before I close, I wanted to (sigh) once again talk about the newsletter that was scheduled to be sent in October.  It has been one of the most unexpected and time-consuming trials I've had in a while.  I still fully intend on getting the newsletter up and running, but in the meantime please visit and take advantage of the weekly sales events which change every Monday.  It's a great way to get a discount on your favorite treasures.

While the tone of this month's blog may not seem as upbeat as usual, I want to assure you that I'm still as motivated as always and maybe more so to bring you not only great items but a fun shopping experience.  Consumers are more careful these days with where and how they spend their money, and I sincerely appreciate every visit you make to Cherry Rose Cottage as well as every dollar you spend here.

In closing, thank you for your support, dear friends.  May your days be merry and bright and may your Christmas be the best one ever.

Merry Christmas!