Flipping the seasons: inside the shop

Read in the paper this morning that major retailers are attempting to move the traditional "Black Friday" (day after Thanksgiving) to just before Halloween. Tomorrow? Yep, "black friday now!" is emblazoned on the cover of the Sear's ad circular.

Really? I don't think so.

I've whined ad nauseum about the sanctity of the seasons, and how we shouldn't roll them out too early. Which is weird coming from a shop owner, because we're supposed to be way ahead of the game. We order Christmas merch in January, and some of it starts rolling in in August (so weird to be checking in snowy branches and ornaments when it's 95 degrees out). By traditional measures, we should have fall and halloween stuff out in August; Christmas starts in early October; and Easter things should be in your storeroom (if not on the shelves) in January. Sheesh. I prefer to savor the seasons and make them last as long as possible.

But, I have to bow to the retail gods, too, and get with the protocol. Which is why I'm right in the middle of switching out halloween for holiday in the store. It's kind of weird to be consolidating all the spooky, black branchy, creepy things and replacing them with light and delicate silvery jars and bowls. We went big on mercury glass votives this year: I want candlelight everywhere (even if you use the little faux tealights inside the votives).

I'm not giving up on fall, however: we are still featuring lots of lovely linens and candles, foods, and serving pieces for fall and your Thanksgiving table.

Halloween? We're just stepping that part up. All our halloween gear is 50% off... and tomorrow evening we're having a Weird and Wonderful Cocktail Party at the shop from 4-7. Our mad scientist/mixologist will be serving some creepy drinks and ladling out prizes and goodies. More on that later.

Running off now to do some more sweet holiday decorating, and prepping some ghoulish hanging creatures for the haunted garden. It's a schizo life.