It’s one of my favorite times of year again. No, I’m not talking about Christmas; I’m talking about January, when all the new gifts from our favorite vendors start to arrive! From this time through March we see the introduction of all the Spring lines, bringing color and life back into our stores after the dark days of Winter.
First out of the gate is WoodWick Candles from Virginia Candle Company. Six new scents are set to debut this year (though only five are shown here). From left to right in the photo are: Jasmine, Candied Berries, Key Lime & Coconut, Citrus & Herbs, and Vintage Plum. Not shown is Agave. Our bet for the most popular new scent is Citrus & Herbs, as it was a big hit with our employees when we had them sniffing samples. That scent will be available in three candle sizes plus the Spill-Proof Diffuser and Mini-Reed Diffuser. Jasmine and Vintage Plum are also available in three candle sizes and the Mini-Reed Diffuser. Check online and in our stores to see which items are available now.
Continue reading New WoodWick Scents for 2010
Want to know how to tell what the best sellers in most of our categories are? It’s not really a secret…it’s just that no one’s asked us so far! It’s really very simple: The items in most categories are listed in descending order of popularity, so the items at the top are the most popular. Pretty simple, isn’t it? Every month or so we look at our sales and move some items up the list and other items down. It’s an easy way for you to find the gifts that customers are currently loving. (Shown at left is a recent favorite, the Promise Me Framed Winnie-the-Pooh Quote by Kindred Hearts. 5 x 4 in., $12.00)
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. The Willow Tree Collectible categories are listed alphabetically, since those categories contain items that some folks may look for by name. Also, the listings under the Shop our Brands category are usually alphabetical, too. So generally you can count on any category that does not look alphabetical is sorted by popularity.
As far as our Best Sellers top-level category goes, that category shows items that are perennial customer favorites across all lines. These are time-tested items that folks like you have found to be the best gifts year-in and year-out.
With New Year’s Eve and the build up to the Superbowl, January has become quite a party month. Do you have all you need to make your next party great? Here are a few items that might take your get-together from mediocre to magnificent.
These enamelware bowls from Crow Canyon have been a hit in our stores since we picked them up last year, so it’s high time folks online got a chance at these colorful snack dishes. Available in yellow or red, in small and large sizes, they are sturdy enough to handle the treats at the rowdiest football party.
Liven up the drink selection at your party by mixing up a pitcher of Wine-A-Rita’s. Blend your favorite wine, some ice and our Wine Glacé Wine-A-Rita mix for a new twist on blended drinks. Merlot is our favorite, but try different wines to find your own favorite. (Plus, trying different wines is fun!)
If you’re looking for new appetizer ideas you can click on the Appetizer Tag at left to see recipes for a few of our favorites, such as Goat Cheese and Pesto Torta and a Quick Kielbasa Appetizer. Check out our Recipes category for lots of other great dishes to serve.
What are your favorite party foods? Are you going to try something new this year? Let us know!
If you’re looking for a new treat to serve on Christmas or New Year’s morning, Kim Gallagher at Stonewall Kitchen has come up with a fabulous Blueberry Stuffed French Toast recipe that I am dying to try! It looks like it’s easy to double the recipe for serving a crowd at a brunch, too. She uses their (and our) most popular item: Wild Maine Blueberry Jam. Enjoy!
Continue reading Blueberry Stuffed French Toast Recipe
Last-minutes gifts seem to be the ones we fret over most. When the people we need to give gifts to pop into our heads before the gift ideas, there’s bound to be trouble. For example, “I gotta get something for my brother’s new girlfriend! He just told me she’s coming to Christmas dinner!” This, of course, is a statement typically heard in our stores on the day before Christmas – the very definition of ‘last-minute’!
Don’t let yourself get caught without a gift idea. Here are a few of our favorites that are good for everyone, but can be personalized a bit, too.
Continue reading Gifts Under $20 – Our Favorite Ideas
Add some punch to your side dishes this holiday season with Stonewall Kitchen’s Roasted Garlic and Onion Jam. This versatile jam brings pizazz to any course, including vegetables, which is on the menu today. Stonewall’s recipe for Glazed Carrots is simple to prepare, but complex in flavor!
Continue reading Glazed Carrots with Roasted Onion and Garlic Jam
If we want to keep bringing in fun new items for our stores there have to be some items that go the way of the dinosaurs and become…extinct. And sometimes items are retired by our vendors while we still have stock. Yes, it’s sad but true. However, now you can see these items all together before they are gone forever.
Our new Discontinued Items page can be found under our What’s New category, along with our Sale and Clearance page. In addition to items that we have decided not to carry any longer you’ll see items which have been discontinued or retired by the manufacturer, such as the Angel of Hope figurine by Willow Tree at right, which is discontinued for 2010. Another collectible line that annually retires items from their line is the Big Sky Carvers’ Bearfoots and Moose line.
Some items, including Manual Woodworkers and Weavers’ Mini-Plates, are available only seasonally from the vendor, so we won’t have Easter-themed Mini-Plates available in November, for example. That’s why it’s a good idea to check our Seasonal Pages when you’re decorating throughout the year to make sure you see our recurring offerings as they come up each season.
So remember to stop by the Discontinued page when you visit The Woods!
Let’s play with pumpkin! There are so many ways to serve it…here’s another great dessert recipe from the folks at Stonewall Kitchen using their Maple Pumpkin Butter.
Continue reading Pumpkin Pudding Cake Recipe
