Temptation

A customer asked one of our student clerks if it was difficult working around all the chocolate.
He responded quickly:
"Of course. That's why I didn't give up chocolate for lent!"

Holidays in Real Time

Well, we have finally caught up to the mass merchants. We are fully stocked for Easter with cream-filled eggs and chocolate bunnies.
Did anyone else notice the chocolate eggs in the grocery stores months ago? I'm serious! I saw those peanut butter eggs in a set-up display before New Year's! I saw them in two different stores before I really believed it. On January 1, our "small-producer" chocolate bunnies were just a glimmer in the eye of our chocolatiers.

By the way, I love the pectin jelly beans we have in at this time of the year - yum!

For the Love of Chocolate

I love to add red to the color scheme in February! The winter has seemed extra long and bleak this year, so Ohioans are happy to see something other than white or gray!
We'll see plenty of last mintute husbands stop in for a sweet surprise for their love. It takes a little more time to package the heart boxes, but our customers appreciate choosing their own favorites.

Got game?

I noticed we are selling a lot of black and yellow m&m's this week. What's that about?

Local History

I like old buildings. (In this country, sadly, that generally means anything over 60 years old.) Anyway, I have an interest in local history. I grew up in the neighborhood where the shop is located, Clintonville. This area is not a city or town on the map; we are a neighborhood in Columbus. Clintonville has a strong identity because of our many events and involved residents.

My interest in local history was a gift from my father. He delivered the Columbus Star (a long-since-gone-city newspaper) as a boy and I grew up hearing about his customers and which businesses used to operate on which corners.

That is the preamble to my announcement that, for the first time that I know of, we have a published book dedicated solely to the Clintonville/Beechwold area! The books were delivered this morning. The release date was yesterday and I had several people calling and stopping in already. The first buyer bought two books while they were still cold from the shipping carton.

We have a "meet the author event" this Saturday, January 17. If you are in the area, stop by 1-2:30pm to meet the author, local resident, Shirley Hyatt. She'll discuss her research and sign books.

As you flip through the pages, you'll see a few images shared from my own collection of postcards.

New Year

Well, I wasn't able to keep up with the blog during the holidays. (I really can't be too suprised at that!)
We shipped out all the packages and tracked them. A few last minute orders did not arrive prior to Christmas, but the recipients had a nice New Year's treat.

I continue to find it fascinating how people incorporate our chocolates into their lives.
One day a man ordered chocolate covered marshmallows for his wife. "Her favorite?" I asked. He said, "well, yes, but these are actually a result of me losing a bet."

I did not ask what the subject of the bet was, but he left with an extra sack for himself. (He suspected she would not be sharing her spoils!)

Extra Credit

How do I love my in-laws? Let me count the ways....
Today a customer bought an assortment of chocolate creams. He explained that he is shipping them to his father-in-law's sister. Before he (father-in-law) passed away a few years ago, he asked his son-in-law to take care of his sister in New England.

Nice.

When I told another customer about it, he nearly came to tears. After losing his own wife five years ago, he now takes care of the projects she began.