Christmas and Holiday Hours

I can hardly believe it’s already coming up to that time of year, but with the snow on the ground here in Toronto, it’s starting to feel like it. Every year, as the temperatures start dropping, and the days get shorter, we start planning and preparing for the craziness of the holidays in the shops.

We are hustling and bustling here, like squirrels burying their nuts everywhere. Boxes of winter ink vials have come down off the top shelves in our warehouse, we’re hunting down Christmas lights in the basement, and we’re stocking up on shop favourites for the shelves. Ink shipments are coming in, and we’re counting things and re-organizing shelves everywhere.

Early gift givers have already been making their way in, and we’re tremendously thankful for those of you who are keeping us in mind, and are also coming in early enough while our shelves are still fully stocked.

While we’re still in regular hours for the next couple of weeks or so, we will have extended holiday hours for this season.

The Main Shop, which is busier, will be open seven days a week starting December 10th, and open until 7pm on weekdays. Don’t hesitate to call ahead of time to double check our hours for the day.

The Studio Shop will have extended hours Also, although not as broadly. The Studio Shop will also be closed at the Studio Shop between Christmas and New Years.

So we are keeping busy! It’s such a tremendous pleasure for us to be able to help you all as you think about gifts for your family and friends and colleagues. I am, of course, biased, but I really do believe that an analogue gift, in this age of screens everywhere, is truly a gift—of slowing down, of mindfulness, of creativity and inspiration.

In any case, thank you all as always for reading the blog (you loyal half dozen that are so deeply cherished) and for thinking of us. There are a lot of choices out there—although as we hear news of independent shops closing, we get a bit nervous ourselves—and we’re always grateful to be in consideration.

The wheels sometimes start coming off despite all the planning (freezing meals, counting inventory, ordering shop candles, stocking up on toilet paper*), but we’re holding tight for a prosperous season in this murky looking retail market.

*Some of these tasks have not yet been done, which may be contributing to the loose wheels, but it’s all on the list.