Long time, no see

I suppose ten months is long enough to make you eager to read another blog post!
So much has happened...where to start?
I could bore you with details and go over every event, but I'll spare you the time, and let's just pick it up right here, right now...May 11, 2011!
We've had a great Spring so far, but today's weather was miserable...enough so that I found plenty of time to sit at the computer and write this blog!  
Here's a display we did this week.  Sometimes I don't understand why everyone doesn't love
some of our cool things as much as I do!  These apple candles are a great example...
I loved them, had to have them, ordered them, got them in the store, and there's been basically zero interest in them:-(  
I love that they're unscented, since we can't allow other aromas to mix with our chocolates/candies/coffee aromas.
I love that they're the cool color...they're like a permanent apple display for someone's kitchen, and they're still HERE...not on customers' kitchen counters!  WTH?!

 Anyway, Melissa never did like them and didn't want me to order them, but I was determined, and managed to spend a pretty penny buying so many.  Oh well, maybe I'll just have to change the color scheme in my own kitchen!

That's the thing about owning a retail store....as one of my reps once said "It's all a crap shoot", and by golly, I think she was right!  I'm amazed at how quickly some things sell, while others (like these glorious candles) just sit and collect dust!

Anyway, the dust-ables will hopefully be gone Friday, as it's our traditional "Triskaidekaphobia Sale" which we have every Friday, the 13th.   Everything in the store is HALF PRICE (except food and drink), and we usually have a tremendous turnout.

So maybe, just maybe, our apple candles will appeal to SOMEONE....at half price!
Till next time,
Remember - an apple a day keeps the Dr. away!!!!
Gyan

Oddly delicious!

We're always on the lookout for new and unusual chocolates, and the folks at Cocopotamus in New Mexico don't let us down....Woohoo!

New flavors of Coco-P. fudge ball truffles are here! 

Their diabolical chocolatiers have been cooking up 4 fab new flavors of  handmade dark chocolate fudge truffles for our awesome customers (that’s YOU!)  Good news?  They are yummy and they are in the house! 

BO PEEP – Meet Bo Peep, the black sheep of the Cocopotamus family.  Deeper, richer and of course darker.  She’s a darling at a stunning 88% dark chocolate.  Infused with a double dose of pure Mexican vanilla and just a sheepish hint of organic black raspberry. 

Rolled in Swiss fort brut extra dark cocoa powder.

MANGO TANGO – Meet the extreme fruit around town, Mango Tango.  It’s organic mango like you’ve never seen it before – the fruit flavor explodes!  Enhanced by a pinch of lime and ancho chili (or chile, as they call it in Albuquerque). 

Topped with a dollop of cute mango frosting.

LOVE POTION #10 – Meet their darling romantic, Love Potion #10.  Inspired by Grandma’s pie,  it is organic strawberry and a generous dose of Mexican cinnamon.  Sweet, bashful, romantic.  She’s a darling!  What’s not to love? 

Topped with a cute dollop of strawberry frosting.

COWGIRL – Meet the feisty new girl on the ranch, Cowgirl.  She’s deep (infused with spices), she’s rich (kicked up by molasses), she’s sweet (that’s the organic honey talking!)  Cowgirl is a Honey BBQ fudge truffle, mole poblano style.  You’ve never tasted anything like it! 

Topped with a drizzle of ancho chile frosting.

We'll continue to carry the most delicious, unusual chocolates from around the world, and we'll keep pursuing new avenues of culinary excellence!  It's a challenge sometimes, especially when customers are a tad skeptical or assume it's too unusual.  Our jobs...MY JOB...is to introduce Candy Basket customers to the best chocolates we can find!

Happy thoughts (of chocolate)...
Gyan

Ah, yes, I remember.....

Since it's Father's Day, I've been thinking a lot about my Dad, Robert G. Summers.  He was a great guy - very smart, an accomplished musician, disciplined, thrifty (in a good way), and devout.  
My dear daughter-in-law sent me this, and it made me think of my days growing up in my Father's home.  I think his thumbprint is on everything I do, from being a parent to being a shop proprietress.  This one's for you, Dad.....I miss you.


How's This For Nostalgia?

All the girls had ugly gym uniforms?


It took three minutes for the TV to warm up?


Nobody owned a purebred dog?


When a quarter was a decent allowance?


You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?


Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces?


You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, all for free, every time? And you didn't pay for air? And, you got trading stamps to boot?



Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box?


They threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed. . and they did it!


No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never
locked?



Playing baseball with no adults to help kids with the rules of the game?


Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger?


When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited the student at home?


Basically we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! But we survived because their love was greater than the threat.
 
Summers filled with bike rides, Hula Hoops, and visits to the pool, and eating Kool-Aid powder with sugar.

 



Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles.

Coffee shops with Table Side Jukeboxes.

Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum.

Hey, wait.....we still carry these nostalgic gums, but they're definitely more than a dime, or whatever they cost way back when!

Didn't that feel good, just to go back and say, 'Yeah, I remember that'?



And with all our progress, don't you just wish, just once, you could slip back in time and savor the slower pace, and share it with the children of today.



Happy Father's Day, fellas.  Hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane!

Until next time, I remain Bob's little girl,

Gyan

Initially Yours

Welcome to June!  June always brings Father's Day and weddings - lots of them! It's hard sometimes for me to think of a good gender-neutral gift for the newlyweds.  But this year I have a store full of perfect gifts for both Dad and newlyweds, and I think you're going to like it when I tell you we're offering all of our Mud Pie glass initial gifts at HALF PRICE throughout the entire month of June! This includes this gorgeous barware you see here, plus lots of other great, functional pieces for the home...perfect for Dads and newlyweds!

The  cool decanters pictured below are our favorites.  Think outside the box with these - they're so versatile!  Fill them with bath salts and put them in the bath...or load them up with peanuts or gumballs for a desk or side table!  Do something creative with them now - the timing's great, because they're one of the initial glass gift items HALF PRICE!                            

  

Another great gift for throughout the home are our initial frames.  They're heavy glass, hold a 4x6 horizontal picture, and feature the same bold font. UBER cool for men and women!                                         

These great little bottle stoppers are not only useful, they're the perfect add-on gift to let someone know you're thinking just of them.  Might as well think of yourself, too, since they're now HALF PRICED through June!

                                                                                        

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these trays!  I've personally given them as gifts on several occasions, and they look even more attractive at HALF       PRICE, don't you think?!   If you ever wanted to put out some cheese  and crackers, add some grapes, and maybe some apple slices, these   are the perfect serving pieces!                                                                                     

So we obviously have some great personalized gifts, and obviously I am ready to let them go  HALF PRICE for a limited time, namely the month of June.  It's a perfect match!  I do hope y'all will take advantage and will come shop and stock up on these great gifts!                            

                                                                                                          

Gyan

Happily ever after.....

We're smack-dab in the middle of wedding season!  With so many things to think of,  every Bride can use some assistance! We have a multitude of little things to help her with her journey to the BIG DAY!  Everything you'll see here is from our gorgeous (Tiffany blue) Mindy Weiss collection.
Sometimes even Brides forget!Their brains become housing units for loads of information, and there's NO WAY to remember it all!  This handy-dandy notebook is perfect to use to jot down all the necessary appointments, meetings, etc.  PLUS, it includes a wedding schedule to keep Brides up-to-date on their planning.

No sweat over how to ask friends & family members to be a part of the special day AND let them know how much they mean.  This darling little 'Wish' necklace has a sweet poem, a little silver heart, and is the perfect token for the gals who will be fair maidens!  

                                

Every Bride wants to cherish memories forever!  
This triple photo-album set is a fantastic gift. There's an album for engagement photos, one for the actual wedding photos, and an album for all the pics from the honeymoon!  This triple set is perfect for the Bride-to-be, and makes a wonderful shower gift.

As she's wrapping up all the loose ends, the Bride will need to be thinking about how to thank all those who helped her.  We recommend this set of 8 Tip Envelopes, which includes  note cards and decorative seals.  Might as well share the 'love' with something chic, right?!

 Finally, after a  long day of wedding planning, every Bride deserves to slip her tootsies into something soft and snuggly at the end of the day.  These "I DO" slippers will help her escape the planning and concentrate on feeling good!

There are still many more treats from our Mindy Weiss collection, but we just wanted to give you an idea of how we can help the Bride-to-be prepare for her special day in a special way! 


Never Mother of the Bride, only the Groom....
Gyan

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner!  We haven't had a chance to do anything special at the shop for a while, so we're celebrating the day with another  "Sip & Shop"!

Festivities get underway at 5:00 next Wednesday.   Several of our 'hot and spicy' foods will be served, as well as liquid refreshments.

Best of all, we're offering 25% off STOREWIDE (except coffee).  

It's the perfect time for some last minute Mother's Day and Graduation gift shopping, as well as general "I Want it" shopping for all of us!

We're going to shut down at 7, so for two hours next Wednesday, we hope we have lots of celebrants who will join us with a little spicy sipping & shopping!

Mamasita Gyan

The French Connection

Looks good, doesn't it? Guess what...it IS good! Tres' bien! It's straight from Paris, by a great chocolatier named Michel Cluizel.  He's been creating artisan chocolates since 1948, so I guess he knows his stuff!
Enchante', Michel!

We're proud to announce the arrival (today!) of these terrific truffles and bonbons (bites).
The two featured here are the Cappucino cup, which features a dark chocolate cup filled with coffee and milk chocolate ganache, and the Champignon Caramel, a cute little mushroom filled with caramel croquant.

Other flavors we are now carrying include lots of fancy French names I can't read OR pronounce!  Suffice it to say I'm going to give you a rundown on flavors and let you come in and try your hand at proper pronunciation!

Flavors include a dark chocolate cork filled with a Bordeaux ganache, dark chocolate with lemon marmalade, Cointreau with orange peel marmalade, a dark cup filled with hazelnut praline' and topped with gianduja, a huge raspberry truffle paste enrobed in dark chocolate, a dark chocolate piece filled with coffee ganache topped off with a speck of (edible) gold, Cointreau with dried fruit pieces, and one more dark chocolate with Los Ancones ganache.

We'd love to introduce you to these pieces!  Michel Cluizel is basically the quintessential chocolate, and we feel we have a very pleasing assortment with this first order!  

Bon soir,
Gyan