Christmas and country just seem to go together. Many folks yearn for that cozy "back-home" feeling when decorating, throughout the year and especially at Christmas time.
Amish Country Peddler, located below the Holmes County Amish Flea Market, right on SR 39 (on the western edge of Walnut Creek), is the place to go for all your Country Christmas needs.
The shop will be hosting their biggest event of the year -- a Christmas Open House -- November 9th, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 10th. from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. This will be the best time to visit, although anytime is a good time!
The annual open house, always the second weekend in November, will feature a huge sale: everything is 20 percent off. Holiday decorations will abound. There will be refreshments, and the whole experience will be fun for everyone.
Tim Schlabach, his brother Dave, and their mother, Lois, have owned Amish Country Peddler for the past dozen years.
"Dave had owned Homespun Treasures next door," Tim said, "and when this store came up for sale, buying it just seemed the natural thing to do. I'd been in sales up to that point, but my sales area was out of state. I wanted to be home more, so by buying this place, things just fell into place."
Amish Country Peddler specializes in home decor items with a country theme. A little bit primitive, but definitely country. They display their wares in ways that will give you great new ideas for your own home, "not just lining them up on a shelf," according to Tim.
"We try to work with our customers so they can enjoy their purchases in their own homes," he said. "Our employees are very friendly and very helpful."
The shop will solve all your lighting needs. It carries a large variety of candles, lighting fixtures and strings of lights (including those darling little Rice Lights that are so easy to tuck in here and there) as well as a large variety of electric candle bulbs and lamp shades. They also sell pictures, reproduction pine furniture (almost all is locally made), wooden shelves in every color, style and size, iron ware, and speckled enamelwear in various colors. Also available is a nice selection of recipe boxes and matching recipe cards, Ball jar soap and lotion dispensers, small decorative clocks, toys and a very nice selection of country curtains and valences. Woven rugs, table runners, place mats, coasters and hot pads are very popular items and come in many country colors.
Don't miss the large display of Blossom Bucket animals, the perfect accompaniment for your Christmas display.
For those of you that like Santas and/or snowmen, you'll find many wonderful additions for your collections. There are Santas and snowmen in many different colors, sizes and mediums.
Although not exactly country decor, Amish County Peddler has the area's largest display of Crocs footwear. These popular shoes some in every color of the rainbow and some in between, and they aren't just for summer anymore. Now you can find fuzzy lined ones, just perfect for winter.
Amish Country Peddler can ship your purchases right to your home if needed. This service is in great demand, as many shoppers are from out of the area and often don't have room in their suitcases to take home all the things they've bought.
"Sometimes our customers will call back later," Tim explained, "after they've gotten home and decided they should have bought one thing or another while they were here. We UPS it right out of here.
"We also have a mailing list that tells our customers about upcoming specials, sales and products. They can sign up here in the store or they can call in. We also have an e-mail list. People can also sign up for that right here in the store or on our Web site. We have more than 9,000 folks total on our lists."
Across the parking lot, to the east, Homespun Treasures tends to lean toward the primitive country decor a little more.
"We aren't in competition with them," Tim said. "We actually complement each other."
Homespun Treasures is filled with much primitive decor, and it, too, is filled with Christmas treasures. You will love looking through all the displays.
Be sure to start out your Christmas season by going to the open houses at both stores on November 9th and 10th. You'll fall in love with all they have to offer.
Amish Country Peddler -- 3239, SR 39, PO Box 202, Walnut Creek, OH 44687, (330) 893-2701; Homespun Treasures -- 3147 SR 39, Walnut Creek, OH 44687, (330) 893-2134, http://www.homespunw...eek.com .