Happy Holidays from Audrey’s – Your Heart’s Delight!
As 2022 is coming to a close and we prepare for the New Year, we sincerely THANK YOU for your business.
We are so blessed and grateful for YOU. It has been a wonderful 42 years getting to know so many shopkeepers. We look forward to 2023 to continue to provide you with products to delight your customers.
Audrey’s Receives Year-end Accolades from Gift and Decorative Accessories Magazine!
Gift and Decorative Accessories magazine held their first-ever Reader Rankings survey. The survey included retailers, manufacturers, sales reps, consultants and other industry professionals. They were invited to share brands they love the most in 60 different product categories. This ranking was broken down into a variety of categories and voted upon by readers of Gift and Decorative Accessories magazine.
Readers were asked to nominate their favorites by completing a “fill in the blank” form on giftanddec.com. Based upon these nominations, the top 10 in each category were added to a final voting form. Readers then selected their top choice. Each category has one winner and two finalists.
We are excited to announce that Audrey’s won the Best Outdoor and Porch Decor category! Audrey’s are finalists in the Best Indoor Home Decor and Best Garden Accessories categories!
We are so very honored and humbled of this achievement, as these awards speak well for all parts of our company including product design, pricing, shipping, and customer service.
We thank everyone that voted for us!
Atlanta Is Right Around the Corner!
Come see over 500 new items in Audrey’s showroom!
We are delighted with the new release as we are sure that these items will contribute to your success in the new year!
Add Audrey’s to one of your first visits at the Mart to see the great variety of items, from seasonal to everyday, with special promotions for fall and winter.
Make an appointment now by calling 717-865-6524 during business hours, or email info@yourheartsdelight.com with date and time. Of course, walk-ins are always welcome too. We can’t wait to see you there!
The Olive Grove Collection
Olive Grove Add stunning natural color and an earthy feel to the home with our new Olive Grove collection. Printed on a soft, neutral background, and accented with light prints, it is bound to please the eye and bring a hint of nature to your space – collaborating storage tins, throw pillows, and a pair of pretty frames featuring kalamata olive branches.
The Freshly Brewed Collection
Freshly Brewed Create an inviting atmosphere where everyone knows where to fill their cups with our new Coffee Bar wood carved wall hanging! Our new coffee items are perfect for our fellow coffee lovers - featuring witty sentiments on tea towels such as, “Life Happens, Coffee Helps.” With a neutral color palette and simple designs, this group will be sure to freshen up the kitchen, dining room, or breakfast nook.
The Heaven and Nature Sing Collection
Heaven and Nature Sing Featuring a pretty forest of pine trees and forest critters, this gorgeous collection of a flurrying woodsy scene will add a touch of peace and nature to your space. Our Heaven and Nature Sing collection features an adorable deer pillow with pom poms, storage buckets, and seasonal greenery – put it all together to create the perfect mix of rustic and cozy winter decor all season long.
The Beauty of Fall Collection
Beauty of Fall Our Beauty of Fall collection has it all – light colored background with fall foliage in bright hues that give the perfect Autumn charm. The adorable fall sayings top off this collection – featured on our customer favorite mini pillows. Prettily decorated pumpkins on pillows, tea towels, and crates will look lovely displayed through the fall season.
We are working on our Winter/Fall/Everyday 2023 catalog (Vol. 46) containing all the new release items as well as our current in-line products.
You can get a jump start by beginning to order new release items in early January from Audrey’s website!
Winter & Fall Pre-Booking Dating Program
Take advantage of our Winter & Fall Pre-Booking Dating Program (order now, ship later, pay as late as December 1, 2023) Order fall & winter products from January thru March 31st to receive dating on those orders which meet the minimums, and have a ship date June 1, 2023 or later. Customers with approved credit terms in good standing are eligible for this program. For our credit card customers, you may still receive the discount associated with the dating program and your card will not be charged until we ship the merchandise.
Visit Audrey’s Cash & Carry Warehouse During the February Market Square Show
The Market Square Show will be held at the Lebanon Expo Center for their Pennsylvania show. Scheduled February 27 - 28, 2023, for order writing,
Audrey’s will not be attending the show, but we welcome you to visit our cash and carry warehouse, which is about 15 minutes from the Lebanon Expo Center. Feel free to write an order, or cash and carry. Audrey’s offers a convenient, safe and clean shopping experience with over 2500 items!
Set the date on your calendar to visit us during that time – or anytime during regular business hours.
Everyone welcomed the switch to a new state-of-the-art phone system, implemented in June, that is capable of handling a higher call volume with added phone lines, and higher audio quality.
In our Atlanta showroom, in July, we implemented a new scanning system that has more capabilities suited for the customer along with greater efficiency in placing orders and checking out. We will be utilizing the new system for the January 2023 show.
In our warehouse and distribution center, additional shelving was installed in the customer shopping area, and the products were reorganized by their type. A lot of merchandise was arriving and space was needed! The shipping department area was relocated, streamlining packing and processing stations for better productivity.
Our new website, launched at the end of April, features greater enhancements and customer tools. The overall aesthetics of the website has a fresh clean look with wonderful product images and greater enhanced speed, making shopping easier and seamless.
If you have not visited our new website, we invite you to do so. Use the same website address as before. www.yourheartsdelight.com to discover all new the features. Watch the “how to” videos on navigating and shopping.
Retailer Spotlight: White Door Home Store - Biddeford, Maine
Beth Townsend started her business in 2017, as a furniture painter while her husband was a house painter and they started to bring home pieces of furniture that Beth would paint and refurbish to sell. But within a short period of time, pieces started clogging up the house due to the demand. Beth started to ponder about having a store to have more room. Beth and her husband began to look for a separate place to work on furniture and refurbishing projects. Beth started the business in 2017 with $500, and one-month’s rent, and every month she would reinvest her profits within the business while her husband supported the family in his separate full-time position.
“My first location was only 1000 ft.² which was very small, and I was only there for one year as the projects continued to grow,” explains Beth. In 2018, Beth started to look for other places and found a location that was 2200 ft.². In this new location, Beth was focused on promoting her business as an up-cycled furniture and refurbishing artisan.
To best promote her business, Beth would stage her refurbished furniture with smaller accents and home décor merchandise. She soon realized that smaller home décor pieces were selling great alongside her refurbished furniture. Beth also was successful in selling different types of chalk paint and promoting her refurbishing processes through how-to videos.
When Covid hit in 2020, Beth, as many creative entrepreneurs did, reinvented the process of doing business and started doing Facebook Live events. “We started walking around the store and showing people products, watched other Facebook Lives and learned from those events, and we went out of the way to sell to our customers,” Beth explains. “During that period, we would have customers driving up to receive their orders, plus we would deliver as well. Within a small period of time, our business doubled, and customers took notice of our extra efforts, and we started to build a loyal base of customers that continues to support us now and is expanding through word-of-mouth.”
At that point, Beth knew that the business was on the verge of something great and needed to take the plunge. Beth then opened a new 8400 ft.² location in a great building on the first floor, and the business has been thriving ever since. Plans for another expansion are in the works for this coming spring. “What's great about this location, is when you drive into our city, we are one of the first buildings that you see and you immediately notice a great look and vibe about this area of the city,” says Beth.
Beth’s model of business, in doing the larger pieces of furniture along with the smaller home decor items, gives the business the perfect balance of merchandise, as each of these different price point levels cycle differently throughout the year. For custom refurbishing projects, there is an eight-week waitlist. “The great thing about doing these larger custom pieces, these customers will buy smaller home decor accents and pieces, and also sing their praises to their friends about our services, merchandise, and our store.”
Beth also credits her family and their contribution to the business. Peter, Beth’s husband, is always willing to come in and do whatever is needed and is handy as a painter. Ella, who is Beth’s daughter, has been helping for years as she loves working at the register. She paints furniture, stocks the shelves, helps with Facebook Live events, and goes on buying trips. She grew up in the store from an early age and is now 10 years old.
Beth’s son Carter is 18, and helps with all the recycling, and paints furniture pieces. Beth’s parents also contribute on a regular basis. Danny, Beth’s dad, is in the store almost every day helping by putting up shelves, or whatever is needed. Sandy, Beth’s mom helps with Facebook Live selling events.
Of course, Beth cannot talk about the growth of her business without mentioning her manager and best friend, Julie Taylor. She has been there since the get-go and her support has been a huge asset to Beth and to the success of the store!
Manager Julie Taylor, Assist. Manager Emma Swett, Accountant Anne Kupresanin & Mother Sandra Langill
Beth says “Audrey’s has always been one of our main go-to sources for design and price points. They are so easy to deal with from the customer service perspective and can refill my reorder needs quickly on a regular basis.”
Owner & Artisan Beth Townsend
As stated on her most recent Facebook Live event, Beth is so appreciative of her customers and valuable employees and states they are truly blessed with their business and support. We feel the same way as we are truly blessed to have customers like Beth, and so many others that have continued to support us over the last number of years!
Best Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Soup
PREP TIME: 30 mins | COOK TIME: 2 hrs 30 mins | ADDITIONAL TIME: 6 hrs
INGREDIENTS:
2 (3 pound) whole chickens, cut into pieces
3 quarts water
3 onions, minced
1 cup chopped celery
2-1/2 tablespoons salt
1-1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 ears fresh corn, kernels cut from cob
3 eggs, divided
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine chicken, water, onions, celery, salt, nutmeg, and pepper in a large stockpot over medium heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, adding water as needed, until chicken is very tender, about 2 hours.
Transfer chicken to a deep dish; pour soup into a large jug or bowl. Cover and refrigerate chicken and soup for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove and discard the layer of fat that has solidified on the surface of soup. Transfer soup into a large pot over medium heat; stir in corn and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until corn is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, place 2 of the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel, and chop. Set aside.
Chop chilled chicken meat into small chunks; stir into soup.
Beat remaining egg in a medium bowl until light in color. Beat in flour and milk until smooth. Drop pea-sized lumps of rivel dough into the soup, a few at a time, to make small dumplings. Cook, stirring constantly, until dumplings hold their shape and float to the surface, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in chopped egg.
From the Audrey's team to yours, we send wishes of peace, happiness and joy throughout this holiday season. Thank you so much for your continued support, and we wish you a very prosperous 2023.
MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!
CONNECT WITH AUDREY'S
This email was sent to elishashirk@yourheartsdelight.com
