If you're thinking this week about whether or not I can help out with your Winter holiday gift-giving, you're thinking about it at the right time. And I say that hating holiday decorations out in stores before Halloween just like the rest of you! Trust me. Christmas is my favorite holiday in the entire year, but I don't really want to think about it until after Thanksgiving! But I need to talk to you about my holiday "order by" dates, and about my upcoming vacation. This year I am planning on taking some time off, between Saturday, December 15th and Sunday, January 6th (time for inventory, planning for the new year, and a little holiday time with my family). While I will be available to ship things out during that time, I will not be taking any custom orders or posting new products in the shop for that three-week period.
So. What does this mean for your desire to make it a HaldeCraft Holiday?
Ceramics take me about six weeks from placing of the order to mailing it out -- so if you either want something to you, or delivered to someone by December 14th, you'll want to start talking about that with me before the end of October. If you are shopping for Hanukkah, though, which starts December 8th, you'll need to get a jump on it and place your orders this week or next. I know that seems rushed, but trust me, the time is necessary.
Yarn can take me four weeks, or longer if I need to acquire the base yarn, so if there's a yarn lover in your life who might like some quality hand-dyed goodness, you have until the second week of November to place your orders (or the last week of October, if you're shopping for Hanukkah).
Soaps, lotions, and lip balms take about three weeks from order to delivery, so if you are thinking along those lines, you have until the week before Thanksgiving to get with me about what you might like in those items (or the first week of November, for Hanukkah rather than Christmas).
Now... that's enough thought about the holiday season for me, this early in the year! I haven't even bought any Halloween candy yet!