June Hours

Just a little update!

We are adding Fridays beginning this weekend which means the summer season is just around the corner!

Victoria Day Long Weekend Hours

It has been a busy week of prep and we're almost ready!

We hope you'll pop by this Victoria Day Long Weekend if you're in the area!

Spring Hours!

It's Official - Our 11th Season Begins!

If it's on the chalkboard it must be official!

If you are in, near or around the Haliburton Highlands we hope you'll visit us as we begin our 11th season!

We'll begin the way we always do - a slow and steady spring start.
Saturday and Sunday 10am - 5pm

I'll post the hours again this week.

Have a wonderful day!

Anticipating an Opening Date

Yesterday the sun was shining, the birds were singing and we were out picking up supplies, enjoying the day and looking forward to the beginning of a new season. Over the past few weeks we have done a stock run for dry goods and have been buying up shiny new trays and spatulas and all that good stuff that gets us in the mood to open.

But that was yesterday. We woke up to this mess this morning and a new reality set in. Don't get me wrong, we are looking forward to a new season; we're just trying to figure out when it's going to begin.

In our thirteen years here in Donald, this has been the hardest winter we've been through and we know that's true for everyone. We have been dealing with the same problems most people here deal with come spring; flooding - in our basement and in our garage and for the first time ever we were watching the meltoff very carefully because it came very close to invading the store and our livingroom.

But I'm not here to compain. (I know, too late.) We're all sick and tired of winter and that's why we want to get our doors open because that is the true sign, for us anyway, that it is finally over.

And so, my friends, we have chosen two dates (and no later). If Mother Nature cooperates, our goal is to open on April 27th. If she decides to be a total b... pest, we will open the following weekend. We have to be able to get some work done out front and be able to put our signs out.

Thank you so much for sticking with us here in the off season. We know we didn't have much to say but you know the old saying; If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

We're looking forward to our 11th season and can't wait to see everyone again. We've missed you!

I'll keep you up to date and I will post a definite date as soon as we're sure. Meanwhile we'll be cleaning and scrubbing and getting the store spic-and-span and ready for you!

Wherever you are we hope you're warmer and dryer than we are!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Holiday Opening

Hi there!

Our minds are on our holiday opening. We have put up some outdoor lights and decorations and will soon be decorating the store then it's time to plan our menu and hit the road for a stock run!

Inquiries about our opening have been coming in lately which tells us it's time to post the hours! 

We're looking forward to opening and we hope that if you're in or around the Haliburton Highlands you'll pay us a visit.

We would love to see you!

Closed for the Season

The Little Tart - Closed for the Season

Every year we begin our season with all those weeks and months stretched out ahead of us. We get so busy that we don’t notice time passing and then it seems like in the blink of an eye… it’s over.

Ten years is a milestone. Over the course of last winter we discussed what we were going to do to celebrate but then we realized we do celebrate; every day of every season and to us “customer appreciation” isn’t a buzz word, it’s what we strive to express to every person who comes through our door. And so again this year we carried on without bells and whistles, without fanfare, without streamers and balloons (although streamers and balloons might have been fun!) and we did what we always do and though you might not realize it, you celebrated this milestone with us by visiting us here at the store or by simply saying a warm hello here online.

In ten years we have met so many people and so many of you have impacted our lives in ways we never would have expected. Just today we learned that one of our customers who underwent heart surgery a few weeks ago is doing fine. We are so relieved for him and his family. Ever since we heard he was having surgery we have been waiting to hear how he is. He became the topic of many of our conversations. This person has shared his personal stories with us, taken an interest in how we are doing both professionally and personally, he has talked us through some difficult times and has offered us words of wisdom and encouragement.

When we heard what had happened we quickly realized he isn’t just a customer anymore. He and his family are people we care about. We also realize how many of you we no longer consider just customers, but friends; people we look forward to seeing or hearing from, people we miss when we don't see or hear from you, people we get concerned about when it has been too long since we've seen or heard from you.

In ten years we have watched children grow, couples get married, couples get divorced, one partner tragically lose another, we have lost customers who have sold their cottages, sold their homes and moved away, or again, through tragedy. We have shared stories; good and bad, we have seen people at their best and occasionally when life is kicking their a… butt. Bill has found himself a confident, and occasionally a shoulder. In return you have been there for us in so many ways that we couldn’t begin to count but most of all, year after year, you keep us here, you pick us up when we’re feeling like we can’t keep going, you encourage and cheer us on. You forgive our mistakes and you tolerate our need to make changes and you make us feel like rock stars.

The other day I told Bill I was running out of ways to express our appreciation and our gratitude. I was concerned that the words were starting to fall flat or lose their sincerity. He said, “Everyone knows how we feel about them. Just say ‘thank you’.”

That’s Bill. Simple and to the point. (By simple I didn’t mean – I wasn’t suggesting – darn it, I shouldn’t have tried to qualify that because now I’m making it worse. Never mind.)

Thank you.

From our home to yours (or your cottage) wherever you may be, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Please be safe, be healthy and come back to see us next year because until then, we will miss you.