Spring is finally upon us! Really! And after the winter we have enjoyed, we're all eager for nature's metamorphic magic to really begin.

A great way to welcome spring is to bring the colors of spring into your home. Decorating for Easter is simple, inexpensive and fun and makes for wonderful childhood memories.

Nowhere is Easter more soundly celebrated than in Germany. There are fresh flowers, colored eggs and bunnies everywhere. We invite you to visit and celebrate spring and Easter with us â€" German style!

Come see our extensive collection of authentic wooden bunnies and eggs, and our biggest hit, the Austrian hand painted eggs. These eggs play a big role in the charming German tradition of the pussy willow centerpiece. You can do this too. Simply gather masses of pussy willows (or cut a few branches from your dogwood tree or forsythia bush), arrange them in an ample sized vase, and then hang a profusion of eggs, such as those beautifully hand painted Austrian eggs, from the branches.

Have children? Surround the centerpiece with Easter grass and place Easter chocolate bunnies or wooden bunnies around the centerpiece. It's a wonderful family tradition and one your children and grandchildren will always remember. Come visit our shop in Middleburg and begin your own heirloom collection! Can’t make it to Middleburg? Simply visit our online shop for a selection of Easter wares too!

Our Schweizer painted Easter pewter from Diessen am Ammersee in Germany is simply spectacular and we have just received a new shipment chock full of Easter magic. We even have the old fashioned German Paper Mache' eggs in all sizes from small to gigantic, and they can be filled with all sorts of Easter treasures.

We fill ours with German chocolates, of course, but also with matchbox cars, hair ribbons, chalk, crayons and a million other things that bring a smile to the faces of the little ones. These amazing eggs keep from year to year and make for very happy children at your traditional Easter Egg Hunt.

Last but not least and while quantities last, our counter is filled with a great selection of scrumptious and affordable German Easter chocolate bunnies and eggs. They're going fast, so make sure to stop in soon before they’re gone for the year.

Why not celebrate spring by visiting bucolic Middleburg? Make a day of it, come for lunch or dinner and stroll our charming village as you browse all the rather unique shops. Be sure to ask us for our personal restaurant recommendations! The Christmas Sleigh may be the most unique shop of its kind in America, but as you can see, it's not all about Christmas!

Stop by any day from 11 to 5. We hope to see you soon!

Best,

Linda Tripp Rausch and Dieter Rausch
The Christmas Sleigh, Inc. Middleburg, Virginia
www.thechristmassleigh.com