A holiday wonderland
Westbrook’s Pink Sleigh home to Christmas treasures
She’s known to some as Mother Christmas. Her true identity: Susan Haddad of Westbrook’s The Pink Sleigh, a store focused on, you guessed it, the holidays. Haddad, who coowns the store with her husband Brett, didn’t always hold the reins of The Pink Sleigh. Some things, though, were fated to happen.
Susan was perusing Connecticut Magazine back in the 1980s when she came across an ad for The Pink Sleigh. “Brett and I were dating at the time,” she recalls. “I added it to our places to visit when on a daytrip.” Just such a trip saw them stopping in at the store, which was founded in 1963. “Right away, we fell in love with the post-and-beam barn,” she says of her first impression. “Then, inside, it was so charming and warm.”
As the years went by, the couple married and settled in Orange, often making repeat visits to the alluring barn in the woods. Both had busy careers, and by 1995, they were ready to try something new. “I was reading the businessopportunities section in the paper, when I saw this teeny, tiny, little ad listing The Pink Sleigh for sale,” Susan says. “Before we knew it, we were making our career-change dream come true by becoming the new owners of The Pink Sleigh.” Though neither of the Haddads had ever worked in retail, Susan says, “It was a great career and lifestyle change.” Added to the mix was a move to Guilford to be closer to the shop.
The store is open seasonally, from late summer through Dec. 24. Susan says being immersed in the holidays for so many months of the year gives her a “warm, fuzzy feeling.” She sees this feeling reflected in customers,
as well, who flock to the shop the minute it opens.
“From the outside, the rustic barn is very unassuming,” Susan says. Indeed, if driving fast, it’s easy to miss, as the barn blends in with the forest surroundings. Slow down, though, to catch sight of a split rail fence festooned with red bows and cheery wreaths. There’s a sign — pink, of course — declaring one has arrived at the shop, along with a holiday flag. The front of the barn has a large bay window showcasing an example of what a living room could look like if decorated with items purchased inside. The driveway leads to a parking area in the woods. Festive sleighs propped against the barn signal the side entrance, a door painted with a Christmas tree. Garland stretches above it, and there’s a Santa flag there, too.
Step over the threshold, and there’s a common reaction. “Mouths drop open upon seeing the lights, decorations and displays,” Susan says. Twinkling hellos are 25 Christmas trees trimmed to the hilt, and decor ranging from snowmen that will never melt, reindeer waiting to be harnessed to a sleigh, angels singing, and elves busy at work.
Many describe this moment as magical. It’s been the impetus for generations of families and groups of friends to share annual outings to The Pink Sleigh. Susan says, “People tear up and reminisce about past visits like those with their grandparents.” Observing memories being made caused former employee Betsy McHaley to keep a box of tissues for herself at the check-out station. “Watching these shared traditions always made me teary,”
she says. Though McHaley no longer works at the shop, she’s passed her love of the store down to a new generation of her own, teenage daughter Corinna Hofler. McHaley says, “I wanted Cori to have what was for me one of the best experiences of my life.”
The barn is filled with items waiting to become family heirlooms, from old-world European glass ornaments to those that celebrate milestones. German nutcrackers, advent calendars and incense burners are also big draws. Collectors vie for everything from Jim Shore’s Santas and snowmen to Byers’ Choice Carolers, which are crafted in Pennsylvania. Not to be left out are Italian Fontanini nativity scenes and ornaments from Poland, Peru and Thailand. There are all things Christmas tree, from lights and toppers to garlands and skirts. Need a snow globe or stocking
for the mantle? The Pink Sleigh has those, too.
With all these delicate treasures on hand, one might wonder who’s tending to things in the workshop. That would be Susan’s husband and shop co-owner Brett. He quietly ensures everything is in working order and that the shop is infused with magic. What moniker would holiday romantics bequeath upon Mother Christmas’s spouse? What better than Father Christmas?
The Pink Sleigh
512 Essex Road (Route 153), Westbrook
860-399-6926, thepinksleigh.com
Open daily through Dec. 24
This article originally appeared in Connecticut Magazine. Follow on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag.