TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa is getting some extra sparkle and shine for Christmas this year.
"We're Tulsa's only Christmas store," said Jere and Amber Welch in unison, the mother and daughter pair behind Amber Marie and Company.
This season the two businesswomen have done something they've never done before: created a store devoted to Christmas.
"We wanted to bring Christmas magic to Utica square in the coolest way possible," Amber said. "When children walk in, we wanted their eyes to light up with Christmas time."
The store is a decadent decking of the halls with Santa, the sugar plum fairy, reindeer, and even retro elves.
"We have a new saying that it's not done until it's overdone!" Amber and Jere say together.
So they created a winter wonderland inside the old Pottery Barn Kids space. "Hundreds of thousands of ornaments. Over 25 trees are fully decked and decorated. I don't know miles of garland, and yards, and yards, yards, and yards of ribbon," says Jere.
This Utica Square collaboration is the latest business for the mother-daughter pair. They've been working together for 18 years. It's a career calling that started with a garage sale.
"We made $500 at our garage sale and turned it into a business. It was awesome. It's just grown every year, and we've just been blessed every year," says Amber.
The Christmas store is just one of three stores they have right now. They opened a new Amber Marie and Company along Route 66 in Sapulpa in September, and they have a south Tulsa location too.
"We are a Lifestyle store. We have everything where people can live a beautiful lifestyle, from clothing all the way to furniture to home decor. You can get anything you could possibly need all under one roof," says Amber.
Amber Marie and Company isn't just having success locally. This year they won a national retail excellence award for social media and online initiatives. The pair is well known for their fun Thursday night lives and monthly "Blingo" nights.
"It was so exciting, and they were so gracious, and for us to win of all over the United States, it was a real honor," says Jere.
Jere and Amber have a passion for what they do and this community. They are known for supporting fundraisers year-round.
"They can have a fundraising party at Amber Marie and Company where we give all the way up to 25% of our sales for the party," says Amber. A Little Lighthouse fundraiser is happening now through their annual letters to Santa mailbox at the south Tulsa store.
While Amber Marie and Company is delivering Christmas in its biggest way yet this year, the ladies are quick to point out it's with a spirit of Thanksgiving.
"What we attribute our success to is that our customers have come out, and they've just shopped us in a big way. They've shopped local, and supporting local means the world to us," says Amber.
Amber Marie and Company a gift store run by a dynamic duo who knows all too well that family is life's greatest gift. "We're family. Our employees are like family. Our customers are like family, and we hope that each person that walks through this door that they feel that," says Amber.
The Christmas store will be open through January. The ladies also tell us that some decor items will be switched out for gifts as it gets closer to Christmas. Learn more online here.
You can catch this full Positively Oklahoma story Friday at 6 p.m.
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