Jill's Hallmark Rolls Out Fall Selection

For most of us, summer is just winding down. We haven’t even begun to think about the upcoming holidays. But for the staff of in Forks Township, merchandise changes with the seasons. Literally.

Jill’s Hallmark, found in the Town Center Plaza on Sullivan Trail, is the youngest of three like-minded gift stores in the greater Lehigh Valley. The Forks spot, along with its sister stores in Easton and Brodheadsville, are owned by Michael Roselli, who named the stores after his daughter, Jill.

Although Jill’s Hallmark is independently owned, it is an affiliate of Hallmark, and thus carries all things associated with the gift-oriented corporation -- things like a wide selection of greeting cards, the popular line of Keepsake ornaments and a variety of giftware.

But unlike regular Hallmark stores, Jill’s carries an eclectic array of niche gift items, ranging from moms and dads, to sports fans, to specific events like communions and baptisms.

“We go to gift shows all the time,” said store manager Kim Roselli, the daughter-in-law of Michael Roselli. “If people mention something they like, we’ll try to get it in here.”

The store’s selection of knick-knacks would have any collector drooling. The attractive line of Jim Shore figurines and popular Willow Tree lines are hand-carved and painted by artisans. According to Roselli, both collections are top sellers.

The store also carries a full selection of the lovable Precious Moments mementos, Yankee candles and Mylar or latex balloons for any occasion. A recent addition to the store -- greeting cards with postage-paid envelopes -- are handy for bulky or irregularly shaped cards that the post office would normally charge extra to ship.

Roselli estimates that her store goes through seven or eight seasonal changes in a year, starting and ending with the biggest ones--Valentine’s Day and Christmas.

“In November we have an open house to kick off Christmas items,” she said. “It’s a spotlight for the holiday season.”

The store’s gift and card selections cover just about any occasion or event you could think of--baptisms, weddings, births, sports and more.

“That’s actually a big thing, cheerleading and dance recitals,” commented store employee Margaret Hill.

A distinctly unique feature of Jill’s Hallmark is its assortment of chocolates. The store sells Lancaster-based Asher’s Chocolates --peanut clusters and nonpareils, for instance -- by the pound.

Jill’s Hallmark is at 291 Town Center Boulevard. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 8pm, and Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

The store is already rolling out the Halloween and fall merchandise, reminding us that it’s never too early to start holiday shopping.