Packing up the holiday STUFF!

I don't think I'm alone when I say I kind of enjoy the after Christmas "cleanse". Suddenly with the tree gone, the garland gone, and the millions of other decorations packed away, I remember that I actually do have quite a bit of room in my house! That is until Christmas break is over and normal chaos sneaks its way back onto the countertops and into the family room. This is why I so enjoy taking the time to really clean after Christmas. Here are a few tips to get the house clean this year and save you time and energy next holiday season!

1) Instead of just shoving everything back in boxes, really decide what holiday decorations you love and which ones have seen a little too much love. Then go buy some durable storage containers (I got mine at Walmart for $5 a piece and they are HUGE!) and pack in groupings that make sense to you. Labels always help as well! This will save you time and hassle for next year's unpacking.

(Zoe packing up the gift wrap for next year)

2) Make a donation pile. I find that when I'm making room in the garage for storage, I usually find at least a few items that are no longer being used. Don't just leave things sitting in the garage - if you haven't used it for over a year, you probably won't ever use it! One person's trash is another person's treasure - so donate it! Donating is a great way to make room in the kid's rooms as well. A great idea before moving all the new presents into the bedroom is to ask your children to bring out a few of their old toys or clothes that they would like to give for a child who may need it more then them. The best time to clear out the old is when your child is distracted by all the new goodies!

3) Clean out that fridge! With all the holiday entertaining, it is easy to end up with more tupperware in the fridge than you know what to do with. Resign to the fact that Aunt Susie's meatloaf is probably not going to be eaten two weeks later and throw it out! This is a great time to just scrub the shelves, check expiration dates, and, heck clean up the pantry while you're at it. You'll feel much better about your New Year's resolution diet with a clean slate to start with!

4) Lastly, enjoy the fruits of your labor and relax in your freshly organized house.

(Zoe takes a nap after a hard day's work!)

We hope 2009 is your best year yet!

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Happy Sunday

We hope everyone had a lovely holiday. We'll see you at the store tomorrow!

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Sale Tomorrow!

A little Christmas Birdie (she calls herself Bev) told me that we will be having a 20% off sale on EVERYTHING *gasp* tomorrow and Tuesday! This is news people! This might be bigger than Obama. Think of all the Christmas shopping you could get done with discounts like that!!! And for two whole days! This sale includes everything - furniture, bedding, apparel, jewelry - anything that isn't previously marked down.

I'm pretty sure by 9:30am tomorrow I'm going to feel like a bouncer at a club with the line that will be forming around the store. I'm excited, and I want to see you all there! Start forming your wishlist today!

While you're patiently waiting for The Willows to open our doors (please don't camp out guys - it's really cold outside!), I thought I would provide you with Kim's amazingly yummy family recipe for Spinach Dip. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Chopped Jalepenos
2 Large Tomatoes Deseeded and Chopped
8 oz Cream Cheese (soft)
1/3 cup half & half
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

In medium bowl, mix all ingredients. Pour into buttered oven dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or small breads.

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Our "Adopted Family"

In true Christmas spirit, we'd like to ask all of you to search your homes and see if you have any baby or adult furniture you might donate for our "adopted family", a darling single mom we all know as "mami" and her adorable son Daniel.

Daniel is without a crib, a high-chair, a car-seat, or any bedding. Please let The Willows know if you have anything you would like to donate to Daniel or his mom (she is in need of many basic amenities as well). We will gather it here at the store and deliver it personally to them. Please call us first at 602-334-1345 and let us know what you will be bringing by so we may make arrangements. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

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Only one more week until Christmas!

One of our dear friends from the Midwest sent us a picture of her tree in Riverfalls, Wisconsin! We're so jealous of her gorgeous natural background of white snow she has when she opens her windows! However, this is a home you don't want to leave to bear the elements outside - instead, why not just cuddle up in a chair by the tree, dim the lights, and enjoy the view while sipping on hot cocoa or maybe baileys and coffee?



Wherever you are this Christmas, we hope you are in the company of those you love.

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Sale Today!

We decided to give our Christmas Present to you early! 50% off all holiday items! Hurry - people have been rushing in since 9:30am to snatch up all the holiday goodies! Want to know about the sales ahead of time? Sign up to be on our email list in-store or go to http://www.willowshomeandgarden.com/ and click on the contact us link. There you will find a place to join our email newsletter!

Don't worry - we won't send you a million emails. We like to send out only a couple every month to let you know about the really big events and sales!

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Pomegranate Martini

Ok, here is a fun treat for a girl's night or a holiday party! Jen's Pomegranate Martini - drink slowly!

You will need - 1 pomegranate

1 jar of Simply Cosmopolitan mixer (found by the liquors at Frys)

Any unflavored Vodka (I prefer Grey Goose)

Ice

Fresh Limes

Granulated Sugar

Shaker

Martini Glasses

Salt Rimmer

How to Make:

First-Prepare your pomegranate, take out the seeds and put them in a bowl to freeze them (make sure they're dry first!)

Cut a lime in fourths and set aside. Pour sugar in a salt rimmer.

Then, mix your drink! Pour two shots of vodka and four shots of simply cosmopolitan in the shaker with ice and shake away!

Take your lime and run around the length of your martini glass making sure to wet the entire rim of the glass. Then swish around in your sugar rimmer! This makes the perfect sugar rim for your drink.

Grab your frozen pomegranate seeds and put about 10-15 in each martini glass. These are the perfect little treat when you get to the bottom!

Pour and serve. Delish!

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Golden Light, Liquid Gold...

I love a good project, especially one that has such fine bones.
The foyer is south facing and the light pours in most of the day, heaven. The space also features warm hued pumpkin pine floors, a warm and creamy yellow trim and a stairwell that is worthy of Scarlett O'Hara. Yes good bones indeed. The challenge was to pull it all together, add carpet to the stairs and a color that would reflect the history (the home was built in the early 1800's) and help to make the space sing with warmth, color and sophistication.

The carpet on the stairs is a palette of rich gold and creams, is wool and features a classic and timeless design. Perfect and it also helps with the overall "glow factor". The color chosen for the walls is a rich caramel with a satin finish, from Sherwin Williams, I love their paint colors and finishes. Often times they have sales and it is a good idea to shop during the sales as it can be a substantial savings more paint for your buck! Paint is now "Green" which is a good thing however it can be a pricey investment.

Adding a few well chosen pieces of art and sculpture help to keep the space peaceful and well appointed, yet livable, approachable and above all warm and friendly.

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Home for the Holidays

Feel like a white Christmas? Lisa was kind enough to send over some pictures from her beautiful home in true Christmas style. This is the kind of home you want to pluck from the pages of a magazine, and never leave once you have it. I know Lisa has had many wonderful memories of Christmas in her home, what's yours? Send a picture of your Christmas tree and your favorite Christmas memory to willowsdesign@gmail.com and we'll post it here for everyone to see. More Willowettes homes coming soon!

Don't you just want to warm yourself by the fire? Happy Holidays everyone!

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Cross bottles are back!

Our beloved cross bottles are back in! I know many of you have been waiting patiently since they were featured in Phoenix Home and Garden, and then we ran out of them the very next day! We now have new crown stoppers! Beautiful to display in any princess boudoir, bathroom, or even on a vanity! Fill them with lace, scented beads, oils or leave them empty - they are beautiful as is.

Please call us at the store for more information on any bottles you see.

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Fabulous Find!

Bev decided to enjoy Balboa for the weekend - however, you can take the girl out of The Willows but you can't take The Willows out of the girl. Bev was just doing some window shopping and happened across the most amazing garden chairs we had to have for the store. Not 10 minutes later, Jen was getting an urgent call at the store to order these chairs for The Willows!




These chairs are made of Mango wood and rusted metal in a shape that give the chairs a rustic but elegant flair. We will be taking orders shortly!

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Mirror, mirror on the wall...

One of our vendors is having a mirror sale, and we thought you might like to know! The mirrors are whimsical and fun - perfect for a child's room or first apartment! And at these discounts, you'll actually be able to look yourself in the mirror the next day (did you get my mirror joke there?).

Cloud Mirror (other finishes available)
40"x53"

Originally: $509

Now: $405

Star Mirror (other finishes available)

32"x45"

Originally: $597 Now: $479

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Black Friday

We don't know about you, but we're stuffed! We rolled, literally rolled, out of bed this morning, put on our "big girl" jeans and made it to the store to work off some of those extra pounds. We are happy to see a lot of you avoided the mall chaos today and decided to do some relaxing boutique shopping instead. Our holiday stuff just keeps going so come quick!

We thought it might be fun to share some of our favorite holiday recipes with all of you to try for Christmas. We will be posting various recipes to try in the coming weeks. This amazing dessert was one of the culprits of yesterday's food coma. Bev even enjoys sneaking a piece of this to bed for a midnight snack!

Rum Cake:

Ingredients:

1 box yellow or butter pecan cake mix

1 box 3 1/2 oz instant vanilla pudding

(Note: if using cake mix with pudding already in the mix, omit instant pudding, use 3 eggs instead of 4, 1/2 cup oil instead of 1/2 cup oil.)

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup dark rum

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients (except pecans). Beat for 2-3 minutes. Place chopped pecans in bottom of a well greased and floured Bundt Pan. Pour batter over nuts, bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sauce:

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup rum

Boil above ingredients together for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour cooked mixture over cake when cake has cooled for 5 minutes, while cake still in the Bundt pan. Let stand for 1 hour. Turn over on cake plate.

Enjoy!!

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Family, Friends and a Feast...

Thanksgiving Celebration. The food? Wonderful. The table arrangements? Fabulous. My favorite part? Everyone who gathers around that very special table. I love to listen to their stories. I like to think of all of the Thanksgiving Dinners each person has been a part of since they were young.


Collectively when each of us sits down for the big dinner we bring our own traditions and memories with us.



I think of how many folks are no longer with us and the love and camaraderie we have shared with so many friends, family and neighbors over the decades. Time moves quickly and it brings tears of joy and a bittersweet note to my memories of this special day of sharing, breaking of bread and just being. I was blessed to be able to have a dinner made by my Mother, she loves to get up early and make the stuffing and cook the Turkey. My darling sister hosted this years celebration. It was lovely, of course. We set the table, cut a few boughs of Magnolia Leaves, such a glossy green with that fabulous copper underside, we then mixed in a sprigs of variegated euyonomous and added a bit of ribbon for color and for good measure added a few antique Czech birds. We had the pleasure of a sunny almost 70 degree day and some wonderful moments hanging out on the sun-drenched veranda. Lovely. I hope your day was as beautiful.

PS:Prayers to dear Niki who passed away today, she is my brother-in-laws mother and grandmother to my nephews, Geoff and Zachary. We received the news at supper. Warren was surrounded by a table of family and friends who love him. Life is a circle.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends! We hope tomorrow finds you all in the company of those you love the most. We hope your feasts are bountiful, your hearts are warm and your homes are bustling. Most of all, we hope you look past all that has yet to be accomplished and just be thankful for all that you have.

We at The Willows are thankful for all of you - our loyal customers for so many years. Thank you and have a safe and happy holiday!

Stop by Friday (we open at 11am!) for our Holiday Sale!! 20% off Holiday and 60% off Fall!

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Feel like a hobo?

Hobo bags are amazing - we couldn't live without their wallets with 5 million compartments and their clutches that hold more than just a lipgloss. However, have you checked out their amazing purses? Order yours now for the holidays! Need a travel tote, a going-to-holiday-parties clutch, or even a throw-everything-in-it-and-go bag? They have them, and they have them with style!

Come see what we have in store, and if we don't have it, we'll happily order it for you in time for Christmas! Even Santa doesn't work that fast!

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Serving 100

If you are planning on having lots of family over for Thanksgiving like we are, you will want to replenish your serving pieces. Why not make your table beautiful with Vietri's Incanto collection filled with stripes, olive leaves, lace and baroque? All pieces are hand-crafted Italian pieces that are dishwasher and microwave safe*. Best of all, this white collection looks fabulous mixed with any existing colors you may have lying around in your cupboards. Why not make the presentation of your meal just as memorable as the meal itself? Maybe this way they won't hold it against you if you overcook the turkey.

*careful loading and energy cycle recommended for dishwasher. Dishware may be hot when taken out of microwave.

Why not even go out on a limb and spruce up that guest bathroom of yours? Your loved ones will thank you! Preview Vietri's exquisite bathrooom Incanto pieces.

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Just something cute...

I was at Lisa's house a couple of weeks ago, and was trying to take a picture of her little angel Zoe. I accidently took a little video instead, and it was just so cute I had to share it with all of you. Enjoy - I hope it brightens up your morning!

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I think of you whenever you're not around

Well we can't keep track of what day it is because our doors were open this past Sunday for the first annual Indian School block party! We had a lot of fun, and it was great meeting a lot of new locals who were not familiar with our store! It was fun as always to have our friends from Olive Annie and Raph to hang out with us outside on a beautiful day!

Just because we love Olive Annie so, it is important that we mention they are staying open late tonight (till 8pm) just because! They will have a palm reader there which should be lots of fun! We will be there, and we hope to see you too!

On a side note, Happy Birthday to our web designer Tiff! Another year older, smarter and more beautiful inside and out.

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Thanksgiving Traditions ...

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It is filled with camaraderie, beautiful table settings and the some of the most lovingly prepared food of the year. I have always loved the annual ritual of catching up with friends and family.

When I was a girl, my Mother hosted legendary Thanksgiving dinners. Relatives from both sides of the family regularly attended. The list of guests always included great grandmothers, ancient aunts, grandparents, uncles, cousins, babies and friends as well as assorted orphans who had nowhere else to go. A truly memorable and predictable scene was an elderly Uncle who showed up with a pie carrier, which he designed and built himself. His tradition was to spend the several days before Thanksgiving making pies. Oh, they were yummy. Ahhh, I sigh when I remember the feeling of goodness associated with this magic day.

When I became an adult I continued the Thanksgiving tradition. For years my husband and I hosted dinners of up to 50 people. It was fun, fun , fun. I know it sounds like a set up for everything to go wrong and be a disaster, but it never was, it was always a four day, joyful, weekend adventure. We relived this tradition for over a decade at our farm in Malibu, California. We usually had our dinner at tables set up under a 500-year-old oak tree that shaded the back patio. The day was always golden. Lovely sunshine with a few puffy clouds and the sound of chickens clucking in the distance mixed with laughter and the clinking of wine glasses.
Yes, Thanksgiving perfection.

Last year I had an even dozen at the table, it was indoors, lovely and fun. Maine does not offer the outdoor dining experience as late into the year as Malibu. This year my sister in North Carolina is hosting the big celebration. I believe there will be a dozen folks, all coming together for shared laughter, storytelling and an amazing meal.

Since I am a guest this year I started thinking about bringing a side dish that is elegant and does not require oven space. The kitchen activity is always at a breakneck pace for the last 20 minutes before the meal is served. With this in mind I have decided I will bring a fresh, organic and interesting salad. I will take it out of the fridge 1 hour before the meal to bring it up to room temperature and add the dressing just before it is ready to be served.
I am a fan of simple greens such as Arugula, Baby Romaine or even an Herb Salad mix. I will toss in some almonds, a bit of dried blueberries, some sliced mushrooms, and some homemade croutons. Later when I dress the salad I will use a light homemade vinaigrette composed of olive oil, herb vinegar, (my special stash) some fresh cut basil and a bit of fresh parsley, some pepper with a generous amount of ground garlic. This dressing is simple, fresh and a perfect addition to all of the other traditional dishes.


Enjoy this special holiday and take a moment to remember what you are thankful for. At our family table we always have each person stand up and share with the group what they are thankful for during this past year. It is a wonderful tradition. Bon Appetite.

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Open House and Playhouse

Thank you to all of our friends who came to our holiday open house last night - it was such a success! We are glad so many of you could take a little of The Willows home with you! We had so much fun decorating the store for our open house, and we're so happy it was well received. It's amazing, isn't it, what a small thing like an ornament or a holly candle can do to lift the spirit. There is something about twinkling lights on a tree, the background Christmas music, and lots of greens, reds and whites that just put smiles on our faces.

For those of you with little ones, Raph infant & child at 4747 E Thomas Suites A&B Phoenix 85008 is having their holiday open house this Saturday the 15th from 10am-9pm. Happyjack Photography will be there as well - set up your Christmas photos early this year so you're not running around Mid-december looking for matching outfits for the kids to wear when everything is sold out! Call Raph at 602-956-3077 for more details!

Last Saturday, we felt the spirit of giving when we joined other volunteers and sponsors for an amazing project for The Foundation for Blind Children. Read on to see what we accomplished.

What can you do with 200 friends?

Build a village...

This past Saturday The Willows joined several other groups and organizations who volunteered their time and money to build playhouses for the Foundation for Blind Children.

Here is our house!

Starting out the day.

We had so much fun choosing colors, fabrics, and even musical instruments that were most appealing to the children! Did you know that children who are classified as blind can tell the distinction between black, white, yellow and red the best? Did they say black and white? How fitting for The Willows!
The Willows worked diligently until it was so dark we couldn't see - hours after everyone else had already left. Bev even came back and worked Sunday to make sure all the details were in place.

What do you think of the details?

Go to http://www.seeitourway.org/getInvolved.html to find out how you can get involved with this amazing organization!

Happy Holidays!

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