The Willows Home & Garden

New York!

2012-01-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

We landed in New York yesterday and are already having the greatest time! We will be finding lots of wonderful things to bring back for the store (and maybe a few for ourselves), as well as eating our way through this great city! More to come...

Friday Madness!

2012-01-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

Have you had your eye on that certain beautiful Bella Notte duvet or what about those luscious Matteo euro shams? Well now is the time to stop by and freshen up your bed! Take advantage of our 25% OFF sale on ALL bedding and tabletop linens! We have a large selection of timeless, luxurious, and washable bedding to choose from.

Also, come and take a peek at all of our fabulous tabletop linens!

Mark your calendars!

Our February First Friday Flea Market is just around the corner!

Come and shop the month of love with the very talented artists and crafters that will be here with all of your Valentine's essentials!

Wishing you a very happy and relaxing weekend!

the mess before the beauty

2012-01-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

I love seeing before pictures of lovely places to see how they were transformed. To see what people looked at and then what they saw and how they made that come to life. I hope our garden shop is lovely. Here is where we are at right now...

It is about to get a lot messier when we rip out this wall to put in a garage door...

And our little garden mascot, Ninja...

a party

2012-01-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

So, the flowers Krista and I made were all for this amazing party we had the pleasure of helping out with. We helped with little gifts by the front door and presents to take home. And, of course, flowers throughout. It all looked so beautiful. Thank you to the lovely hostess! We loved working with you!

more flowers

2012-01-23T20:39:00.001-07:00

Krista and I were hard at work again last week on flower arrangements. There is just something about buying flowers in bulk that makes me happy. Aren't they lovely even just in the plastic all bunched together? More to come on the final product and the beautiful party they were for...

Friday Madness!

2012-01-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

Shoes- A girl's best friend, right?

Well for this Friday Madness we are marking all of our shoes down to 25% OFF!

We have the most adorable Anniel lace up shoes and booties in a variety of fun colors.

Also, don't miss out on the amazing Bensimon shoes- the ultimate comfort and stylish shoe. Very French.

'Two things you can never have too many of, good friends and good shoes."

This weekend: Forget about your New Year's resolution for one night and go ahead and have that glass of wine.. or two. Who's counting anyways?

a new salad

2012-01-18T16:06:00.001-07:00

New to me, at least. I love getting new inspirations for salads, since I always seem to make the same one. So, I thought I would pass along this salad, in case you are looking for a new one to try also. My daughter in law made this the other night and brought it over for dinner. She was inspired by a salad she had at a local restaurant recently and it really is so delicious and so very good for you. What a great way to start off the new year with a new healthy recipe to add to your rotation. Let us know if you try it and what you think!

Kale salad
- chopped kale
- chopped carrots
- chopped snap peas
- chopped roasted brussel sprouts
- corn
- craisins
- sliced almonds
- parmesan cheese

toss all ingredients in olive oil and lemon juice and serve. (or devour!)

kim's wedding flowers

2012-01-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend! Mine was spent at a volleyball tournament most of the weekend, which I actually love. Since my daughter started playing volleyball I have really come to love the sport. And in down time between matches I bring all my magazines and never get bored for a minute! Anyway, thank you all for your comments and emails about the new addition to the store! I am so excited about it all and the endless possibilities. I thought I would share the flower arrangements Krista and I made for Kim's wedding just before Christmas. We love using non-conventional containers for the flowers such as old boxes and other flea market finds. So, what do you think?

a little something i have been dreaming about...

2012-01-13T16:57:00.001-07:00

For quite some time now I have been dreaming of opening a little garden shop or garden section attached to the Willows. I spend my drives to California imagining just how it will look, what I will sell, the beauty and whimsy of it all. Well, with the help of my lovely employee and "master gardener" Krista, this dream will soon be a reality. We have started construction on the front west side of our building and we hope to have the loveliest of little garden shops open to all in the next few months. I will keep you posted as it comes along, but I just thought I would share this exciting news and some of the pictures I have been drooling over as I wait for it all to become a reality! So, what would you want in your local garden shop? What would draw you in? Please share!

(photo sources - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)

Friday Madness!

2012-01-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here it is!

The sale of all sales.. This Friday we are marking the entire sale room down to 75% OFF!!

Now is your chance to come and grab some fabulous treasures at the lowest price possible.

We have everything back there from apparel, to CDs, to lamps, to bar stools, a couch, and much more!

This is one you don't want to miss out on!

The sale is on Friday only and all sales are final.

Just a friendly reminder to all of our lovely friends..

"Angels are watching over you.

You are loved and blessed."

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend and we hope to see you tomorrow!

hot off the press!

2012-01-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

The latest edition of the always lovely Jeanne d'Arc Living Magazine just came in.

This one is just as beautiful as the previous ones, if not more! (They just keep getting better!)

It is jammed full of gorgeous photos and inspiration on every page.

It is definitely one to add to your collection.

If you haven't started yours yet, stop by today and pick up your copy!

It is also available for purchase over at our online shop!

Here's a small glimpse inside the pages of Jeanne d'Arc Living..

armoire

2012-01-10T19:50:00.001-07:00

One of the best Christmas presents I saw this year was this little armoire. My son has a friend who gave his wife this "new wardrobe" for her gift this Christmas. Isn't it just perfect? What woman doesn't get frustrated with the same old clothes and lament that she wishes she "just had a whole new wardrobe"? What a perfect way to put this gift together. I am blown away by its creativeness. Now if she wants to come down to the Willows and trade those little shirts in for some in her size, we would be more than happy to help her with this new wardrobe. And you, too, of course! Come see all the lovely things in our apparel section. Just one or two new things sometimes makes you feel like you do have a whole new wardrobe!

an epiphany party

2012-01-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

Last night we had some of the grandkids over for a little Epiphany party to celebrate the end of the Christmas season. We had our three kings and a lovely little procession of cute kids around the house, ending at the Christmas tree where there were treat bags for each of them (bought and packaged at smeeks!). Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season this year! We thoroughly enjoyed ours!

The lips and mustaches in the goodie bags definitely provided us with some major giggles...

new years 2012

2012-01-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful New Year's Eve celebration with lots of friends and family in California again this year. We ate, drank, played games, laughed and had a wonderful time. It was so nice to get away to Balboa for a little while after the Christmas madness, but now its time to get this new year and these resolutions underway! Hope everyone had a wonderful time ringing in 2012!

Friday Madness! (it's a little extra mad this time)

2012-01-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Out with the old, in with the new!

30% OFF ENTIRE STORE!

(*excluding furniture*)

60% OFF ENTIRE SALE ROOM!

It has been freshly restocked with loads of wonderful treasures!

We have decided to forgo having a Flea Market this Friday. This is due to the fact that we are just emerging from the hectic holiday season and we are all still unwinding from that, right?

However, in place of the flea market, we are going to make this Friday Madness our biggest yet!!

We are making room for all of the fabulous finds we have coming in for the new year.

This is one you don't want to miss friends!

and just like that its gone...

2012-01-04T15:48:00.002-07:00

Is Christmas really over? I honestly cannot believe it. Several weeks ago now, we had our family Christmas party with an outrageous scavenger hunt, dinner at Pizzeria Bianco, delicious desserts and a gift exchange back home. It is always so fun to have a night all together, just adults to eat, drink and laugh like crazy. Unfortunately, I don't really have any pictures of the scavenger hunt, but I'm not so sure we should share all that craziness anyway. From there it was one thing to the next straight through until Christmas and then off to California for a week to ring in the new year. With the madness that is always the holidays between family and the store, then throw on top some other things we had going on in our lives, the time has just flown by. And this poor little blog has been neglected through it all. So, hopefully the New Year will find us some time to get things going around here again. Did you miss us? We missed you!

Friday Madness!

2011-12-29T13:37:00.001-07:00

For this Friday Madness we are doing 25% off ALL clear glassware!

Also, 50% off all New Year's accessories!

So stop by and pick up all your essentials for your New Year's Eve party!

We have gorgeous champagne glasses, wine glasses, votive holders, vases, 2012 flag skewers and much more!

Here's a toast to the future, A toast to the past, A toast to our friends, far and near. May the future be pleasant; The past a bright dream; May our friends remain faithful and dear.

-Anonymous

What is your New Year's resolution?

Friday Madness!

2011-12-22T16:58:00.001-07:00

This Friday Madness is a little extra mad...
We are feeling a bit festive so, we are putting all RED and GREEN merchandise on sale.
That's right- any items that are red or green will be 25% OFF!
Think Red Currant candles, green ribbon...etc. Stop by, be creative, and hunt down your red or green treasure.

Also, ALL of our holiday merchandise is 60% OFF!
Now is the time to stop by and grab a little extra holiday cheer to add to your Christmas festivities!
Pick up your favorite holiday candle, peppermints, ornaments, garland and much more!

Wishing each and every one of you the happiest of holidays spent laughing, eating, and relaxing with your family!

Friday Madness!

2011-12-15T17:12:00.001-07:00

Do you need any last minute holiday gifts? Or what about a little something new to add to your winter wardrobe? ALL of our winter apparel is 25% off for Friday Madness!

Luscious long sleeve Michael Stars... Buttery soft Julie Park sweaters.. The perfect light weight coat for our Arizona winters...

Stop by and pick up a few stylishly chic winter must-haves from The Willows!

During the hustle and bustle of the holidays.. always remember:

"Live in the moment and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering."

-Fanny Crosby-

now available!

2011-12-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

So, the aprons I made for Chris Bianco are finally on sale in the little market section at Pane Bianco! Perfect timing for Christmas! Run in a get one for that person in your life who loves to cook (or even that person who loves to look authentic while standing in their kitchen drinking wine...)! Hurry to get yours, because I won't be making anymore before the holidays!

a girls' day out

2011-12-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

I took some of the granddaughters out for 10 year old Charlotte's birthday for lunch and some shopping. For such big age gaps, they are all so sweet together and get along so well. Isn't it the best to have cousins? We had a wonderful afternoon, with the exception of one little snafu... poor Lucy got stuck in a dress she tried on when the zipper wouldn't pull back down. It took about 7 adults and finally the woman from alterations to get her out of it a good 20 minutes later! There were some tears (not only by Lucy... poor Ruby was very upset about it all, as well), but who knew a free drink coupon could put smiles back on their faces so quickly. Cheers to family!

Willows' Holiday Gift Guide 2011

2011-12-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

For the mom who loves her kitchen (and her wine)...

Our "Vin" stemless wine glasses.

Our "Vin" wine carafe.

Wine charms.

Tartine cookbook.

A beautiful dish towel.

For your luxurious friend...

A Bella Notte bathrobe.

Amazing sea salts.

Any of our lovely Jewel-ya necklaces.

The perfect candle to make her home smell delicious for the holidays.

For your artsy sister...

A FEED bracelet that comes in the perfect little coin pouch.

A FEED bag for trips to the farmer's market.

Anniel Booty shoes.

One of our amazing Dos Fannies necklaces or bracelets.

For your organized friend...

Any of the awesome treasures in our stationary section.

A stylish binder.

A modern file organizer.

A 2012 calendar pad.

An array of fun (and useful) decorative tapes.

A stamp set.

For those amazing little ones in your life...

A little friend to snuggle with on chilly nights.

The coolest back pack around.

Magnetic wooden blocks.

Please don't hesitate to call the store if you have any questions!

We would love to help you find that perfect holiday gift!

Friday Madness!

2011-12-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

Do you still need that certain ornament for your ornament exchange at your holiday party, or what about just a little something new to add to your Christmas decorations?

This is a Friday Madness you don't want to miss!

Although we still have two weeks until Christmas, we decided to put ALL of our holiday merchandise on sale!

Stop by and take 30% OFF anything and everything holiday!

Wishing you all a very happy and festive weekend spent drinking hot cocoa, lounging around the fireplace with your family, and listening to Christmas music while wrapping presents.

snow globes

2011-12-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

On Thanksgiving we had the kids (ok, and the moms, too) make this simple, easy and adorable little craft. Basically it is snow globes without the water and glycerin and extra mess. I think they turned out really cute and everyone seemed to have so much fun making them. Basically, you just glue your scene to the inside lid of a mason jar, fill the jar with just a bit of fake snow, screw the top on and you're done! What a very sweet little Christmas decoration (or gift) they make. Have you made anything fun this year for the holidays?

flea markets and pop-up cafes

2011-12-06T20:04:00.001-07:00

Well, I have to say this last Friday our Flea Market was quite a success! We had all sorts of amazing vendors, a beautiful pop-up cafe from Chestnut Lane and a lovely crowd of shoppers! All sorts of wonderful Christmas gifts were purchased and everyone seemed to be enjoying something delicious from Chestnut Lane. It was a wonderful day and thank you so much to everyone who made it out!