I LOVE ....

It's the month of Valentine's Day and we are just a week away from it!    Make your family feel special by incorporating just a few of these ideas!

1. First of all, add a few touches of Valentine's around the house by adding some PINK or RED.   Use a Glass Hurricane and fill it with Grocery Store Items that are red or pink and white like
1. M&M's
2. Conversation Hearts
3. Red Hots

4. Hershey's Kisses
5. or use colored glass beads to create your "look"

(Create a centerpiece on your kitchen table by adding a pretty glass platter or distinctive tray  UNDER your glass hurricane to create a more substantial base to your hurricane.  It really makes a statement piece)

How do you create extra special Valentine's touches around the house for your family?

Super Bowl Appetizers! What's Your Favorite?

It's almost Super Bowl Sunday and I'm all about the munchies!!!    I thought I would share my favorite recipes for you to enjoy!  These recipes always get RAVE reviews everywhere I take them!    Please share your favorites! 

Southwestern Salsa with Black Beans and Corn

1 ½ tsp. cumin seeds

2 ( 15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 red pepper, minced

1 small purple onion minced – 1 cup

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup lime juice

¼ cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

½ tsp salt

1 tsp dried crushed red pepper

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

TOAST cupen seeds in a skillet oer medium heat 1-2 min. or until brown and fragrant, stirring often.   Combine cumin seeds with all ingredients and toss well.  Cover and store in refrigerator up to 1 week!

Makes a small mixing bowl full!

Spring it Up!

Oh how hard it is to think of Spring as "just around the corner" but it really is!   The days are getting a bit longer....

If you want to "get the look" that's IN this spring.. check out clear tinted glassware that makes a room feel light.. and airy and almost like the shore!   These can be stand-alone pieces or you can add some texture to your smooth glass pieces by adding pussy willow, cherry blossoms, curley willow or some bamboo sticks.... you pick your style!  

You can get these beautiful glasses at many stores but I do have to brag that while doing my research, I found that you can get these at Pottery Barn for anywhere from $99-$279 while at Willow House you can pick them up for just $49-$79 and you can also get them for FREE, 50% off or even 70% off if you invite friends over to take a peek!      I happen to love giving free stuff away, so call me to pencil in YOUR get together this Spring!   February- just announced...DOUBLE HOST CREDITS!!!  I just gave away $2K in free product last month.. do you want to get some of that?  Just call me!

Closets

Thank you everyone for great ideas! We're going to talk about closets! I'd love for you to share your best ideas too! Here's a few tips you may enjoy when organizing your closets.

1. Purge! I know it seems obvious but don't just organize your closet without getting rid of all the things you have not worn in the past 18-24 months. Get it out. There are things that are going to be obvious that you know you need to get rid of but there are things that you just won't be able to decide on purging. Hang on... I have a solution for you!
2. Sort things by color. It makes selecting clothes so much easier when you go In the closet and you know you feel like wearing a particular color and you can find it. You can arrange colored clothes in seasons too. If you don't have space in your closet for all your clothes then you can move seasons of clothes in and out of your closet but make sure you purge every time you change over your closet for the season. Another idea you can implement is to turn all your hangers backwards and when you wear something in your closet, turn the hanger the right way. You'll know what items you are wearing and you can purge without guilt.
3. There are lots of fun organizing accessories you can get to help you make it look great in your closet and help you keep things organized. Use all the same color hangers to make your closet look "together". Or use two different colored hangers to differentiate seasons or even sizes of clothes (if you have multiple size clothes in your closet).
4. I'm a big fan of clear plastic bins to store your formal shoes or handbags, scarves and travel accessories. It's good to see what you have through the plastic bins but it keeps things neat.
5. Hang some hooks on the wall or use an over the door hook(s) to hang frequently used items like belts, robe, pajamas and a few purses.

What ideas do you have to share? I'd love to hear what works for you.

Willow House Spring 2011 Inspiration Guide

Happy New Year!

It was a busy holiday season and I am ready to hit 2011 by storm!    It's time to get organized, get focused and start another year with a fresh slate!    I look forward to sharing some tips with you this month on Designing your home office space with organizing tips to Freshening up YOUR favorite space!   What space are you looking to freshen up?    What needs a little happy?   Please share your thoughts!

GREAT inexpensive GIFT!!!

 
You'll enjoy preparing this gift for people and what a YUMMY gift at that!   Pair it with our Pixie Measuring spoons and you are giving something to consume... something to keep!    AWESOME!

Chai Tea Mix
For optimal enjoyment of this trendy flavor-packed drink, be sure your spices are fresh. Prep: 14 min Yield: 5 1/2 cups mix Ingredients 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional) 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea or decaffeinated instant tea 1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder 1 cup powdered nondairy creamer 1 cup French vanilla-flavored powdered nondairy creamer Preparation Combine spices and tea in a food processor or blender. Blend 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture becomes a fine powder. Pour into a large bowl. Add sugar to food processor or blender (without cleaning it), and process until superfine, about 30 seconds. Add sugar to bowl of spices. Stir in milk powder and creamers; blend well. Spoon mix into gift jars, if desired. To serve, stir 2 heaping Tbsp. Chai Tea Mix into a mug of hot milk or boiling water. Chocolate Chai Mix: Add 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa along with dry milk powder to the blend above. Follow serving directions above. (We recommend milk here.) Chai Shake: Blend 1/4 cup Chai Tea Mix, 1 cup milk, and 3 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream in a blender. White Chocolate Chai: Add 1/4 cup finely chopped premium white chocolate (such as Lindt or Ghirardelli) to 1 cup Chai Tea Mix. Stir well. Follow serving directions above with 2 heaping Tbsp. per cup of hot milk or boiling water. Christmas with Southern Living 2007, Oxmoor House, June 2007