And, Treat your Guests like Family

Welcome Basket from Willow House

     It's weird, every time I look at my last post, that silly little phrase goes through my mind, so it becomes..."Treat your Family like Guests, and your Guests like Family!"
     I don't know where I picked that up - but it made me think - "what do I mean by that?" Well, we always want our guests to "make themselves at home". We want them to be comfortable with us. So, we make sure our home looks like we prepared for their visit, and that we did a few special things to show them they are an important part of our lives.  
     It's a little balancing act for me. I want it to be special, but I don't want them to feel like I just worked so hard that I dread having guests!  Whew!  I always want to be like that little duckie, who is unruffled and calm on top of the water, but those little feet are just paddling fast as they can underneath!
     But if we want to make them feel like family, that means we also have to allow the rough and tumble of daily family life to continue, to some extent. OK, here's how I see it:  Guests are just with us for short periods of time. Possibly just for dinner, or a girlfriend get-together, or a weekend.
     While they are here, we do interrupt some of our daily routine, but not all of it. We allow them into our lives - while at the same time we do something special with them. We prepare ahead of time, so that we really can spend special time with them.We add special touches  - possibly fresh flowers to welcome them at our front door, or a small vase of flowers in the guest bedroom. After our preparations (possibly a lasagna ready in the refrigerator) then, we relax and enjoy their company! I welcome your thoughts on this topic - how do you make your guests feel like family?

Treat your Family like Guests

     Have you ever considered using particularly pretty things for everyday family meals and gatherings? We may be tempted to just throw something together quickly for our family - and certainly we are always in a hurry to get somewhere...but shouldn't we make each gathering as fun and attractive as possible? What we present to our family in those casual, and rushed times...will be considered normal to them. That's why we love the idea of choosing a special display for everyday meals. Wouldn't the family be amazed and surprised if they found the above French Tiered Wire Stand displaying muffins, cereal, and donuts for their Saturday morning breakfast?
     Don't you think they might make fun of it, but also remember it as a special part of their childhood?  And, maybe even remember to make Saturday mornings special for their own families (someday!).
     And, there's the subject of vegetables. We know we all need to eat more veggies! What if every time you served carrot sticks and radishes, it looked like a party? Maybe you and the kiddos would eat more of the good stuff!  Our new Watercolor Entertaining Set is so pretty, and it looks like summer on the beach! It is two bowls, made of gorgeous hammered blue glass. One is larger (11" in diameter x 2" tall) and the smaller one is perfect for dip (even low-fat dip). It is 5" in diameter and 2.5" tall. I do believe we would all eat more veggies if they were served this way! Just give it a try! Willow House makes it so easy!

Think Refreshing Spring Thoughts!

Don't you just want to start planning for Spring right about now?  In our area of the country, we really haven't had our bad winter weather yet, even though it is January 8...but it will arrive sometime between now and the real Spring.  But that doesn't mean I can't start dreaming about how I want to freshen up my home to get ready for that wonderful season of Spring. First, I want to clear off any of my decorative items that look at all like Winter, and start looking around for things I can add some fresh new color to. As in the top picture, which is the cover of our new Spring 2012 Willow House catalog, our beautiful and neutral Riverstone Dinnerware Collection looks fabulous when placed with fresh white tulips, melon and light blue, accented by a zippy black & white fabric on chair seats and pillows. The fresh new shapes and colors of Riverstone will take you happily through every season, I promise! And, perfect for the door is our new Willow Welcome Basket, finished  in a pearly gray. It has a flat back and is the perfect depth to go between most doors and storm doors! The bonus is that wonderful chalkboard plaque, on which you can write with  chalk pen, and wash off when ready!  Write a "welcome" or the birthday honoree's name, or your family name.  Or, wouldn't it be fun to write "bunco" to welcome your bunco buddies! Get ready for Spring with Glorious Willow House. Check out Our Willow House Website for more fun ideas!

Color pulls us toward each Season!

Let's move out the pumpkins and bittersweet, and bring on the red and green! Oh, the red can go toward bright pink, and the green can be that wonderful fresh green we have all loved the past few years!  But, be sure to include some colors and touches that make it very clear we are moving on from fall to Christmas!  Possibly it is some polish, or sparkle or glitter...maybe we bring out the silver or gold.  Trees, Santas, candy canes and bells...all so much fun and they help us enjoy, yes "savor" each season!  It is very important that we create an atmosphere that helps us - and our family - to note the special passage of time by celebrating our beliefs and the special place our people have in our hearts. I'm ready to move on - Thanksgiving was great, it is always good to stop and remind ourselves of all the things, and people, we are thankful for. And now, let's celebrate!  Over the top, wild and wonderful, warm and fuzzy...this great season goes from now till the wee hours of New Year's Day overtake us, and tell us to go to bed.  Let's "roll out the holly"...for we "need a little Christmas, right this very minute - need a little Christmas, now!"
(I must re-learn those wonderful words - they are my holiday theme song!)

Is Pink the color of October?

     In our Midwest, when the Maples begin to turn their amazing colors, and "pop" against the perfectly blue October sky, I think October's colors are red, yellow and orange. But, when October brings cataclysmic drops in the stock market, and news programs frantic with bad news, and Halloween symbols everywhere, I think October's color is black. But, when October is surrounded by the  improbable color of Pink, I know something special is going on.
      Pink no longer just defines Bubblegum or Barbie, but it now stands for one big topic - Breast Cancer, and our determination to spread Awareness, offer Support and find a Cure! I actually love that freedom to talk about something so personal - the "big C-word" whose nasty surprise can sneak up on anyone while they are busy just living their lives. I've heard that most families have been touched in some way by Breast Cancer - so most of us are sympathetic toward the campaign against it.
     I love seeing pink on baseball players, buildings and product packaging. It means we are all on-board to do something about this mean disease...so, most certainly, I believe we will! At Furniture Gourmet, we are celebrating Pink with new Pink items - which make great ways to celebrate our own victories, and to give encouragement to our pink sisters who are going through the fight. If you're looking for something in pink, check out Furniture Gourmet's "Pink Rules" category 

Use What you Have & add Gold!

      Do you like the tradition of bringing out special decorations for each season? I really do, it makes me feel like I am participating in the rhythm of life. It may be a symbolic expression of the very realistic ways our lives must adapt to the changes fall brings, as it carries us on toward winter.  Not everyone has the same weather, but the passing of the months and years affects us all...so let's have a little fun with it!
      And, you don't really have to buy anything new, just think of new ways to use what you have!

       I created a new centerpiece by using things I already owned. I took some artificial apples out of the bowl on the breakfast table and scattered some of them across a tray I owned. I added 3 of my battery-powered candles, and turned them on to test the result.  It makes a wonderful evening centerpiece, with the candles glowing, and is also nice on the narrow table in the entry way. I like its casual, care-free look. The colors work because the red of the tray is complementary to the Granny Smith/Blush green of the apples. They are opposite one another on the color wheel, which means, of all the colors, they are most different.

           You can add a richness to your fall decorating, with some good quality gold spray.  We love the Pineapple as a symbol of Hospitality and confort, and we wanted to dress up our own Large Pineapple.  We liked the results, shown here. This pineapple could be the star of your centerpiece on a table or buffet!

           Speaking of gold spray...do you have silk greens at home that seem a little tired, but are just too good to throw away, and you don't know what you would put in their places?  Here's a fall decorating tip - spray paint!  I use Design Master 24 kt Pure Gold spray to give a light dusting of gold to my tired ivy and other greenery. A light touch will create a highlight for you. Go over your silks second time (be sure to spray outside on a calm day, and use gloves, as the paint always gets on your hands) to add a stronger gold touch to your greenery. Then, tuck the embellished greenery around the oranges, browns and tans of your fall decorating. The touch of green will enliven your fall colors, and the gold will make it look like it belongs. Enjoy!

Fall Decorating Tip - "Go Up!"

Most fall arrangements are horizontal...we scatter the leaves down the table, tumble pumpkins and gourds into a loosely contained river of decorations, and possibly add acorns or apples - and it's all good!  I love that look!  But if you want to change it up a little this year, without a big expense - our tip is..."Go Up!"

That is what we've done with this little collection. We started with a 10" x 6" clear glass vase. We then took a "wired" garland - in this case our artificial Bittersweet Garland, and created a corkscrew shape, rising up from the inside of the vase to extend up over the top, which draws the eye up to the rising bittersweet. We then added a Turban Squash, a collection of Gourds and a scattering of acorns. This look is rather compact, which you could use if you have a smaller area to decorate. You'll also notice a classic triangular shape, created by color, in which our eyes move from the red gourd in front left, up the bittersweet, (with its red berries)  and then down to the right, to rest on the red turban squash. Our eyes enjoy that kind of "movement" in displays. What ways have you used to add a different dimension to your fall decorating? We'd love to hear from you! These items are available separately or in a complete collection at Furniture Gourmet.
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