Willow House Designs

Decorating Basics

2010-08-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

Decorating your favorite room is easy as long as you follow a few guidelines.
First, Start with an INSPIRATION piece and use that to carry your style through the rest of the room. Grounding yourself with the piece will allow the style and theme to easily flow.

Be cautious not to buy things just to buy - Buy because you LOVE something and HAVE to have it
Think about what you'd like your room to say or represent? If you can answer this you will have a more cohesive look.
Start with neutral basics, walls and furniture. Choose interesting textures and patterns to enhance what your room says. Keeping your basics neutral will allow you to quickly and easily change the style with just a piece or two making a big impact on a small budget. This method will also allow you to flow from season to season easily with just updating a few accessories.
Choosing different sizes of similar objects and placing them in groupings around the room will help to add symmetry. Try odd combinations for an eye pleasing focal point.
Invest in quality pieces rather than to just fill your space. It may mean only choosing one large statement item instead of several smaller things, but you will appreciate the items more and they will last longer.
Lastly, refresh and enhance the room's style with color. Color is going to be very important especially since we started with the neutral backdrop. If your statement piece is also neutral be sure to add a few smaller pieces to give your room that 'pop'.

In this room you can see the neutral pieces dominate, but pay close attention to the bold orange and burnt reds that compliment the space in the textiles.

Updating with color is an easy way to brighten or change the mood of any room. Bringing color into a room can be done in a variety of ways. Refresh the look of a room by adding colorful pillows, throws or a large, bold striking piece. It doesn't take much to change your room or define your space by picking something that you absolutely love and working the colors from it into your space in subtle ways.

Color Tips-

1) Begin with a neutral palette, then add color with furnishings or accessories. This is a good way to
test the look and feel of a color scheme in a space. Neutrals don't have to be pale; they simply have
to dominate the space and serve as a backdrop.

2) A great way to brighten up a room and change a look seasonally or over time is to simply sprinkle the
room with colorful textiles, accessories and botanical pieces.

3) Sometimes it is best to pick just one or two places to highlight color, creating brilliant focal points and
allowing the rest of the space to be neutral, ensuring that color will have the impact you want.

4) Make a small room seem larger by using light, cool tones. Darker tones make a room seem smaller.

5) Make a larger room seem cozier with warm tones and richly colored accessories- and don't forget floor
coverings which offer opportunities to tie in your colors.

Choosing Color-

Choosing color is almost always more of an emotional decision than a logical one. The way we feel about color is instinctive. It is the reaction we have to warm reds or cool blues, lights or darks, a lot of color or a little, that gives us a first impression of any space. Explore the possibilities! There are no rules for selecting the colors that make you feel at home- the only rule to follow here is choose colors you love.
-Active colors like reds, oranges and yellows are energetic, warm and inviting; bright colors lend a room a sense of enthusiasm and energy.

-Passive colors like blues and indigos, greens and purples are calmer and come across as classic and authoritative.

-Neutral colors like whites, taupes, beiges, browns and grays temper other hues, or can be used alone for a soothing palette. Muted colors create ideal backdrops for colorful accessories.

Special Touches-

1) Entertaining essentials in bright hues add instant warmth to dining tables. Choose glassware,
dinnerware such as the Villa Stoneware and table linens in your favorite colors, or mix and match
colors for more eclectic place settings.

2) Accessories like frames, vases, clock or more are great vehicles for introducing touches of color. Arrange them on a dresser or side table with a stack of favorite books for instant personality.

Apple Oat Bran Muffins - Perfect for Sunday Brunch!

2010-07-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

Apple Oat-Bran Muffins
12 Servings
Oat bran binds cholesterol in the gut and blocks its absorption. These muffins can help you move toward a healthy daily goal of 40 grams of fiber, which is about twice what most Americans consume.

Ingredients:
Expeller-pressed canola oil for oiling the muffin pan
2 large green cooking apples
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/4 cups oat bran
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 12-ounce can apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 cup water

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 325°F. Lightly oil muffin pan. Peel and core apples; chop them coarsely. Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir together pastry flour, white flour, oat bran, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

3. Add thawed apple-juice concentrate, chopped apples, and enough water to make a light batter.

4. Mix just enough to moisten all ingredients. Divide batter among the muffin cups and bake till lightly browned, 25-30 minutes.

5. Remove muffins from cups while hot.

Nutritional Information:

Per serving:
Calories: 208.4
Protein: 5.6 grams
Fat: 1.4 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.3 grams
Monounsat Fat: 0.3 grams
Polyunsat Fat: 0.5 grams
Carbohydrate: 48.7 grams
Fiber: 5.3 grams
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Vitamin A: 19.5 IU
Vitamin E: 0.7 mg/IU
Vitamin C: 3.1 mg
Calcium: 25.1 mg
Magnesium: 58.3 mg

Lion Cupcakes

2010-07-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

I made these cupcakes for Stephanie's babyshower and then again for Aiden's 3rd Birthday because they were so cute. I had so many people ask about them, I thought I'd post how easy they were here! They look much more difficult than they were ... so I wanted to help out those of you who think you'd never have time to do this!

Here are the cupcake tops. I made them a few days before the party so I wouldn't have so much to do that day. The key is to make sure they are getting enough air so they don't get too soft or condensate or melt and not too much air so they don't turn rock hard and are still edible. I used a pyrex container with a sealed top but left two corners of the tops slightly open to accomodate the air flow.

The faces were pretty simple and I got some advice from the many sources online!

I used Wilton's Fondant to make them and since it comes in white, used food coloring to color them. Make sure you wear latex gloves as the food coloring will surely die your hands! Knead the coloring in for each piece to enough fondant for the part you are working on and work fast the fondant gets hard quickly. Pick up the Wilton's cookie cutters in the Flower and Circle 3-pack shapes.

For the Mane I used the Wilton 3" flower cookie cutter

For the Face I used the 2.25" circle cutter

For the ears and mouth and dots on the other cupcakes I used the .5" Wilton's circle

For the eyes and nose I used the small tube of colored Wilton's frosting tips

The finished product ...

Enjoy!

Look at some of the new products!

2010-07-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

Willow House Facebook Page

2010-07-15T20:21:00.001-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Willow-House-Designs/111065782264410#!/pages/Willow-House-Designs/111065782264410?v=wall

Willow House Fall Product Showcase Revealed!

2010-07-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Check-out my Facebook page now to see the big reveal of the fabulous new fall products we will carry with Willow House!

July Clearance Sale is HERE!

2010-07-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Southern Living at HOME Final Clearance Sale!

2010-06-30T00:31:00.000-07:00

The time is here to say goodbye to Southern Living at HOME and hello to Willow House! In anticipation of new beginnings, we still have one more month to celebrate the past and what better way to clear house (or stock up yours with fabulous sale finds) than with a FINAL CLEARANCE sale! This year will be big ... the details will be announced on July 1st but below is a preview of all the products which will be on sale (pending availability). If you are interested in ordering, please let me know by Monday, July 5th and receive free shipping and no minimum or regular priced purchase! Items will go fast, maybe within the first day - so don't wait! Once they're gone .. they're gone for good!

Very Low Quantity

41243 Astoria Versatile Caddy

41251 Chesapeake Bottle Opener

41231 Chesapeake Salad Servers

40958 Drake Lantern Hook

40977 Elegant Stone Serving Stand

40799 Estate Hand Towel Stand

40999 Estate Towel Holder

41034 Filled Candles - Calm

41035 Filled Candles - Natural

41159 Galveston Serving Stand

41224 Luminous Red Wine Glasses

41225 Luminous White Wine Glasses

41147 Orleans Vase Set

40854 SL Party Cookbook

40851 SL Slow Cooker Cookbook

41198 SLAH Signature Candle: Mango Nectarine

41199 SLAH Signature Candle: Pineapple Cilantro

41112 SLAH Signature Candles: Cinnamon Spice

41132 SLAH Signature Candles: Cran. Vanilla

41317 SLAH Signature Portrait: 14"x18" Framed

41318 SLAH Signature Portrait: 14"x18" Wrappe

41315 SLAH Signature Portrait: 18"x22" Framed

41316 SLAH Signature Portrait: 18"x22" Wrappe

41261 SLAH Signature Reed Diffuser: Calm

41260 SLAH Signature Reed Diffuser: Cran. Vanilla

40806 Tole Painted Pots

Somewhat Low Quantity

41156 Ashford Bedside Set

41283 Bordeaux Trivets

41105 Cambrian Wall Plaques

41164 Chesapeake Appetizer Set

41245 Damask Wall Accents

41071 Estate Waste Bin

41116 Filigree Wall Sconce

41033 Filled Candles - Bliss

41217 Gail Pittman Hand-Painted Canister—Siena

40527 Gail Pittman Ruffled Bowl: Siena

41188 Galveston Planter

41189 Galveston Shelf

41252 Galveston Step-out Candelabra

41190 Galveston Wall Art

41191 Galveston Wall Art and Planter

41192 Galveston Wall Art and Shelf

40937 GP Bountiful Pitcher

41219 GPHP Cross - Siena 41143 GPHP Square Casserole - Siena

41233 Jackson Square Lidded Urn

41241 Luminous Accent Plates

41269 Luminous Accent Plates, set of four

41213 Mansfield Sconce

41210 My Masterpieces Art Portfolio

41004 Olive Jar Trio: Green

41006 Olive Jar Trio: Yellow

41027 Olive Jar Trio: one Green, Yellow, and Red

40893 Patina Wall Tiles

41248 Petite Accent Tray

40899 SL Busy Mom's Weeknight Favorites

41266 SL Comfort Food

40505 SL Light & Easy Comfort Food

41200 SLAH Signature Candle: Vanilla Fig

41259 SLAH Signature Candles: Autumn Trio

41111 SLAH Signature Candles: Glistening Pine

40943 Two-In-One Iron Stand

Should make it through sale

40860 Bountiful Iron Stand

41165 Chesapeake Flatware: 5-pc Place Setting

41166 Chesapeake Flatware: 5-pc Place Setting, s/4

41066 Cottage Garden Bowl

41069 Estate Canister

40929 Gallery Spreaders

41021 GPHP Café Mugs, set of two

41025 GPHP Café Mugs, set of four

40948 GPHP Salt & Pepper -Siena

41023 GPHP Trivets, set of three, Siena

41148 Luminous Martini Glasses

41076 Manchester Trivet Trio 40996 My Birthday Memories

40708 New School Memories Album

41005 Olive Jar Trio: Red

40867 Petite Arrange-It-Easy Vase

41054 Petite Bud Vases

41157 Renaissance Candlesticks

41136 Santorini Decorative Bowl

41128 SL Fix it and Forget It Slow Cooker Magic

40984 SL Incredible Chocolate Recipes

41046 SL Quick and Easy Weeknight Meals

41337 SLAH Signature Candle: Resort Trio

Check out my June Newsletter!

2010-06-09T23:36:00.000-07:00

June Newsletter

June Sale is Here!

2010-06-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

The transition is near .... as we begin to close the doors on Southern Living at HOME to open the doors to Willow House we will start to see many of our pieces retiring along with the name. Get ready for our Semi-Annual clearance! June will get your feet wet with our June Sale! Check out the flier or my newsletter for additional details!

June Sale

We also have fantastic June Specials!

June Specials

2010-06-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

So as I venture into a new beginning of my business with Southern Living at HOME's conversion to Willow House, I've decided to start a blog to keep anyone interested up to date and to share gardening, decorating, entertaining tips and super fun and yummy recipes! I hope you enjoy!