Style Unwrapped

My Willow House sample sale! Just in time for holiday entertaining!

2011-12-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

The new Willow House catalog is coming soon! In January we will have an all new inspiration guide to shop from. I love to be up to date, and showing my customers the new things. So I'm putting some of my samples ON SALE! This will allow me to purchase new samples to show you in January! Place orders for samples by phone at 208-761-9775 or email at boiselavender@gmail.com.

Verde Bowl with Sante Fe Dip dressed up for gift giving! $18

Here's the verde bowl again and the Avalon Accent Trees. Buy my sample of the Accent Trees for $30 or order your own on my Willow House store on sale for $32.96 plus shipping and tax.

There are several gift sets featured in the photo below:

Featured front and center is a sangria mix wrapped in a decorative towel with a wine stopper tied on top, this set, $25.

Also in this picture: Villa Footed Server, available on the store for $59.96 plus shipping and tax. My sample available for $45.

And I have several gift sets tucked in the bowl that feature the decorative pot holder with a Lemon Drop Hand Salve and Mojito Guest Soap for $18

I have several french wire convertible baskets, perfect for organizing. The center divider is removable so you can store file folders. Hardware included to attach to wall. Available on the store for $34.96 plus shipping and tax, buy one of my samples for $25.

These Santorini Candlestands are so sweet and versatile, buy yours at the outlet for $21.96 plus shipping and tax, my sample set available for $18.

I have two of the rust colored luminaries available for $10 each or buy this set of three Ingleside luminaries for $32.96 plus shipping and tax.

Villa Dinner Plates are the perfect accent pieces serving on your buffet or dinner table. My set of two sample plates available for $25 or buy a set on the store for $41.96 plus shipping and tax.

My set of two square salad plates available for $20 or buy a set on the store for $32.96 plus shipping and tax.

Amira Rustic Jar & Candlestands: so versatile for all seasons!

2011-12-01T15:54:00.001-08:00

My new favorite pieces to work with are the Amira Candlestands and Amira Rustic Jar from Willow House. So fun and easy to work with ... and incredibly versatile. Recently at "My Favorite Things Party" I demonstrated how easy it is to go from fall to Christmas decorating. The arrangement below is literally one branch of silk greens I bought on clearance one year at Michael's. So easy and so elegant. Pictured with the Riverstone Dinnerware collection which is also so versatile.

Now here's the same arrangement with Christmas greens:

And here it is again with a totally different "snowy" look and snowflakes. I also added the blue candlestand to the arrangement. So fun and easy to do. Get the "snow" from your local craft store. It's a feathery shawl. Add snow to your pine cones by painting a little white on. My four year old did this for me years ago. A very fun four year old project.

Decadent dessert bridal shower menu and style tips

2011-09-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

Yikes! I sent out the bridal shower invites now what do I do? Usually I'm a planner ... but lately it seems like I live moment to moment ... focusing only on what's just ahead. So for this bridal shower I got the invites out and then pondered ...

Thankfully in times like these we have the internet! So I did what any rational person would do and did a search on "bridal shower menu ideas". I was inspired by this post from epicurious: "A Sophisticated Bridal Shower". I ended up using only two of their recipes; but their pictures got me on the road to putting on my own stylish bridal shower.

Every bridal shower needs yummy food. I decided to go with the all dessert menu full of chocolate and berries. Be sure to click on the links for these delicious recipes:

Chocolate Mousse with Raspberries

Pound Cake squares with whipped cream and berries

Chocolate dipped strawberries

Cheesecake cupcakes with white chocolate ganache

And every party needs flowers! Especially a bridal shower. The brides colors were orange. I was so thrilled to find these gerbera daisies. I grouped the daisies with bright colored flowers that would also play off the colorful berries at the food table and made little bouquet's and put them in this sweet little vase (the madeline hurricane from Willow House).

And what's a coffee bar without bright beautiful flowers?

Here are the sweet little yummy pound cakes in the foreground of this picture:

My favorite cheesecake cupcakes with white chocolate ganache and berries on top. Chocolate strawberries on the bottom tier.

The Villa Stoneware featured in this photo makes a beautiful dessert tower.

And here's a little thank you to send the guests on their way. Beautiful little aromatic soaps make the perfect thank you. They'll think of your event every time they use this yummy handcrafted soap. And of course I know where to get those too.

Spring Tea Party

2011-09-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun and super easy way to set up a little girls spring tea party. Perfect for birthday parties or Easter brunch. I used my daughters tea set and added pretty pastel accents with pastel egg shaped Easter candy. Make your centerpiece with a hurricane: put a little votive inside and add the pastel eggs around it. Also featured, the Amelia Thimble Domes with egg candies in them, an after brunch treat!

Spring centerpieces that transition from tabletop to flowerpot with ease!

2011-09-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

My absolute favorite way to create centerpieces for a holiday occasion or special event is to use little pony packs of flowers. It's super fun and easy and when your event or holiday is over you can plant them in your flower pot and enjoy the flowers all season!

Here's what you do:

1) Pick out several pony packs of your favorite flowers. Pick ones that are already blooming or about to bloom in time for your event.

2) Buy spanish moss from your local craft store. The gray color works well but lately I've been finding moss in a lichen green color and I love the way it works with the flowers.

3) Pick out some containers, preferable something you already have. I used the servers from Willow House's Verde Collection below. But I've also used inexpensive tin pots, you know the kind they carry at the craft stores in the spring. They also have pastel buckets in the $1 section at Target right now that would be perfect for this as well. When I'm doing centerpieces for multiple tables I like to have similar containers; it keeps a uniform look and ties all the tables together.

4) Cut the pony packs apart with a scissors. I usually cut out each plant individually or keep two plants together and cut out rows of two plants each. Then I bunch groups of plants in the pot and put spanish moss around the plants to disguise the plastic from the pony pack.

5) After your event, plant your flowers in your favorite outdoor flower pot.

Spring centerpiece using pieces from Willow House's Verde Collection:

Primroses in the Verde Berry Bowl:

Flowers from Verde Collection above planted in outdoor pot after "the event":

Flowers from photo at top planted in pot after event:

Marsha unwraps her style

2011-09-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I started this blog was to create a collaborative environment for sharing home decorating and entertaining ideas. I believe decorating your home is about putting things around you that you love and create the homey feel you want to come home to, in your personal style. My friend Marsha from Meridian, Idaho, collects fleur de lis. And before that she collected crosses, as some point she felt she had enough crosses and moved on to fleur de lis. I LOVE how she has incorporated her love of these symbols into her home and they are tastefully distributed throughout her decor. Marsha has a real knack for putting it all together and I wish I had more pictures to share.

But check out how she used that Acanthus Wall Flourishes from Willow House to add just the right accent to this already beautiful painting created for her by her husband! Hung on a large wall, this lovely fleur de lis needed a little something to help it stand out and get the attention it deserves.

Below she's added the Heritage Wall Art behind her couch for understated yet classic design, adds warmth and elegance without overpowering.

Easy Bathroom Makeover with the Hathaway Collection

2011-09-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

As usual I forgot to take before photos! But I was so happy with the outcome of my bathroom makeover with hardware from the Hathaway Collection from Willow House, I just had to share it.

This soap dish looks so sweet. I have one of those pedestal sinks and there's just nowhere to place your soap. Mounted on the wall the dish makes a fashion statement while doing such an important job. These sweet little handmade soap balls from Lavande de Bois are just the perfect aromatic surprise to complement this lovely dish.

Sturdy towel ring looks elegant without being too much.

Style with function in a tissue holder:

It was hard to get pictures in this small powder room, but you get the idea of what it all looks like together.

Chemical free paint

2011-09-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

This article was previously posted on Adventures of a Soap Artist. I figured it was worth reposting here because I absolutely LOVE repainting. I think you get the most bang for your buck when you put new paint in a room. Of course, it's a lot of work! But it is so worth the effort!

Wow I just totally have to share that I am so impressed with this paint called The Fresh Aire Choice I picked up at Home Depot. For the past two holiday seasons I've set up my front room as a showroom for my soaps and body essentials. This year I decided to keep the showroom instead of returning it to it's past use as a parlor. Who needs a parlor anyway? So now I'm knee deep in a redecorating project for that room. I dropped by the Home Depot to decide on paint colors and got into a conversation with a knowledgeable salesperson. The conversation started out with me complaining about the Behr paint billed as an all-in-one primer and paint. I informed him that first of all it stunk real bad and I could hardly paint with the toxic smell and second of all it took three coats. So the primer aspect wasn't really working at all. He took the opportunity to point out that the all-in-one paint had a lot less chemicals than the regular Behr paint. So I was in this quandry about whether to buy a paint that stunk real bad in the name of fewer chemicals when he showed me The Fresh Aire Choice. If you're in the market for chemical free paint you should check it out because it really is chemical free. And we were so impressed with how well it went on and the fact that it virtually had no odor. The only downside is there are only 66 color choices. So for those of us match frieks it's a little bit limiting. But I made up my mind that I wanted to try it so I chose a color and off I went. You can see the results. The blue is kind of bright but I think it's growing on me.

Unwrap your style with the Riverstone Dinnerware

2011-09-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

When I first saw pictures of the new Riverstone Dinnerware from Willow House I was intrigued; but I didn't fall in love with it until I had it in my hot little hands and starting playing with it. I wasn't sure if the colors would really work with my style; but it is absolutely amazing and seems to go with just about any color scheme or style. Check out these photos to see the incredible versatility!

Riverstone Dinnerware Collection, Simone Glassware, and Stilletto Pedestals

Riverstone Stacking Platters

Riverstone Tapas Set

Here's the dinnerware with a deep plum colored napkin on a white tablecloth, simply stunning!

Here it is again with a lovely fall tablecloth.

Here it is with a deep red floral, a Cinnabar Tidbit added for variety.

Now with a beautiful green floral. I love this accent bowl from the Verde Collection. I use it every morning to serve my yogurt. It's so fun eating out of pretty things!

Here it is with Willow House's new Adelaide Flatware,

so pretty and refined!

Here's the dinnerware with a Christmas tablecloth.

Hawthorne Hurricane - stunning and versatile!

2011-09-07T16:06:00.001-07:00

I received the Hawthorne Hurricane as part of my Willow House starter Kit. I've had so much fun working with it. It depicts the aspect of versatility that is inherent in so many of our Willow House pieces. I wasn't quite sure how to accessorize this piece so I stopped by our local silk flower shop and just loved this branch of cherry blossoms. Each branch was $8.50 and to fill the vase I needed at least three, but I really didn't want to spend that much. So I purchased one branch and went home and trimmed some branches off my favorite tree and stuffed them in the hurricane with the cherry blossom branch. The glass beads at the bottom add a hint of color and help hold the branches up. I am so pleased with the results. The arrangement packs a lot of punch-adds height to the little dessert buffet without overwhelming it. The glass is simply elegant and this arrangement was SO easy, so are the arrangements that follow:

Now the hurricane transitions to spring. I filled the hurricane with shred. Placed a nest on top, then added this sweet little bird and three handmade egg shaped soaps. (I make soap too! These little aromatic beauties will be available on my online store soon).

In the front window of my Lavande de Bois showroom I have a little table for greeting and having tea with guests. The hurricane is the base for a delicate centerpiece of peacock feathers. This picture really doesn't do justice to this centerpiece. It is simply stunning. It fills this space without dominating. It is just delicate and showy ... perfect for my showroom.

The Hawthorne Hurricane is one simply versatile piece. It transitions from arrangement to arrangement and room to room with ease. Try it with a candle or fresh flowers. And if you're in the shopping mood: in the month of February, when you put this item in your cart (or any items totaling $39.96 or more) you qualify to purchase an additional item under $50 for 1/2 price! Shop my store at boiselavender.willowhouse.com.

Remote control dilemma - problem solved!

2011-09-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

The remote controls have been driving me crazy! Whatever happened to having one control for the TV? Now we have controls for every component: the TV, the DVD player, the Wii, etc. etc. In any case I decided to take charge of the situation and went from this:

To this:

The Morningside Caddy from Willow House is perfect for controlling clutter. I chose this piece for it's understated design and durability. The rear compartment works well for catalogs and magazines laying about. You could also keep a notebook in there and there's room in the front compartments for a pen or two. Silk flowers added for visual interest.

The Belle Meade Flatware Caddy, below, is another hardworking organizing tool. Visually I think it works better in this room, however, I like the added bonus of having magazines and catalogs in the caddy above. The flatware caddy below features removable stoneware containers that can hold water. So you could add a fresh bouquet of flowers every now and then.

What's style unwrapped?

2011-09-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

You know the anticipation of holding a pretty package in your hand and wondering what's inside? It's a gift for you! What could it be? Well that's kind of how I view decorating and entertaining. There's a style within you that's waiting to be unwrapped, your personal version of throwing a party or a barbecue or decorating a room in your home. There's a chic you waiting to come out. Or maybe it's out and you're looking for fresh ideas. My hope in writing this blog is to share ideas that might inspire you to decorate or entertain in your version of style. Let's start unwrapping!