Thursday, December 22, 2011

Legend of The Christmas Pickle

As kids we're told to eat our veggies... all of them! But how about hanging them from the Christmas tree? Yep, that's right, hang your veggies from the Christmas Tree. And no, this is not a post about saving money this year!

From CookingCoupon.com

For some reason we sisters and our spouses still have many of the same friends from high school. Waaay back (not tellin' you how far back) we enjoyed a solid group of friends. We'd go to school together, skip school together, party together and go traveling together. And today we still gather together to celebrate life.

One of these friends is Debbie Nickle - and for whatever reason (you'd have to ask Rhonda to know for sure) we've been calling her Pickle Nickle for-ever. It actually doesn't relate to this blog post but it makes for a nice segue.

So what about the Christmas Pickle you ask?

From St. Nicks Day . com

Is it truth, is it myth? Does it matter? 

Here's the legend:
The Christmas pickle is not a real pickle. It is a pickle-shaped Christmas tree ornament that is hung on Christmas eve after all the kids have gone to sleep with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads. On Christmas morning the first child to find the Christmas pickle ornament gets the extra gift left the night before by Saint Nicholas or whomever decides to dress up in the Santa Suit this year ;)

Now you might be picturing garland and ornaments flying off the tree as wee ones search for the elusive pickle. Maybe, but it sure would be fun and make for some good Christmas morning video footage. It's worth a try at least once.

Whatever your Family Traditions are this time of year, all of us at The Willows wish you a very, Merry Christmas!
Terri

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Troll Beads Trunk Show

TROLL BEAD TRUNK SHOW & SALE
Through December 10th


Decorating The Christmas Tree

We love Christmas and a quick stop into the shop confirms this. Every year we offer hundreds of ornaments for your decorating pleasure. Why you ask? Because it's fun to spruce up the tree each year and ornaments make the perfect gift for teachers, neighbours, family & friends.










Photos by Ryan Veldkamp

We also love seeing what people do with their Christmas Trees so we've compiled a list of trees in all shapes, sizes, colours and states of being. Pick your favourite!


Tobi Fairland Tree on HGTV.com
Via Country Living

Via Decor & Home Furnishings Blogspot

And then there are those unique trees that stand out for their creativity!

via Words We Women Write
Via The Style Files

Photo by Josef Turk 

Photo from Cool Picture Gallery

Merry Christmas Everyone!!
Terri

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

History of The Trunk Show

What is a designer or retailer to do when there isn't enough space to showcase their fabulous inventory? They host a Trunk Show!


In the early 1800's traveling salesmen would journey from place to place with their steamer trunks filled with wares. Everything from the latest designer fashion would be revealed. Retail space was often limited so trunk shows would become the must-see event whenever they rolled into town.

The Trunk Show 'tradition' continued after retailers began expanding their space as clothing was transported from designer's studios to stores in large trunks. Today, rather than trunks, garment bags & boxes are the modern mode for transport.


Often Trunk Shows are for a select group of buyers or elite shopping divas! We agree - and since all our clientele are the best of the best we extend our invitation to all! Visit our Events Page for details about our upcoming Trunk Shows & Sales in December. Hope to see you there!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Great Sites for All Your Holiday Planning

So you want to throw a party, but not just any party. You want a soiree that people remember all the way to next year! This season we thought it would be really helpful to 'bookmark' some of our favourite holiday planning sites here on the blog. We hope you find them helpful.


Oprah asked the experts to share their ideas for making your next party picture perfect!

Throw the Best Cocktail Party ~ Planning tips from New York based event planner, Linnea Johansson.

Some great ideas for Holiday Decorating from House & Home Magazine.

From Real Simple comes the Perfect Party Checklist - don't miss a single detail!

From the talented pages of Martha Stewart come great ideas for Kid's Parties and beautiful suggestions for wrapping gifts.

And last, but not least, a holiday drink guide from the talented mixologists from That's The Spirit.


Enjoy!!
Terri

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Birthstones

Anyone who knows The Willows know we love beautiful jewelry. Wearing jewelry is such a personal reflection, that's why we stock so many different brands and designs.



From sterling silver to precious gems, each ring, bracelet, pendant or pair of earrings is the perfect compliment to a well chosen wardrobe. The icing on the cake, so to speak. And colourful jewels are always so much fun.



Birthstones are argued to have originated over twenty centuries ago, originally found adorning the breastplate of the high priest mentioned in the book of Exodus in the Bible. Twelve gems representing the twelve tribes of Israel graced the breastplate and are thought to have inspired our modern birthstones, one gem for each month of the year.

Here is our modern breakdown generally accepted as the birthstones for each month.

January: Garnet
February: Amethyst
March: Aquamarine
April: Diamond
May: Emerald
June: Pearl
July: Ruby
August: Peridot
September: Sapphire 
October: Opal
November: Yellow Topaz
December: Blue Topaz

Many people create Family Rings that include a gem for each of their children. We like to create bracelets with multiple beads of colour representing those closest to us.




Come build yours today!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Autumn Inspiration



Embrace the change of season with some autumn inspiration for your home. 


The Willows has a beautiful collection of fall decor and accessories to give your space a warm and welcoming feel. 


Autumn is the perfect time to get cozy. The palette of fall colours introduces rich copper, burnt orange and earthy tones to your space. 


Let The Willows help inspire you!


Stop by today.


The Willows Casual Home
#290-10816 Macleod Trail S.E.
Calgary, AB


403-225-9797

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Cubic Zirconias - not just for smart people

If you’re, say, a chemical engineer then ZrO2 will mean something to you. You will understand the process of melting together zirconium oxide and yttrium oxide (another word for calcium, but you knew that) at extremely high temperatures, 4,982 degrees Fahrenheit to be exact, to grow cubic zirconia crystals. To you, this will make sense. You may even be able to picture the process in your extremely smart mind.

For the rest of us pictures speak louder than words (especially when the words are broken down into scientific permutations).



Cubic Zirconia is a hard and visually flawless man made ‘diamond,’ and the only competition for diamonds in the market place for the last 35 years. The crystals became internationally popular when Swarovski & Co. started mass producing them in the ‘80’s. Although colourless when processed, CZ’s can be manufactured in a variety of colours.





Now we don’t have the mind of a chemical engineer, but we do understand economies of scale and for our money, CZ’s are a beautiful and cost effective way to own stunning, quality jewelry while still having money left over for the mortgage.



And CZ's last. Simply cleaning them with a mild cleaner and a small brush will keep them brilliant for a long time.


Saturday, August 27, 2011

Fun Housewarming Gifts

Who doesn't love a great house warming gift - you know, gifts for your friends who move into a new apartment or buy their first house. They don't have to be lavish gifts, but they should be practical or fun or both.



1. A New Game - everything from poker chips with playing cards to Cranium to Pictionary. Game night is a great way for friends and family to spend an evening together. A dart board is also a great game to give as a gift.

2. A unique culinary treat - get creative with this one and wrap up a selection of rare hot sauces, gourmet beverage mixes or a good selection of spices. A window box with a collection of fresh herbs is awesome too. A cookbook would also work.

4. The Welcome Meal - often when moving you can't get to the stove cause it's piled high with boxes. Bring over a meal complete with salad, bevvies and dessert. Paper plates, disposable cutlery and napkins area also helpful.

4. The Handy Bucket - depending on the recipient of your gift, this can be anything from a picture hanging kit to housecleaning supplies. Make sure with cleaning supplies you slip in a fancy pair of rubber gloves and a coupon offering your services for a post move in clean up.

5. Outdoor Foliage - a pretty hanging basket, planter of flowers or window box filled with plants is a great way to say 'welcome to your new home.'

6. For the friends who have everything consider bringing a new toy or gourmet treat for their pet.

7. Movie Night - fill a large popcorn bucket with a movie rental coupon (or a really great dvd), popcorn, flavoured toppings and bevvies.

What do you give as a housewarming gift? What's the most unique housewarming gift you've ever given or received?

Terri

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Greeting Cards - or how an Egyptian learned Chinese


So one New Years Day in China an incredibly long time ago someone was so happy about the possibilities the new year would bring they decided to share their delight. They sent a greeting card to a friend. Probably not the type of greeting card we exchange filled with wit and sarcasm, animals doing strange things or whimsical drawings of inanimate objects brought to life. Probably more along the lines of Gung Hay Fat Choy… You know, traditional Chinese New Year’s greetings.
Along the way in history, Ancient Egyptians grabbed the idea. Perhaps an Egyptian was traveling through Shanghai Province on camelback at the turn of the year and was greeted by an exuberant Chinese man. The Chinese man exclaimed, ‘Gung Hay Fat Choy’ and gave the Egyptian a small red envelope. The Egyptian didn’t speak Chinese (this is an assumption on my part) but was thinking, ‘this Chinese guy is smiling and that is an awfully pretty red envelope,’ and so gave the Chinese man a papyrus scroll filled with hieroglyphics as a way of saying Thank You. Probably the only thing he had on him at the time worth sharing. This same Egyptian then took the idea back to his homeland and began sharing papyrus greetings with all his friends… You’re getting the picture.
Now, disclaimer here, this is simply speculation on my part. But really, there were ancient Chinese and Egyptians and camels are real enough, so the above scenario is possible given the history. I’m just filling in some creative blanks.
Let's fast forward to the early 15th century. According to some historians the Egyptian tradition moved from papyrus to paper (they share many of the same letters) and handmade greeting cards, including valentines, were being exchanged in Europe. Doesn’t love spur us on to some fabulous ideas? I love valentines!
Thanks to advances in mass printing by the latter part of the 1800’s greeting cards became more mainstream and less expensive. Mere commoners could send notes of greeting to one another. Christmas cards made their debut around the same time and companies devoted to the creation of greeting cards began to pop up.
via Dreamstime
So when did greeting cards get humorous? Rumour has it between 1940 and 1950 someone took their wit and humour and transferred it to a greeting card. What was funny in 1945? World War II coming to an end was certainly cause for celebration, and Rooselvelt did become president… Thinking not a lot there, but I may be desensitized to the humour thrown at me from bad sitcoms and reality television. At any rate, simple greetings gave way to funny notes and cards were used to convey a wide variety of messages and sentiments.
Today the greeting card industry generates billions of dollars annually, with ecard sales taking a good portion of that revenue. Certainly the rise of the ecard is replacing some of the ‘old fashioned’ hand written notes, but I’ll take old fashioned. I love cards. Sending them and receiving them is a joy. A hand written thank you is still appropriate for so many occasions (you’re welcome to send me one to share your thoughts about this post). I’ve intentionally stocked hundreds of cards in my shop and they continue to be best sellers. Our reputation for having unusual and beautiful cards is growing, so I’d say many of you love them too!
When do you send a hand written greeting card? I’d love to see your comments below.

Terri

Friday, August 5, 2011

The Psychology of Shopping


We're in retail.
We've made some observations about the shopping habits of our clientele.

Now this may seem obvious to most... but there are some serious differences in the way men and women shop. For one thing, men don't shop, they go out to make a purchase. Women on the other hand find shopping pleasurable!

It's kinda like - 'Ladies, take a look at your man, now look at yourself, now back to your man, now back to you. Don't you wish he shopped like you?'
Photo via www.ambre-printing.com  
Or maybe you don't! Maybe shopping is your little get away from the everyday and you really don't want 'him' tagging along. Truly, going to the grocery store with no kids and coffee in hand has been compared by some busy moms to a day at the spa. But we're not talking a grocery run, we're talking a Shopping Trip, and trip is the operative word!

And so we wish to share some common observations by the Willows Women.
  • Women shop, men buy things
  • Women shop together, they will plan an excursion via facebook or text messaging including day, time, location(s) and what to wear. Women will even host a TweetUp!! 
  • Men prefer to shop alone and make it quick
  • Women will turn a day of shopping into an overnight excursion.
  • Women will dress up to go shopping - hair, makeup, accessories. Almost as though they expect shopping to end in a night on the town... which it certainly might!
  • Women view shopping the way men view burgers, beers and UFC Fight Night - it's an event!
  • Women carefully consider their footwear, easy slip on/off is a must when trying on clothes
  • Women will buy something even if they already have it in their wardrobe or in a cupboard (and they think only boyscouts wanna 'be prepared.')
  • Women may forgo some necessities to work their way through the 'wish list.' Men may also do this, especially if there is a fast boat or car involved or some other thing they can ascribe a female name to.
We do realize there are male exceptions to these female rules... and those men are welcome to come along on the next excursion - if they think they can keep up! Can you think of one we've missed?

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Colour Trend - Turquoise

Turquoise is a beautiful colour. It's the colour of the sea and the sky in warmer climates. It is a tranquil, easy colour that stands out in home decor or a favourite summer outfit without being too over the top. And while it may have been Pantone's colour of the year for 2010, turquoise is our pick for this summer's colour trend.

photo via Inspire Bohemia Blog

Turquoise accents pair so well in this vibrant, stylish bedroom


photo via Houzz.com

Small bursts of turquoise bring summer flare to this outdoor patio


photo via Southern Accents 

Beautiful flowers in a pretty turquoise vase


photo via The Decorated House 

We love the seaside feel of these turquoise bathroom accessories


photo via Heidi Ruehle 
Turquoise fits everywhere for any occasion 


The Willows Casual Home has some beautiful Turquoise Accents. 
Here's just a few of our favourites.

 
Beautiful jewelry lines from Spinning Rings, Trollbeads, 
Thomas Sabo and more fill our show cases! 



Napa Home & Garden decorative, glazed pottery is a 
beautiful addition to any garden space


This scarf would liven up any outfit and can be worn year round


Where do you use turquoise? Is it just for summer or all year round? We hope you'll place your favourite turquoise picture on our Facebook Wall.

Hope to see your pretty pics,
Terri