Monday, December 10, 2012

Beautiful Christmas Inspired Beads

As an independent retailer of gorgeous jewelry lines like Thomas Sabo, Waxing Poetic & Trollbeads we stay on top of current trends and the latest designs.  Christmas 2012 offers some beautiful beads that we have available for our customers.  Build a bracelet or pendant for yourself or someone special, or add to an already fabulous collection, the choice is yours!




Stay tuned to our Special Events Page 
for upcoming promotions!

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Holiday Greetings - With Attitude!!

The Willows is well known for a great selection of greeting cards and the holidays are no exception!  Here is a listing of our favourites.  Make sure you pop in to see them all!!

UNCOOKED



CLASSY PEOPLE




PATIENCE BREWSTER




FIVE DOLLAR SHAKE






We also carry Pondering Pool, Head Over Heels and more so make sure you pop into the shop for our complete collection!




Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Switch Out Your Home for Fall

The air's turned crisp, colourful leaves dance in the wind and stylish boots and scarves have made their way back into our wardrobes.  It's Fall!



Certainly a glorious time of year, so many people are in love with the season and for very good reason. Aside from our favourite clothes making it back into the closet, many families fall back into routine and comfort food makes it back on to the menu.  What's not to love?

To get yourself and your home ready for fall we offer some simple ways to switch out each room in your home.

The Kitchen

  • earmark your favourite recipes for comfort foods, the crockpot and baked goods
  • bring the crockpot out of storage
  • stock up on pantry staples and baking supplies
  • have the best hot chocolate mix on hand complete with mini marshmallows

The Bathroom

  • try a new scented shower gel or handsoap
  • switch out your bathmat & towels for ones that are plush in a rich colour
  • stock up on bath salts and bubble bath

The Entry-way

  • make sure there's a spot for umbrellas
  • bring in a hall runner to catch wet or damp weather being tracked in
  • find a spot for a sturdy boot mat
  • supply baskets for gloves & scarves and slippers for guests
  • pull out seasonal outer wear

The Living Room

  • create a seasonal display on the fireplace mantle
  • make books and magazines easy to access for nights by the fire
  • prepare a basket of kindling & stock up on matches for the fireplace
  • have spare blankets and throws on hand

The Dining Room

  • put out a pretty table runner
  • create an autumn center piece
  • stock up on candles of all sizes

The Bed Room

  • give each bed a set of flannel sheets
  • have a spare blanket in each bedroom
  • pull out the slippers & plush bath robes
  • put a small rug at the edge of each bed
  • switch out wardrobes to include sweaters, scarves, boots & warm socks

The Yard

  • trade out pots and planters for fall plantings
  • prepare garden beds for the season
  • schedule a gardener to do end of season maintenance & pruning 
  • stock up early on shovels & snow salt 
  • check bulbs in outdoor & emergency lights

In General

  • make sure your emergency kit is fully stocked with items you need to survive 72 hours in case of an emergency
  • check all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
  • check & stock flashlight batteries
  • swap out any seasonal storage





Monday, October 8, 2012

Introducing The Fairy Fastener

Wow - what a great summer we've had.  And while it's kept us from blogging it's given us some great stuff to blog about.

'So,' you ask, 'what have we been up to?'

The biggest is the launch of an innovative new jewelry tool that allows men or women to fasten their favourite bracelets and watches on their own.  We introduce the Fairy Fastener!!  The ergonomic design is perfect for right or left handed people as well as those with arthritis or other mobility issues.















So now that the fairies (aka Terri & her entourage) are ready to launch the Fairy Fastener there will be a bit more time to work on the blog!

To order your Fairy Fastener please visit us in store at The Willows, shoot us an email to orders @ fairyfastener dot com, or connect online FairyFastener.com :

 

Saturday, July 28, 2012

British Inspiration

The world's a-buzz with Olympic fever and The Brits really know how to put on a show!! So we felt compelled to bring you British inspired ideas for you and your home - here are some of our favourites.





From Australian Home & Lifestyle magazine ADORE

Formal English Garden
British Inspired Fashion
Sir Paul McCartney - The ultimate in British Style!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

A Little Bit Country

So far Stampede has been awesome, as usual. Every year is so much fun - and while we're in the western mood we thought we'd inspire you with things that make you say 'YeeHaw!!'

First up, some cowfolk fashion!
And something for the movie buff...
Followed by a little horsing around ;)
And some country inspired decorating.
Finishing up with Western Inspiration from The Willows!!


Happy Stampede!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Pinterest-ing!

Our team tries really, really hard to not get distracted by Pinterest... We're not doing very well so to help us feel better about it we thought we would share our favourite pins from this past week!







Sunday, June 10, 2012

A Very Brief History of Father's Day

Father's Day as a celebrated day to honour dads, grand dads & other men playing a significant 'father' role in someone's life is just over 100 years old. A young woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd campaigned hard to have an official day honouring father's. Her own father had raised her and her five siblings after her mother died during childbirth. Spurred on by the love for him she worked to have the day official. And on July 19, 1910 the first Father's Day was celebrated in Washington State. The celebration migrated North and Canadians also honour dad on the third Sunday in June! And we just want to take a moment to say 'Thank You' to the men who have made a significant difference in our lives ~ We Love You All!!

Grandpa Dick

Big Bob

Grand Daddy

Papa & Grand Daddy with the triplets & Mike



Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Container Gardening Inspiration - Wordless Wednesday

The beautiful weather has us longing to play in the garden. 
And while it's a little early for full scale gardening container gardens can help to satisfy the urge. 










Sunday, April 29, 2012

10 of the Best Painting Tips, Tricks & Sites on The Web

The easiest way to freshen a room for Spring is to slap on a fresh coat of paint! Inspiration is as close as your favourite home decor magazine and a trip to your local hardware store is never far away. Bringing with it instant gratification, painting a room can be accomplished in a day or a bigger project tackled in a weekend. Whatever you decide to do we want to help by pointing you to some of the best painting tips, tricks and sites on the web.












And last but not least here's a handy, dandy list of what you'll need to get started compliments of TLC

Have these materials and tools on hand before tackling any paint job:
Caulk
Sandpaper
Wood-filling or drywall compound
Clean, damp cloths
Plastic sheeting
Masking tape
2-inch-wide blue painter's tape
Plastic knife
Paintbrushes: flat, angular, trim
Paint (1 gallon for every 350 square feet)
Small plastic paint tray
Paint roller and roller cover 



We hope you'll send us pictures of your finished work - we'd love to see it!!