Something Old, Something New

Isn't that what people say when you're re-branding? 

Okay, I guess it's traditionally used for weddings, but it IS the perfect mantra for the next, exciting, few months at The Willows! After 18 years, (I was 12 when I opened this store) we are giving ourselves a face-lift, but with less swelling.

 

We are working with the incredibly talented Kitchen Sink Studios to create a brand new website and online store. The designers over at Kitchen Sink are coming up with great ideas and we can't wait to unveil our new online look. In the meantime, keep following our Blog, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest updates, sales, events, giveaways, inspiration and plain ol' fun! In fact, if you come in the store and shout "I can't wait for the new website!" we will give you 20% off any regular priced item of apparel. (Okay, okay, you don't have to shout it, just mention this post.) Stay tuned!

 

making baby presents

My son Peter made this adorable little hanging rack for his daughter last year, so I thought I would try and put one together for grandbaby number 20, while her parents were in town from Chicago (she is due in June!).  I picked up the pieces I needed from Home Depot (I may have had to climb a shelf to get what I needed when no one wanted to help me...) and picked up some paint from Rust and Roses.  We made the whole thing in one short afternoon and I love the way it turned out.  The only thing left is to add the little mini casters to the bottom of it.  

I just love the stripes!

lovely new design projects

Here's a little sneak peek of the front entry in a home we have been working on.

We can't wait to share it with you! 

a garden gift

I found all these crates at the flea market last time I went and I thought they would be so fun to use for plants or even as little herb boxes.  So, as usually happens with me when I am sitting in my craft room, I start to think of what fun little bags and packagings I can make to go with these boxes to create cute little individual gifts...  I have said it 1000 times, my craft room is my therapy.  And I had a lovely little session last week putting all this together...  I am going to put seeds in the little bags and fill the big "grow" bag up with some of our super fertile soil from the garden.  Throw in a watering can, some tools and even a cute little tablecloth and there you go.

Would you think it was fun to receive a vintage crate full of gardening supplies as a gift?

never too old for a tree house

We built this tree house for our son Alex when he was younger and he and his friends used to spend hours playing in it. It has been a little neglected in more recent years. The grandkids love playing in it, but it definitely needs a little love to bring back that magic that it used to have. I saw these amazing fun sheds on Pure Style Home last May and decided this was going to be my next little project. The one with the chandelier? I mean, come on. Not that mine will be quite to this level - I still want it to be a playhouse - but I have a few little ideas brewing around in my head. I was thinking of painting it taupe and the swing white, adding some curtains and maybe even a little chandelier.

Anyway, just as I was starting to make plans for this project, my son Al came home from college. Seeing as I had sort of kicked him and his friends out of the guest house, I guess they were looking for a new place to hang out. Seems you are never too old for a tree house...

So, instead of curtains and a chandelier, the tree house got a dart board and guitars. They have moved on from the guest house though, so its fine be me. It really just kind of makes me giggle that these college boys that used to play in this tree house have returned back to it.

The downfall is that now, instead of finding them sprawled about the guest house, they have just taken to sleeping on the back patio... oh, college boys.

I actually don't even know who this is...

Well, Alex leaves for Rome in just a few short weeks (*sniff, sniff* this is where I get emotional and decide he can sleep on the back patio as much as he wants if he just stays home with his mom a little longer...), so I guess the tree house will be mine again. Thus, it is time to start the planning. So, ladies (and any of you fellas that are reading out there), what fantastic ideas do you have? Please do share! What would you do to fix up this lovely old tree house?