a fresh new scent

we are excited to introduce a new line to the shop....kai. 

it smells amazing! with hints of plumeria, jasmine and gardenia, 

it can make the everyday feel extraordinary. we love the story behind the 

owner's inspiration for developing the scent, in the hawaiian spirit. 

come by and mention this post now through saturday and you 

will receive 10% off your kai purchase!

heading back...

and here are some tid bits of the treasures we've come upon so far...

look forward to seeing some of these back in the shop soon!

 do you just adore these antique french confit jars? such gorgeous statement pieces! and we are thinking the above cabinet would make the most stunning kitchen built-in filled with white dishes of course!

we could not get enough of the variety of eye dropping windows, shutters and doors

 set is this open field.

and how about these silly garden gnomes to grace your garden? 

looking forward to getting back...has it cooled down yet? 

maybe we will just keep truckin until fall arrives...hehehe.

treasure hunting

 {picture via pinterest}

the shop girls have taken off on a whim to round top Texas in search of some amazing one of a kind pieces for the store! we're dying to see what they pick up and bring back home. they'll be sending pictures this week as a sneek peek so look forward to that and we hope your week is off to a great start!

fall has arrived in the shop!

come see us and grab some gorgeous velvet pumpkins before they are all gone! we have such an amazing selection of colors. we've also gotten in some great fall wardrobe pieces like our new michael stars light weight sweaters and incredible ag jeans perfect for transitioning you into the upcoming weather.

we hope this weekend finds you enjoying the comforts of home...doing a bit of decorating to get in the spirit, perhaps brewing up some pumpkin soup and fresh baked bread or baking off some chocolate chip pumpkin bars for family and friends.

looking to get out and about?  this chile pepper festival in downtown phoenix sounds rather enticing.
we also love a good outdoor market with good eats; try singh farms for a new venue in scottsdale. it makes for a lovely saturday morning! have a beautiful weekend!

california adventures

with family in town of course a little jaunt to california was in order. as always we've been enjoying some good eats and boutique shopping at some of our favorite places. if your in the newport or the san juan capristrano area definitely try these out:

sidecar doughnuts

heritage

the ramos house cafe

and dining at the house is always lovely al fresco. one of my favorite spots at the beach is our little back patio for dining by candlelight. a chill in the air, good conversation, scrumptious food and a visit from Laurie always make for the perfect visit.

do you have any favorite southern california spots to eat or shop? we'd love to hear about them! cheers to the weather getting better in phoenix...slowly but surely right?

a family affair

 over the weekend we had a charming birthday celebration for my youngest son Alex. we do love a good dinner party and birthdays are a great reason to plan one. the meal was set with four courses and wine was perfectly paired with the help of my husband gathering some advice from the local sommelier. i highly recommend doing so if you are having a dinner party and aren't sure what wines would go well. it was such a treat!
our place settings were also set with fun questions concerning the birthday boy...such as 'how would he define his personal style?' and 'what is your favorite memory of him?' which all made for some rather good laughs.

the evening menu

first course

figs with goat cheese & candied pecans

mussels with bread crumbs & almonds

second course

arugula salad & mushroom tart

third course

bacon wrapped pork tenderloin

garlic mash potatoes

fourth 

mixed berry streusal pie

our recipes were taken from both A Kitchen In France as well as The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

the berry pie was a home recipe:
one par baked pie crust; i love ina garten's pie dough from one of her first books as it includes both butter and shortening...but you may use what you like!

pie filling:
about four cups of mixed berries, strawberries sliced
3/4 c. sugar
juice 1 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 t. vanilla extract
zest of one small orange

toss berries well with above ingredients, careful not to smash berries. let rest and toss occasionally while you roll out dough and par bake crust, and make your streusal topping.

streusal topping:
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 stick butter
handful of slivered almonds

melt butter and whisk with all ingredients to make a crumble.

Fill crust with berries and top with streusal. bake at 375 for about 45minutes to an hour until filling is bubbly. let cool before cutting. enjoy!

You've Got Mail (Care Packages)

From shop girl Meg:
There is something intrinsically valuable about good, old-fashioned mail. Sometimes I get such a kick out of gift-giving I could just burst! I spent last night sprawled on my living room floor cataloging and grouping treasures from several shopping trips. The goal: to remind special people in my life that I am thinking of them.
 

I love sending "I miss you" packages to my girlfriend in Portland
with her long-time favorite treats from Trader Joe's!

For my teacher friends, colorful washi tape never fails to impress...

Princess Goldfish for the little lady in my life! (The fishies really are pink!)

I don't know about you, but I love crisp, clean packaging.
I always stock up on small, white boxes when I'm in the school supply aisle. 

This cutie is from one of my favorite Etsy sellers, Wayfare Press. Check out the shop here.

Little notes and heart-shaped Provence soaps. (We carry some of the large bars in the shop!)

 

It's the little things that make life sweet, don't you think? 

a bit of this and that...fall comforts

dreaming of cozy warm spaces like 

this as the weather cools down

thinking this a rather stellar sleek 

look for fall found here

loving this amazing collection of apple recipes 

on the say yes blog

what have you been dreaming up lately? 

do share!

t-shirt tuesday

 come see us today and get 20% off all our basic tees and tanks! 

and while you're here pick up some fall essentials like a new suede clutch, 

gold satchel, or our super yummy velvet scarves that just came in! 

look forward to seeing you!

menu planning: what's for dinner?

are you a list maker? i find it incredibly therapeutic and helpful to get those

thoughts and to do's down on paper. when it comes to looking at the 

week ahead and planning out your dinners i have found some rather 

helpful sites online for dinner inspiration and menu planning. 

here are a few i look to regularly for inspiration:

dinner a love story

smitten kitchen
not without salt
seven spoons
a bountiful kitchen

for after meal treats these are lovely sources:

top with cinnamon

a cozy kitchen

cannelle et vanille

joy the baker

oh ladycakes

if your looking for a rather delicious dinner without a lot of fuss try out this menu.
asian marinated grilled chicken
roasted potatoes with garlic and parsley
sauteed peas and scallions
brownies and ice cream

chicken marinade: recipe from milk bar life, by christina tosi

{better made 1 day before}

1/2 cup apple juice or cider

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 Thai or other small red Chile pepper, seeded and sliced

3 limes, zested and juiced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons neutral oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon black pepper

Whisk all together in large bowl.

-boil small potates first, then roast in a 400 degree oven with some olive oil + butter, parsley 

and garlic, salt and pepper until toasty and bursting.

-when all else is done sautee some english peas in a bit of butter with scallions, salt and pepper; 

maybe add some shaved parmesan if your feeling fancy.

-see above link for these sea salt fudge brownies. 

so great cold the next day with your coffee!

what are some of your go to dinners or tips for planning out the week ahead? 

any great food blogs you love?

or some of your favorite valley restaurants? 

cabin: before and after

we would love to share with you a recent design project we had a blast

working on, in a northern arizona cabin.

we love a good challenge and seeing beyond what is in front of us. 

we hope you enjoy!

{before}

{after}

{before}

{after}

{before}

{after}

and a few more 'after' shots:

so what do you think? 

we are still working on some odds and ends but for now we find it rather charming!

Changing Spaces

This is another post from shop girl Meg… She recently started the adventures of wedding-planning and we are going to take a peek inside her head (and home)!

I adore being at home. I feel instantly relieved when I walk through the door, observe the collections of cheerful objects, kick off my shoes and (quite literally) hop on the couch. Even with this affection for my space, I find myself itching for change. Sometimes it's the "scoot" of a bookshelf, moving a piece of art from one room to the next, or scouring design blogs for the latest and greatest in indoor succulent displays… There is nothing more fun! When girlfriends come over to visit, they have that unsettled look of disorientation after scanning the room for some semblance of familiarity!

Late one night this holiday weekend, I decided to transform my living room into a wedding planning space. I replaced a bookshelf - housing a collection of old books and my two typewriters - with my funky dining room table. I adorned the top with fresh flowers, all the necessary research and two, special photographs - one of my mother and one of my grandmother on their respective wedding days. I pushed my favorite chair up to the table and made a desk. And, I am loving it.

Look at that skirt! 

Any advice for Miss Meg? She has the date and the church, but that's about it! 

I have always preferred white or lavender roses to red… So much more romantic.

happy labor day weekend!

we are incredibly thankful for our freedom to work in this beautiful country 

we live in. here at the willows we have been blessed with a wonderful 

group of hardworking women passionate about what they do. 

so many thanks to all of our hard workers out there!

in honor of the labor day weekend come see us tomorrow and mention this

post for 20% off any apparel item!!

Don't forget we will be closed monday for the holiday. 

Have a lovely weekend...sleep in...relax and then make these super easy

donuts that take no time at all!

around the shop

 our yummy new elizabethW line. a must try. 

doesnt that sound perfect after a long hot day?

fun new apparel...come check it out! 

hope youre having a great week. 

any fun weekend plans for labor day?