holiday home tours #3 and #4

Two of our lovely Willowettes allowed us to invade their homes for some more holiday decor inspiration. Don't you love getting a peek at how others decorate for the holidays? I know I do...

To start, we have Kim's beautiful home...

And here is Jen's charming home...

Thanks, ladies! Your homes look so wonderful and inviting!

holiday home tour #2

So, here is my own house to share with you. I tried to keep it simple and natural this year, but couldn't resist adding a little turquoise and bling as well. Hope you enjoy it...

What do you think of my early Christmas present from my husband? I absolutely love them (I also love the fact that they are already hanging on my wall)...

Hope you are having a lovely weekend!

a last minute gift guide

I had good intentions of putting this together much earlier. Then I was sure I was going to post it yesterday. When that didn't happen, I knew I would get it up first thing this morning. Now here I finally am with my top gifts for this season. So if you still have that hard-to-shop for person on your list, I have a few ideas from around the store for just about anyone on your list...

1. Bella Notte's Deluxe Sham - this oversized pillow is seriously like a giant marshmallow. It is great for reading or cozying up to watch a movie. And, of course, looks amazing on your bed.

2. A Linnea Lights candle - my favorite scent is blue agave, but they are all wonderful.

3. Dish Towels made from vintage seed sacks - not the rowdiest teenagers nor the messiest toddlers could destroy one of these. They are the sturdiest towels I have ever used and I absolutely love them! And they look quite cute in your kitchen, too. Pair one with a bottle of wine, a plate of cookies or your favorite hand soap and you have the perfect gift for just about anyone.

4. Eye-bobs - Let's be honest, I wouldn't get very far without a good pair of readers. And these ones are so stylish and fun, you want to remember to bring them along. Give someone a book and a pair of Eye-bobs so they can actually read it!

6. Our New 7-Layer Necklace from Dos Fannies - need I say more?

7. 365 days of quotes - one of those great gifts that keeps going the whole year round.

8. Long sleeve (or short) Michael Stars tee - my go to gift for any lady in your life. I can pretty much bet this will be her favorite shirt.

9. A Market Basket - A great gift all by itself and a super fun one to fill with goodies. Throw in a bottle of wine, a loaf of bread and one of our dish towels and you have a gift for a whole family.

10. A burlap zipper pouch - once again a cute little gift that can be given alone or fill it with your favorite lip gloss and eye shadow for a girlfriend or sister.

11. Twine - yes, I am still obsessed.

12. An amazing family photo album - this is more of a treasure than any photo album I have ever seen. Filled with inspiring quotes and easy to fill in with your own pictures, this is the perfect gift for a mother or grandmother.

What's the best thing you've found for someone on your list this year?

lovely wrap

As much as I love all the wonderful bright colors of Christmas (believe me, I almost considered going for turquoise wrapping paper...), I absolutely melt over simple, beautiful wrap. I have always been a sucker for basic brown packing paper or a simple brown box. Add a few neutral embellishments and you have a gift that looks elegant and timeless. I thought I might throw out a few little ideas, just in case you are still wrapping presents for the holidays. Or if you are shopping at the Willows, remember to ask us to wrap it for you! Complete with a magical little jingle bell on top...

Should I mention we sell jingle bells at The Willows, in case you want to pick some up for your own wrapping needs...

Corrugated cardboard and lacey trims are my newest favorites lately and I love to add just a little touch of greenery at Christmas...

If you want to add a little more bling to your wrap, go for a sprinkle of glitter or toss in a bit of gold ribbon to the mix...

I found this fabulous how-to over at Style Me Pretty for amazing natural looking wrapping...

I also somehow came across this great picture (you know how you click from blog to blog to blog, but don't remember how you got there?) and love the use of newspaper and (of course!) twine...

How are you wrapping your presents this year? Any great pictures or inspiration to share with the rest of us? Do you wrap everything the same, or just in whatever you have lying around?

As always, we love to hear from you!

a super holiday sale!

Not only is ALL KIDS 50% off, but we decided to make ALL CHRISTMAS 50% off as well!

Come and get it, because it is going fast!

If there is still that little one you need the perfect gift for we have all sorts of amazing kids gifts for 50-60% off! Come and see us!