Ruby's Petite Tea Party

My beautiful granddaughter, Ruby, turned 7! Where does the time go?

My talented daughter, Christine, went all out (as usual). She hosted a lovely tea party for Ruby and her friends.

Mid Morning Tea

~MENU~

Passion Fruit Tea

Scones with Butter & Jam

Nutella Flower Sandwiches

Cream Cheese & Cucumber Sandwiches

Chicken Salad Croissants

Pink Pavlova with Berries & Cream

She found the sweetest mini pie dishes and made the apple pie filling and dough from scratch! See what I mean by going all out? Each young lady was able to roll out their own crust and scoop in just the right amount of yummy apple filling. These girls were becoming professionals and even got super fancy with a lattice top.

Such concentration!

Of course, what professional little pastry chefs don't have their own apron? Christine made special one of a kind aprons out of her stash of fabrics for each special guest. (Keeping a stash of fabrics...hmm...wonder where she gets that from?)

She also purchased adorable pink pie boxes, topped them with a chalkboard label (available at The Willows) and let them write their names so they could take their masterpieces home.

 Happy Birthday, sweet Ruby!

 

A special thank you to my insanely talented youngest daughter, Emily, for capturing these wonderful moments for us. To see more of her brilliant photography, check out her blog HERE.



The Original Willowette

And our most beloved mascot. Miss Willow passed away a few weeks ago and our hearts broke here at The Willows. I am hijacking Bev's blog today to let her know that we all loved and will miss our baby girl Willow.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal passes that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....  *Author unknown*



Keep it Clean: Dash & Albert

Dash & Albert posted this great video on their blog about how easy it is to clean their indoor/outdoor rugs. We absolutely love their rugs. They are durable, soft, easy to care for and beautiful. Stop in and mention our blog to receive 20% off any Dash and Albert rug, including special orders.

Check out their Pinterest page for some beautiful photos and inspiration!

Mejico

We LOVE unique, local, one of a kind restaurants, and Mejico certainly is that! I just had to tell you all about it. The menu is simple, with classic Mexican dishes, all sounding delicious. In addition to their signature margaritas, which the bartender is happy to doctor up for those really craving some heat, they have added a craft cocktail menu that would compliment any spicy dish (present company included).

In my opinion, the bar has the best seats in the house. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable about the food, drinks and always ready with a recommendation if you are having trouble deciding which yummy dish to try.

They also have an AMAZING happy hour. Monday-Friday 3pm-6pm. Half price drinks and appetizers. They had me at $1 street tacos. I'm going back tomorrow, and maybe the next day... Mejico, welcome to the neighborhood! What are some of your favorite local spots?

Click Here for More Details

     

   



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!

 

On the Road Again

In the last 30 days, we have been on the road for you. In January we shopped Atlanta...Warehouses, The Big Gift Market and Antique Shows! We ventured wherever the taxis would take us. We finally jumped on the bandwagon and downloaded Uber. We froze our tootsies off, but had lots of fun. We were able to take some of our favorite dealers out for dinner and drinks. We thought we had purchased plenty but its going quickly!



Next, we took a trip to the West Coast in our faithful F150 "Buddy". He always gets us where we need to go - whether it's the Rose Bowl, Long Beach or Alameda Flea Market. Grab your girlfriends and hit the road! Who knows what you'll find. So, what are some of your favorite roads trips?



After the rain...

...an array of fresh blooms have "popped up" at The Willows.