We never need a reason . . . to celebrate (+ a GiveAway!)

Close your eyes and quickly bring up a couple of your warmest childhood memories.  I bet ya dollars to two Krispy Kreme doughnuts that what you remembered involved small details.  It might have been the way the tooth fairy always seemed to wear Mom's perfume or personal pizza night, where your brother concocted any combination of toppings that his belly could tolerate.

Happy childhoods are made up of moments -- and many of them don't have to cost a dime. 

Take last night for instance.  My son just finished up several days of school required STAAR testing (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) and I thought I would set a special table to celebrate - and give us a chance relax and DooDLe During DiNNeR . . . every need one of those triple D nights that Macaroni Grill provides?   We are big doodlers :)

I simply wrapped the our round breakfast tabletop with the back (white side) of cheapy wrapping paper.  Took a remant of bright paper and folded it on itself many times into a pie shape and cut a curved petal shape out of it -- unfolded it and set it on the center of the table . . . . keep reading for more detail on that . . .

Our kitchen table is typically set for just the 3 of us (We have chairs for 6 & a large round topper that are added for entertaining).  VERY Informal -- if you can't tell.  I was cooking spaghetti, garlic bread and salad -- which just needed a fork and a plate (we're casual!).

Sorry for the poor pic :( . . . the Petal Straws were completely unnessary, but fun just the same.  From Martha . . . 

Link to Martha's Idea

. . . to put these in perspective, I used a few leftover cupcake liners and mini foil baking cups, a bendy straw and scissors.  So ignore all the special tools her site suggests for making these -- completely unnecessary. 
I used this same folding technique for the blue wrapping paper petal in the center of the table. EASY! You can see the fold lines in the pic below . . .

I wrote & doodled directly on the blue wrapping paper with my Bistro Chalk Marker (love it) that I have used many times before.  I have bought them from Amazon & craft stores (bring a coupon).

It may seem a little girlie to have flower petals, but it was VERY Quick to pull together and it certainly didn't matter to my son.  It made him feel special.   

The 'centerpiece' is a caddy filled with Markers, Crayons and Strawberries -- oh and some orange fiber that a bouquet of flowers Mr. V brought me one time were wrapped in.

Willow House

It is a wonderful clutter collector and perfect for your family's homework spot (most commonly the kitchen table :). 

We've also used it for entertaining though too . . . 

MyStyleShare

Use it on a buffet and serve away!  The 5 removable glasses are food safe, and candle-safe too - gorgeous with fresh flowers as well.  The metal rings and center rod can be removed, so you can use the tray alone as a riser -- or flip it upside down as shown above.

What would you use it for?  Would you like to WiN a Willow House French Wire Carousel Caddy for your family?  Of course you would!

Here's How to Win One . . .

created a Google Doc form for entries. This prevents any of our email addresses from being harvested by blog-crawling harvester bots (ooooh!), 

Simply leave a comment with your email address for one entry. (Make sure you leave your e-mail address, so I can contact you if you win!)

• For a second entry, visit my facebook page and if you like what you see, become a fan -- Come back to this post and leave a second comment letting me know you are a NEW Fan!
• For a third entry, subscribe to my newsletter and leave one last comment letting me know you have (or already do.) The subscribe box can be found here or within my website here.

The giveaway will run through Sunday, April 29, 2012, at midnight EST. It is only open to readers over the age of 18 and living in the lower 48 US states.  One Winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Monday, April 30.  

Go ahead . . . give yourself a mother's day gift :)

Psst -- I am using Random.org's integer generator to choose a random winner.
THANK YOU in Advance & Good luck, everyone!

I am linking up with Between Naps on the Porch's Tablescape Thursday and Hookin Up with House of Hepworths :)

My Love of Tote-able Totes & a Give-Away!

I hope you all had a wonderfully beautiful weeknd! I enjoyed some welcomed family time and it was perfect. We are definitely in the SWiNG of SPRiNG around here and are days are filled with school activities, day trips and yard work -- which is never ending (but I think we are getting ahead of it -- ah, finally!)

With all our running around it helps to keep some easy to clean, easy to pack, and easy to carry totes handy.  There are many versions available, but I must admit Willow House's Shop and Go Totes are ideal . . .

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They fold up easily, so I keep a few close at hand in my purse -- when I make a 'quick' run into Target -- I receive a 5 cent discount at checkout for each reusable bag I use. {it all adds up!} . . . Read more about Target savings over at The Frugal Girls.

Perfect little gifts to keep on hand too -- next time you are meeting some girlfriends for lunch, how sweet would it be to hand them a tote with a little gift card attached (Target, Whole Foods -- you name it).  They'll love it -- a sweet little Busy Mom's Treat -- we all better plan a lunch prior to Mother's Day :).

A must for travel!  Used at the airport to keep your suitcase from going over the weight limit.  My sister Liela is an avid Cruiser and she won't leave the boat without them.

I use it in the garden, when I am clipping florals or herbs, and yes, {*sigh*} picking weeds.  So much easier than lugging around a bucket! 

And while Willow House suggests 'Hand Wash Only' -- my family and I toss them in the washing machine repeatedly without a problem.  I'll drip dry if my load is destined for high heat, otherwise they go in the dryer too . . . and we've been doing this for years!

For 25 reasons to Go Reusable, check out the scary reality of how plastic bags are hurting our environment here.  :(
For 101 other uses for the Willow House Shop and Go Totes click here :)

Psst -- don't forget Earth Day is celebrated on Sunday, April 22. 
Now for the Give-Away!

Up for GRABS ::: a Set of 3 Shop and Go Totes delivered direct to your door!

There will be 3 Winners -- 3 different winners, each winning a Set of 3 Totes!

I created a Google Doc form for entries. This prevents any of our email addresses from being harvested by blog-crawling harvester bots (ooooh!), 

• Simply leave a comment for one entry. (Make sure you leave your e-mail address, so I can contact you if you win!)
• For a second entry, visit my facebook page and if you like what you see, become a fan -- Come back to this post and leave a second comment letting me know you are a NEW Fan!
• For a third entry, subscribe to my newsletter and leave one last comment letting me know you have (or already do.) The subscribe box can be found here or within my website here.

The giveaway will run through Saturday, April 14, 2012, at midnight EST. It is only open to readers over the age of 18 and living in the lower 48 US states.  THREE Winners will be randomly chosen and announced on Sunday, April 15.

Psst -- I am using Random.org's integer generator to choose a random winner.
THANK YOU in Advance & Good luck, everyone!


 

We Have A WiNNeR -- or I should say WinnerS!

The response to my first Blog GiveAway was overwhelming -- and I have YOU to Thank!  Given the amount of responses I received I decided to include 2 Great Goodies in my Willow House Birthday GiveAway :::

• The Botanica Tiered Planter ($145 Value)

~and~

• A $75 Willow House Product Credit

(towards ANY of Willow House's fabulous Style for Home -or- Jewelry by Sara Blaine items)

So . . . the WinnerS are

• Botanica Tiered Planter now belongs to Marie Lochhead

and

• a $75 Willow House product goes to Bella of weheartDIY

I will contact each winner directly to ensure they get their goodies!!

~

THANK YOU for all the wonderful entries (and birthday wishes ☼ it was a fabulous day by the way).  Watch for MORE incredible give-aways happening during April. 

I think we all deserve to treat ourselves (or a special lady in our life) to some special treats before Mother's Day . . . don't you!

It's My Birthday & I Want A GiveAway!

THIS GiVeAWaY CLOSED -- Watch for future GiveAways coming soon! Thank you!

How do you like my Calorie FREE Cake?  Well, it's one way to get ready for Beach Season -- which seems fitting since the stone planter is filled with sand ;)

I love birthdays, plus Mr. V and our son (Sparks) have fun making the day special for me. So I feel especially blessed.  Let's see if I can make someone else HaPPy on My Birthday -- with a Willow House Give-Away!!

What to learn even more about Willow House?  Click Here :)

Willow House is YOUR design studio.  It encompases a team of artists who are as passionate as you are about creating a welcoming home, a place that you love -- and love being in.  Calling on the principles of Simply Good Design, we're proud to create beautiful and exclusive items that feel at home in your home -- pieces that make you stand back and say, "That's exactly what I was looking for."

I am a founding director, Willow House business owner and independent consultant for a company I admire and adore.  Flip through our catalogs and you'll see -- Willow House is fun and flirty, calming yet charismatic.  We offer a relaxed shopping experience you share with your friends (at a party or through social networking). AND even better, we're a small business opportunity that provides income for American families. I invite you to take a closer look and contact me to learn more.

Now On to The GIVEAWAY!

It's our Botanica Tiered Planter, a $145 retail value ::: shipped direct to the winner for Free!

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Increase your curb appeal by flanking your entry with columns of color, or add height to a garden landscape with our brown-rubbed black iron planter. Show-stopping with all three tiers, it can also be displayed with just one or two levels by removing baskets. Fill with pre-potted plants, or lift out the included coconut fiber liners for use with linens in the kitchen or towels in the bath.
16” diameter x 42” tall

A welcome addition to any porch -- perfect for growing herbs!

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Are you 'wheels' just turning on how you can use the Botanica Tiered Planter?

And of course you would LOVE to get it for free!

Here’s how to enter…

I created a Google Doc form for entries. This prevents any of our email addresses from being harvested by blog-crawling harvester bots (ooooh!), 

• Simply leave a comment for one entry. (Make sure you leave your e-mail address, so I can contact you if you win!)
• For a second entry, visit my facebook page and if you like what you see, become a fan -- Come back to this post and leave a second comment letting me know you are a NEW Fan! 
• For a third entry, subscribe to my newsletter and leave one last comment letting me know you have (or already do.) The subscribe box can be found here or within my website here. 

The giveaway will run through Saturday, March 31, 2012, at midnight EST. It is only open to readers over the age of 18 and living in the lower 48 US states.  ONE Winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Sunday, April 1 (no fooling!).

Psst -- Use Random.org's integer generator to choose a random winner.
THANK YOU in Advance & Good luck, everyone!

MAKE SURE you Leave Your EMAIL address so I can Contact You if You WiN!  Thanks so Much!