Willow House Wednesday: Stock up on great SERVING PIECES (while they are on sale!)

I love to plan birthday parties.  If you've read my blog at all, you are well aware of that fact. And you are probably aware that a lot of my birthday party planning is enjoyed more by me than it is by the tiny people who attend the parties!  


Given my love for planning and presenting fun birthday parties, I was feeling pretty bad when my baby girl turned ONE and I didn't have anything planned!  So a week after her birthday, I settled on having our family over for a luncheon to celebrate the one year milestone.  The only problem was... at 9 pm the night before the luncheon, I hadn't done anything.  Other than purchasing a $7 bunch of tulips and a $20 digital pack of party printables, I did not have a single thing planned or set up.  And I was already exhausted, so I gave myself a 4 hour time limit.


Here's what I came up with....

Now, here's the part where I tell you the secret to being able to pull off a fun and special party with very little planning or purchasing (as I did on this one!)...


#1)  Have you discovered the concept of DIY Party Printables?  If not, discover them NOW! Every little detail for this party was printed from my own computer and assembled at home using tape, hot glue, toothpicks, and skewers... in less than 4 hours!  I recommend using Etsy.com - there are TONS of printables to choose from!


And now for the part where Willow House comes into play...


#2)  Invest in a few classic and versatile serving pieces.  Every dish on this table came from inside my cabinets and laid the backdrop for a beautiful party table.  I didn't buy anything (I even had the hot pink plastic forks!)  Having said that, I realize that pretty serving pieces can be an investment and few people have the addiction to dishes that I do, but really, good serving pieces are a worthwhile investment. I say "worthwhile" because when you buy items that are classic, you will use them for many, many years!  And those special pieces will become the items that you use to create traditions and memories with your family!


So what makes a good classic serving piece?  In my opinion, glass!  Glass is classy, can be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion, and it goes with everything!


In addition to glass, choose a few key pieces that are neutral... either white or off white.  These pieces, too, will complement your other dishes and will stand the test of time.


Here is my the same picture, highlighting a few key serving pieces that I use ALL the time...

And now for the really good news... most of these items are on SALE right now!  But quantities are limited, so if you see something that would be a good investment for you, snatch it up fast!


Let's take a closer look at the key serving pieces I recommend everyone have...


#1)  Upside Down Cake Stand:  this piece has been used over and over and over in my house!  And the best part about it... it can be used right side up or upside down!  When you turn it upside down, the middle section becomes a bowl for dips or a vase for flowers.  OR... put a styrofoam ball inside and it and it becomes the perfect place to serve cake pops (see my cake stand on the right being used that way)!  The glass Adair Cake Stand is on sale in April for $35!

{the white cake stand is no longer available, but the glass one flips just the same way!}

Here are a few more pictures showcasing the Adair Upside Down cake stand for recent and table decor...

{in this picture, I sat the Eyelet Ribbon plate on top of the cake stand and this combo showcased my kids'
homemade turkey's for our Thanksgiving centerpiece}

2)  A Pretty Pitcher:  prior to selling Willow House, I'm not sure that I owned a pretty pitcher!  I think all my pitchers were of the plastic variety.  And while there is nothing wrong with a good practical plastic pitcher, it really can only do one thing... be a pitcher!  But when you invest in a pretty glass pitcher, your options for usage double!  Not only are your drinks prettier for serving, your pitcher can double as a gorgeous vase.  How pretty are my $7 grocery store tulips inside this Ruffled Glass Pitcher?  This sweet pitcher is on sale in April for only $24!

#3)  Glass Bowls:  if you only have the cereal bowls that match your dinnerware, chances are they aren't going to match a bright pink and green birthday party!  BUT if you have a great set of classic glass bowls, they will go with anything! And they are also great for serving dips on a buffet line, condiments at a bar-b-que, or even individual desserts at a dinner party!  These glass bowls are currently in the Willow House eOutlet - they come in a set of 4 for $21!  And there is a large serving bowl and a PITCHER that match!  

#4)  Small Trays:  I love a small "appetizer" sized serving tray.  I use smaller trays far more often that I use large platters.  

{the white platters are no longer available, but there are several neutral appetizer trays in our current product offering}

The Amelia Beaded Glass Tray is a super sweet appetizer sized tray that is on sale for a steal of price of $15 in April!  

And the Amelia Beaded Trio is a must-have too!  

The trio is on sale for only $13 in April!   These sweet little containers can be used for everything... hair ties, flowers, make up brushes, desk accessories, even condiments or pickles (see below)! 

#5)  Pretty Glassware:  when I got married, I registered for bright blue glassware.  What on earth was I thinking?!  They were pretty but went with NOTHING!  Glassware is an investment than you can accumulate over time.  Pretty glasses like our Emerson Beverage Glasses are great... they can be a water glass, a wine glass, or even a party glass when you add a fun paper wrap to it and dress it down!  

#6)  Neutral Serving Pieces:  I have a collection of both white and off-white serving pieces and both can be mixed and matched with everything else I own.  One of my favorite all-time serving pieces is a Ribbon Plate!  Not only do I love ribbon plates for serving, but I have been known to use them for other traditions as well (i.e. my Advent Activity countdown this year!).  

Our lovely creamy Gramercy Ribbon Plate is on sale for the very low price of only $22 this month only!  And they won't last long at that price!  Quantities of this particular item are very limited, so snatch yours up now... you won't be disappointed!  A fun tip... set this plate upright in a plate holder and use a dry erase marker to write your daily menu, bible verse, or note to your kids!

#7)  Glass Hurricane:  i think I have blogged before about why everyone should invest in a glass hurricane.  They are simply the best!  And did you know that hurricanes are not just for decorating?  They serve a dual purpose and can be used for serving too!  Cookies, Fruit, Layered Desserts... you name it, a hurricane can hold it!

The Hawthorne Hurricane is one of my favorite hurricanes because of its height.  I've been using it all Spring for my holiday table decor...

And it's now on SALE for only $23 - a serious steal!


Lastly, another great serving piece to invest in is a good beverage server.  Here are a few shots of our Savannah Beverage Server being used at parties...

And I will soon be the owner of this amazing deal....

The Gramercy Beverage Server is 50% off in April!  And the neat thing about this beauty is that it serves both cold AND hot drinks!  And a fun little secret... use a dry erase marker to label your drink and add a touch of whimsy to any occasion.


Well, I could continue to sing the praises of great quality, classic, neutral serving pieces, but I will simply close by showing you the full images of the items on SALE right now!  Remember though, quantities are limited and items are expected to sell out.

You can shop with me online by clicking the image below!

Finally, whether you stock up on these great deals or not, I encourage you to slowly add some great serving pieces to your home collection.  Even if you add only one piece a year, you will eventually have a great variety of items that you will use for family celebrations for many years.  And when you use them for those reasons, they aren't simply serving pieces anymore... they are memory makers!


Here is another memory making mini-party that I was able to pull off using more great versatile Willow House products!

Willow House Wednesday: A Touch of Easter

We are sliding into April which means it's officially time to think about Easter!  The thing I want to stress about any type of holiday decorating is that you can use the items you already have and sparingly embellish them with seasonal objects.  There is no need to buy extra holiday-specific decor, unless you happen to find something adorable that you just love (like my bunnies!).


Remember when I showed you how I spruced up my mantel for Spring?

Well, here it is with a touch of Easter.  I kept all the same elements... I just added a few bunnies, some eggs, and a few chicks to seasonalize the decor I already had on the mantel.

I got all of my Easter items from Hobby Lobby.  They have eggs that look fake and eggs that look really real... choose the ones that look real!  In other words, leave the overly glittered and picture embossed eggs on the shelf and go for the more subtle ones.


For these two hurricanes on the right, I simply topped off the Reindeer moss/split peas that were already there with some speckled eggs.  The white eggs were a Pottery Barn inspiration from here.  I found the white eggs for less than $1 at Hobby Lobby and added my own scrapbook stickers for a similar look!  You could spell just about anything... mine spell Jesus :)

On left side, once again, I just added to the Reindeer moss that was already in the hurricane.  I found these little chicks at Hobby Lobby, but they had an ugly egg tied to the top of the chick with an ugly ribbon.  I just ripped the ugly off and re-glued the "feathers" back on the top to get two cute little chicks!  

Lastly, I added a little nest with the same eggs to the top of the greenery arrangement on the far left.

I think the result is subtle Easter decor that doesn't look too overdone!  What do you think?

On the dining room table, a few bunnies and another birds nest are all that I needed to add a touch of Easter to this table scape.  Candlesticks (such as the Amira blue one shown) are a great item to use for decorating with items other than candles... birds nests and moss balls are a few of my favorite things to put on top of a candlestick!

You've heard me sing the praises of good generic glass items many times over!  I love the classic look of glass... it never goes out of style and will go with absolutely anything!

Here is a little touch of Easter on my staircase ledge using some glass pieces that I literally use all.the.time!  Notice that I turned the hurricane upside down, filled it with eggs, and topped it with a boxwood ball?!

By the way, the medium glass candlesticks pictured here are on special this week for only $8.96!!!  You need to get a few of them if you don't already have them!  You can click the image below to shop online.  Be sure to check the outlet and the weekly deals in the outlet!

And last but not least, I added a few fun oversized Easter eggs (made with scrapbook paper, Modge Podge and Kraft eggs from Hobby Lobby) to my coffee table bowl.  

So those are a few ideas for adding just a touch of Easter decor to your home this month.  Remember, you don't need a lot... just a few touches!  


And if you want more inspiration and ideas, be sure to check out www.mystyleshare.com for TONS of pictures and videos and lots of great Easter inspiration!


Lastly, this little vignette is not necessarily Easter - just Spring!  But I thought I'd share it with you anyway!  Like usual, I've used split peas as a filler in the hurricane, a giant boxwood ball inside the dome, a burlap lining in the tall hurricane and some great real-looking branches.  I added a little sign and a few birds and birds nests to complete the Spring look!

Happy Decorating!