Barista bar a la Willow House

When Willow House launched its first catalog eleven months ago, I fell in deep like. Now, I do truly like all Willow House products and, like a mother with her children, I try not to play favorites. But there are a few products that have become my go-to's because of their extreme versatility and beauty -- and the French Wire Tiered Stand tops the list. The French Wire Tiered Stand did not come in my kit, but I used my very first host rewards toward this baby, and I've used it every day since I unpacked it.

Actually, my daughter used it first. The first morning after the French Wire Tiered Stand arrived, I came into the kitchen to see each tier holding a lovely variety of breakfast foods. She had placed bagels, English muffins, fruit, instant oatmeal packets, and more on the tiers, creating a vertical breakfast buffet. And she tied a lovely bow on top. (Where was my camera that morning?)

Besides using it to serve food, it also served as a great fall decor item in my living room. Leaves, gourds, and mini pumpkins brought autumn color inside, reminding us of all the wonderful fall traditions we enjoy as a family -- visiting the pumpkin and apple farms, trips to Dahlonega, Thanksgiving with family, and more.

At Christmas, I used my beautiful crackle glass ornaments and fresh pine sprigs, then the family added notes of gratitude on red and green paper. It was a great reminder of what the season is all about to help us keep the right focus.

But now, I think we're really hit the jackpot for this piece. We were kindly given a Keurig coffee maker this past Christmas. While there are some interesting K-Cup organizers out there, none of them really appealed to me. They seemed to take up too much counter space for just one thing, I didn't like the idea of the time it takes to put a K-Cup in each little holder, and the under-the-coffee-maker drawer style won't worker with our cabinets.

As I was putting away the Christmas decorations, I realized that my French Wire Tiered Stand would be available again. After sitting pretty for several months, she was ready for word duty again. I removed the middle tier so that the height wouldn't interfere with my upper cabinets (and now I use the middle tier for a bread basket, riser, or pie plate holder). I put our everyday K-Cups in the small upper tier (Green Mountain Breakfast Blend, if you must know). My Verde Berry Bowl sits on the large bottom tier and holds an assortment of K-Cups for guests. I pulled out my old faithful Southern Sayings dip bowl (Southern Living at Home) to hold snacks, and one of my mother's vintage Pyrex refrigerator dishes holds a variety of tea bags (which are much cheaper than K-Cup tea). Mama's old teabag caddy also stands ready for service.

I love the way everything is at our fingertips, but I can easily clear the counter for cleaning. In case you're wondering where all the creamer and sugar are, we store them in a cabinet above the coffee area. To save time and money, we buy large sizes and just use them right out of the container (until company comes -- I do provide prettier hospitality for them!). My personal barista prefers it this way and, since he makes me the perfect cup of coffee each morning, I'm happy to oblige!

{I linked up with I'm An Organizing Junkie !}

© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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