Blog move -- follow me!

Guess what -- I've moved! 

Or at least my Willow House blog has moved.

Come check out my snazzy new home!

{If you're a follower of this blog,

be sure to follow the new blog instead!}

Style + Function = Perfection!

I was thinking about my jewelry box just this morning. When my husband purchased it for me more than sixteen years ago, I remember thinking, "How will I ever fill this thing up?" I'm not sure when it happened, but it did get filled up. Besides my jewelry, it's filled with a few of my mother's pieces, some of my daughter's pieces, even my husband's army marksmanship medal.

So this morning, as I was getting out some of my snazzy Willow House jewelry to wear, I thought there must be a better way.

{Cue violins}

Then, over on Facebook, I saw this lovely sneak preview of a page from our upcoming Fall 2012 Style for Home catalog -- what a great idea! I mean, my Sara Blaine pieces are works of art, painstakingly handcrafted into true heirloom quality designer jewelry. And I can't wear it all, all the time. But my bedroom wall could!

Gotta love it when style and function -- beauty and organization -- play so nicely together. (See more examples of this here, here, and  here.)

© Suzanne Jackson 2012.
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Willow House July Sale! (+ Retired Products Alert)

Wow, I thought the June sales were great, but wait until you see what I have for you this month!

First of all, say hello to even more deals on Style for Home (note: this sale ends Monday, July 23, 2012 -- click the photo to see larger flyer).

Second, we'll be introducing a new catalog on July 24 (sneak peek at cover over in my sidebar)! In order to make room for some new products -- including more made-in-America decor -- we have to say good-bye to a few good friends (*sniff*). Here are a few of retiring items -- contact me for a complete list.

Third, our jewelry sale has been extended through July!

And lastly -- because all of these deals are making me just a bit giddy -- I'm offering FREE SHIPPING on any order with products totaling $50 or more through the end of July. Here's how it works:

• Shop at my online store
• Select Suzanne Jackson as your host (I'll be your consultant, as well)
• Place your order
• I'll send you a rebate check for your shipping amount once the order is processed

P.S. If you're loving the products you see here, you might want to consider your own Willow House business. You can learn a little more here, then contact me for more info.

Looking to Independence Day fun

It's hot, hot, hot -- the perfect time to enjoy some cool inspiration on Pinterest! Here are some of the holiday-inspired pins I've been liking.

How about some salute-worthy bling from one of my favorite blogs, Plate and Pattern?

And you gotta love the patriotic subway art (free printable!).

Source: eyecandyeventdetails.blogspot.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

And here's a great alternative to burgers and dogs:

Source: southernliving.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

Loads of free printables for the Fourth...

Source: 247moms.com via Lynn on Pinterest

Don't forget to dress up your door!

Source: suzannejackson.store.willowhouse.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

Source: imsimplyme.com via Debra on Pinterest

But my absolute favorite has to be Lisa's patriotic painted screens (including the Texas flag didn't hurt, either!).

Source: thepenningtonpoint.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

However you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a happy 4th of July!

Willow House decor -- sneak peek!

Isn't this just lovely? This tidbit is one of six pieces in our new American-made Willow House Artisan Pottery Collection. Don't you just love the rich intricacy?  And it blends beautifully with our Riverstone Collection.

Our first step to reinvent décor starts with our new artisan pottery collection... You’ve probably heard rumors and they are true — it’s beyond spectacular and it’s made in America. The rich glazes, the weight, the uniqueness of these handmade works of art are simply amazing... We’re excited about these first six artisan pottery pieces, and we’re continuing to work on and invest in new American-made products that will continue this trend... (Bill Shaw, president, Willow House)

I'm beyond excited about Willow House bringing more American-made products into our Style for Home line. These will still be unique products, envisioned by our own design team and created with the utmost care and quality materials.

This new collection will be featured in our Fall 2012 Catalog, which you can see here in late July.


 


© Suzanne Jackson 2012.
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Willow House Jewelry by Sara Blaine -- a sale!

Have you heard about our jewelry sale this month? It's the first ever, and it's a great way to build your Sara Blaine collection!

 
What a deal: receive 25% off on any item under $100 with a $75 purchase in June!

Want some great tips on building your jewelry collection for layering? Check out this how-to video with Megan and Leslie -- it'll make it easy to pick your pieces!

To purchase these pieces and more, visit my Willow House website! Sale prices good through the end of June 2012.



© Suzanne Jackson 2012.
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Willow House Summer Sale!

Whether you love Willow House Style for Home or Jewelry by Sara Blaine, your going to love the deals I have for you in June!

You'll want to check out the annual super summer sale over at my Willow House store this month -- and sooner rather than later! You can save up to 50% on more than thirty current items (what you see below and more), but at these prices we're bound to have sell-outs.

 For current availability, check my website daily!

Another big announcement: for the first time only, my jewelry customers can get 25% any item under $100 with a $75 purchase (June 2012 purchases only)

 Shop online or contact me to place your order -- the sooner you order, the sooner you save! And be sure to browse around my website for style ideas and more!


© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, y'all! My family will take any excuse to eat Mexican food -- heck, we even celebrated Quatro de Mayo last night. But tonight, we'll be enjoying homemade pico de gallo and guacomole with freshly grilled chicken fajitas. Because it's a tradition. (If I'd had a more normal week, I would've remembered to have pinto beans simmering, too.) 


Thought you'd enjoy just one of the many faces of our Gramercy Beverage Server:

Thanks to Jill Hevey Licastri for styling and to the Willow House home office team for sharing this photo on their Facebook page. And for some great beverage ideas, check out my e-newsletter here.

The Gramercy Beverage Server set can be purchased from my online Willow House store -- or schedule a virtual party in May and get it for as little as $5!





© Suzanne Jackson 2012.
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Shopping for Shelly

Some of you may remember an online Willow House benefit I hosted for my sister-in-law, Michele, last May. Michele's condition has progressed to pre-leukemia, and she now requires a bone marrow transplant (my husband is blessed to be able to donate marrow through peripheral blood stem cells).You can read about Michele and her situation on my Princapecos blog.

In light of this, I'm hosting another online Willow House benefit to help Michele and her husband, Tim, meet the expenses involved.

To participate in this fundraiser, simply visit either of my online Willow House stores, Style for Home or Jewelry by Sara Blaine, place an order using Michele Fetz as your host, and I'll donate my entire commission from your order directly to Michele. Style for Home orders over $39.96 are still eligible for a customer special, and even e-outlet orders count! If you need help or prefer to order by phone, let me know.

I'd love for you to share this opportunity with your family and friends, too. If you have several folks who'd like to participate, I'll even set you up as host and let you earn host rewards. Contact me for details.

If you prefer not to shop but would still like to donate, let me know and I'll help you take care of that, too.

Above all, we would appreciate your prayers through this long process. There are scores of people involved in making this happen, from Michele's family to the Fisher House folks to the teams of professionals at NIH. But ultimately, we know that all of this rests in the Lord's hands.




© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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Adorn a Door -- and Yourself -- for Spring

It's spring here in Georgia. It feels a bit like summer, but the high pollen count reminds me that it is actually spring (ah-choo!). Spring is actually my favorite time of year, perhaps because it was the one season that seemed unique in my Arizona upbringing.

A door bucket is a great way to provide a springtime welcome for your friends and family! One of my favorite door buckets is the Willow House Flower Market Door Bucket. This versatile bucket has sleek lines, a subtle but lovely design on the front, and a distinctive yet neutral moss bronze finish. I'm a bit lazy with mine, using faux greens all year long and just adding in a bit of seasonal color as needed.

On the other hand, Sarah over at Thrifty Decor Chick has done a fabulous job of bringing spring to her door by using cuttings from her own yard in her own Flower Market Door Bucket. I love the look -- and the fact that she provides a great step-by-step tutorial to help you get a similar look! Be sure to hop over to her blog to get all the details (and browse around, as I know you'll love her great ideas)! I just noticed that Sarah has paired her door bucket with the Must Have Door Hanger -- you can get the pair for a special price!)

But the front door is not the only thing needing adorning this spring -- I love pulling out my lighter, brighter spring clothes! And what better way to adorn your wardrobe than with fresh spring jewelry? I mean, spring... bling... they must rhyme for a reason!

 I'm loving the sneak peaks of the new lines for Willow House Jewelry by Sara Blaine; it's fresh without being here-today-gone-tomorrow trendy. See for yourself...

Lovely Layla necklace and bracelet:

Fresh addition to the Bali Scroll collection:

These new products will be available April 1 at my online Willow House jewelry store! The Flower Market Door Bucket is available in my Style for Home online store now -- purchase the door bucket or the bucket/hanger set and you'll qualify for our pick-your-own customer special!





© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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Ionia Plain Hammered Cuff Featured!

Amy over at Fashion and Beauty Finds fell in love with the Ionia Plain Hammered Cuff and has featured it over on her blog today. Check out how Amy worked it into a cute casual shorts outfit!

To see this piece and more, browse through my Willow House Jewelry by Sara Blaine catalog.

Thanks, Amy!




© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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Biji Aqua Bead Stacking Rings Featured!

Here's a shout out to Amy over at Fashion and Beauty Finds for featuring the Biji Aqua Bead Stacking Rings in her Mostly Sunny / Partly Cloudy wardrobe post today. Pop over and see how to wear one jumpsuit two ways by changing out accessories.

© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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Ready for Spring (new Spring jewelry, that is!)

Such a lovely surprise for me today, as Plate & Pattern provided a clever reveal of our upcoming catalog for Willow House Jewelry by Sara Blaine.

Fresh and fun, isn't it! Sadly, we have to wait a bit longer to see what's inside...




© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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Color = energy

 

“Bold, blingy, and fabulous: nothing changes the personality of a space like color. It seduces, thrills, and surprises, and adds high-voltage energy to any room. Overdose on it, I say!”

Abigail Ahern, designer

from Decorate by Holly Becker & Joanna Copestick

 Products Shown:
Coronado Stone Pedestal ($39.96, or set of 2 $71.96)
Riverstone Dinnerware (set of 4 placesettings $179.96)
Adelaide Flatware (set of 4 placesettings $169.96)
Salud Goblets (set of 4, $49.96)

These products and more available at my online Willow House store. 





© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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Color = smiles

“Color creates life and energy. It can be uplifting and make us smile, and your home should make you smile, you should be happy there. What better way to achieve this than by infusing beautiful color into your space.”

Shannon Fricke, stylist

from Decorate by Holly Becker & Joanna Copestick

 Products shown:
Amira Collection: Candlestands (set of 3, $49.96), Luminaries (set of 3, $44.96), Rustic Jar ($59.96)
Cordova Collection: Candle Sconce ($19.96, or set of 2 $34.96); Firescreen ($119.96)
Medallion Mirror ($109.96)
Demibottle Trio ($39.96)

These products and more available at my online Willow House store.  

{For tips on creating your own monogram for the mirror, check out my Pins here, here, here, and here. And if you'd like an invite to Pinterest, let me know!}

Infuse color into your wardrobe, as well, with the Bali Scroll Labradorite Collection from Willow House Jewelry by Sara Blaine.
 

 


© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
{I'd love for you to share this post with friends, but please share the full link. Common courtesy dictates that you do not copy the post into your own blog without proper attribution. Thanks!}
 

Getting it done!

Well, I did it. For the first time in over a week, I made a to do list today. And I even crossed some things off of it. And that's on top of a full day of laundry and cooking homemade TexMex. I feel complete.

One of the things I accomplished was to clean out my freezer. It's been one of those tasks that niggles in the back of my mind, fairly shouting at me when I make my almost daily trip out to the garage to retrieve something. Most of the time it's been out of sight, out of mind. This day, however, it made it to my to do list, and got done. (Muchas gracias to my daughter for helping me by holding the trash bag and counting chicken. Such special bonding time.) 

When we moved to our present location, I cleaned out oversaw the cleaning out of two refrigerators by above-mentioned daughter. One fridge was coming with us to be stored, the other was staying behind. No time to clean out the poor freezer; I just locked her door and hoped for the best.  Did you know that Hot Pockets could probably survive twenty years (and maybe a nuclear explosion) when frozen without changing their appearance, taste, or chemical makeup one iota? But they went in the trash nonetheless. Apparently, they were not all my son hoped they would be.

I didn't label anything in the freezer, but I did group things (you'll see two tubs of chicken breasts: one with bone, one without -- chicken has been on sale a lot at Kroger lately). And I have plenty of flour. Guess that holiday baking plan didn't work out quite like I hoped. Again. Back to the chicken... I did also put the oldest to the front to get used up sooner. And I excavated a ham bone from last Christmas. Good grief.

OrganizedHome.com

Thankfully, I remembered a resource I had used two houses ago to help me keep up with what's in the freezer. OrganizedHome.com has an awesome, very user-friendly Freezer Inventory form. You just list what you have, then draw a slash in the boxes next to the blank to show the quantity on hand for that item. When you use remove an, you just draw a slash the other direction (making an X). Genius!

Oh, after tackling the freezer and a few other things, I made these:

Oh so good. More on that later...

Happy New Year!




I linked this on:

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating







© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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 Merry Christmas, y'all!












© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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Keep Calm and...

 Just having a little fun today:

And, speaking of shopping, come browse the beautiful products in my online stores, as well as view special offers, here.



© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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Introducing... Jules @ Just Jules

One of the neat things about the internet is that it seems to have shrunk the world. I've enjoyed getting to know women from around the country through their blogs, and I'll like to introduce a few of them to you over the next few weeks. I've only met one of these ladies in person, but these are all women who have inspired me in one way or another. I hope you'll enjoy getting to know them. Be sure to stop by their blogs, too!

Jules LaPierre (well, Julie, but just call her Jules) is a self-described sassy Christian blogger with foodie tendencies. A former cemetery and funeral director trained in graphic design (go figure!), she is married to a professional artist and homeschools their nine-year-old son in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Her blog, Just Jules, is designed to “challenge Christian women to think biblically and live obediently”. And to cook well, I might add.

Please share your job description in 25 words or less.   

Headmistress at The Impossibly Irregular Academy for Hopelessly
Unsocialized Children

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Remembering that education, like life, is a marathon and not a sprint.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?  

Being mommy as well as teacher, for all mothers are also teachers.

What is your favorite room in your home? (and please tell us why) 

The kitchen. I have strong
foodie tendencies.  Cooking is a joy and a catharsis for me.  I take great pleasure in cooking a meal that makes my family & friends roll their eyes...in a good way :)

Please share a favorite recipe you’ve cooked or DIY project you’ve done.

One family favorite, that is requested more than any other, are my Sweet Sausage Grinders.  These are wonderful when you're feeding a crowd and are a game-day favorite.  Flavor, flavor, flavor! 

When you are unmotivated, what keeps you going?

Prayer and coffee and remembering that tomorrow is a new day with new grace.  Psalm 30:5 is true.  "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."

What sage advice would you give a young woman today who would like to marry?

Invest more in the marriage than you do in the wedding -and- if you can laugh together you can make it through anything.

What were you doing thirty minutes before you answered these interview questions?

Picking up an order of grass-fed beef from a Kansas family farmer.

What’s your favorite Starbucks drink?

When I really want to indulge and spoil myself, I order a mocha breve because I need the calories (chuckle).

© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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The ANGEL on the shelf

Thanks for stopping by! This is the old version of Welcome to Willow House -- I'd love for you to click over to the newer site, where I'm adding new posts and Willow House deals! Click here to see my updated version of this post over on the new site. Thanks!


Don't you just love holiday traditions? My mom was always big on little traditions... like having one gift for us to open on Christmas Eve, like always having an orange and nuts in our Christmas stockings, like making sure a sweet little Valentine card awaited us at breakfast...

Here's a new tradition that your family will just love: find the Christmas angel. Angels played such an important role in the nativity, acting as God's messengers of truth in revealing His plan. One way to keep the focus on CHRISTmas this year is to use an angel as a reminder of the reason for the season.

On the first night of your new tradition (you  might want to time this to do the third Scripture reading on Christmas Eve), bring out your angel to show your children. Read through Luke 1:26-38 aloud with your children. Help them understand that the angel was serving God by bringing a very important message to Mary. Ask your children:

• Do you think Mary was surprised to see the angel?
• What did the angel tell Mary?
• What was Mary's response? 

Now tell your children that you have an angel surprise for them. In the morning, when they wake up, they should look around the house for your angel. It might be on a shelf, a table, or even in a cupboard. Perhaps the child who finds the angel can be your special messenger that day, letting the family know when meals are ready, delivering notes, etc.

For several more nights, continue to review what you read in Luke 1 and remind your children to look for the angel each morning. When you are ready, read Matthew 1:18-25 aloud with your children. Ask them:

• What had Joseph planned to do?
• What did the angel tell Joseph?
• What was Joseph's response?

Continue reviewing what you've read and hiding (often in plain sight) the angel for several more nights. Then, for your final reading, read through Luke 2:1-20 with your children. After reading, ask your children:

• How did the shepherds feel when they saw the angel?
• What did the angel tell them?
• What happened next?
• How did the shepherds respond?

If you read the final reading on Christmas Eve, you will "hide" the angel one more time. Perhaps this time you could hide it near a nativity or your Christmas tree -- somewhere the family might gather on Christmas morning. Once the family is gathered together, review -- even reread -- the passages you've shared together, "glorifying and praising God for all that {you} have heard and seen..." just as the shepherds did. 


SOLD OUT!  But check out the other products in my Willow House store. The Herald Angel, shown above, is one of many Willow House products on sale through 12/31/11. Regularly $28.96, it's available for just $9.96 while supplies last. At that price, you'll want one for your family and another to share. For those purchasing through my online store or by contacting me directly, I'll be happy to email you an attractive, printable copy of the Angel on the Shelf tradition suggestions. I hope this will help make the Christmas season more meaningful for your family!

 

© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
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