The View

Here is the scene out of my window today. The snow is falling and will be much of the day. It is so pretty from the inside looking out. Looks like a great day to stay in and start my Christmas decorating with the Christmas music playing in the background and a candle or two burning
Hope you enjoy your day!!

More Deals for you!!!

Just in!! Great savings on the weekly deals in the outlet

A Cool Surprise for your Sunday

I thought this was worth sharing. Very cool and brought tears to my eyes. Enjoy

Baby It's cold outside!!

Well the thermometer says -18 degrees with a wind chill of -34 Brrr. I am staying inside where it is warm and cozy.

Here is a quote I found and wanted to share with you today

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.

May your heart be full of thankfulness on this Thanksgiving holiday. Have a blessed weekend of celebrating with family and friends!

Don't forget to check out the great deals from my Willow House Store

Save your feet and shop from your seat!!!

BRRR!

Well it is a chilly 19 degrees here with a bit of snow on the ground. * Edited to say that now(Monday  night) there is way more than a bit of snow on the ground and it is still falling and blowing* They are forecasting a possible 12 below for overnight ugh!! All of my girls, son in law, and sweet Ezra will be here Wednesday for the Thanksgiving weekend. I have shopping to do and bedding to get washed, and of course lots of cooking, so in case I don't get time to post, I just wanted to wish you all a very wonderful week of Thanksgiving!!

Nordie Bars

A knock off of a famous cookie Nordstrom’s department store sold in their cafe in the 80’s  
They are rich and delicious!!

Nordy Bars

•  1/2 cup Butter
• 1 pkg. (12 oz) Butterscotch chips 
• 1/2 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1½ cups Flour
•  2 tsp. Baking Powder
•  1/2 tsp. Salt
• 2 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 pkg. (12 oz) Chocolate Chips
• 2 cups Miniature Marshmallows
• 1 cup chopped pecans 
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 13x9 inch baking pan.
  2. In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter or margarine over medium heat. Add the butterscotch chips and brown sugar. Stir until melted. Remove from heat cool slightly and stir in the eggs. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool.
  3. Once cool stir in the chocolate chips, marshmallows and chopped nuts. Spread batter into the prepared pan.

• 
  
  Bake 25-28 minutes
  Cool and cut into squares and enjoy
  
  
  
  Linking to foodie friday!!
  
  
  
  
  
  

The winner is...

The winner of the $55.00 CSN store shopping spree is Molly at 

 I'm a sleeper Baker

Congratulations Molly
Email me and I will get your shopping code to you!

This and that

Sweet little Grandson Ezra had a grandparents day at his daycare yesterday. So I was on the road in the morning by 7:30 am to get to his daycare by 9:30 am to play with him. It was a delightful time and of course the whole nursery is just smitten with this cute darling child (biased grandma talking here !!) Just look at this picture though and I am sure you will agree!

Since yesterday was Ezra's mommies' birthday, (my oldest daughter) I got to meet up with her for a birthday lunch. Twin sisters and newly moved away from home Kaitlyn and Kara also joined us for lunch and then it was off to do a bit of shopping. I had a Willow House training/customer appreciation meeting and presentation to do last evening. It was a blast. I did a presentation on creative gift wrapping. It was a big hit and the ladies made me feel like I was a genius or something. I will be sharing some of my presentation and ideas with you in a post soon.
then it was back to spend the night with the girls and Wednesday afternoon the commute home. It was a whirlwind couple of days but great timing in that, everything fell on the same day.


I will be posting the winner of the CSN shopping spree tomorrow so don't forget to enter HERE


One more thing, If you are looking for affordable gift ideas the Weekly deals in my outlet are some you won't want to miss!!
Every one of the Weekly deals range from 70% off to as much as 77% off.  They go quickly so place your orders fast

Giveaway ends Thursday!

Only a few more days left to enter to win $55.00 to use at CSN Stores!!

Don't Miss out !!

Go Here to enter and Good luck

Wide Plank Flooring

Reminder: to Sign up for the CSN Giveaway here! It ends Thursday

Last Spring I did a series on flooring. You can see that here . Since then I have been contacted by various flooring companies wanting to give me information or sell me something.

Most, I have ignored, but since I have a fascination with wide plank flooring, this one caught my eye. 
It is from a Company called Carlisle.
Carlisle Wide Plank Floors is known in the industry as having the widest and longest flooring planks available.  Carlisle meets the desires of home owners by offering an array of premium wood flooring sizes, custom made up to 20 inches in width. 
According to the National Association of Remodeling (NARI), the industry is observing a drive toward rustic and authentic design of which reclaimed floors with wider planks play a large role.
Reminiscent of old New England country homes and colonials, wide plank floors authenticate rustic and natural indoor environments. With the ever growing popularity in wood floors, wide plank flooring is well worth exploring.
Early New England settlers had it right when they incorporated wide plank flooring into their small homes.  Wider floors open up most rooms, creating an illusion of more space, even if parameters are tight. Because wide planks leave fewer joint lines, a wide plank floor looks less choppy and allows onlookers’ eyes to admire the wood’s detailing. Furthermore, a wider floor improves a room’s beauty and significantly increases its value as larger widths are more desirable and unique.  
Here is  bit about the process too:

Each board is selectively sawn from the heart of the tree, containing the densest and most beautiful vertical grain. Staying true to 200-year-old traditional sawing methods, Carlisle planks are then put through an extensive drying process of up to 12 months to avoid undue tension on the wood. The extended drying period paired with the use of heartwood ensures maximum stability which is especially imperative for wider boards.

Carlisle floors are not only custom-made to meet the consumer’s aesthetic wishes, but the floors are structurally superior. Because Carlisle craftsmen use only the sturdy center of old growth trees, the floors do not experience cupping or twisting, a problem often encountered with lesser quality wide planks.

If you are looking into wood flooring for you home in the near future I would recommend checking out this company.

For more information about sizing options or to find the nearest Carlisle showroom location, call 1.800.595.9663 or visit www.wideplankflooring.com.

CSN stores is doing it again! A GIVEAWAY!! ~CLOSED~

I think by now, most of us are in love with CSN stores. The variety of merchandise they sell in their over 200 stores is amazing to me. I recently worked with a client that is looking for  bar tables and stools 
and of course, CSN is the first place I thought to send her. She will also be needing rugs, artwork, and accessories. She can find all of those things and more at CSN stores too.
From Espresso Makers to baby items this company has it all!!


Now for the good news!! CSN Stores is offering a Gift code to one of my lucky readers for $55.00. You can use it in any one of their stores. How fun is that? Get a jump on your Christmas Shopping or buy a fun gift for yourself.
The rules are easy:
 Tell me how you will use your gift code. For yourself or a gift.  One entry


For a second entry let me know you are a follower.


If you want two additional chances, feel free to spread the word by blogging or tweeting  Just be sure to let me know.
Winner will be announced Thursday Nov 18th


That's it! EASY!!
Here are a couple things I have my eyes on

 

A generous gift

I have a dear friend Shirley who has been like a mom to me over the years. She is the woman God placed in my life to fill that role when my own mom did not. Shirley is such a blessing in so many ways.
She knows how much I like the Christmas season and wanted to do something special for me. A few weeks ago we went to lunch and to a great quilt store and we picked out fabric for a new Christmas tree skirt. She finished it and gave it too me, along with a table runner to match. I think every woman needs a Shirley in her life!!
Here is the Skirt. I love it!!!

It matches my tree decor perfectly!! I love the combination of fabric she used. Thank you Shirley!!
I am linking this to Fabric Fun Thursday(because it is so pretty and homemade)   : )

A bit of a slump

I have been in a bit of a slump the last  few weeks. Can't seem to get come up with an interesting topic
to blog about. It may be that I am just trying to adjust to two less children in the house or the busyness of life.  It might be that it is coming up on a year since my dad died and I miss him terribly. It could be that I just might need a break. What ever the case I hope you will bear with me as I figure it all out. On a brighter note, My Willow House business is off to a great start. (thank you sweet blog friends for placing orders).
When I get in these "moods", It is good for me to think about  all of the things I am thankful for.
So here is my list for today:
A hubby who works hard so I can have "playing" jobs
Coffee
Christmas Music that is already playing in our home
Spiced Pumpkin Candles
The beautiful fall colors in our neighborhood
Friends who "get" me
My "mom" friend Shirley who spoils me
Laughter
Friends who believe in me enough to refer their friends to me for decorating jobs
My Fluffy Down comforter, a luxurious piece of heaven on these colder nights
For my blogging friends who continue to visit and leave comments even when I can't get over to visit them.

I feel better already. It's hard to stay in a slump when we take the time to be grateful for all that we are blessed with.
We had a pastor once who asked us one Thanksgiving season to spend some time thanking God for all He has given us and then he asked us to make a list of 100 things we were thankful for. You could hear the gasp as people were thinking, how could I come up with a hundred things. Let me just say that as we worked on the list over the season it was easy to surpass 100 and just keep going.
So I challenge you to start your list this Thanksgiving season and then give thanks to the one it to whom thanks is due.

Happy Birthday Kaitlyn and Kara!

Yesterday marked a milestone for us. We are no longer parents of teens.Our twins Kaitlyn and Kara turned twenty. Since it was the first birthday they would celebrate away from home we took the party to them. (my camera is broken so, no photos of the day. ugh).
We had a wonderful day celebrating them. Tiffany, Ryan and baby Ezra joined us at Tomato Street for lunch and then we all went back to the girl's apartment for homemade chocolate chip cheesecake for dessert. It was a wonderful day getting my "mommy fix" and a "grandma fix" as well.
Happy Birthday sweet daughters You have brought much laughter and joy to our lives and we are so proud of you!!

Deals for you

Wanted to let you know  about a few SPECIALS with Willow House for the Month of November.
Several items are 25% off

There are also several items in the outlet at at least 70% off

This is a great time to get started on your Holiday shopping

Purchase at least $39.96 and receive and item of $40.00 or less at half off

Go look now and be sure and Enter my name Debbie Smith as the host at checkout.

Oh and one more thing,

If you should decide to host a blog Willow House party, With just $750.00 in sales you will get your choice of one of these for free did you hear that? for free as well as all of the other great hostess benefits too!!

Have a great weekend Everyone!!

Creative Idea

Thank you for the great suggestions for my chair. Since it is crazy busy right now, the chair will have to wait a bit. I think you all gave great ideas. I will tell you I am leaning towards Black for the paint
 (big suprise huh)


Do you get Lowe's Creative idea magazine in the mail. I love this publication. so many great ideas and the instructions too!Here is what I found in the newest issue. 
Wouldn't it be fun to take as a hostess gift on Thanksgiving day?

Pilgrim Planter

Display fall foliage in a container inspired by the first Thanksgiving.

The small planters make low centerpieces that allow guests to see over them.

1. Wrap a piece of black electrical tape (#19453) around the rim of a 4-inch terra-cotta planter.

2. Use a hot-glue gin to attach a gold washer (#135907) over the electrical tape. Fill a small vase with flowers or foliage, and then place inside the planter.

 One more thing

I have a favor to ask. I started a Facebook fan page awhile ago for my design business and have been stuck at 70 fans forever. 

I would love for you to click on the link here and "Like" my 
page : ) Thank you!!

What would you do with it?

I purchased this chair about a year ago for $3.23 at a place near me called Bargain Town. I  can see the hidden potential in this little chair. I thought it would be a cute little addition for a corner in the guest room. It has charm and lots of hidden potential so I set to work taking off the fabric.

Removing layer one, revealed this 

Then the next layer

And finally: bare wood

It was interesting that the back opening had a piece of cardboard (the "cardboard" was no ordinary cardboard either but I will save that tidbit for another post) to fill it in and then it was covered in fabric.  I guess it threw me a bit, so now I am not so sure how to cover it 

I do think I will sand the nicks out and paint it 

I had great plans for this chair, but here, one year later it sits in the garage (a thorn in the side of hubby) untouched. 

So my question is what would you do with it?