Willow House Debut Party

I am the queen of keeping it simple when I entertain, but I always want my guests to feel special, too.  For my Willow House Debut Party,  I set up three zones.  My dining room became the bargain basement, where I was unloading gently used samples for $5, $10, or $15.  My kitchen was refreshment central while the breakfast area was a display of new Fall products.  Catalogs and order forms were in the family room where I had some low-key music playing and candles burning... great place to relax and peruse the new catalog!  I had 22 ladies that came and went, along with a couple that popped in the next day to see "what was left of the bargains."  :)

Bargains in the dining room

Margaritas made with fresh lime and Master of Mixes Low Sugar mix-- delish!  These didn't last long :)

Turkey and Swiss pinwheels from Costco, cubed cheeses with strawberries and grapes, lemon creme cake from Publix Bakery-- like I said, Keep It Simple!

Black bean and corn salsa (recipe below) with tortilla chips

Fall Display

2 bunches for $5 at WalMart... seriously.  Tie a little raffia around the stems to help them stay upright.

You can order from my party until Friday the 20th.  Visit my website, click on "Our Products" and enter my name (Heidi Milton) as hostess.  You can place your order right there.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can sweet corn, drained and rinsed

2 medium plum tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup diced sweet onion (like a Vidalia)

2 tbsp chopped jalapenos

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp salt (I use kosher)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, stirring thoroughly.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.  Serve with tortilla chips.

** Also a great addition to fish!

Christmas in August

My new Willow House products arrived yesterday and I couldn't wait to tear into them!  All set for the Willow House Catalog Premiere Party tonight!  My head is swimming with ideas for these beauties.  What do you think?

Click here to view the entire Fall catalog.

Roxy Reindeer Accent Towels

Jolly Holiday Stocking

Berry and Bow Door Bucket

Hyacinth Measuring Cups

Portico Accent Plates

Wirework Treasure Trio

Prism Glass Ornaments

Small Lady Jane Bottleneck Vase

Lonny Magazine at Your Fingertips

I recently stumbled upon a NYTimes article about Lonny Magazine, an online shelter magazine.  Bear in mind that I am a print magazine kinda girl.  I like to hold my glossy pages in my hands, dog-ear pages, rip out inspiration, and hold onto them for dear life.  But let's be realistic.  Print magazines add up in cost, and if I truly indulged in every issue of Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, or Veranda, I would be broke.  Intrigued by the concept of a design/decor magazine that hosts its content strictly online, I decided to check it out for myself. 

I was pleasantly surprised!  The brainchild of Michelle Adams and Patrick Cline, formerly of the defunct  shelter magazine Domino, Lonny has the look of an actual print magazine.  You can flip the pages back and forth and the pages themselves are laid out much like a print magazine.  Click on an ad and you're automatically directed (in a separate window) the advertiser's site.  I especially enjoy the how-to bits, the "know your lingo" blurbs, and the Market section that highlights decorative accessories for the home.  Adams and Clark believe that good design can be affordable and are determined within the pages of Lonny to show you how.  I believe their goal to "reopen the doors to accessible design" has been reached!  Click here to check out their August/September issue.

Patrick Cline and Michelle Adams

Photo by Ruth Fremson for New York Times

Provence Paradise by Michel Biehn

Have you ever been stopped in your tracks by a magazine cover?  This is exactly what happened to me in the airport a few weeks ago, when I caught sight of the August issue of Veranda.  I splurged and picked up a copy for my flight and I've been repeatedly engrossed ever since. 

The images of this stunning Provencal villa restoration are captivating!  The result of a ten-year collaboration between designer/antique dealer/author Michel Biehn and the American owner of the villa, the renovation became as much a restoration as anything.  Uncovering windows that had been covered for centuries and stone walls dating back as early as the eleventh century (the house began as a defensive tower back in the Middle Ages), opening up ceilings and doorways, rebuilding collapsed structures that connected different additions to the house were only a few of the challenges this dynamic team faced.  "The main family came in the thirteenth or fourteenth century...Each generation seemed to open windows but close others, create a staircase or build a tower.  Parts were destroyed in the Middle Ages.  There was a fire in the nineteenth century, and the other tower was destroyed.  The property is like an encyclopedia of French architecture," explains Biehn.  Not only is the finished product structurally magnificent, but the interiors are an inspired combination of antiques, modern touches in rugs, artwork, and fabric, and vintage finds that are the hallmark of Biehn's work.

Take a look at these magnificent photos that capture this labor of love and tell me you aren't longing to spend a weekend in Provence.

This is the image that "got" me. :)

Quite possibly my favorite space.

Can't you picture yourself enjoying your morning coffee here?

Interior Design by Michel Biehn

Landscape Design by Michel Biehn, Jean-Claude Appy, and Marco Nucera

Photography by Peter Vitale

Article by Jean Bond Rafferty for Veranda, August 2010

Happy Birthday, Andy Warhol

I had a different post planned for today, but when it came to my attention that today is Andy Warhol's birthday, I felt compelled to mark the occasion here.  He is by no means my favorite artist, but the art historian in me cannot dismiss his leadership in the Pop Art movement of the 1950's.  And, you have to admit, his images have a familiarity and enormous visual appeal, whether it's the pop culture subject matter, the vibrant colors, or the repetition of a single image in a larger piece.  He was an iconic cultural figure in his own right, coining the now-familiar phrase "15 minutes of fame."  The Brooklyn Museum is hosting an exhibition that runs through September 12, 2010 entitled Andy Warhol: The Last Decade, examining a period of renewed energy, inquisitiveness, and experimentation in his work.

Most of these will be familiar to you.

My personal favorite:  Butterflies, 1955

"I don't know where the artificial stops and the real starts." 

Andy Warhol

The Great Fall Fix Up

What renovation would you undertake if you suddenly had $75,000 to spend?  That long awaited kitchen re-do?  A new master bathroom?  Finish out your basement?  Add a screen porch?  Well, I would just be remiss if I didn't pass this along to you!  HGTV is having a Great Fall Fix Up Sweepstakes that runs through August 23, 2010.  All you have to do to enter is head over to HGTV.com and enter-- no photos, no plans necessary.  You can enter once a day until the end of the sweepstakes period.  Start dreaming!

Here's Your Hook-Up!

The beginning of school is upon us and my thoughts always turn to ORGANIZATION.  I don't claim to be an expert or even proficient at organization, but I do a pretty fair job of keeping the household rolling in a somewhat orderly fashion.  The big question:  what to do with all the STUFF?  My favorite solution?  Hooks.  Plain and simple.  Perfect for sweaters or light jackets, backpacks, umbrellas, dog leashes, lunch boxes, even shoes (cleats in my house) with the laces tied together.  They don't have to be the plain jane garden variety either... consider this your hook-up!

Love these... from my friends over at One Kings Lane this week.

Have a nautical theme?  On sale at One Kings Lane-- perfect for bathroom towels.

How about these from Ballard Designs?

Disguised as sculpture... from Pottery Barn

Again from Pottery Barn... and marked down right now :)... cute for a mud room!

Beautiful and functional from Pierre Deux.  The shelf adds another organizational tool.

Hurston Collection Hooks from Willow House (contact me to order)