Friday's Favorite Product: Kensington Platter and Stand

After my reminder in yesterday's To Do List to pull out your serving pieces for the holiday dinner, I thought this workhorse of a product combination was the perfect Favorite for today.  Our Kensington platter is generous in size (16"x12") and a versatile creamy white so it will coordinate with any dinnerware you already have.  I love that it's dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe and is still beautiful to look at.  This month you get the platter and its mate, the iron handled stand, for only $49.96.  The graceful scrolled stand makes transporting the platter from oven to table safe and stylish!  Click HERE to order yours and you'll have it well in advance of Thanksgiving!

November's To Do List

from Better Homes and Gardens

It's "go time" people!  Thanksgiving is two weeks away and you might have company coming, so here's a few things you can take care of NOW to help things go more smoothly LATER. :)

• Go ahead and prep your guest space.  Make sure there are clean sheets on the bed, the room is dusted, vacuumed and straightened.  It's much easier to give it a once over right before guests arrive than to try to do a full cleaning.  Add a few recent magazines, a small vase with fresh flowers, and some bottled water at the last minute to help your guests feel right at home.
• Get your yard work caught up.  Run the mover, rake and bag leaves, trim the lawn or hedges.  Anything you can take care of now will help things look better later, even if there's a fresh layer of leaves on the ground.  If you're really short on time, simply blow leaves off the driveway, sidewalks, and back deck.  Keep your pansies, mums, and other winter annuals watered sufficiently so they look healthy, too!
• Make a list of meals you plan to make and baking you intend to do. Use your calendar or daytimer to help you out; do you need to bring dishes or treats to any work or school parties? Will you have overnight guests in the next couple of weeks? This will be 30 minutes well-spent!   Have your recipes handy so you can note what ingredients you may to need purchase.
• Stock your pantry and freezer.  Most grocery stores are running wonderful specials these days so stock up on sugar, flour, baking mixes, butter, rice or pasta, jarred sauces, broth for soups, frozen rolls or biscuits, frozen vegetables, coffee, snack foods... anything that will keep or can be frozen.  Make sure you can pull together a quick meal or whip up a batch up muffins in case unexpected company arrives. If you buy only perishables around the holiday your grocery shopping will go much faster!
• Pull out any linens and serving pieces you plan to use at your big meal.  Make sure the linens are clean and pressed and you have plenty of napkins, too.  Go ahead and wash your serving pieces so they're ready to go.
• Polish your silver.  Enlist the kids or hubby to help get this onerous task done.  When your table is gleaming you'll be so thankful you invested the time.
• Reload your candle supply.  Nothing creates holiday ambiance like flickering candles, so don't be caught short.  I try to keep a variety on hand-- pillars of varying sizes, tapers, scented, unscented.
• Stock the bar. Try to keep several bottles of wine, red and white,and some beer handy. If you know in advance what your company's favorite cocktail is, go ahead and add those supplies to your liquor cabinet.  I also keep a couple of bottles of champagne chilled in my outside refrigerator.  Sometimes we just feel like celebrating!
• This last one may sound crazy, but go ahead and purchase those Christmas or holiday cards AND STAMPS.  Shutterfly is running sales and the selection of boxed cards is quite good in the stores now.  It's so much easier to tackle the task of sending out your cards, if you've already bought them.  Buying your stamps now will eliminate the post office crunch during the month of December.  We purchase a roll of 100 early in November every year.  If we don't use them all, we're already ahead for the new year.
• Count your blessings.  Write one down and post it on your refrigerator every day.  Keep the reason for the THANKSgiving holiday front and center as you go about your tasks.

When the holiday arrives and your home is full of family and friends, simply enjoy.  You will have earned it.

I Can't Resist... this Chandelier

What I love about this:  the antique feel to what is a very modern fixture...and the way the light reflects off the spoons and forks.

Where I saw it: on Katie Denham's fabulous design blog katiedid.  Be sure to click over to visit and see the rest of this house, her design project, featured in Sacramento Magazine.

Where you can get it:  Interieurs.  Click over and check it out!

Friday's Favorite Product: Roxy the Reindeer Ornament

I just love this little product!  She is the perfect addition to your tree, a sweet little gift, or a creative add-on to the bottle of wine you're giving your hostess.  Not only is she on sale this month for only $10.86, but for every ornament you purchase, Willow House will donate $2.00 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  Great price, great cause, perfect gift.

Click HERE to purchase yours.
Happy Shopping!

More Fall Decorating Ideas

If you haven't checked out hgtv.com lately, you're missing out!  I subscribe to their e-newsletter, so when their fall decorating feature popped into my inbox, I clicked over immediately. I've looked through hundreds of fall decorating ideas in magazines and online this season, but this group really hit a home run with me.  Simplicity is the common denominator.  You don't have to spend a lot or have any real decorating know-how to achieve these looks.  So, if you haven't already done a little decorating for the season, here are some simple ideas from their photo gallery. No excuses now. :)

What I love about this:  using crotons to complement the traditional mums.  Their colors are brilliant and I love the broad leaf contrast to the tight blooms and leaves of the mums.

What I love about this: maple branches in a tall glass cylinder vase.  Does it get any easier?  If you don't have a maple in your own yard, see if a neighbor would mind if you cut a few branches of theirs.

What I love about this: add a throw pillow and a simple floral arrangement in warm colors to make any nook reflect the season.

What I love about this: simple white dinnerware with a pair of lanterns and several small pumpkins.  The mantle is gorgeous but much more involved.  Little white lights woven among berry garlands and pumpkins and gourds of varying sizes lend festivity to the room.

What I love about this: a few pumpkins and brightly colored maple branches and twigs in a rustic vase. Super simple for a porch or deck.

All photos from hgtv.com and H. Camille Smith

November Sales at Willow House

Large Glass Prism ornaments (6 per set)

Because I love to decorate and prepare for the holidays, I'm thrilled about the November sale items at Willow House!  There is glassware, baking dishes, gift items, and holiday decor -- all at 25-33% off!!  Click HERE to visit my website, then click the "shop online" button to get started.  While supplies last!



My favorite- Holiday Hanging Trio

Couldn't We All Use This??

photo by Linda Samuels

As if in answer to our pre-holiday disorganization woes, Linda Samuels, author of The Other Side of Organized and the blog by the same name is hosting the Ultimate Organizing Giveaway!  Head over to her blog to check out the contest rules (super easy) and the list of items in the giveaway.  My personal favorites would be an autographed copy of her book and the $50 Container Store gift certificate, but there is a smorgasbord of fabulous other tools to get you in tip-top organization shape.  Click HERE to find out more and get a sneak peek at her book, too.