getting ready this week for my Willow House Annual Open House and Sample Sale....

If you are local, I'd love to have  you come by!  It's this Thursday from 9 to 3.  I sell samples from my kit at a reduced price and any orders made that day are 10% off, including the new jewelry line...have you seen that, by the way?? Oh my goodness, it's so gorgeous!

I'll be posting pics, of course and posting some recipes for you.  So here's a few questions for you.....if you don't mind answering for me in the comments.  When you go to an Open House, would  you rather walk away with cash and carry items, or do you mind placing  your order and waiting for it to come in?  Do you get your holiday shopping done at events like this?  and lastly, when you go to an Open house, what kinds of foods do you like? Savory, sweet, a good mix of the two?

I'll be looking forward to your comments!
So here are a few pics for your inspiration.......let me know if you want to place an order, as all orders that day will be discounted by 10%!  You can always shop my website and my eOutlet at www.southerninspiration.willowhouse.com!  Let me know if you have any questions.  Both catalogs can be viewed there on my website, and it's not too late for you to conduct a virtual or catalog party to get YOUR hostess benefits to help with your holiday shopping!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Have a fun, safe, day!

It's time for Friday Fives!!!

Join us in getting to know one another better today with this session of Friday Fives!! Hope you have fun, and enjoy your weekend!

1. What project of yours is needing some attention that you need to muster up an "I CAN do it" spirit?

2. Is it cold where you are today?

3. When do you start your Christmas shopping?

4. What's on the menu for your weekend?

5.  What are your Halloween plans?? do you even celebrate it?

A Serendipitous Meeting!

I have known about Christy Jordan for what seems like a long time.  She is a cookbook author and hometown cooking girl extraordinaire!  She is the author of  The Southern Plate, and is recently affiliated  with Southern Living as an editor, and has appeared on a number of television segments....so, in my book, she is on her way to be a SUPA star!

Recently, as many of you know, my husband and I took a little trip over to see the g'baby, and her parents.....and what you may not know, is that they live in the same town as Christy.  Last week Christy mentioned on her FB page, Southern Plate, that she had been invited to be on Good Morning, Houston!.  She was scheduled to be on the show for Tuesday morning.  I was disappointed that I already had two appointments that day and couldn't plan to go.
So Monday morning my husband and I were getting on the airplane to come back to the Houston airport, when I spotted Christy at the front of the plane.  She had posted on Facebook that she had boarded the plane to head to Houston, and I , in my least stalkerish fashion, posted that I was on the same plane!! Long story short, we met in the Houston airport and she told me that several friends/followers were meeting up that night to have dinner, and she invited me to join them.  She is so sweet and hospitable, y'all really need to check out her website, if you haven't.  She can be found  at www.southernplate.com.  And if you don't already have her cookbook, The Southern Plate, this would be a great investment or a  gift for the cookbook lover on your holiday shopping list! She has a way of telling stories that is very endearing, and she has some good home cooking recipes!!!

In fact, to further introduce Christy, this is what she says about herself, over on About Me on her website:

Who am I?


For starters, my name is Christy Jordan and I want you to know right up front that I’m nobody special, but I come from some awfully good people, a long line of Southern cooks who were some of the poorest folks around but rich in every way that mattered. I was raised to appreciate the real wealth in life : Family, Friends, Faith, and Good Food. My Mother and Grandmothers used their talent in the kitchen to bring us all together at each meal. Most of the stories I know of my ancestors were passed down to me around that dinner table. Through our mealtime conversations we learned who we were, where we came from, and what was expected of us as we went out into the world.......

In my mind, she's JUST like the girl next door....


I want y'all to go on over to Christy's site and Facebook page and tell her I sent y'all to say hi. She is such a sweetie pie, and I so enjoyed meeting her and having dinner with her.....and I will be visiting her again next time I go see g'baby!!

Anyway, back to my story, we all sat at Lupe Tortillas in Houston for the several hours getting to know Christy and one another and just had the best time!  She is such a  sweet, Southern  lady that I really want all of  you to know her....so go on over and check out her site, buy her book, and become a friend of hers and her wonderful recipes.......you'll SO enjoy it!  The link to purchase her cookbook isn't live here, but it is thru her website, so head over there and purchase it through her links on her website.......y'all have a great Wednesday!

Here's a picture of her cookbook, and she has another one in the works for next spring!

She is ONE year old!

 

A definite BLESSING from my weekend.....

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel you near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if each promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win, we know
That pain reminds this hearts,
That this is not, this is not our home.....
It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

What if my greatest disappointments,
Or the aching of this life,
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy.
What if trials of this life,
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise?

Because one can never really have enough....

of white pumpkins...I don't know if it's because we've looked at orange ones forever, or if there really is something more romantic, or cute or eye catching, or whatever, but white pumpkins just make me smile....I mean, really, really grin.  I love them.  I guess they are becoming more and more popular, because look at these gorgeous pics I found that really make me smile.
I'll be away for the weekend attending a church conference, called Amazing Grace 360, in case any of you may have heard of it.  I am looking forward to being in Atlanta with some sweet friends.  So I'll be back Monday with more fall festivities!!!

and the CUTEST little punkin EVER!!!!!!!

G, H and I.....more ABC's of decorating for FALL....

Have you decorated already?? I am seeing that I may have done these posts just a little late........I may have to shortcut and hit the highlights!!

For G, of course, I would add that you can be using GOURDS in your home decor.  Is that a no brainer???  There are so many varieties as there are varieties of pumpkins!!  The colors are just gorgeous, though, right??

How cute is this gourd VASE?

I LOVE the varying colors and shapes found in gourds of all kinds!

Willow House Renaissance Hurricane filled with pretty gourds!

Isn't this an inviting front porch area??

Inviting place to snuggle?

Aren't the colors and textures gorgeous??

For H, of course, is HAY!  You can use hay inside if you use sweeping as your daily workout, but there are multiple uses to have it look great OUTSIDE!!
And have you ever been on  or hosted a hayride?? How fun!!!

just tied with jute around a  hurricane or mason jar!

dried corn and a candle...how easy is that?

These are cupcakes, y'all....decorated with jelly beans!!! LoVE!

Plop and Drop into a hurricane and be done! You could tie jute or twine around middle if you wanted.

And lastly, for I, we have Indian Corn....again, such gorgeous colors, texture, and it is not expensive.  Use it on hurricanes, on wreaths, laying in a basket.....how do YOU love to use Indian Corn?  There's a funny story on www.plateandpattern.com about how Josh has a thing about Indian Corn....it just makes me laugh.  He is so funny!
If you haven't decorated, may you be inspired to do so....hope you are enjoying cooler weather, and Indian summer days!  So relieved here in Texas to have said goodbye to triple digits...the summer was brutal!  Happy Days, y'all!

thought I'd show you a few pics before we move on with the ABC's.....

I've been doing the Pumpkin thing at my house, so I thought I'd show you a few pics  of the fall decor I've accomplished at my house.  I had a Willow House Fall Extravaganza at my house last week, so I had reason to get it done earlier this year.  I enjoyed it!  Hope you do, also!

Fall wreath in family room hung on the mirror; love the way this turned out.  I had gotten two leaf garlands at Pottery Barn at the end of the season two years ago...and I just wound them onto a grapevine wreath...added a burlap wreath I made from burlap garland found at Michael's....LOVE this product!  Drake Lanterns from Willow  House.

This is the Coronado Stone Pedestal from Willow  House, and I found this candy corn a few years ago at a local nursery.......

The loyal and faithful Jamestown Tray....have had so long and it's timeless!  The acorn bells I found at Hallmark many years ago.

These acorns came from PB also, as well as Kohl's end of season.  On the left, the bell jar is full of fall colored jingle bells I found this year at Hobby Lobby.  They are so fun!  They are sitting in the Parisian Ottoman Tray...one of my favs!

More of the burlap garland (It's really thick and I love the way it drapes!) on the Montcrest Adj. Hurricanes....filled with sand and a flameless candle.

I LOVE that it's time for mums and pumpkins!

Welcome fall and Y'all; come on in!

Monarch Lantern filled with mums and feathers!

Never underestimate the power of Fall foliage on sale at the end of the season.....this bunch probably cost about $10 at the end of the season last year.

I moved things around a little this year, and ended up with this.....like it?