Simply good design...

Friday, July 30, 2010

What a week

I've tried to keep my Willow House facebook page current this week (have you friend-ed me on FB yet?) but have neglected the blog.  I'm really sorry.  I'm still recovering from my Oral Surgery and didn't have a great week.

I have 6 boxes of products that were delivered this week.  My new Willow House products arrived.  I'm planning my Open House to introduce my friends, customers, former Hostess, neighbors....etc to all the fabulous new items we offer.  Email me for an invite to join me on Facebook and directions for the Open House.

Tomorrow the plan is to rearrange my spare room to try and make room for an office.  Anyone want to help?



Have you checked out all the great articles on

 the Plate and Pattern blog? 





What ideas would you like to see there?





Count down to the Debut of Willow House.  August 1st the official day, August 4th we log onto our new Website and August 6th the first Willow House newsletter comes out.  If you don't get one check out: http://hinton.willowhouse.com/

So excited!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

I love this idea

If you haven't been checking out the Plate and Pattern blog on my sideboard, you really should be!!! 
 I absolutely LOVE this idea.
  We saw the Monogram idea at the Product Showcase during Convention.  So excited to see all the details and wanted to share it with you. http://www.plateandpattern.com/index.php?postid=47 

101 Uses for Shop and Go Totes!

Aren't these the cutest things?

New Willow House Shop and Go Totes

{Page 54 $19.96 for set of 3}



1.Add a small umbrella, raincoat, hat and colorful set of galoshes to the bag to make a Rainy Day Kit for your kids. They’ll love the fun kit, and you’ll have everything corralled to make getting out the door easier.

2.Stash yarn for knitting or crochet in the bags.

3.Pack treats or classroom supplies in the bag so your child can deliver them and then easily store the bag in a book bag on the way home.

4.Hang on the back of a stroller to hold your purse or other bags while you shop.

5.Hang on the back of a chair to collect plastic bags as you unpack groceries.

6.Store your hammock in a bag between uses.

7.Hang the bag on a clothesline to collect clothespins between uses.

8.Create a Pedicure Tote: Pack flip flops, nail color, your own clean utensils and a magazine for the salon.

9.Make a cleaning kit with wipes, cleansers and microfiber cloths that are easy to transport from room to room.

10.Use as laundry bags in a child’s room.

11.Add Shop and Go Totes to hooks in a child’s room to store toys. Stuffed animals look especially cute peeking out the top!

12.Package your gift in a reusable tote instead of an expensive and disposable gift bag – tie the handles together with a coordinating ribbon to make it extra special.

13.Give yourself an extra hand toting your things from car to house.

14.Give a tote (or three!) as a hostess gift – fold them tiny and tie a note around the outside with a pretty ribbon. We like, “Thanks for all your hard work – let me give you a hand with your errands! I find these reusable bags super handy, and I hope you will too!”

15.Give kids a fun way to help pick up their messes – hand them a tote and watch them get to work filling it with toys!

16.Use a bag to separate smelly clothes after a trip to the gym.

17.Create a Chip-and-Dip Tote for a quick picnic by adding a bag of chips and sealed container of dip to your bag and heading to the park with your kids.

18.Use as library bags – give one to each family member and let them fill ‘em up!

19.Use a tote to keep dirty clothes separate in your suitcase.

20.Use as beach bags.

21.Help separate laundry – use one for whites, one for colors, one for hand-wash.

22.Ditch the heavy luggage and pack your totes for a weekend trip.

23.Take on a fruit-picking excursion and fill with apples or peaches.

24.Keep one in your purse so you’re ready for emergencies.

25.Totes take up almost no room in a suitcase, so add them in case you need more carryon space on your return trip.

26.Use your tote to stash an emergency blanket in the car in case of engine trouble during winter.

27.Keep a Just In Case bag full of adult and child rain gear like ponchos and umbrellas for use while traveling.

28.Wrap a flat bag around a small gift and tie it off with a bow – the wrapping becomes a bonus gift!

29.Store several together in your glove compartment so you never forget to bring bags while shopping.

30.Save money at national chains like Whole Foods, Target and Publix by bringing your own bag – ask local stores if they give discounts as well.

31.Add to a child’s book bag to tote extra books or homework that overload their main bag.

32.Pack your child’s lunch in a tote bag.

33.Let your cheerleader use a bag as a pompon tote.

34.Add to mudroom hooks so every family member has a quick tote handy for last-minute needs.

35.Use totes to sort recycling so it’s ready to carry to curb or recycling center.

36.Carry produce home from the farmer’s market.

37.Ramble in the woods and bring home pretty pinecones and branches for decorating.

38.Add a bag with a flashlight and first aid kit to your teen’s car for emergencies.

39.Tote a bottle of wine and a baguette for a quick romantic picnic.

40.Pack a picnic in your bags – don’t forget to add a blanket!

41.Pop tote into a diaper bag for extra storage.

42.Add a blanket and tote in the car so it’s ready for a quick trip to the park.

43.Create a kids’ carry-on full of toys, books and games for short (or long) trips.

44.Use as decorative storage for plastic bags that you plan to reuse or recycle.

45.Separate gym clothes and accessories into bags dedicated to specific sports – store your Pilates clothes separately from your running clothes.

46.Create a Going to Grandma’s Kit by adding a blanket, pajamas and a stuffed animal to a tote.

47.Use as a damp swimsuit bag (bag is not water-tight).

48.On Sundays, bring a bag of flip flops so everyone can get more comfortable right after church.

49.Give every bridesmaid a Bridesmaid’s Bag with essentials they may forget on the big day – add a magazine, lip gloss, deodorant and safety pins.

50.Monogram each bag to make them special and personal.

51.These totes make perfect stocking stuffers – save space by folding them up and snapping together, or take up space by unrolling each bag and stuffing it in like tissue paper.

52.Prepare for the worst – add bottled water, flashlights, a radio and extra batteries and hang in your basement as a storm kit.

53.Babysitters, create a “Kid Kit” and bring the bag filled with coloring books, Play Dough and other fun toys.

54.Create extra storage in a dorm room by hanging bags from hooks on the walls.

55.Parents, fill a tote with items your child will enjoy playing with at Grandma’s house so they’re not bored (and therefore unruly) during visits.

56.Give a set of totes to a teacher as an appreciation gift.

57.Distribute favors at birthday parties in a tote for each child – they’ll be easy to bring home and parents will love you!

58.Pack a tote for your child with a pillow, games, pajamas and a favorite stuffed animal for sleepovers.

59.Use as a Shoe Bag to protect your clothes in a suitcase.

60.Sit on one at a picnic or sporting event to protect your clothes.

61.Deconstruct the bag and sew back together as a child’s art smock.

62.Use as a carryall for paint supplies – fits pans, brushes and stir sticks.

63.Fill with diapers and burp cloths and give as a baby gift.

64.Fill with fun snacks and give as a welcome to the neighborhood gift.

65.Pop in a blanket and water bottle and tote to an outdoor festival.

66.Keep sports uniforms and supplies together so they’re easier to grab at practice time.

67.Make kids Afterschool Kits with their favorite game, books, a movie and a special treat.

68.Use your bag as an office tote to transport files, clipboards, notebooks and other office supplies.

69.Design Consultants, carry your Willow House Starter Kit items to and from your party in the totes.

70.Design Consultants, use bags to deliver Willow House products to customers.

71.Sort magazines into To Read and To Recycle bags.

72.Use a tote by the door as a catchall for incoming mail.

73.Pack your child’s items for daycare.

74.Use as an umbrella bag to prevent drips in your purse (totes are not watertight).

75.Hang a tote from a bedpost or doorknob to create impromptu extra space.

76.When knitting or crocheting at a coffee shop, hang bag from chair, put yarn skein inside bag, and feed yarn out through handles to keep your yarn clean of debris when knitting outside the home.

77.Use as a Lesson Bag for your kids – add karate clothes, Girl Scout uniform, swimsuit and towel, etc.

78.Keep yoga supplies together – corral towel, water bottle, mat or extra towel in the tote.

79.Caddy cables and extra cords from rarely used chargers and electronics in the bag.

80.Bring to a stadium game, concert or circus so you can easily carry home souvenirs.

81.Give to college students as a way to carry books to class.

82.Take on a trip to Washington, D.C., where you have to pay extra for any bags you use.

83.Use a tote to bring your vegetable harvest in from your backyard garden.

84.Carry boxes of donuts to work and give to coworkers.

85.Add to a care package as a useful surprise.

86.Create an extra “glove compartment” complete with maps, insurance information and a first aid kit.

87.Give each child an individual bag with a trip journal, markers and a disposable camera so they can record family memories in a personal way.

88.Use as laundry bags for individual rooms – collect towels in the kitchen and washcloths in the bath

89.Caddy foil, plastic wrap and parchment paper by adding them to the tote and hanging from a pantry door.

90.Use as a towel tote at the beach – pack several towels in one bag.

91.Keep by the sewing machine to collect fabric scraps.

92.Corral several bags of fast food when bringing food home to the family.

93.Add a bag to the pocket of your jacket or large winter coat. When you get warmer later in the afternoon or while shopping, stash your jacket in the bag so it’s easy to carry.

94.Corral Wii supplies or Rock Band equipment in the totes.

95.Keep a tote in your purse to carry home all the family’s “doggie bags” after family dinner at a restaurant.

96.Pack a change of clothes in your tote for a quick change before after-work activities.

97.Store potatoes in your cool, dark pantry by adding them to a tote and hanging from a sturdy hook.

98.Practice living the good life like French people do – carry a baguette, newspaper and fresh vegetables home from the market.

99.Reinforce plastic bags on rainy days to prevent accidents from broken handles or soggy bags.

100.Store toilet paper in the bathroom.

101.Finally, pack your totes for their primary use – shopping! Grab Shop and Go Totes to make each shopping trip a little more fun!{Page 54 $19.96 for set of 3}!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Multi-purpose Bowl

One of the fabulous things about our Willow House products are their versatility.  People are trying to save money and only buy things they need.

Willow House understands that. 

Like our previous company, Southern Living at Home, our products are not only beautiful, they are made with more than one purpose in mind. 

Take a look at this bowl:
How many different uses can you think of for this bowl?


From my house to yours.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

What is Willow House and where did the name come from?

I could try to explain it but if you are not able to listen to the Discovery Call as explained in my previous post, check out my side board.  You will see the Plate and Pattern blog link.  It is a fabulous blog written by our Willow House staff. 

Today's post is about Willow House, the name and where it came from.  Very interesting stuff!

Enjoy and I'll be back soon.

From my house to yours.

Business Opportunity

I am so excited to share the wonderful, life changing opportunity Willow House can bring to your family.  Unfortunately, I had Oral Surgery today and can't talk for a couple of days.  Who better to explain our company and the vision for the future than our Owner. 

If you would like to hear about the WILLOW HOUSE opportunity directly from our Owner and Sales team, you can listen to the Willow House Discovery Call: Thursday, July 22 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time


Join Bill Shaw and Regional Sales Director Marge Tudor for the first Willow House Discovery Call.

(712) 338-8150,  Call access code  271511#
 
After you hear what they have to say, think it over, discuss it with your family and contact me for more information.  I would love for you to join me in this wonderful company.  It is going places that are very exciting and I'd love to help you get where you want to be.
 
From my home to yours
 

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Trends

Do you follow trends?  Do you have to have all the latest styles?  What about color?  Do you change your wall colors because "They" tell you there is a new must have color?

Willow House has a new way of helping our customers keep on top of all the latest trends.  We have a team of designers that watch and listen and then share their knowledge with us, the Willow House Design Consultants.  We will always have the upcoming trends to share with you.

Today I received my first box of Willow House catalogs.  I am so excited to share them with my friends.  August is the perfect time to plan a get together with your friends.  I have this seasons decorating tips and would love to share them.  In addition to all the decorating tips, you will receive DOUBLE HOSTESS credit and can purchase any item in the new catalog for 70% off.

If you would like to be one of the first to share Willow House with your friends and family, email me to set a date.  As a Founding Willow House Hostess, you will earn special privileges.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Welcome to Willow House at Home

I am very excited to introduce you to my new blog.

I used to write another blog called "I Scrap for love".

Life got in the way, I started working at a job that kept me busy, I started spending more time on Face book, you all know the drill.

Starting August 1st something is happening that is so exciting, so important, so amazing that I decided to start another blog so I can share it with everyone.

Let me start at the beginning.

I have been a Southern Living at Home consultant since January 2007. It started as a way to buy their products for our new home at a 25% discount. Sell a little, have a party and I could earn money or get more products for free. Sweet deal! Each year I have paid my renewal fee, sold a little more products, earned more free items and made a little cash.

Last year at our convention they made an announcement that our company had been sold to Bill Shaw, one of the original Founders of SLAH. It was scary news, exciting news, and we all wondered what it would mean to the company. Since leaving Southern Living at Home, Bill had owned another company called Entertaining at Home.  We were told at the time it would be a year before we learned all the details as they worked to merge our company with the other company.

Over the last year we have waited to hear how the new company would work.  Would our product quality suffer, what would happen to our compensation plan, what does this mean to me? They promised everything would be revealed at our convention in July 2010.

Our convention was last week in Milwaukee. We gathered on Friday morning to hear the announcements and learn about the future. It was nothing less than spectacular. As our new VP said, it was like "Trying to take a sip of water from a Fire Hose". So many exciting changes as Southern Living at Home became Willow House.

Willow House at Home is my way of sharing all the the fabulous products we offer, decorating tips and ideas, as well as the exciting opportunity Willow House offers as a business.  If you have ever thought about owning your own business, I firmly believe this is the best company you could ever represent. If you love decorating, entertaining, trends, color, saving money, learning how to re-purpose items to get the most for your money......this is the place.

Drop in often, tell your friends and get ready to share in Willow House at Home.