design to inspire...

Did you know that I love to design? It is almost a sickness. Whenever I am at one of my kids' houses I can't help but start rearranging furniture in my head or thinking what pieces may better suit the space or how to create a more beautiful flow through the room or... I could go on and on. It honestly brings me so much joy and fulfillment to assist in creating a beautiful space in someone's home. That was one of the main reasons I opened the Willows many years ago. I receive lovely and flattering comments from people all the time, but the other day I received a comment that left me feeling a little torn. A big designer was in the store and commented, "I just love getting ideas from your store!" Then she raved and raved about how great the store looked and left. She didn't buy anything, she has never brought customers to our store, and, as flattered as I was, I felt somewhat let down. Don't we all need to help support each other if we want the small, local businesses to stay?

Anyway, we just finished setting up the store for summer with our Sea Bags and sails and all things nautical and patriotic. We are so happy with how it all looks, we hope you will come in and have a peak in person, but in the meantime...

Sea bags, which are these amazing totes made from recycled sails, also make this fabulous wine bag which we are all loving at the store right now. You write the name of the friend you are giving it to and the date and then they pass it along and do the same. What a fun gift to have within a circle of good friends!

Tomorrow we are going to post our top picks for Mother's Day and teacher's gifts, so be sure to check those out. Or next time you are in the store, we will be more than happy to show you! And for those who are extra ahead of the game we already even have some great Father's Day ideas...

On a different note, my daughter-in-law, Emily (who loved all your comments on yesterdays post!) just asked me if I had any suggestions for something to hang above the toilet in her newly remodeled bathroom. I have decided to see if you all have any suggestions. Should she paint the white walls since there is so much white tile? Or does all that white keep it looking clean and fresh? Should she hang some sort of towel rack, but something light and airy? What about a really big picture of her kids? What do you think?

Finally, thank you so much to all our wonderful and loyal customers! And thank you to all our new friends we have found (and are continuing to find) through this blog! We love hearing your thoughts and ideas (keep the comments coming!) and are looking forward to everything else we have to share here. So, spread the love and become a follower, bookmark our blog, or email to a friend (or ten friends...). We have so many design tips, store promotions, craft ideas, new recipes, remodel updates, giveaways and so much more to share, so we hope you'll all stick around and continue to give us your lovely feedback. Can I express anymore how much I love reading every single comment? You ladies (and any fellas out there) are the very best.