museum day

museum day by kikiwillow featuring lightweight pants

Warm and Cozy

For us, the weather is just beginning to get chilly.  Warm and cozy here I come!



I think I might be able to swing this blankie.  How great would that look on my bed?  With a dog sleeping on top of it, of course.

Source: eismandesign.com via Val on Pinterest

No animal deserves to die and be mounted on a wall.  Instead, knit a deer friend for your wall!

Source: azcentral.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

I don't knit, but if I did I think I'd like to make this large knit throw.  I'd probably be able to whip it up in about a day....or not?

Source: sundayinbed.tumblr.com via Tanya on Pinterest

Love this hat.

Source: krentu.blogspot.com via Joyce on Pinterest

I'm imagining these to be cruelty free boots.  There's no reason why not.  They'd surely fit over my calf muscles with those laces.

Source: google.com via Joyce on Pinterest

signed, the willow

A Tree under the Sea

This year I've decided to do an Under the Sea Christmas Tree theme.

*Mila* said she'd make the Dolphin topper.  I'm making some blue whale ornaments from papier mache.  We're thinking of some other things to add to the tree, like:

some coral?

Source: zgallerie.com via Pinner on Pinterest

Instead of Gingerbread men and ladies, starfish sugar cookies

Source: cutestfood.com via The Sugar Tree on Pinterest

Source:  starfish garland  via brassbinnacle

perhaps a paper mache kraken?

Source: anthropologie.com via Teri on Pinterest

how can we take this from a necklace and turn it into a seaweed garland?

Source:  Vynn's Ravelings on etsy

I had trouble choosing on Petit Pan to pick which lamps to hang on the tree (seahorse? whale? sea tortoise? fishies?)

Source:  Seahorse lamp via Petit Pan

Et toi?  What are your theme ideas for your tree this year?  Or are you opting for the traditional choice?

signed, the willow

Shop with a purpose

Shop with a purpose by kikiwillow featuring suede booties

signed, the willow

A drive on the Etsy highway

Today I felt like a scenic drive.... on Etsy.


First, we need a ride.

source:  blackbirdletterpress on etsy


Look out the window, we're all passengers.  Say goodbye to the hydro lines of the city.

source:  blackbirdletterpress on etsy



maybe we'll stop at a roadside diner somewhere.  which one?

source:  elukka on etsy



I think I'll be needing this hat for the ride.

source:  buygail on etsy


Finally, a little road trip freshen up to "blow the stink off" as my mum would say.

source:  signal mountain on etsy


signed, the willow

Love to Run

Love to Run by kikiwillow featuring star shoes

Be Specific

Source: google.com via Krissy on Pinterest

Ran a marathon in 2013.  You bet.

When you find it's time to make some changes in your life, you need to be specific with your goals.

Recently I wrote something down (in the present tense), not realizing how specific I was, or how much or little intent I put into it.

My goal was answered.  I've been job searching.  Soul searching in a way too.  Looking for something satisfying.  Within a few days, I found the specific job that I had written down.  It was advertised on the internet.  So, I applied.  Smirking the whole time that I had written this goal down.  Well, within an hour I had a phone call to arrange an interview!

To make a long story short here, I didn't get the job.  No one did.  I seem to have that luck.  Turns out the organization didn't have the funding to go ahead and employ anyone yet. So, yeah, be specific.  Actually get the job.  Not just the call for it.

Source: weheartit.com via Krissy on Pinterest

My trip to Paris in 2014.  Absolutely!

Source: h0lyfools.tumblr.com via Krissy on Pinterest

These are my abs in early 2012.  Looking just like that, with no cupcake remnants left on top.

Source: desiretoinspire.net via Krissy on Pinterest

My new house with pool.  I had to cut the palm trees down as they weren't flourishing in Canada.



Point is:  be specific.  Just saying.

signed, the willow

Post-Halloween / Pre-Christmas Decorating

November.  She's that in-between month.  There is no snow on the ground and I come from the land where snow lands on Thanksgiving.  Canadian Thanksgiving.  That's in early October.  But now I live in the land where snow might fall by Grey Cup (American Thanksgiving) or maybe by Christmas and it's the wet, non-pretty variety.  So, how to decorate?  Is there any point in putting up a Christmas tree yet? Nope. So, what's a girl to do?


Hideaways?  Me thinks me love.

Perhaps more tropical than we can hope for in November, but why not reach for the stars?

Source: frommoontomoon.blogspot.com via Charity on Pinterest

Cute little mini-cottage. This reminds me of the playhouse my dad and grampa built me with its dutch doors. How cute with books piled up to the rafters.

Source: imgfave.com via Laura on Pinterest

A great spot to stash a bed and create an instant hideaway.

Source: d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net via sarah nicole on Pinterest

What girl wouldn't love this spot?  Just guessing, or fantasizing here - but, do you think you can hide things in those stairs?

Source: myidealhome.tumblr.com via Candice on Pinterest

Every attic hideaway deserves a chandelier!

Source: justbesplendid.tumblr.com via Lina on Pinterest

I'm a little torn with this one.  Part of me is oddly creeped out that a kid would want to go in there and play.  While the other half of me says, what kid wouldn't want a secret hideout to go in and play in?  I just don't see a door handle on the inside of those rather large closet doors.  Sorry, I think this might be an epic fail.

Source: boingboing.net via Brittney on Pinterest

This is my favourite.  So easy.  So doable.  Seems to me I've seen this done in my own kitchen!

Source: countryliving.com via Rachel on Pinterest

signed, the willow

Candy Corn Nails

*Mila* asked for some candy corn nails.  I struggled with how to create these ones.  

First, I pulled out a Science project book.  Why not?  Use it to protect the table and use it to maybe come up with a better idea than intricately painting finger nails.  This is not my forte.

I figured some scotch tape might help us out for this and taped the top 2/3 of her nails.

So far, so good.  She thinks this is all legit and what the candy corn nail process is all about.

Paint the bottom layer orange (yep, I'll get to this later).

We let them dry and got down to taping off the top 1/3 of her nail and carefully painted in the yellow.  How fabulous is that yellow nail polish by Joe Fresh?

Order some cucumber slices from the kitchen for your tired eyes and relax.

We topped it off with some globs of white for the tips and hello Candy Corn Nails.  

Until we saw this:

Yeah!  Yellow goes on the bottom.

signed, the willow

Silver Spoons without Ricky Schroeder

This great little metal piece was made by a Muskoka artist.  The petals are fashioned from old silver spoons. You know the tarnished old collectible ones your Gramma has.  A pink rock tied in for soft effect and then it was fashioned to a metal hair band.

But it fell off of *mila* girl's head a few too many times and I need someone to solder it back on.

Who would that be?

Maybe this guy?

Maybe not.  He looks like he catches flies with that mouth.


Doh!

signed, the willow