I love these colorful Sombrilla’s for the beach. For $150 you can choose from three bright patterns in 100% cotton with 95% UV protection. It’s too bad we’ve already gone to the Cape for our beach vacation this Summer or I’d buy the Moroccan Blue version right now.  From Hollie & Harrie.

Delicate.

I have been fantasizing about these filigree lanterns since I spotted them at the shop Mercado in Silverlake last year.  I love their scale and shape and the hand hammered lacy patterns.  They would look so amazing outdoors under one of these Moroccan style Soul Pads.  You can find them online through Terrain a fantastic garden center and cafe out of Glen Mills, PA.

Sit down.

Ahhh…don’t these fantastic deckchairs from Gallant & Jones just shout Summer? Tamra (Gallant), one of the founders of Gallant & Jones was inspired by the classic English deckchairs she spotted while strolling along the Thames in London. She brought the idea back home to Vancouver and shared it with her designer friend Gwyn (Jones) and a chair was born as they say.  Each chair is handcrafted in Vancouver by Tamra and Gwyn using sustainable black walnut wood and gorgeous fabrics. They aren’t cheap but the quality of these deckchairs is worth it.

Succulent.

From Cactus Jungle in Berkeley, CA, come these fantastic succulent wreaths. If you love succulents too, then check out this great website: Succulent Love.

(via Tallu-lah)

A couple of years ago my favorite flower, the gerbera daisy, was surpassed by my love for ranunculus.  Don’t get me wrong I still love gerbera’s and their bright cheerful colors and how they look like they are saying “smile” when you look at them.  But now I am more interested in the wide variety of ranunculus (over 400 species!) with their mysterious and tightly wound buds and their exotic colors and the way their petals glow as they open up.  With Valentine’s Day just around the corner I wanted to share some images of my new favorite flower. Oh and yes this is a lightly veiled hint to you Mr. hubs if you are reading this.

(top image: Winston Flowers, bottom image: Dandelion Ranch)

(thanks @simplepretty for the inspiration)

Spotted on Bloesem this morning, these charming paper lanterns from Dutch artist Jurianne Matter. They come seven to a package. You can email Jurianne directly to order or through the Dutch website Bijzonder.

How fantastic is this striped lawn lounger (available in single or double size) from The Handpicked Collection out of the UK? Just roll it up and take with you to the beach, the park or use it for camping out. I also love this shabby chic oilcloth picnic blanket. Just wipe it down, roll it up and pack it to go.

(via Ruby Press)

As kids, Haley and I used to escape to the backyard apple tree to hideout and make up songs or whisper swear words to each other over and over thinking that if we got them all out at once, we’d never swear again. True story: once after saying s**t Haley went and washed her own mouth out with soap and then told my Mom!

I’m too cautious now to go climb a tree so I’ll have to satisfy myself with a more grown up hideaway from Cocktail UK. The teepee swing would have been perfect for us as kids, we would have filled it with all of our stuffed animals and books. Nowadays I could sit happily in the GLOBO swing seat and swear away until my hearts content – no soap included.

I was recently hired as a freelance blogger for a new eco-blog called EcoSalon.com. At EcoSalon I will be covering artisan, decor and fashion items, similar to the things you find here at Little Willow but with an eco-edge. The thing that sets EcoSalon apart is its authenticity. It’s real people sharing how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle without being preachy or crunchy. For example you can find out how to properly wash a pillow (which I am doing as I write this), where to buy stunning recycled glass carafes made from broken windshields or how to get a healthy high from herbal espresso. I am really excited for this opportunity to contribute to the rainbow of “green” knowledge available to women! Feel free to send me suggestions and if my Editor approves, (yes people I have an Editor now, it’s the big time), we’ll write about it!

We had an amazing weekend here in the Bay Area and I did bad things to my skin all in the name of a Vitamin D deficiency. George and I spent some QT on the deck in our old and uncomfortable deck chairs, and we both believe we need some new chairs. I did some searching and found Pedlars UK, now my latest obsession for miscellaneous items. It’s a family run biz with a great selection of unique products with an eye on the environmentally friendly aspect of “things”. I love these deck chairs ($250 each) with hand-printed weatherproof canvas in your pattern choice of “pigeon and jelly” or “rabbit and cabbage”. Get lost here…