Southern Living at HOME July Summer Sale

The last time to SAVE BIG with Southern Living at HOME. One hundred products on sale from past and present product lines. It is BIG! Check out the Sale flier.

There will be several options to have products shipped directly to your home:

1. Orders under $30 with a $10 direct ship charge*
2. Orders $30 - $49.99 with a $5 direct ship charge*
3. Orders $50+ - no direct ship charge*
4. Orders $125+ - earn hostess rewards!

5. Orders $250+ -earn hostess rewards PLUS bonus product(s)!

* Direct Ship Charges are in addition to regular shipping charges

I will begin inputting orders on Tuesday, July 6 so you will have a few days to share the sale flier with friends and family (over the 4th, no less). Collect orders from them to help you earn FREE product rewards!

Items will sell out quickly and will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Plan to send your orders to me by noon on Monday, July 5th for priority processing. Contact me for order forms and more details if you are interested (j.fryar@comcast.net).

This is your last chance to purchase these products under the Southern Living at HOME brand name . Once they sell out they will be gone forever (sniff sniff).

Happy saving!

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Wednesdays: Last Day!!

Today, June 30, 2010 is the LAST DAY to join the team and be included on the first phase of the Willow House launch. I want to shout this from the mountaintops just so I know I did my part to spread the word about this exciting opportunity! It is going to be BIG!!!

I tried to sum up all this excitement in the above picture collage. I must admit I'm a little misty-eyed after doing so!

Willow House will launch in August and from what we are hearing, we will change the face of the Direct Sales Industry. How exciting is that? You can be a part of History!!!

Here's why I joined Southern Living at HOME and why I am excited about Willow House!

If you are interested, please shoot me your phone number via email (j.fryar@comcast.net) so we can connect today. If this isn't the right time or opportunity for you that is great, too. I just want to feel good that I spread the word as best as possible!!!

I would love to send you a catalog OR help you be the first to share Willow House with your friends via a home, catalog, or blog party. I also have some ideas for blog partnerships if you are interested in getting more details on that. Please let me know your interest level so I can best serve you (j.fryar@comcast.net).

Our big SUMMER SALE flier will post tomorrow. Be sure to check back here to save big on 100 or so items! This is the LAST MONTH to get a piece of Southern Living at HOME (sniff, sniff).

Next week we'll start looking at product ideas for home decorating, organizing and entertaining - I promise. Thank you for letting me share two of my passions with you this month - Southern Living at HOME/Willow House and Hospitality!!! It's been fun, y'all!

~Southern Fried Gal

M&M Fudgy Oat Bars

As promised, here is the recipe for the super YUMMY cookie bars we shared with our neighbors this week. It's an easy recipe, not too expensive and fun for the kids! I wish I had take a picture of the inside of the bars. There are three layers and the inside is fudgy - super yum! Enjoy!

M&M Fudgy Oat Bars

2 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups M&M candies, divided
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Combing first 5 ingredients, stirring well. Add butter and beat at a low speed with electric mixer until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of mixture and press remaining mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven to 350.

Place 1 cup M&M's in a microwave safe bowl, microwave on HIGH 1 minute, stirring at 30 seconds. Press M&M's with the back of a spoon to mash them. (They will almost be melted with pieces of color coating still visible.) Stir in condensed milk. Spread evenly over crust leaving a 1/2 inch border on all sides.

Combine reserved 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture and remaining 1/2 cup M&M's. Sprinkle evenly over chocolate mixture and press lightly. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Yield: 2 dozen. Prep: about 20 minutes. Cook: about 35 minutes.

Note: I adapted this recipe from a Hallmark Holiday Cookie cookbook printed by Oxmoor House.

There's still time to join the final week of Practice Hospitality!

~Southern Fried Gal

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This post linked to the following:

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam: Tasty Tuesday

Let's Party: Practice Hospitality, Final Week

It's the final week of our Practice Hospitality month. I hope you have enjoyed this series as much as I have! I must admit I was a little nervous about today's post because I have been out of town most of the month enjoying hospitality instead of practicing it! So this series gave impetus to finally meet our new neighbors today!

BBC and I got busy baking some yummy treats for them! I love that this is teaching him the value of serving others as well!

We baked up these tasty M&M Fudgy Oat Bar Cookies. After they cooled, we sliced them.

Then we wrapped them in up in this cute fabric remnant. I bought several of these wire baskets on clearance last year for around $3 each. They have come in handy and I hope to find more bargains to restock my gift closet!

I printed this message along with our names, address, and home phone on one side of a postcard (blurred here, of course!). I put a pretty coordinating sticker to dress it up. On the back side I put the recipe for the treats.

It was fun to go over and introduce ourselves to them and leave them a little something nice to show we mean business about being hospitable neighbors. Our plan is to have them over this summer for a cookout and swim - y'all hold me accountable to that, OK?

Enough about me - I can't wait to see how you all have practiced hospitality!!!

So let's party!!!

A few easy rules...

1. I appreciate creativity as much as the next gal as long as you can relate it to this week's topic in a clever way!
   
2. It can be something you posted in the past. Just please add a link back to this post so others can join the fun. You can use my pathetic attempt at a button (no perfectionism here) if you like or just a link will do.
3. Please link the URL to your specific post - not your main blog URL.
4. Please mix and mingle - and leave lots of comment love for other participants!

This party will be open through Wednesday at midnight CDT.

Party On!!!

~Southern Fried Gal
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This post linked to the following:

Sumo's Sweet Stuff: Market Yourself Mondays

The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up

Easy Salty & Sweet Treat

This is a simple treat that will satisfy your guests' sweet and salty tooth all in one scrumptious bite! Simply said, it is one pretzel + one rolo + one pecan!!! How easy (and cheap) is that???

I got this recipe from my friend Sunshine over at Make Life Delicious. You can get the super simple details on how to assemble there.

Don't forget Monday we will be sharing how we have practiced hospitality. Get your posts ready to link up!

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Wednesdays: Hospitality

Welcome to Willow House Wednesday! In honor of Practice Hospitality month let's take a look at some ideas from the current catalog.

A new favorite of mine is the Nola Party Bucket with Stand. If you are hosting an outdoor get together this is a snazzy way to provide refreshment for guests. You saw last week how I roll towels up in this bucket for my guest bathroom. There are endless uses for this bucket and serving others!

Host a $250 home, blog, or book party in JULY and get this piece for only $39.96! PLUS enjoy other hostess benefits and be able to share the Summer Sale with your friends and family!

Greet guests in your bathroom with a tray of necessities and a fresh drink each morning!

Pictured here: Petite Accent Tray - on sale this month for $27.48. Ashford Bedside Set - page 29 - $34.96. Sutton Vanity Set - page 29 - $39.96.

Dress up your favorite casserole for a potluck, new neighbor or new mommy with a piece of fabric! Simple, thoughtful, and fabulous!

Pictured here: Gramercy Casserole - page 40 - $49.96. Gallery Hostess Set - page 35 - $54.96 includes serving spoon, serving fork, and slotted serving spoon.

Of course you can host your own HOME party and share a little hospitality with your girlfriends! For more information on how to do so and the rewards contact me j . fryar @ comcast . net!

Thanks for taking a look today! What Southern Living at HOME or Entertaining at HOME product has helped you practice hospitality?

~Southern Fried Gal

Let's Party: Practice Hospitality, Week 3

Welcome to Week 3 of Practice Hospitality! This week we are sharing our favorite recipe for blessing others. What is your go-to recipe for gatherings?

When I was pregnant with BBC there were at least 10 other couples pregnant at work AND about 13 pregnant at church. We got really good at making meals for one another. I was looking for something easy that would be enjoyed by multiple taste palettes. A friend who caters shared this simple recipe. It is super easy, presents beautifully and is quite tasty! Before long everyone was asking me for the recipe!

Three-In-One Chicken Dish

Ingredients
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large can green beans
8 small-to-medium red potatoes
1 stick butter, melted
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
salt/pepper

Directions
Cube potatoes and layer in 1/3 of a 9x13 casserole dish. Drain green beans and layer in middle 1/3 of dish. Layer chicken breasts in last 1/3 of dish. Mix butter and dressing mix together and pour evenly over the chicken, green beans, and potatoes. I usually put a little in between the layers of chicken so they are seasoned evenly. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top and tightly cover with foil. Bake in 350 oven about 1 hour or until chicken is cooked and potatoes are fork tender. Let sit covered at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Now let's party!!!

A few easy rules...

1. I appreciate creativity as much as the next gal as long as you can relate it to this week's topic in a clever way!
   
2. It can be something you posted in the past. Just please add a link back to this post so others can join the fun. You can use my pathetic attempt at a button (no perfectionism here) if you like or just a link will do.
3. Please link the URL to your specific post - not your main blog URL.
4. Please mix and mingle - and leave lots of comment love for other participants!

This party will be open through Wednesday at midnight CDT.

Party On!!!

~Southern Fried Gal
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This post linked to the following:

Sumo's Sweet Stuff: Market Yourself Mondays

The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up

Creative 2x Mom: Made by Me Mondays

Southern Fried Sundays: Happy Father's Day!

This is one of my favorite pictures of my baby's daddy. I love that DH shows affection to his boy. He has done that from the beginning.

And here is one of my favorite bible verses with a succinct message to fathers:

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 NIV

Happy Father's Day!

~Southern Fried Gal

Simple Ideas for Hospitality

As week 2 for Practice Hospitality winds down you can see where my passion is and where I need help! Last week's topic came easy for me because that is what I enjoy. Thank you to everyone who linked up this week. Get your recipes ready for week 3!

Here are a few ideas for practicing hospitality this month...

Invite a girlfriend over to chat over coffee. Fill a glass container with coffee beans and a candle for a nice touch. Serve coffee in fun coffee mugs. Do you have a fancy coffee carafe collecting dust somewhere? Why not dust it off and use for this impromptu gathering!

Invite a girlfriend and her children over for a play date. Dress up store bought lemonade with a sliced lemon and a twig of fresh mint (if you have some). Save one slice of lemon to rim fun glasses and dip in sugar for an extra sweet touch.

Invite girlfriends over for a salad supper. Ask each to bring their favorite salad in a pretty dish. Then dish about what's going on in your lives!

Hospitality doesn't have to be complicated or even planned out. Think about someone you haven't gathered with in a while and treat her to a little hospitality!

Have a great weekend!!!

~Southern Fried Gal

Southern Living at HOME June Sale

Updated with current sold out items. Hurry - sale ends June 30!

Willow House Wednesdays:Time

Time got away from me today and I just realized that I didn't put up my Willow House Wednesday post! What have I been busy doing? Spreading the excitement about our new company, of course!!!

The time is NOW to take a look at our NEW company. In mid-July we learn all the details of our revolutionary new business. On August 1st we launch. On August 4th we open our doors to new consultants - openings will be limited! If you want to take a little time to learn more, you can hear my southern fried voice chat about our company any time of day by dialing:

Number: (605) 475-4848
Access Code: 271689#

The first five minutes are blank because I started the recording a little too soon . You can press 2 about 10 times to fast-forward to the talking. After that, the call is about 20 minutes long. Please don't count the um's - there are a lot!

I am happy to share more about how to get started with our company during these exciting times if you are interested! Please contact me today - j.fryar@comcast.net!

Excited!

~Southern Fried Gal

Farmer's Market Centerpiece

Did your momma tell you not to play with your food? Yeah, mine did as well but I've always been a little hard-headed! I stopped by a farmer's stand yesterday and picked up the most gorgeous veggies!

I got a mess of squash,

Some new 'taters and cukes,

And these bell peppers that had just been picked. The aroma was sensational. I could not resist washing one of these beauties and eating it like an apple. DH thought I was crazy but I didn't care. It was so fresh and delicious - yum!

When I got home I needed a place to store my goods. I grabbed this rectangular basket and a couple of wire baskets. Normally I would just place these containers around the counter in the kitchen.

But the containers came together so beautifully that I couldn't resist taking down my current centerpiece on the breakfast table and replacing with this vignette.

I added the burlap bag for a little funk and texture. This frees up precious counter space (storage solution), inspires me and reminds me to cook them (healthy eating), and dresses my table beautifully (unexpected functionality).

Oh and I'm not the only one who plays with my food! It is an economical way to add pops of color in your home decor! I'm in good company with...

VS Mobley's General Store in Fayetteville, AR

and Matthew Mead!

Speaking of cute ideas...I need yours! Please join us for a Practice Hospitality Party this week! The party is open until Wednesday night. Please share your ideas for adding those special touches for your guests - whether that be in the guest bath/bedroom, a party favor idea, a beautiful tablescape, etc.! Put together a new post or dust off one from your archives then Let's Party!

And after that you can go play with your food!


~Southern Fried Gal

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This post linked to the following:

Making the World Cuter

Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

Let's Party! Practice Hospitality, Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of Practice Hospitality! This week we are looking at ways to make our guests feel special. Feel free to share your guest bedroom or bath, ideas for party favors, welcome signs, tablescapes, and tips for hosting and entertaining guests to name a few. Or maybe you have a great idea for welcoming new neighbors. You get the idea! Please keep in mind we will share recipes at next week's party.

Two rules I swear by when hosting overnight guests are...

1. Freshly Laundered Sheets

Even if no one has slept on them since the last time they were washed, I make sure sheets are laundered within a day or two of guests arriving.

2. Well-Stocked Guest Bath

I don't want my guests fumbling around for towels or toiletries so I put these items out in the guest bath before they arrive. If they are staying multiple nights I switch out towels and make sure toiletries are stocked.

These are two nice and low cost ways to make my guests feel welcome in my home. They may not even realize that I do this and I like that, too!

OK - enough about me - let's party!!!

A few easy rules...

1. I appreciate creativity as much as the next gal as long as you can relate it to this week's topic in a clever way!
   
2. It can be something you posted in the past. Just please add a link back to this post so others can join the fun. You can use my pathetic attempt at a button (no perfectionism here) if you like or just a link will do.
3. Please link the URL to your specific post - not your main blog URL.
4. Please mix and mingle - and leave lots of comment love for other participants!
   

This party will be open through Wednesday at midnight CDT.

Party On!!!

~Southern Fried Gal
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This post linked to the following:

Sumo's Sweet Stuff: Market Yourself Monday

Southern Fried Sundays: Practice Hospitality 2

Today I want to share with you a struggle I face when practicing hospitality - perfectionism. I have to constantly remind myself that perfectionism works against hospitality.

The two lessons I can think of to illustrate this best are the stories of Mary and Martha...

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42 NIV

And the Woman Who Washed Jesus' Feet...

Then {Jesus} turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Luke 7:44-46 NIV

As we practice hospitality throughout the month of June, my prayer is that we remember hospitality understands that the basic needs of others is most important. There is no room for perfectionism.

Specials touches don't have to be perfect, expensive, or complicated. It can be something as simple as "listening to our guests" or "washing their feet"!

I will put up this week's Practice Hospitality Party later tonight. Please know that the intention of this month's parties is not to outdo one another but to encourage. I love how real the links were last week. I can't wait to see what you have to share this week!

Until then...practice hospitality!

~Southern Fried Gal

Photo: Courtesy of Mabel Coleman. Fresh flowers and a lit candles.

Welcoming Front Doors: Part Deux

I hope you have enjoyed our first week of Practice Hospitality as much as I have! Remember next week's theme is Special Touches and will go up on Sunday evening. Come share ideas for extra touches you swear by to let your guests know they are special!

I'll leave you with a few more welcoming doors from around my neck of the woods. Remember you can click the photos to enlarge. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to practice hospitality!

~Southern Fried Gal

Front Door Ideas

First of all, THANK YOU to all who joined the Practice Hospitality Party this week! We had a nice little gathering and some super cute ideas for welcoming our guests. A couple of you mentioned you were working on your doors a little more. I took that as an invitation to share ideas - hope you don't mind!

Granny Sue has this GORGEOUS porch. I love the door - wood, leaded glass, and architectural details - perfection! I don't think this door needs much.

I think something simple like a tall, friendly plant to greet guests would be perfect. I'm not sure how much sun this area actually gets so my recommendations are based on a low-light situation.

Something like this dried topiary would look nice to one side of the door with a smaller pot or two leading up the steps.

I try to go real with plants as often as possible but I also have a good eye for real-looking fakes. There are some AWESOME fakes out there these days and because this is a covered porch, they will weather well.

Believe it or not, this is a fake. The owner has had them a couple of years now! If I had more cover on my doorway I'd snap something like this up in a heartbeat!

I think a friendly fern on a crisp, white pedestal would do the trick as well!

Amanda over at Serenity Now beat herself up over her curb appeal even though it is truly lovely. I had to scold her a bit - ha! To borrow Nester's mantra - it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful - OR welcoming!

Amanda has some great ideas using vinyl for the front door. I love how she has pots of flowers leading up to the path.

Her dilemma is that one side of her door is in the shade and the other in the sun...

I think a nice grouping of pots to one side would be the perfect addition to the area. Something like this would look cute on the left side opposite the purple petunias.

Or a sun-loving trio with a little more height would look lovely to the right of the door.

I also think one large container with various plants would be nice as well. I love this palm with potato vine and I would probably tuck a flower in for a pop of color. I'm not sure how the palm would do in the winter months in your area so you could substitute a juniper or arborvitae for year round green.

I have had a ball this week sharing door ideas with you. I hope you have enjoyed them as well. I have another round of stalking pictures to share tomorrow to round out the week. I am probably on every crime watch bulletin in the city at this point - ha!

Don't forget Week 2 of Practice Hospitality will go up Sunday evening. This week we will share ideas for Special Touches - how do you make your guests feel special? (examples: guest bath, guest bedroom, welcome signs, party favors, etc.)

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Wednesdays: My Why

Welcome to another round of Willow House Wednesdays. Today I want to share why I decided to start my business almost 5 years ago and how my WHY has evolved over the years.

When I started in fall of 2005 I decided to join because I was in LOVE with the products! I didn't have that many serving pieces because DH and I semi-eloped and didn't get many gifts.

Also at that time I worked a full-time plus corporate job and had at 18 month old so this gave me a guilt-free night out with girlfriends.

I faithfully held one party each month so that I could turn my profit back into products AND enjoy an evening out each month just for myself. It was the perfect gig!

In fall of 2006, however, things began to change. My precious BBC (doesn't that little face make your heart melt) had a series of hiccups in daycare. DH and I decided it would be best for me to leave corporate life to stay home with him. It was both an exciting and scary change.

I embraced my at-home-mommy status for the first few months then I decided I wanted to pick up a few more parties to supplement the income we were losing.

Slowly I worked my way from one party each month to 6-8 parties each month. My perfect gig was now even more perfect because I could have it all - be at home with my child, personal development, additional income, etc.

I hit my stride in March 2009 and promoted to Director in that month. Shortly after that I earned a FREE vacation for DH and me to Cancun!

In fall 2009 I slowed down my parties a bit to get used to having a big boy in school. I had big decisions to make - continue this business or go back to corporate life.

It has been a hard decision to work through, but with the announcement of Willow House and all the innovations coming our way my decision became crystal clear.

So now I'm once again morphing and I'm thankful I have my soon to be Willow House business there with me!

I engage BBC in the business now and use it as a teaching tool. He is being raised by an entrepreneurial mom. I am proud to say that!

Big changes are coming in August. The time to take advantage is now! We are going to stir up the direct sales industry once again! I don't have detail on the changes. I have faith they are going to rock my world! One thing I know for certain is that the products will not change - woo hoo! Everything else is up for change - for the better.

If you have ever thought about giving a business like this a try, June is the month to do so. Everyone who joins my team by June 30th will be able to take advantage of all the great benefits of our new business model! After that new enrollment will be closed until after the new launch.

Come join the fun! Let's chat!

~Southern Fried Gal
-------------------------------------------------------------------