Since 2011 is drawing to an end in a few short hours, I thought it would be fun to do a little re-cap of the past year in the furniture world here at RC Willey.  

It looks like brown was the most popular color choice, but personally I'm loving the gray on number 9.  Which sofa is your favorite, and what do you think the hot color will be next year?

Have a wonderful and safe New Years!!!  Here's to a great 2012!!

1. Tan Upholstered Laguna Sofa-Chaise
2. Tan Upholstered Ziggurat Sofa
3. Chocolate Upholstered Northshore Sofa
4. Brown Microfiber Tahoe Palomino Sofa
5. Two-Tone Microfiber Soho Sofa
6. Brown Upholstered Sofa
7.  Chocolate Upholstered Two-Tone Sofa
8.  Two-Tone Microfiber Tribeca Sofa
9.  Onyx Upholstered Talbot Sofa

image David Zellaby via sherricassaradesigns

I'm always amazed at how holiday decorations, garlands, and brightly lit Christmas trees can go from looking breathtakingly beautiful to depressingly shabby in basically 24 hours time.  I love Christmas decorations (LOVE them!), but once the day after Christmas rolls around, I find myself feeling a bit claustrophobic and smothered by all of the holiday decor in my house.  I honestly thrill in boxing everything up, and throwing it in storage while muttering good riddance under my breath.    

And then, before I know it, it's December again and I'm as giddy as a kid in a candy shop to spend hours and hours transforming my home into a Christmas village.  

Isn't it ironic?

Now call me a bah humbug, but personally, I think taking decorations down too early is MUCH more acceptable than displaying a Christmas tree in your living room until February.  

Where do you stand?  When do the Christmas decorations start looking stale and you know it's time to take them down?  

Can't wait to hear what you think!

Our Photos with Santa Contest is officially over, and I have to say, well done everyone!  I had such a great time looking through all of the pictures submitted.  Some were cute, some were funny, and some were down right hilarious.  Just for fun, I picked out a handful of my favorite photos entered in the contest to share with you.  Is it strange that I seem to be drawn to the photos with terrified kids??  These were a great laugh.....

via Emily from Vancouver, WA

via Leslie from Richfield, UT

via Amanda from Murray, UT

via Barbara from Chicago, IL

via Laura from Rocklin, CA

via Mindi from Meridian, ID

via Melinda from Layton, UT

via Lori from Roseville, CA

via Natalie from Portland, OR

via Jennifer from Spanish Fork, UT

Also, Congratulations to our last Photos with Santa Contest Winner, Candace, from Murray Utah!  Here is her cute family.  Candace, email me (andie@rcwilley.com) and we'll get you your new Sony camera!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, and that all of your holiday wishes come true!

Thanks for reading,

xoxo,

Andie

One of the things I love most about the holiday season are the delicious sugary treats that always seem to accompany the celebrations!  I mean, who doesn't love a sugar cookie for heaven's sake?  And how can you say no to peanut clusters, peppermint bark, caramel popcorn and fudge?  Yes Please!  However, while delightfully appetizing, these sugary treats can also be terribly wicked.  Wicked to your waistline, your energy levels, and your ability to reason.  My body is currently experiencing toxic sugar shock, and I feel as though I'm barely functioning as a human being.  Any of you feel the same way?

While the holidays aren't over yet, and you're bound to eat more junk over the next couple of weeks, you can be selective! (I know, this is easier said than done.)  Need to make a treat for that Christmas party you're headed to this weekend but don't want to end up in a sugar coma?  Make a cheese ball instead!  (I'm not sure that this option is actually healthier, but isn't it a refreshing and savory break from the sugar? )  

This is an old family favorite recipe, and I promise it's the easiest, most delicious cheese ball you'll ever make!  Enjoy!!

Cheese Ball

2 8oz cream cheese- softened
2 8oz cans crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped green onion
1 tbsp Lawry seasoning salt

Beat cream cheese until smooth, then mix everything together. Form into one or two balls and sprinkle the tops with a cup of chopped pecans. 

Jimmy Kimmel did a hilarious bit this past week, where he asked parents to give their kids an early Christmas present (something that they'd absolutely hate) and to video their reaction.  It's pretty hilarious.  I just had to share.

Watch for the little girl with the half eaten sandwich- she's my favorite.  

Speaking of hilarious, don't you LOVE this photo with Santa?  

Congrats to Christie Wanderer from Minnesota, this week's Photo with Santa Contest winner!  I kind of love the fact that her twins were totally petrified of Santa Claus!  Christie, go ahead and email me (andie@rcwilley.com) your information so that we can get your new camera shipped to you!  

For those of you who haven't entered, you still have a chance to win next week!  Enter now!  

Can you believe that December is just about halfway over?  How did that happen?!  I've really tried to avoid over-scheduling myself so that I could have time to actually sit back and enjoy the magic of the holiday season, but now I'm starting to stress over the last few Christmas gifts that I still need to buy!  Planning out what to get for everyone is the hardest part.  When the only thing both your husband and father tell you they'd like for Christmas is socks you're basically left to your own creative devices.  (Can somebody please help me understand this fascination with socks men seem to have?)

I had high hopes to be done with all of my shopping by now, but I'm definitely not.   I'm crossing my fingers I'll finish up in the next day or two.  

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?

If you haven't, and you're like me and feel totally brain dead from trying to think up the perfect gifts for everyone on your list, you need to check out our Christmas Countdown!  Every day until Christmas, we are featuring a cool gift/product for your home on our website for a great one day only price!  Today, we're featuring this digital camera bundle for $149.99 (savings of $50!).  Make sure you check back every day for some great deals.

P.S. If you still need a cute gift for a little kid, snag one of these musical rocking horses while they're so cheap!  They're a kid's dream, and even cuter in person!

Decorating the Christmas tree is always the very last thing I do when setting up my Christmas decorations.  FYI- I don't put it off because I think it's best for last.  Truthfully, decorating the Christmas tree makes me anxious.  This is totally self inflicted, but I always get stressed out and feel all this pressure to do something spectacular!  Something new, exciting, and extremely creative.  

We had a sad looking, lonely, bare tree sitting in our living room for about a week, and so finally the other night my husband convinced me that it was time to just bite the bullet and throw some ornaments on its branches.   I'd like to add some sort of garland, but for lack of good ideas and time it hasn't happened yet.  Here's our tree, in all it's glory. 

I've been browsing around the web looking for tree garland ideas, and can't help but LOVE all of the beautifully decorated Christmas trees I've found.  I'm constantly amazed at how many different things you can do with a tree!  Here are some great ideas if you still haven't decorated your tree, or you're like me and are looking to spice things up a bit!  

image via remodeling my space

image via remodeling my space

image via notmartha

image via apartment therapy

image via bhg

image via apartment therapy

image via bhg

image via pinterest

image via pinterest

image via apartment therapy

image via borodener

What does Your Christmas tree look like this year?

Post Script:  Congratulations to Nicole Digregorio of Indian Springs, Nevada!  She is our first Photos with Santa Contest Winner!  Nicole, email me your information (andie@rcwilley.com) so that we can get you your new Sony Digital Camera for the holidays!  

Stay tuned for next week's winner- it could be you!  And if you haven't already entered our Photos with Santa Contest yet, do it now!  

As a kid, I always kind of dreaded going to sit on Santa's lap during the holidays, but at the same time I felt totally obligated.  You see, I'm one of those children that worried and stewed about Christmas morning starting in September.  I felt the need to tell him in person (I knew he wasn't the REAL Santa, but I understood that he was working for the real guy so I was confident my requests would indeed get passed along) what I was hoping to find under the Christmas tree, and also to sweetly remind him that I had tried to be a very good girl all year (minus those times I had teased my little brother:) After all, I didn't want to end up with a lump of coal in my stocking if I could help it!

This year, we're having a Photos with Santa Contest!  Simply submit your photo with Santa for a chance to win a SONY Digital Camera every week!  Your photos can be cute, crazy, scary, funny or awkward- the weirder the better in my opinion!  A random winner will be chosen every Thursday for the next three weeks!  Can't wait to see your photos!  (One entry per household please.)

Still need to visit Santa this year?  You can head on over to your local RC Willy on Saturday, Dec. 10th, and Saturday, Dec. 17th, to score FREE pictures with Santa!  Bring your kids, grand kids, and anyone who needs to do a little sweet talking to make sure they get presents this year!  Be sure to submit your photos!

And just for kicks, check out my very favorite Santa visiting experience!  So classic.  

It's December the first!  In addition to ushering in the holiday season with Christmas movies & tunes, hot cocoa, and twinkling lights, it's time to pull out the advent calendars! At the recommendation of a friend, I stopped at Siegfrieds last night, a little German Delicatessen, to pick up a couple of their beloved advent calendars.  These aren't regular advent calendars you guys- they're actually filled with authentic German chocolate!!  Christmas and european chocolate are two of the best things in the world, so I'm beyond excited to start counting down the days until December 25th!

Did you know that advent calendars have been around a lot longer than you and I?  It turns out the advent calendar was developed by the German Lutherans in the early 1800's in, you guessed it, Germany.  In the beginning most people simply drew a chalk line on their door each day of December to count down until Christmas, while a few families had the luxury of lighting candles daily.  And from there, the tradition just took off!  The very first printed advent calendar was produced in Hamburg, Germany in 1902.  Today, advent calendars of every shape, size and style are available to the masses!  

I really want to make an advent calendar that I can pull out every year (in addition to the store-bought chocolate ones).  There are so many fun, creative advent calendars out there... aren't these darling?

image via skimbacolifestyle

image via creature comforts blog

image via skimbacolifestyle

image via the crafty crow

image via babble

image via babble

image via martha stewart

image via babble

image via creature comforts blog

image via creature comforts blog

image via creature comforts blog

Do you have an advent calendar you use every year??

What are your advent calendar traditions?

P.S. RC Willey is selling a cute advent calendar for only $1.00!  

Happy Thanksgiving!!

There's nothing like being surrounded by people you love, counting your blessings, and eating delicious food.  Last night, we had a pre-holiday Thanksgiving dinner with friends and we deep fried a turkey for the first time.  I was a nervous wreck that the house was going to burn down or someone would end up in the ER, but thankfully it turned out to be a tasty success (more on that in a later post).  Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful, happy holiday.  

Speaking of holidays, the day after Thanksgiving, or Black Friday, is pretty much a sacred holiday for many serious shoppers.  Are you one of them?  Well, if you're prepared to come out early and stand in line at RC Willey we've got some seriously awesome doorbusters this year! Doors open up at 8am, and we have limited quantities for all of you early risers.  Here is just a small sampling of this year's doorbusters......

Two Piece Olive Microfiber Room Group

Doorbuster Sale: $399.99

Savings of $550

Condor 6 Piece Queen Bedroom set

Doorbuster Sale: $499.99

Savings of $700

Mitsubishi 73" 3D Ready DLP HDTV

Doorbuster Sale: $999.95

Savings of $1000

Maytag 25.2 Cubic Ft. Stainless Steel Refrigerator

Doorbuster Sale: $697.95

Savings of $500

Sound bar with ipod dock

Doorbuster Sale: $49.95

Savings of $80

"Bella" Desk, Hutch & Chair

Doorbuster Sale: $299.99

Savings of $350

Dual Reclining Sofa, Love Seat & Recliner in Leather-like Fabric

Doorbuster Sale: $899.99

Savings of $899.99

Condor 5 Piece Dining Set

Doorbuster Sale: $249.99

Savings of $600

Check out the rest of our Black Friday doorbusters and deals!

 Happy shopping!!

Also, a big Congratulations to Diane Atkinson from Kamas, UT, winner of our Thanksgiving Recipe Contest!  She's got a brand new GE convection range coming her way!  Diane, email me at (andie@rcwilley.com) and we'll get the details all worked out.  Thanks for entering everyone, and be sure to check out all of your amazing recipes!

Have a great weekend!