Friday, March 30, 2018

Easter Greetings



"Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life." ~ S.D. Gordon


Wishing you a lovely holiday spent in the company of those you love most!

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

The Languid Beauty of Wisteria



"In memory of
the spring now passing
I drew
the long clusters of wisteria
that move like waves ... ."
~ Masaoka Shiki


I have been even more eager to see wisteria this spring after writing about it for our March/April issue of Victoria magazine. Although many of our photos for that feature were taken abroad, this vigorous bloomer also flourishes close to home. On a recent visit to Smith-Byrd House for afternoon tea, I was pleased to find clusters of lovely purple blossoms entwined with vivid pink azaleas.

















" 'Wisteria is my favorite flowering vine. Do you know why?'

I shook my head. 'No ma'am.'

'Because it's strong -- just like me."

~ Beth Hoffman


Sunday, March 25, 2018

10 Favorite Easter Ideas from a Decade of A Little Loveliness



"Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life." ~ S.D. Gordon

Over the years, we have shared some beautiful Easter memories. Looking back through ten years of posts, I am feeling so nostalgic for the many special springtime traditions, parties and creative projects we enjoyed when all my chicks were in the nest. (Or should I say that my bunnies were in the basket?) Thankfully, we will get to celebrate the holiday this year with Carson, our college boy. All four children are still willing to coordinate for church on Easter morning, so look for family pictures commemorating our time together. I will be the beaming mama, feeling so happy and blessed to enjoy another year with my precious ones! 





Nestling a smaller vase inside a larger one creates a space for filling with rows of pastel jellybeans. I made the original arrangement for Easter but kept the candy vase intact for quite a while and refilled it for several occasions.





My little bunnies loved these cabbage cupcakes, made by piping green icing on with an angled cake-decorating tip.




Photographing this bunny topiary, I could picture it as the crowning touch for a spring tea party. Find directions here.





Visit this post for a recipe for White Chocolate Nests.




For many years, one of my favorite springtime traditions was taking the children to paint Easter eggs at a local paint-your-own-pottery studio. Surveying our collection today, I am reminded of those precious times, such as this outing ten years ago.






This season is a wonderful time to bless others. Find ideas for Easter basket lunches for teachers here.





To share the love with friends, revisit this post to see how my friend Stacey treated the girls and me to an Easter tree party. Our daughters were all preschool age. How I miss those days!





For a sweet favor, how about this precious bunny in a jar? My sister-in-law Shannon made these for all the grandchildren at Easter one year.




Take a peek at this vibrant centerpiece, a whimsical Peeps arrangement.




And finally, this easy basket takes the cake! Find the how-to for this charming and versatile dessert in this post.



"For I remember it is Easter morn, And life and love and peace are all new born." ~ Alice Freeman Palmer


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