Sunday, March 31, 2013

Happy Easter!


Sending Lovely Easter Wishes


Please feel free to click on any of the images and save them for your own work.


Because I can't visit all of you and give you an Easter basket...


... but I can share some images for Easters yet to come!


Have a beautiful day!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Easter Through the Years

Here comes Peter Cottontail, bringing with him tons of memories!
 
Lots of those memories center around growing up in church choir. All 250 of us, from wee ones to seniors, would like up and march in to Plymouth Congregational Church to the sound of trumpets. 
Our choirmaster, Dr. Klausli (and his wife Dorothy, who were trained in the English tradition) kept us on task and woe be to the child who acted out!
 
Between the two services, choir parents (including mine) would serve us a grand breakfast. I wish I had photos of that!
But I do have photos of memories. Oh! Those baskets!
David and I just loved them!
In high school, I had my own Easter bunny (a gift from my friend Mary, much to the chagrin of my mother!)
 
And lest you should think I come upon my decorating crazies independently, think again! Mom had the egg tree market cornered years ago! (I still have some of her eggs; they are among my favorites!)
Easter can be a time of gathering people together who have no place else to go. My family always invited some of my college friends who weren't headed home during the holiday. It was a tradition that remained. One of the most poignant memories is when Rick's next door neighbor, Lucinda, joined us. About a month later she died suddenly, following surgical complications.
 
This is the first Easter without our Gypsy boy. I'd like to think he's found his next life already.
Egg dying is a must! 
This is a Good Friday tradition with our friends Mark and Jan. 
It's usually followed by a screening of "Life of Brian," but sometimes we're just too tired to hang in there! 
Jan and I often go to the market on that Saturday. It's always a glorious mass of color.
I can never decide what to buy. A couple of years ago, we fell totally in love with rununculus.I think between the two of us, we bought a dozen plants!
Yes, buy I do, and the centerpiece is the result. I think the simple parrot tulips were a favorite.
Of course, the Easter (and spring) china comes out.
And so do the bunnies. You didn't think I was doing Easter without the bunnies, did you?
 
Or chicks!
 
I love watching my next door neighbor's Easter egg hunt. The little kids get bigger every year!
So does our gang!
It's nice to sometimes have Molly at the table, whether it is brunch or dinner!
My neighbor always brings over traditional Italian Easter pastries. They have become another part of my tradition.
 
And, there are the traditional foods -- definitely deviled eggs.
 
Ina Garten's Frozen Key Lime Pie is a hit, too!
And eggs. Of course -- they are centerpieces, deviled, chopped up in salads... you name it!
Ham, scalloped potatoes, asparagus. We're pretty traditional.
 
Whether you celebrate Easter, Passover or Equinox, I hope you have traditions that have followed you through the years that you are enjoying as we inch toward spring. 
Wishing you happiness!

Monday, March 25, 2013

When the Cat (aka Rick) is Away...

...the Jeanie will play!

A week ago, Rick had a business trip and family time out East leaving me with a weekend all my own! It started with a wine tasting fundraiser for our museum where I tried lots of expensive things I'll never buy and a few I wish I could.
Then a Saturday massage. My massage therapist is a goddess, kicking out side pain I've had since I was sick with her healing hands. She's also one heck of a baker and gave me a Chocolate and Guinness cupcake and a minty green St. Patrick's day one that was to die for. (Wish I'd taken photos of them both!)
Lots of sorting and such -- more to do, but I made a good stab at it. And then out came the Easter!
It's always fun to bring out old friends.
In some ways, I don't regret having a few  bird houses that didn't sell this Christmas -- I get to "borrow" them from inventory!
Of course there are the bunnies -- on the mantle...
...and any other spot they fit!
 
Every year the chandelier gets lots of eggs hanging from it -- this year is no exception!
 
What doesn't fit on  the tree or the chandelier ends up in baskets!
It was also a day to do some art and get a good start on my egg carton swap.
Painting first... inside and out. Embellishments later!
I'll share more of that when I finish and get them off in the mail!
I also enjoyed a bit of bird watching with Lizzie Cosette.
(Well, she watched the birds, I watched her!)
I always miss Rick when he's gone and I'll be glad when he's home. But it did buy a few hours of extra time for play! 

(And the best part, he's back -- so this past weekend we hit the theatre, cooked, chilled out. Two great weekends in a row!)

Friday, March 22, 2013

I'm Bindweed Elfglitter

Every now and then, one of my blog buddies posts a fun link.
 
This time it was Leann. I followed her lead and went to The Fairy Name Generator to find my "official fairy name.
 
I am Bindweed Elfglitter. (But you can call me Elfie)
 
She is cheerful and friendly. 
 
She lives at the bottom of tangled gardens and in hedgerows.
 
She is only seen in the light of a shooting star.
 
She wears tangled multicolored skirts made of petals and has transparent green wings like a cicada.
 
Golly, who knew?

Our Michigan winter is hanging in there, despite the official arrival of spring. How lovely to think that soon the fairies will awaken with birds, butterflies and flowers!

I'm working on a couple of fun posts to share with you. Coming soon!

One of my earliest art pals, Shelley, shared the vintage fairy graphics with me long ago. I don't think she'd mind if you double click and copied them. I wouldn't either.

And, I've finally updated my book blog, Chopsticks and String, with a new post about one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. Check it out! 

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