PB Moss Basket "Rescue and Rehab"

You've probably figured out by now that I'm a bargain hunter...and a that I love to rehab things that should have probably been thrown away other people may not have the same vision for.

Hippity Hoppity Easter's On It's Way!

 Happy Easter Weekend! WHAT?!?!?   Easter?!?!? What happened to the month of March?!  Honestly...this Sunday is Easter...and Monday is APRIL!?  What the heck!?

 Not that I'm really lamenting putting the cold, gray, snowy days of March behind me. I'm rather enjoying the whole "out like a lamb" part of the month. The early March "in like a lion" thing...notsomuch.


March is always a crazy month for me. It's end of quarter at work, there's usually a spring break (or, in my case this year, TWO) thrown in with the unpredictable weather, a little snow, some rain, maybe some sunshine, the first day of spring and, usually, Easter.

 I've been head down at my day job for the last ten days. I've been working a bunch of hours and trying to spend at least a day or two with each of my sons on their respective spring breaks (which, for some reason,  did not coincide this year) so I'll admit that, for all of my careful planning, Easter snuck up on me this year.

I'm running around today, finishing last minute transactions at work, shopping for the final items for Easter dinner, boiling eggs for the dyeing that will take place tomorrow after my oldest arrives home from school, cooking and baking and cleaning

                                   ....and finishing the decorating and tablescaping in the dining room...which brings me to the source of the darling basket that you see in these photos...my friend Becky from Timewashed, fine hand made and vintage goods.  She's got such a wonderful eye for detail and she makes the most beautiful things. Bits of lace, scraps of ribbon...sigh.

 How could I possibly resist?!  You're right. I couldn't....and you don't have to either! Visit her Etsy Shop! She's got lavender sachets, and gift tags and pin cushions...and beautiful baskets...like the one that now makes me smile from its spot on my dining room side board.

Becky didn't compensate me for this post, in fact, she didn't even know that I was writing it until this morning! I just wanted to share a little bit of Easter Joy as I'm getting ready for the holiday, celebrating the real reason for the season and enjoying spring...and time with my family! Thanks, Becky...I'm blessed to have you as a friend!

I'll (hopefully) be back tomorrow to show you my table! Happy Good Friday, friends!

xo,

Burlap Easter Napkin Rings {Pier 1 Knockoff} Bunny Ears and Butterflies

I realize, of course, that this is a little "last minute" but these napkin rings are super simple and you can make a dozen or so in under an hour...honest.

What A Difference A Year Makes... Spring

What a difference a year makes.  As a mother of sons, this became apparent in the spring when "long pants" suddenly weren't and I was reaching up.to give my little boys a hug.

Over the course of twelve quick months, hair styles, and clothing styles (and girlfriends)... change.
My high school Junior is now a Senior getting ready for Prom...and graduation.

My college Junior is getting ready to be a Senior and to move from Illinois to Georgia for a summer internship.

Sometimes, I wish that I could make time stand still...or better yet, turn back the clock...just for a moment...to have time to catch my breath.

So far, I haven't been able to manage to make that happen so, I'm hanging on... with both hands... feet firmly planted in the present...enjoying every second of  the crazy, wild, ride that is spring, 2013 with all of the new adventures that it will bring for my family.

And marveling at the fact that all of the photos above were taken exactly one year ago today....
and that precisely 365 days later, my spring garden looks like THIS.

Maybe turning the time clock ahead a couple of weeks wouldn't be such a bad idea...

Oh wait... that would mean that it would be a couple of weeks closer to graduation...and my son's move to Georgia....

Yeah, on second thought, never mind.  I think that I'll just take life as it comes and enjoy it.....

                                                                                                                          one...day...at...a...time.

Because this  photo was taken in my yard last week...

xo,

Midwest Bloggers Meetup Old Friends and New

Last Saturday,  I had the opportunity to do a couple of things that I've wanted to do for a while now:
1) Visit an amazing shop that's owned by my Friend Mark,  Room 363, in Naperville, IL
2) Hang out with 25 other bloggers, soon to be bloggers and friends of bloggers for an entire day!

Spring Lemon Lavender Scones {Recipe}

Happy official first day of spring!  I'm beyond ready for a little warmer weather, some sunshine and a few flowers...aren't you?

Spring Break, Nesting and A Moss and Butterfly Wreath

I decided last week that recently it feels like all I've done is write tutorials.  Have you noticed?  Does it feel that way to you, too?  For me, it started to feel like that brief period last summer when I turned into a food blogger or at least I thought that I did.  

Easter Table Setting

Believe it or not, the table in my breakfast room really has looked like this for over a week. I'm not quite sure why.  I took photos last weekend and we've been eating meals and doing homework on the kitchen island ever since...much to the chagrin of  my youngest. I have enjoyed looking at it as I've stood at the counter each morning for the last five days eating my yogurt.

Easter Bunny Napkin Fold {Tutorial}

As promised, here's the post for those of you who asked me how I folded these cute bunny napkins last year, for my simple Easter Dinner Table Setting. In the spirit of full disclosure, let me come clean right here, right now, about a couple of things:

Spring Carrot Easter Candy Holder {Easy Craft}

Happy daylight savings time! Even though we lost an hour last night, and even though it has been grey and pouring rain for the last 36 hours, I don't care....do you want to know why?

Yellow and White Spring Bunny Mantel

I don't know about you but I'm getting pretty tired of winter and I'm more than ready for spring!  I've been ready for a month now. I've put our shovels and snow boots away three times so far this year...

Reclaimed Wood Easter Bunny Art {Tutorial}

You've probably guessed after seeing my Stenciled Burlap Bunny Table Runner and Upcycled Baby Food Jar Bunny Candy Holders that I have a bunny "thing" going on at our home this spring.

Upcycled Baby Food Jar Easter Bunny Candy Holder

Have you ever noticed that some of the things you learned when you were very young seem to stay with you while others fade away almost immediately?  I find that it happens more often these days.

Stenciled Burlap Bunny Table Runner {No Sew}

I may need to join  B.A. "Bunnies Anonymous". I think that I've got a problem. I've fallen in love with yellow...and bunnies...and I can't seem to stop! Trust me when I tell you that right now, in our home, they're everywhere!!!

I was in Hobby Lobby for the third time this week yesterday to pick up a few cardboard eggs to finish a project in the dining room.  I have no idea how or why I ended up in the fabric department.

                                                                                                             Does that ever happen to you?

I remember walking through the doors and the next half hour is pretty much a blur...

The next thing I knew, I was standing at the cutting table, holding the prettiest yellow burlap that I've ever seen...

Well, to be completely honest, it's the only yellow burlap that I've ever seen but that's not the point.  As soon as I saw it, I knew what I had to do.  White pom pom trim, some giant white rickrack and white craft paint...the answer seemed so obvious...

One bunny drawing (and a quick trip to the copy center to have it laminated) later,  I was set.  The runner is simply cut from burlap. All four edges are frayed.  The pom pom trim and rick rack are glued on with fabric glue.   Before you ask...yes, I did cover the table with plastic before I stenciled and glued

                                                                                                  ...well...right after the first word, anyway!

The words were stenciled using 2" letters.  The bunnies are from a quick drawing that I had laminated cut out with an Exacto knife and used as a stencil.

The tails pom poms that were trimmed until they are nearly flat.

Over the course of the next two weeks, I'll share the rest of the Easter decorating that's going on in my kitchen and family room and my admitted obsession will become more obvious.

For now, let's just pretend that I have a cute, yellow burlap, stenciled, bunny, table runner on my kitchen table and leave it at that.

I'll be sharing the rest of this tablescape as well as my family room decor,  this week so stay tuned!

xo,

Sharing at:

DIY Showoff
Eclectically Vintage
House on the Way
I Gotta Try That

Moss and Burlap Spring Banner {Tutorial}

Sometime back in late January, right after I finally finished cleaning up the last of the glitter from the DIY Pottery Barn knock off glitter Santa that I made for my sister for Christmas, I was feeling brave one afternoon and I decided that I was going to use moss in my spring decorating this year.