He is Risen!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Easter! 

Christ is Risen!

He is Risen, Indeed!

Alleluia!

 

Best wishes for a wonderful blessed celebration!

Good Friday

In the midst of our preparations for Easter Sunday, let us not forget to reflect on the day that leads to that celebration.

 

 

Simple words that have deep meaning for me today....

 

PAIN

 

SUFFERING

 

BETRAYAL

 

SHAME

 

HUMILIATION

 

SACRIFICE

_________________________

 

LOVE

MERCY

FORGIVENESS

FREE

GRACE

SALVATION

 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

                                                                       John 3:16

 

Vanessa at The Picket Fence has created a meaningful, thought provoking and informative blog post for Good Friday which I encourage you to read.

 

 

Here is a link to hear my favourite Good Friday Hymn - Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted

 

May God guide your thoughts and ways as you remember the events and reflect on the meaning of Good Friday.

 

 

Sideboard Decorated for Easter

 

With Easter almost upon us, I thought I'd share how I've decorated my sideboard for this very special occasion. 

Actually, I used to call this piece of furniture a "buffet" but that seems to mean more of a style of eating to me so now I'm calling it a sideboard.  I hope I'm not confusing anybody!

You will notice I've used a neutral colour scheme and once again, avoided my-not-so-favourite-pastels.

 

I began with two of my brown birdcages decorated with ivy on each end of the sideboard.  This one holds white tulips and a birdie on a nest.

A white bunny sits next to the matching, but smaller birdcage at the opposite end.

 

 

Center-stage showcases faux blossoms, egg-filled vases and a weathered cross beside a birdie on a pedestal.

A closer look at the white birdie nesting on a pedestal

 

 

 

A reminder of the true meaning of Easter

 

 

 

 

A white bunny who used to be pink (see HERE for her previous look - spray paint does wonders!)

 

 

 

Birdie nesting in a birdcage

 

The full view...

  Are you almost ready for Easter?

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

I'll be linking this post to these fantastic blogs:
Wow us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen
Tablescape Thursdays at Between Naps on the Porch
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper
Tabletop Tuesdays at A Stroll Thru Life

Easter Spring Mantel

I've had my mantel decorated for Spring/Easter for awhile now but I'm still not sure about it.  I'll need your opinion after I show you the details.

 

 

 

I really struggled to come up with something Spring/Easter-y that went with the look of our new stone fireplace, the black mirror and the dark beam mantel. (if you want, you can see our FP makeover here).



 

As many of you know, I don't care for pastel colours which are usually associated with Easter. It is probably a good thing since I didn't think they looked right on the mantel anyway.

 

 

I began by putting this wreath on the mirror hoping to soften the harsh blackness of it.

 

 

 

I decided to use my cream coloured lanterns filled with greenery and white mini-lights. I also placed some greenery in a black pot with some faux eggs on a brown pedestal.

 

 

A cream coloured bunny sits beside the lantern on the other side of the mantel.

 

 

The true message of Easter is framed and placed in the middle. (free printable from If I Could blog)

 

 

 

 

I used the terrific free printable SPRING banner from At Second Street blog. I did mine in black and white and just attached it with tape to the rod we have below the mantel.

 

In the evenings, we enjoy having the soft glow from the mini-lights in the lanterns and behind the mirror.

 

 

 

I made an arrangement of real pussy willows and faux cherry blossoms for the hearth area.

 

 

Do you think I was able to create a Spring/Easter vibe using the cream items with the darker colours? Or should I try taking down the black mirror next year? Force myself to use pastel colours?  Please let me know your ideas.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

I'll be linking up this post to these terrific blogs:

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Tutorials, Tips & Tidbits at Stone Gable

Its a Spring Thing at French Country Cottage
Swing into Spring at DIY by Design
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper
Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming
Metamorphis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

 

 

 

A Little St. Patrick's "Night" Romance

 

With St. Patrick's Day being so close to Easter this year, I was feeling lazy and thought I'd skip doing anything in the way of St. Paddy's decor. But then, I had second thoughts and I decided I really should pay tribute to my Irish heritage (my great-grandmother was from Ireland) and do a little something.

 

 

 I didn't want to buy more decorations but wanted to make what I have look a bit different. Thus, I came up with the idea for a little St. Patrick's "Night" romance and created this table for two.

A Leprechaun with his pot of gold peeks out from beside the green and brown place setting.

 

Here's a picture I took in the daylight so you can see the place setting better.  I used a green and a brown napkin folding them in an accordion style and placed a tiny "green beer" stein and some shamrock garland in the middle.  

A ring of shamrocks (wire garland) surrounds the dinner plate.

 

One advantage of a table for two against a window is that you can use a tall "centerpiece" as it can be off to one side and it won't impede sight lines.

 

 Here, I used pillar candles and a trio of greenery in pots with shamrocks stuck in the tops.

  

 These Dollar Store votive holders cast a romantic glow and an interesting pattern on the tabletop.

 

From breakfasts-before-work to romantic-dinner-for-two's, Mr. Delight and I eat a lot of our meals at this little table by the window and will, no doubt, enjoy our St. Patrick's Night meal here as well.

 

 However, I'm wondering if I need to rethink the menu though as somehow, Irish Stew and soda bread doesn't seem quite "romantic" enough for all this candlelight! 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!

I will be linking this post to these terrific blogs:

5th Annual St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl at Cuisine Kathleen
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper
Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming

 

Easter Centerpiece Idea

Hello Everyone! Today, I'm sharing the Easter centerpiece I've created for my coffee table. Maybe it will inspire you to put together something similar.

 

It was a very easy centerpiece to create but I'll show you the various items I used.

I started with these grassy green orbs that I originally purchased a few years ago at Inspiration Gift Boutique (I was so sad when that store closed!)

 

Next, I placed some Easter eggs I had in the bottom of a cylinder vase.

I placed this green coloured sand in the bottom of the inserts to hold the smaller glass votive holders steady and balanced.

 

I gradually added each item to the basket along with a few round grapevine balls for a bit of a rustic element. (round basket was purchased at a wonderful local store called Evolve Living & Giving)

 

As you can see below, I used the same basic elements of the round basket and two cylinder vases with inserts that I used in my winter coffee table centerpiece.

 

Just by changing out some of the "filler" in the basket and the inserts creates a totally new seasonal look.

 

Have you started putting out your Easter decor yet?

If you are interested in seeing what's on my mantel above the "SPRING" banner, I hope you will stop back again.  It will be featured in one of my upcoming posts.

Thanks for visiting!

 

I'll be linking this post to the following terrific blogs:



Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming

Metamorphosis Mondays at Between Naps on the Porch

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style