Happy Weekend!
I am very much done with winter and so looking forward to spring weather, whenever it finally does make an appearance! Spring is always a time for hope and a celebration of new life and fresh starts.
Spring Outdoor Decor
In the spirit of the season, here is some inspiration from years past for the transformation to our spring/summer decor for outdoor areas. I can’t wait…
Nature seems to scream green yellow and purple in the spring, so I’ve obliged with purple and yellow pansies in our front pots. Pansies are pretty hardy and will survive even fairly cold nighttime temperatures.
The little very prickly evergreen shrubs in the middle of the porch urns are underplanted with ivy and pansies and we’ve tucked in some pussywillow stems from last years crop from my Mom’s bush.
Since my parents are moved, this was the last batch of them I got, but I’ve rooted a few branches and planted them in my own garden, so eventually…maybe…I’ll get a crop of my own!
I also inherited a cast iron bucket from my parents that has been a planter in their yard for as long as I can remember! I’ve put it by the lamp post at the stairs to our front walk and planted that with ivy and pansies for spring as well.
The window boxes need some work - but a family of finches seems to nest in them nearly every year, so I have to wait until they fledge. They should be gone by the time I change over the decor for summer…hopefully!
I took a peek while on a ladder and it looked like 2 or 3 had hatched…they were just a mass of fuzz at this point and were mostly sleeping, but I saw at least 2 heads poke up briefly - hoping it was mama with some food, no doubt!
The front door is another area that begs for spring decor. I take down the snowflake wreath as soon as the calendar says it is spring…I certainly don’t want to encourage any more snow!
Here I hung a temporary arrangement of forsythia branches cut from the bushes in the yard, along with some pussywillow stems and faux ivy and some sheer ribbon in lavender and green. All of it is assembled in a tall narrow white wicker basket which stands out nicely against the black front door.
Celebration Tablesetting
Inside the house has are other places to spruce up for spring and Easter with flowers and faux eggs and nests - you can see that tour HERE.
Our Easter table included these little faux nests with pastel birds and eggs for each place setting.
For a centerpiece, I temporarily planted my long narrow trough planter with the same pansies, which complement the colors in the china I’m using. I replanted them outside after Easter where God watered them (I’m notoriously bad at keeping indoor plants alive!)
I used this floral china I found at an antique shop on vacation a few years back - I love this china! Scalloped edges, floral design, gold detailing…all of my favorite things! And, of course, a variety of teacups - selecting complementary flower colors from my collection.
In case you are wondering…On the Easter dinner menu was…
For appetizers, a charcuterie board with crudite, crackers, cured meats, cheeses and dips, and fruit alongside caprese skewers with balsamic creme.
For dinner, we served ham with an orange/maple/brown sugar/mustard sauce, roasted potatoes with rosemary and sea salt, honey-thyme glazed carrots, steamed green beans with lemon olive oil, spinach salad with strawberries and poppyseed dressing.
And, of course, the all-important Lucia rolls…these are a favorite and I’ll use any celebration as an excuse to make them…these slightly sweet current studded saffron rolls are terrific with tea any time and freeze beautifully for later if there are leftovers :).
My friend Nancy brought a delicious flourless chocolate cake for dessert. Suffice to say we did not go hungry!
And now that my kids are grown, the Easter Bunny brings MUCH better chocolate too!
