Eggceptional Breakfast for Two

About three weeks ago I went to my front door…….the one with freshly planted Kimberly Queen ferns…..

the one with the spring and Easter wreath that I have neglected to show you :)…….and there was a surprise!

My friend Kathleen of Cuisine Kathleen fame had sent me a gift. I had won one of her very gracious giveaways! Kathleen and I share a love for the same man…..Bill. You may know him by William Sonoma, but trust me on this one. Kathleen knows him well and calls him by his nickname :)

Inside the envelope I found six beautiful napkins!! They were covered in sunny happy barnyard animals and just naturally made me think of pairing them with these happy placemats for a special breakfast for two.

These placemats are so cute that it’s almost a shame to cover them with a plate….almost.

Now red and yellow is not a color scheme that I would normally even think of. But some tablescapes just create themselves. This one was just waiting to be born!

My cute little egg cups with rosy cheeks and yellow egg-shaped bowls with strawberries cinched the red and yellow theme.

These mini mason jars make perfect bud vases for individual place setting arrangements. They are actually salt and pepper shakers from Walmart. An unusual container makes a floral arrangement easy!

And of course, the bunny and carrot salt and pepper shaker had to make its appearance no matter what the color scheme is :)

I’m joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Please visit her by clicking on her button on my sidebar. And be sure to visit my benefactor Kathleen at Cuisine Kathleen here! She is a master of food and its presentation!

Thanks so much for stopping by for breakfast :) I wish you and yours a blessed and joyous Easter! I hope you’ll drop me a note!~~Susan

Short and Squatty Is Our Friend

I know Easter is over—you’ve moved on. I am packing away bunnies myself. But I wanted to share centerpiece tip with you that will work for any occasion.

It turns out that, in centerpieces at least, short and squatty is our friend!

I can’t tell you often I have worked on an arrangement, only to have to remove it so I could see and talk with my guests. This one stayed on the table throughout the meal with no neck craning or standing to talk.

The beauty of “short and squatty” is that it also turns out to be less expensive and more bang for the buck too. The larger container (about 6” X 6”) is available for under twenty dollars almost anywhere. The smaller ones (not pictured on the tablescape) are about 3” X 3” and from Dollar Tree on the candle aisle. They work well in odd numbers with a “mussy tussy” type arrangement. Roses work well. A low compact flower arrangement seems to require fewer flowers for a bigger impact. I almost always buy mine in the sale bin at Kroger. For dinner parties, longevity of the flower is not a concern—just make it through the event!

The pink, white, and cream hydrangeas worked perfectly with my Rosalinde china and the cute half-price bunnies from Joann’s. I used a pink paint pen to personalize them with the name and date.

So if you want to be a supermodel, think tall and willowy. If you want to make a flower arrangement, SHORT AND SQUATTY is our friend—for once :)

I’ve been busy as a bee working on a silent auction—It happens next Monday. I hope to get back to more posting and “visiting” then. I’ll be joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Click on her button for transportation!

Multiplying Like Bunnies

Lynette over at Lynette’s L.A.M. blog is hosting an Easter Decor party. Lingering cool temperatures and nonstop work on a silent auction have almost let Easter slip up on me…but come on in….the bunnies are multiplying like…..well, like bunnies :)

Remember last year’s Pier One moss “bunny on a stick”? He’s hopped onto my spring wreath. He’s a versatile and compliant little bunny and sometimes hops from place to place as I need him :) .

The chest in the foyer, for me, is the essence of Easter. The Bradford pear trees are in full bloom here and the ground is covered in white again---this time in petals. The sage looking bunny with the big feet provides a bit of whimsy. The egg, a symbol of renewal, on the Arthur Court pedestal was a gift to me several years ago. I have since looked for more, but have never found one. The cross, which stays here year round, is at Easter a reminder of the Resurrection. Let’s go into the den. Caution: rabbits at play here :)

I am cursed with mantel issues—I have never (really, never) been pleased with the way it looks. Changing things around with a few of my favorite bunnies and some “faux” forysythia helps temporarily.

This is the hearth bunny. He likes this spot (luckily, because he weighs a ton :) and is not particular about his diet. He eats poinsettias at Christmas, ferns in the spring, and mums in the fall.

This little bunny, a Christmas gift, is making his debut this Easter. He is a McCarty bunny made by potters in Merigold MS. He still looks a little timid, but I’m sure he’ll be welcomed into the fold!

One more bunny to keep watch over the stargazer lilies---is there anything that smells better? For me, it’s a close call between these and gardenias.

Bunnies are running rampant in the kitchen too---one to watch over my morning tea kettle….

Smiling ones ones on the oven doors…

Crouching on the sideboard…..

Even a cute little girl bunny in her Easter frock to hand you some tulip soap in the powder room!

Thanks Lynette! I am joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday as well. If I don’t see you again…Have a happy and blessed Easter! Thanks for stopping by :)

Pear Bunny Salad

I 'm at an awkward age. I thought I was over those, but it seems once again I'm a "tweener". My children are young adults--too busy to want to decorate sugar cookies with me, too old to dye eggs, and too diet conscious for Easter baskets. I don't have grandchildren, those adorable cherubs that look out me from everyone else's wallets. It seems I'm "between" children, the way some people are between husbands or between jobs. But I do have a three year old niece and several children who refer to me as SuSu--specifically their SuSu. I remembered this salad and made it for my niece who visited this week. It's cute and easy as can be. The body is a canned pear with the smaller end serving as the face. The eyes are raisins and the nose is a cherry. Push whole almonds in for the ears. I used chocolate covered pretzel sticks for the whiskers, but you can use licorice. The fluffy bunny tail is just a squirt of whipped topping. I put it all on frilly green lettuce and added a baby carrot with parsley. They may not eat it, but they will love looking at it! I certainly enjoyed creating it--I don't want to lose my touch. One day I may need these skills again! Click on the Foodie Friday button to visit our hostess Gollum and see what she and every one else has cooked up! Happy, Blessed Easter and Passover to all.

All "Set" for Easter

Our friend Susan is our gracious hostess for the Tablescape Thursday Event. This ought to be a fun and beautiful event with many people preparing to celebrate Easter and Passover and pulling out their finest. I know I did and had a wonderful time doing it. I'm not one of those people who endorses saving the fine china and crystal for later. I think our "stuff" is only as precious as the memories it represents. So I have set the table in preparation for family and friends with love and in anticipation of making more memories.

We'll be eating in the dining room on Sunday around one or two in the afternoon. The children (who, of course, aren't really children at all), a couple of friends, and the son-in-law -to- be will join us.

The centerpiece is one of my favorite bunnies in an antique foot bath surrounded by eggs. I have given the children an egg with their name and the year on it every Easter since they were born. Some are wooden; some are china. Some were pricey and some came from Walgreens (those years I forgot until the last minute!) But we love them and and like Christmas ornaments they bring back memories. I surrounded the candles in the large stemmed containers with pastel malted milk balls. I think originally the milk balls were a little deeper, but Beloved has been disappearing into the dining room mysteriously after dinner for a couple of nights :)! I found these small stemmed votive holders at the dollar store and they also hold milk balls.
This is the china I picked out as a young bride and I love it as much now as I did then. It is Rosalinde by Haviland. The very center has a white background while the outer portion of the plate has a cream background. That is helpful when mixing patterns and choosing linens. The silver is Burgundy by Reed and Barton. It is not as ornate as some patterns, but still dainty and elegant. The final touch is Waterford Crystal. The pattern is Lismore, one that seems to be timeless. I finally relented this year and started using napkins that are not all cutwork linen--I hate ironing! I bought these In Virgin Gorda and they look almost as nice with a tenth of the effort. I am so happy to share this with you. I am looking forward to visiting with you at beteennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Happy Easter from our house to yours!

Pastel Paradise

You may remember that last week I had planned to do a real tablescape, but plans were laid aside when the wedding dress came in. Well this week, we had real people for dinner so I did manage to set the table. Those are the same little bunnies in the tea for two post last week, but they've been joined by everything pastel. The place mats are casual pale blue bunny mats that I found at Big Lots. The salad bowls are just green and yellow melamine bowls from Target.I love these napkin rings. I bought them at a local craft show. I go every year specifically to look for their great themed napkin rings. The flatware was a recent unexpected surprise. I found a complete set of Rogers "First Love" silver plate in a silver chest in my dad's house. I know my mom never used it. She wasn't the tablescaping type! I won't be using it everyday, but I am going to make sure it sees some action!The bunny salt shaker and carrot pepper shaker were a gift from my daughter. My family knows that Easter is my favorite holiday! So, this is my first real tablescape, and I'm not sure if it's a good thing. Beloved likes eating on a tray in front of the tv...poor him! Our host Susan has lots more guests and is waiting for you at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/