EASTER PARADE!!!

It's the Easter Parade!

Welcome to my home. I hope you are enjoying the Easter Parade, getting some great ideas, and meeting some wonderful new friends! I adore the season we are moving into, after all the gray I am so ready to see the world fill with color. I poked about my yard a few days ago and found some wonderful surprises. As I stepped out the door a wonderful site was near, a glass egg in the grass!Out in the field I found baby bunnies and baskets playing among the bluelets!
What to my wondering eyes should appear but and entire bunny family wondering if the parade was near!Nestled in the lilies was another pretty egg!A little duck rolled right by on his way into the parade line!
I found some chicks in the feed out by the barn!I walked around checking to see what was beginning to bloom and I found a few more surprises! There was a bucket of bunnies near the vinca vine! There was a lamb in my lavender!A chick in my chives!And a jumper in my jonquils! I hope you enjoyed these little Easter basket treats. The muslin bunny egg covers, the yarn chick and lamb, and the tiny bunnies and baskets are nineteen years old! I made them when my daughter was one! I am making some updated versions for my grandson. If you would like free patterns and instructions for the egg covers or bitty bunnies, email me and I will send them to you. For instructions on making the yarn covered eggs go here.The first shy violet of spring!Why don't we step inside. Have a seat in the dining nook and let's enjoy a refreshing glass of raspberry tea. Oh, look, everyone is lining up for the Easter Parade!Just let me change my shoes, grab my gloves and purse, oh, and I must not forget my bonnet, with all the frills upon it, for the Easter Parade!Can you believe this tray of sweetness? Can you believe that these were mine when I was little? You know the picture of Little Miss Sandy on my sidebar, this is the very bonnet I am wearing in the picture! My mother said she had a surprise for me and presented me with a box and inside were these perfectly preserved items from my babyhood!The shoes were even still in their original box! How cute is this?Here I am in a few pictures actually wearing the shoes, gloves, and bonnet!Now that I am all ready, lets go check out that parade line! Look at all those bunnies with their bundles and the babies in the wagon!Oh, did you see those feathery floats? They have ducks in dishes and chicks in crystal! These sweet little flocked feathered friends have been in our family since my son was very small, they used to decorate his Easter basket.Here come more bunnies, birdies, and chicks! It looks like the band is ready to strike up and some singing is going to begin! These two little ceramic egg boxes were given to me by my late grandmother when I was very young.How fun! Two competing teams of bunnies in an egg rolling contest!Look at that sweet pair! She's hoping he will bid on her basket at the box social after the parade!Look at those darling parade flags! These two children's hankies were given to me by my grandmother when I was four. I starched them and stitched them to card stock using some fun vintage buttons!Oh my, look at this next float going by!Looks like these little birdies like a bit of bling!I made this wreath several years ago, not just decorated it, but actually wove the wreath from wild grapevines harvested from our woods. Swinging from them to pull them down was great fun, until I noticed a neighbor stopped in the road watching, but that is a story for another day, back to the subject at hand. As I was saying, I made this wreath and it gets transformed every so often, for now it is home to some birdie friends.

The jewels you see draped and resting in the nest belonged to my grandmother. She is what would be termed today as a girly girl! She loved getting her hair and nails done, perfume, makeup, fashionable clothing, and jewelry was a fashion passion for her.
When these went out of style they became my play things. I have a whole box and much of it is back in style today and my daughter loves wearing it and I do too!

The wreath is filled with silk and paper florals such as hydrangea blossoms, paper roses, and dogwood blossoms. I so wanted to show you pictures of the wild dogwoods that bloom in our woods but the tiny leaves are just starting to unfurl. Dog woods are one of my favorite spring things and I love the legend that goes along with them.

THE LEGEND OF THE DOGWOOD:

An old and beautiful legend has it that, at the time of the crucification, the dogwood was comparable in size to the oak tree and other monarchs of the forest. Because of its firmness and strength it was selected as the timber for the cross, but to be put to such cruel use it greatly distressed the tree. Sensing this, the crucified Jesus in his gentle pity for the sorrow and suffering of all said to it: "Because of your sorrow and pity for My sufferings, never again will the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a gibbet. Henceforth it will be slender, bent and twisted and its blossoms will be in the form of a cross -- two long and two short petals. In the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints -- brown with rust and stained with red -- and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns, and all who see this will remember."

Look! There's another float going by! It's a tiny train pulling an Easter tree full of opalescent eggs, colorful lace bows, and tiny peeps peeking out of their nests!This tiny tree skirt is packed full of memories. Each little panel of fabric was a remnant of fabric that were used to make tiny little pieces of clothing for my daughter when she was a toddler. For free pattern and instructions on making this little beauty, email me and I will send them to you!
Ahhh, so there is my dashing ducky friend, it seems he has joined in on another part of the parade route! He is accompanied by a darling mama duck and her bitsy baby! They are resting a bit under a daffodil tree! I have heard of pheasant under glass before, but chicks, this I adore!
Perhaps you are in need of a new window treatment, this might just fit the bill, a sassy pale yellow and white dotted swiss apron spread across the sill!To create this bit of sheer spring beauty all you need is an apron and three thumb tacks! Oh, and if you are very very vertically challenged like me, a step stool is a must. Simply tack the center section of the apron band to the top of your window sill. Flair the apron out to fit your window and tack the two sides, leaving the ties in front. Simply tie the apron strings in a bow in front and wah-la! instant window treatment. If you have a bigger window, just tack up a whole row for a pretty effect! I have to admit this dotted swiss miss is not mine. She belongs to my daughter and is part of her "when she gets her own place someday collection". She graciously loaned her to me.
I don't know about you but all this parading around has made me hungry. Shall we dine? These are the place settings I used for today's luncheon. The china was passed down to me from my great aunt Sylvia. The goblets, egg cups serving as candle holders, Easter egg spreaders, table cloth, and hankies are all fab flea market finds.These pretty little pockets are super easy to make and a pretty addition to any table. For a little extra sparkle, I clipped one of my grandmothers earrings on each and slipped the silverware inside.To fold the pocket use a hankie or napkin, (if you use a hankie I suggest you iron and starch it to give it some body or you will end up with a floppy pocket), lay out flat with right side of fabric up. Fold fabric into a triangle and iron.Fold down one corner to meet the straight edge and iron.Turn over.Draw each pointed end toward the middle of the triangle, overlapping a bit, tuck the pointed end in and press.Turn over and you have a pretty little pocket !Mmmm, looks like there is going to be plenty of bunny food on the menu!
We had a scrumptious Strawberry Spinach Salad, recipe compliments of Betty at She Sews Pretty! Betty submitted this recipe for the Sweet Treats and Roses Swap, for the recipe AND 40 other tasteful treats with the added bonus of a couple of beauty product recipes go here. This salad is a must try, the dressing is wonderful! My gal pals and I have declared this "our" salad.
I think I'll have what the birds are having, dessert!
I got this super simple treat from another blogger, only I can't remember who it was! If it was you, let me know so I can give you credit! Purchase creme horns from the bakery, slice , dip the bottom in powdered sugar so they don't stick to the plate, place a slice of strawberry on top and dust with powdered sugar! Enjoy!These pretty little pies are also simple and quick to make. Purchase mini graham pie shells, one can of pre-made pie filling, I chose lemon, fill shells, bake for 10 minutes at 350F to set filling, allow to cool. I topped these tart cuties with a half a strawberry and a bit of mint. You can top with cool whip or whipped cream to garnish. I used a mixture of 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 tbsp. sugar, and 1 to 2 tbsp. milk, beat with a mixer until smooth, about the consistency of frosting, then filled a pastry bag, using a star tip, piping the creamy mixture around the edges. These birds really like their berries and they serve them up right dipped in chocolate! These sweet porcelain birds are a part of my mothers bird collection. She gave them to me a couple of years ago. I came across them as I was moving some boxes in storage and decided that the return of my feathered friends is a definite sign of spring! This has been a wonderful parade with fun, food, and fellowship. I'd like to end my post with my very favorite part of Spring and Easter and that is celebrating the true meaning of the season, the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I reserved a special place in my family room for this decor and as a visual reminder of the true meaning of celebration. This is where I placed my resurrection scene. This little scene was a new addition to my decor this year. It is the first one I have ever seen and was purchased at Hobby Lobby for half price for $9.99! I used my palm trees from my nativity set and added some real rock to beef up the tomb along with some silk palm branches, lilies, and candles. Fontanini makes a quality porcelain set, the figures range from about $17.00 and up each.
The top shelf features a picture of the Good Shepherd and belonged to my great aunt and uncle. I needed something to fill the blank space on each side of the print so I made these two framed pieces.
I bought frames from a dollar store. I chose them because they have a deep indented mat the stands back from the glass. I used two pages from an old hymn book for background paper. I printed off two vintage Easter card images from a program I have but you could use real cards or post cards. I glued the images to the center of each hymn page and then using a clear drying craft glue, ran a line of glue around the edges of the image and sprinkled on mica chips, which can be purchased at Michael's in the scrapbook section. After this was dry I adhered the piece to the back of the mat with a little tape. I then used some clay flowers, off white leaves, and pearl beads, purchased in the wedding decor section of Hobby Lobby, to the front of the mat with hot glue, making sure it would still slide back into the frame. I filled in with a little green moss to cover the stems.

In our family we have an Easter or for that matter an any holiday tradition, and that is that I write a poem or a blessing for the event and share it at our family gathering. The following is a poem that I wrote in 2006 to share at our family celebration, it tells the Easter story.

Today we celebrate resurrection morn

The day that true hope for mankind was born

The story of hope began with the Savior’s birth

Very few realized this small babes worth

The story goes on as the child waxed and grew strong

He came to preach and to teach right from wrong

He chose twelve men to walk by His side

One of whom that could be bribed

They traveled both far and wide

Teaching by the sea, on hill, and in the countryside

The message of Him was spread far abroad

Rumor was rampant that this was the true Son of God

Those in power in those days

Resented his message and refused His ways

With malice and cunning they began to plot

How to rid themselves of this perceived blot

Fear of a kingdom they thought would come

Not understanding that it was a kingdom of heaven, not an earthly one

They twisted His words and mocked His ways

They struck up a bargain with the one who would betray

The story unfolds in a garden scene

A place where the mood was tense not serene

He gathered with Him there three of His disciples to pray

He cried out to the Father that this cup be taken away

Not what I want but what Thou will

He yielded Himself willingly, peaceful, and still

Along came a multitude with swords and staves

A treacherous kiss gave Him away

He was seized by their hands and lead to where He stood

Falsely accused, none saying good

Silently He stood, knowing what came

Suffering, humiliation, mocking, revile, and shame

They clothed Him in purple and inscribed a sign

They gave Him to drink myrrh mingled with wine

The crowd that gathered cried with pitiless glee

“Crucify, crucify, crucify He!”

“Save thyself, come down from the cross!”

Praise God He did not or all hope for mankind would be lost

There He hung pinned to a cross

Where He cried out to God through the darkness in a loud voice

With His last breath heaved, He gave up the ghost

He returned home to His Father and the heavenly hosts

Here the story does not end in tragic death

But leads to a conclusion in which we can all safely rest

His body was shrouded, placed in a tomb, and sealed with a great stone

The tomb of Joseph of Arimeathea, which he had hewed and honed

Guards there were posted on that fateful third day

The earth began to shake, with fear and trembling they fainted dead away

Along came three women on the Sabbath day

Wondering how they could roll the great stone away

When they arrived the stone was rolled away and there sat a young man all clothed in white

They were quite amazed and filled with fright

He who sat there said be not afraid

He whom you seek is risen, His not here, see for yourselves then be on your way

They looked and they trembled and were quite amazed

“He is risen! He is alive!” they cried

He appeared to many after He died

This is the story of how hope was born

That long ago day that we now call Easter morn

Praise God He is risen just as He said

Our Savior, He lives, alive and not dead!

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ rest upon you, renew you, and refresh you. May you be reminded of His love as you observe the beauty of our world in bloom. Blessings to you all!

Happy Easter,
Miss Sandy