Salvaged Cross Wall Art

 as fun as the bunny ear napkins were in my last post, 

i couldn't let Easter go by without sharing much more meaningful content...

the cross in the photo above is a wood planting box, 

handmade by an artisan* who gifted it to me in a parking lot. yes, a parking lot. 

his truck was parked next to me at a local nursery, and he walked out as i was getting out of the car.

i complimented him on the two planters that he had in his hands - the cross and this heart - 

and he told me his good news, that he had just landed an account for them to sell his planters.
he smiled a mile wide - then he handed the planters to me. 

i was shocked and tried to refuse them, saying he didn't need to 'pay' me for the compliment.

and that young man said something profound to me that will be forever linked to this cross planter:

'hey, good news needs to be shared, and celebrated!'

 yes, yes it does. 

and on Easter weekend, i can think of no Good News better than that of the Cross.

that particular cross is now something i see every day in my home.
when i was creating a gallery wall arrangement, i grabbed the cross planter from the potting bench,

intending to include it in my decor. but it needed something more... and it became a project!

continue reading to see what i did with it!

Tutorial: 'Bunny Ears' Napkins!

here's a quick project to add sweet smiles to your Easter tablescape: 

make plain old napkins new: fold them into bunny ear shapes!

so easy the kids can do it - and they're sure to giggle the whole time!

continue reading for my simple tutorial... c'mon, hop to it!

Create a White Spring Tablescape

Easter and springtime are filled with symbolism of growth and life and celebration...

and there are so many ways to express the beauty of the season in a tablescape.

this simple farmhouse-style table decor focuses on white - 
in the linens, the dishware, the flowers, and the surrounding details
in a garden greenhouse setting.

continue reading for my one-step trick for making those mini glass domes!

Create a Vintage Spring Tablescape

 yes, that IS brown on my table - in springtime!!!
everywhere you look, pastels reign supreme for spring + Easter decor, 
but this year i just felt like breaking the mold.

i love neutrals, and it's SO easy to create a neutral setting then add in a pop of color.
i've decorated this way for years and years, and it's never boring or limiting.
using a basic three-color palette (varied hues of brown, yellow, and white)
i've taken my own spring farmhouse style in a new direction with this tablescape...

continue reading to see how!

Tutorial: Easy Napkin Rosettes

while creating a few simple spring tablescapes for some upcoming blog posts,
i was playing around with my yellow napkins - and came up with this.
it's a simple project, and adds loads of style to your table!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

Capture Spring in a Jar!

one of my most popular pins + posts is my 'beach in a jar' project

 but long before i ever came up with THAT one, i created another: 'SPRING in a jar'!

i'm not sure why i haven't shared them here on homewardFOUND before, but it's time to change that!

continue reading to learn more...

Now That's Spring Water!

Here's a simple and pretty idea for your Spring Celebrations,

inspired by something I've done before...

At the 'Summer Retreat' vintage show I hosted on my farm on an island in Washington state,

I created a container of flavored water for guests to enjoy.
Frozen blueberries sank to the bottom of the container, and red strawberries floated on the water -

creating a perfect 'Red, White, & Blue' striped effect.
And I snapped a photo of it because I thought it was pretty:

Then last summer, I shared it here on the blog.
Apparently, y'all liked it -

because this last-minute image is my MOST POPULAR PIN ever!

I thought it was time for an update on that idea for Spring, 

so I created flavored water using citrus and flower petals!

It's a bright, pretty Spring look for your beverage station at a brunch or luncheon.

[ Now let's see how THOSE pics do on Pinterest ;) ]

Here's how to get the separated floating layers:

 * Fill container 3/4 full of cold water. 

* Add citrus slices. 

* Add ice cubes carefully so that they float on top of the citrus.
* Then add in the flower petals, which will float on top of the ice cubes.

I used pretty pink geranium petals and bright yellow lemons...
but there are SO many color and flavor combinations you could try!

... and you know, you COULD put some plastic Easter eggs in the container, too ;)
___________________________________________________________
 * * * IMPORTANT NOTE: * * *

 Some flowers can be toxic to humans. 

Make sure you research before adding them to water for drinking. 
Photos shown are for visual inspiration only - this is NOT A RECIPE.
____________________________________________________

shared online:

One Project Closer | Creativity Unleashed

Common Ground | Be Inspired

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

Denise Designed | Sunday Features #174

Not Just a Cookie Cutter!

"Can't see the forest for the trees".
Ever heard that?

Something has happened to me REPEATEDLY over the past three weeks.
At first, I thought 'huh?'. Then I laughed. Finally, I got creative.
And that's when I realized my brain was trying to tell me something....

So, here's the situation:
In my new position in retail at the Happiest Place on Earth, 

I see a LOT of certain products. The ears, for example. They are EVERYWHERE.
And there's this ONE item that is right by the registers, 

where people routinely pick it up. They look at it. Some buy it.
But many - and I mean MANY  - many more than you would expect -
pick it up and look at cashiers and ask 

'What IS this? What's it FOR?'
every.single.day.

May I present said item?:

words FAIL me.

I just don't get how people do NOT know what this is.

I am not talking about people from far-flung foreign lands here, friends...
These are people from first-world countries with stores and books and web shopping.

It's a cookie cutter. 

In the shape of Mickey Mouse ears.

Pretty standard item. At least, I THOUGHT it was!

Anyway, after wiping the astonished look off of my face and replacing it with a suitable Disney smile,

I began to share different ideas for using this apparatus with those who asked about it.
I solve the mystery for guests and expound the versatility of said item,

sharing 'value added' uses with them.

The guests and my co-cast members have repeatedly told me that 

I have a very unique way of seeing things.
Is that a compliment???!

... and that's when I realized that the reason I HAVE this blog

is because I do not think like other people do,

and I need to take the things that smack me across the face on a daily basis 

and turn them into blog fodder!

continue reading to find out the ideas I had for the Mickey Ear Cookie Cutter

[ which are borne out of things that I've done for YEARS in my own home ]
because they are applicable to ANY cookie cutter at ANY time of year...

Even MORE Easter Eggs on Parade!

OK, this really is the last of it!
I just keep finding more and more great ideas to share with you...

 Surround a pillar candle in a glass vase or trifle dish with plastic eggs.

 Gather up your real or plastic eggs and display them by COLOR!

Use all one color containers - white or clear glass, for example - 

or use containers in colors that coordinate with the eggs, as shown above.

*** One of the BEST Easter Egg Hunt ideas I have seen recently is along these lines:

Assign each child one color - They can only collect eggs of that color.
This enables you to hide eggs by age/ accessibility, 

and make sure even the youngest children find eggs!
I think it's BRILLIANT! ***

 Coordinate your eggs with a vignette of special items...
this simple display focuses on warm colors that coordinate with a vintage container.

My Mom found this little manzanita branch mounted in a box at the craft store,

and she decorates it for every season using purchased mini-ornaments...

You can hang regular-size eggs from a branch gathered from your yard or roadside,

using thread or ribbon:

image from thedomesticcurator.com

One Last Idea for you:
When my daughters were young, they would clip plastic eggs into their long hair!
(no image, sorry - the girls would kill me!)

shared online:

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

Common Ground | Be Inspired

The Grass Is Greener When It's Not Plastic!

I have a deep-seated dislike of plastic Easter grass.
With four children, the mess was just more than I could handle!

(and I can't even begin to tell you how many vacuum cleaners that stuff destroyed!!)

So years ago, I started finding alternatives....

the easiest one is just cutting up paper into small strips and crumbling it a bit.
Vintage sheet music, construction paper, wrapping paper - anything works better than plastic!

Another is shown above: fuzzy green 'eyelash' yarn, piled luxuriously in a basket or bowl.

My favorite solution for an abundant bed of 'grass' for a large Easter basket?

It's a BLANKET!
Made from soft, fuzzy green yarn, it's always reminded me of grass...

 I used it to cover a footstool in my home one Spring years ago:

A fuzzy green (or pink, or yellow!) SWEATER would work as a basket liner, too!

One final option is HAY. Yes, REAL hay!  

OK, maybe I mean STRAW.
Grab a mini-bale at the craft store, break the strings that hold it together, 

and fluff it up by shaking it around in a paper grocery bag.

Then fill baskets, galvanized pails, etc. with it to nest your eggs in!

Gorgeous image from Aunt Ruthie's Sugar Pie Farmhouse

Neutral Easter Eggs on Parade

Perhaps the brightly-colored Easter eggs in my last post aren't really your style...

Here are versions of my photos and ideas in a more elegant neutral palette!

This just goes to show how everyday items can be used as details in your decor,
no matter WHAT your style is!

I also gathered up some of my props and created this soft, neutral display

as a centerpiece for a Spring tablescape:

This centerpiece started with a thrifted ceramic pedestal bowl, 

which I covered with a ceramic platter, then accented with a white lace doily.

A nest made from dried daffodil foliage has been lined with shredded vintage sheet music,

and my wooden eggs nestle in along with a spray of vintage white faux narcissus.

My wire birdcagelet covers it all, 

and a 'Spring' scrapbook charm adds a final detail.

If you can't locate wood eggs at your craft supply store,

the neutral style shown here can easily be replicated

by using natural brown eggs, which have been blown out and rinsed!

More ideas in my next post? EGGzactly! 

Easter Eggs on Parade!

Pinterest is awash these days with a plethora of ideas
for coloring and decorating Easter Eggs...
Well, I'm throwing my hat in the ring
with a few SIMPLE ideas for using 'everyday items' as bases to display your colorful eggs ON!

Sure, you can use an egg cup. 
My faves are white ceramic ones from Pier 1, which are a very affordable $1.50 each.
 I used them when I created this sweet ornament for someone's very special First Christmas:

They work for Sweet Sweater Snowbabies, and they work for eggs...
but I tend to like to be a bit more original with the way I display things, don't you?!
Using an egg cup to display an egg is just so.... normal.

continue reading to find more easy and unique ways to display Easter eggs:

Happy Easter

i am so thankful for the meaning of this holiday!

whether you celebrate in church or in a field of grass,

with lilies and crosses or bunnies and eggs,

may this Easter bring peace to your soul and light to your heart...