Some Bunny wants to Dish!

Whew!  What a morning!  I still had quite a time uploading photos in Picasa.  I think I may have finally fixed my problem, but more on that later.  I intended to publish this post earlier today.  Unfortunately I ran out of time to post before work due to all the time I spent trying to fix the darn picture uploader problem.  Mercy me!  The things we have to learn just to keep on blogging!  Are you with me?  

Okay, enough dishing about all that.  It's time for some much more interesting dishing here.  I was so excited to learn that one of our sweet blogging friends, Cuisine Kathleen, has created a linky party to share our fabulous dishes and tablescapes.  She always finds the cutest dinnerware and this party will allow us to also dish about all of our fantastic buys as well as sharing our settings too.  Sure sounds fun doesn't it?

So in honor of her first party, I jumped on the ball (more like the last minute) and gathered up some of my newest finds, combined with a few my besties to create this tablescape to celebrate the occassion.

And here it is!

Here's some bunny who wants to tell you all about a few things on the table.

The yellow checked dishes are my newest additions to my collection of plates.  The little bunny is one that I bought for my sons Easter baskets when they were younger.  I used to add a decorative bunny keepsake to their baskets.  This was how our Easter decor grew each year.

My green dinner plates are actually terracotta plates I purchased from a grocery store years ago with one of those promotional deals they used to run.  I think it may have been Piggly Wiggly but I'm not postive.

I then decided to use my grandmother Nana's china that I inherited quite some ago.

And finally I was ready to stack on my new yellow checked dessert plates.  So cute!  I found these just recently at the same resale/antique store that I purchased the seasonal block from that I should you in my previous post.  They were only $6.00 for a set of four with an additional 30% off of that.  What a deal!  The only identification stamped on the bottom is "Made in Portugal".  Sorry, nothing else!

When I first saw these yellow checked plates I was thinking how cute they would look with my white dishes.  Then when I started playing with this setting I realized how much I wanted to use them with my grandmothers china instead.  I love how the green and florals contrast with the yellow and how the yellow checked plates brings out the yellow flowers on Nana's china.

  The light pink napkins were inherited from my inlaws.  The yellow pearl napkin rings were a bargain purchase from the Lenox outlet.

My iridescent blue goblets were a yard sale purchase a few summers ago.  I think they were only $5.00 for the set of four.  I know they were quite a deal and have been some of my most favorite glasses eva since!  You will most likely see these goblets quite a bit this summer.

I have used my wedding flatware shown here.  It is by Oneida and called Louisiana.

The candlesticks were a fantastic resale store purchase.  I cannot remember what I paid but do know it was very little and then found out later they are actually from the Southern Living Home collection.  Oouu lala!

Here are two more Easter basket bunnies.  I remember when I bought these I thought they looked like dough.  I still do!

The white porcelain bunny beside the dough bunnies was my husbands when he was young.  His mother used to buy him bunnies too.  (It's where I got the idea) We have a few that were his from when he was young and they have his name and date taped on the bottom.  So sweet!

Now I suppose you'd like to see THE some Bunny who want's to dish with you.  There he is!

Oops!  Did I say some bunny who wants to dish with you?  I meant to say some bunny who want's to fish with you. Hehe!  Silly me!  Don't you just love this little guy?  How could you not?  He is made of paper mache type material and is so very light.

Looks like the only thing he's caught is a net full of eggs though!

The little brown porcelain bunny was also from my husbands childhood collection.

The floral arrangement was made with just a few bunches I purchased last year from the DT.

I love all the pastels I used to create this tablescape.  I don't think I've ever done a pastel colored tablescape before this one.

Mostly, I love finding out that you really don't have to spend a lot to have great looking tablescapes.

If you don't believe me, just go ask some bunny over at...

Cuisine Kathleens, Let's Dish Party

or over at

BNOTP, Tablescape Thursday

...and see for yourself!

Thanks for stopping by!  I would love to hear form you if you do.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

Spring in a Box?

Hi Friends!  How are things in your neck of the woods?  We are super high on the pollen count right now.  Whew wee!!!  I hope you are not suffering from allergies like we are around here!  

I just love seeing decorative vignettes in a box, don't you?  Since I had a box that I fixed up for my Initial Outfitters business that I am no longer using, I decided I would create a vignette in it for my back porch.  I reasoned that I could make it inside and just plop it outdoors on the bakers rack later after the large pollen counts go down.  Good idea right?

I thought so too!  So here's how my box looked after I finished it.

I pulled out all sorts of things from all over the house to fill in every little cubby.

I was focused on using all those elements and textures that I just adore.

And since I heard there was a spring cloche party coming up in blogland I decided to add in one of my small cloches too.

This is a real birds nest with eggs that I found abandoned last year.  I have kept it in a baggie to preserve it.  Don't worry, the eggs have small pin holes and are empty.  I just adore that it is the perfect size for this cloche.

Now for the true confessions part!  Speaking of being the perfect size, and after having this BIG box sitting on my coffee table for several weeks now, I have decided I really don't want this great big box taking up so much space on my bakers rack.  Seriously!  I have another box out there already that is an old wine box and have decided I will spiff that one up more this year instead of using this one.  I know, I know, I'm so contrary!  Haha!

Soooo....I disassembled it and decided to use some of those elements elsewhere.

Like here!  I know it's kind of a kooky vignette, but I am lovin it!

I especially love the old sugar bowl sitting all topsy turvy and askew here next to my garden trough.  I set this vignette up thinking about a story I was told from of a sweet friend of mine. 

 She grew up in a very privileged family with four sisters and tells how her mother used to throw the dirty dishes in the bushes outside when company was coming.  No kidding!  She said, they always had a maid so if the maid wasn't working and company came a calling out went the dishes, half of which never made it back inside.  Can you imagine?  Too funny!  

I pulled the small wreath with a spring bow from my vignette box too.

Then I decided to create another spring cloche using the forget-me-nots that were sitting in my little matching creamer.  I also pulled one of the doilies from the box too.  Sweet!

Since I haven't gotten out any of my other Easter decor yet my newest bunny is stealing the show.  

Or maybe stealing something else, because I think he is quite the busy bunny here in my whimsical vignette.  He looks like he is all prepared to gather up a few pretty pieces of china in his basket to me!

LOL!

Thanks so much for dropping by and I hope you enjoyed it too!

I am very happy to be joining Ms.Marty today over at 

A Stroll Through Life

for a very special 

Egg-cellent Spring Cloche Party.

I hope each of you has a wonderful day!

Goodbye Valentines, Hello Easter!

Hey Everybody!  I hope each of you had a wonderful Valentines day.  I certainly did!  Even though I had to work and had quite a busy day it certainly ended up very sweetly.  

My employer made an announcement during our morning meeting the other day that he heard on the radio that the average male spends around $180.00 something on Valentines and the average female spends about $130.00 something.  Can you believe that?  Not in my household!  I can honestly say, my first thoughts were, that must be before they get married.  LOL!  Then my greedy self said out loud, Can somebody please tell my husband that?  Haha! 

Seriously though, I am so blessed by my husband and he just get's better and better every year too!  There used to be a time when we first got married that he didn't take Valentines very seriously at all.  He was of the male mindset that thought it's waaayy to commercialized, so why bother.  His thinking was, I don't need a special day to tell you I love you, yatta,yatta,yatta.  But then, he quickly matured and learned the error of his ways (yes, I just said that) and got on board.  As far as Valentines spending goes though, we really don't do big.  Some years are more thoughtful little gifts but most years it's chocolate and flowers and I am just thrilled with that!

Here's what I came home to last night!  One of my most favorite gifts was the fire.  I am not kidding!  I love a nice warm cozy fire and he knows it.  That was definitely intentional! (blush)  

It was so cool to go on Facebook last night and see so many of my friends posting all their lovely flowers, cards and candy.  How neat is that?  I loved it!  It was kinda like when you were a kid in elementary school and shared all your Valentines with your other friends.  Remember that excitement?  I sure do, and it was so sweet to see some of my friends sharing that too.

Okay, now back to the title of my post....

 Hello Easter!

I know some of you are probably thinking....Seriously???

Well, the answer is yes, seriously!  That's what I spent the majority of yesterday doing at work, moving Valentines out and Easter in.  We actually started receiving Easter merchandise a few weeks ago. Yesterday it all came out in full force!  I set up six tables in the front of the store including a wall display at the front of the store too.  I love doing Seasonal decor, but it's kinda challenging because it's so temporary.  You really want to make the most impact you can for such a short amount of time.  Sometimes you have very little time between the holidays too and need to move and set things up quickly.    I am off today, and am already thinking of ways I want to tweak my displays when I get back in on Thursday.  Mercy!   I won't have much time to do this though, because we've got more sales to set up for and another truck to receive on Friday, which means more new merchandise that needs creative "vignettes".  Okay, yeah, I admit it, I am loving it!

This is what I really wanted to show you, though.  I just had to share this sweet bunny that I simply could not resist.  He really looks so much nicer here in my dining room then on that display don't cha think?

I was smitten from the minute I opened the box!  I knew he would be leaving the store too quickly with someone, so I decided it might as well be me!

Here's a few more close ups.  He has an off white ceramic glaze with a crackle look under the glaze.  His finish is very smooth though.  You can even put a little something in the basket on his back, like flowers or small eggs or something cute like that.

I love how neutral he is and think he will be a perfect centerpiece on my Easter table this year.  Don't worry ladies, I am no where near ready to decorate my home for Easter yet.  Well...maybe. Hmm???

Aww! So sweet!  

If you adore this fella like I do, I suggest you hop on over to your nearest Stein Mart, because I have a feeling these guys are gonna be quickly hopping right on out the door.

Happy Day after Valentine's Day Everyone!

Thanks for stopping by!