I think it's time to bring back this craft I did 6 years ago!

These are egg dioramas that I made with a balloon and paper maché, kind of how you would make a pinata, only much smaller. After the balloon dried, I just cut a hole in the egg and outfitted their house with moss, and some little doll house items and embellished with crepe paper. The chandelier in the last picture is one of my earrings that I was keeping in hopes of finding the match but I never did, so it was re-purposed this way.

The kids loved them and they hung them off the light over the dining room table at Easter. While layering the paper strips, I added a wire so that they could easily be hung. I may even make some for the shop this time!

Linking to Nifty Thrifty Things
Chic on a Shoestring
The Dedicated House

Basket hunt

The Easter weekend was a flurry of activity.

It started on Thursday night for us by going on a two-day trip to Washington DC. I am still somewhat tired from it all but it was really good. Because we were away and I didn't prepare well enough, the Easter bunny didn't hide eggs this year. He had to hurry to prepare baskets and hid them outside while I got dinner ready.

Jon and I stood on the deck and watched as the kids ran around the yard.
He dubbed it the "white trash" hunt because while we saw other kids' Easter pictures with their Sunday best, two of my children wore no Sunday best, at all. Trae took off his clothes the minute he stepped through the door and didn't want to put them back on so he just ran outside in his underwear.

And then Blair changed into her unmatched pajamas and bright pink fuzzy slippers and put on a sequined cap. They both were unaware of their ridiculousness as they searched for their baskets.

I did redeem myself by setting a pretty table for dinner. For the past month I collected little figures (smalls) to set at each place setting rather than having written place cards. I was looking for something Spring-like and inexpensive. Enter the antique mall. The kids were really happy as they sat down and picked their favorite and now they want me to do this for every holiday dinner. I don't mind that at all.

Have a beautiful Easter Day

At the last moment, He could have turned back. But He did not. He passed beneath all things that He might save all things...

He is Risen.

~ Thomas S. Monson

For you

Happy Easter from our house to yours.

Have a beautiful day.

A day out and the beginning of an Easter craft

Since it was a half day at school and my oldest was at home, I got to go out all by myself - woot!

What did I do?? Manicure?? Nope, not into those. Although, I have taken my girls but I think it's a waste of money for me. Movie?? Nope, not this time. As my friend said, "go to Jon's hotel, take a dip in the jacuzzi and take a nap?"
Nope, I wish. It's a good idea though!

I decided a little grocery shopping and a trip to my favorite antique mall was in order. Yes, I am that exciting! I am preparing for the kids' Easter baskets so some chocolate bunnies and other goodies needed to be purchased as well as all the boring staples and such.

Because I was working on paper mache eggs last night, I was trying to find some of those old chenille chicks to put in them which is where the antique shop came in today. Talk about looking for a needle in a haystack.

Luckily, sellers always have displays of Easter smalls around this time and I thought I just might find the chicks if I were lucky. I am a quick searcher at places like that so the very first booth I went to had a few that would do.

Now they just need to hurry up and dry - one more night should do it and then they'll be all purdied up.

Waiting to dry

A few cute chicks.

Let's hope they turn out like I have envisioned.

Have a good day!

Egg-cellent craft update

Last week I showed you our Spring/Easter craft of growing grass in eggshells.

And this week the grass popped up through the soil and made for a sweet little spring display.

Thank goodness the sun came out to help the process. I was beginning to wonder if this was going to work. We had fun checking on the growth everyday and giving the grass a little trim when needed.

Now they sit under a glass cloche. The others are still growing, so hopefully, I will soon have enough for everyone's place cards for dinner. That will be fun.

Egg-cellent placecards

Filling the eggshells with soil and seeds.

Chubby fingers.

Trae couldn't resist a taste test.

Does planting grass in egg cups sound fun to you?

It did to us so that's what the kids did last week.

I made the crack on the tops of the eggs and opened it to save 2/3 of the eggshell. Luckily, my kids love to eat eggs so none were wasted. After washing them out, we filled them with soil and a generous pinch of grass seed.
When the grass has finished growing, and hopefully the quick seed will do the trick, we should have lush, green grass growing from the tops of these eggs.

We are going to use them as placecard holders on the dinner table. Each person's name will be written on cardstock and we'll place it between the blades of grass. And since eggs don't stand up straight too well, I'll help them out by using egg cups.

I think most kids love to do projects like this. It may just be a way to get mine to help set the table a little more egg-citedly...okay, I couldn't resist.
Fingers crossed for a nice crop of grass eggs!