Easter
There are 17 entries for the tag
Easter
In this fabulous sunny day, I wish to wish to everyone who celebrates it a very Happy Easter! For the rest, I hope you indulge in a nice piece of fine chocolate.
I found the lovely Oeuf Maisonnette Easter Egg at Chocolate Trading Co. UK. It is so cute. The Chocolate Filled French Hens eggs are presented in a genuine egg box, creating a fun but seriously good Easter gift. These eggs are filled with chocolate praline naturally made with cane sugar and Bourbon vanilla.
For my part, I prefer the rich taste of dark chocolate. I am glad that I received a cute, fashionable bunny with a ruffled dress. Ruffles are in this summer by the way.
Enjoy your chocolate treats. Happy Easter!
Sourcing:
Learn more: Chocolate Trading Co. UK
Categories:
HOLIDAY
ENTERTAINING
posted @ Sunday, March 23, 2008 12:01 PM | Feedback (0)
Outstanding flower arrangements fill a room or a table with elegance. The Flower Council of Holland Web site is always a good source of inspiration for floral trends.
What is hot for Spring 2008?
Design trends are global. Floral arrangements follow what we are seeing in fashion and home decor. Grey, whites and happy colors steal the show.
The excellent blog ROOM and Serve showcased yesterday four amazing Easter bouquets. I am showing two of them. The rest are from the Spring 2008 photo gallery. A series of bouquets shows that white provides energy. They are all impressive and inspiring.
Categories:
EVERYDAY
PARTY supplies
HOLIDAY
TRENDS
ENTERTAINING
posted @ Thursday, March 20, 2008 12:39 AM | Feedback (0)
Just in time for Easter, Bleu Nuit carries the most adorable bunnies and amusing mouse.
Made of linen, these charming bunny and mouse dolls with their cute corduroy dresses will please girls of all age. This will be Easter gift that will last a lot longer than chocolate.
There are sold for $18 at Bleu Nuit on Saint-Denis Street in Montreal. If you organize an Easter egg hunt, you can get one as the big prize. Bleu Nuit is the bed and linen store of Arthur Quentin.
Sourcing:
Learn more: www.bleunuit.ca - it is not shown on their Web site
Categories:
ALL occasions
GIFT IDEAS
posted @ Thursday, March 20, 2008 12:08 AM | Feedback (0)
If you have not decided yet what to do for this upcoming Easter, I compile a list of my best posts on the subject. I hope it would help you find the inspiration you are looking for.
Shown here:
Categories:
HOLIDAY
ENTERTAINING
posted @ Tuesday, March 18, 2008 12:24 AM | Feedback (4)
Typically, that would not be my first choice of vessel. But there is a “je ne sais quoi” that I like about these two collections at Williams-Sonoma.
Strangely while I was assembling my board, I realized that they work together. When you entertain with kids, it feels stylish to integrate children design with fun grown-up patterns as long the two patterns share some commonalities.
How to get the vintage look
The Nostalgic Easter series display a center design inspired by 1920s Easter cards. If you have young children, you can use these all year long because the illustrations carry a children book vibe.
The folkloric design from the 17th century of Provence is draw in richer tones. When you examine Provence closer, you realized that the pattern stays within the same color palette than the Nostalgic Easter collection. Furthermore, the magical forest of castles and animals theme continues the storyline. Provence is ideal for entertaining with kids.
Categories:
HOLIDAY
KIDS party
TABLEWARE
ENTERTAINING
DINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Friday, March 14, 2008 2:47 PM | Feedback (0)
When you entertain with kids it is best to plan ahead some activities. Several activities should run over the entire course of the event.
Beside the traditional Easter egg hunt, plan for an Egg dress up contest. This kit from Martha Stewart Crafts made it easy for you. Then, stop by the art store to pick up additional supplies so the kids have more options to create their masterpieces.
Hold the contest before the meal so you can deposit the eggs in potted grass beds. Use them as your centerpieces. Kids will be delighted and you have one less thing on your to do list.
A twist on the Easter Egg Hunt
Earlier this week, I read on a blog or a magazine (I cannot recalled which), a cool idea for the Easter Egg Hunt. Paint or decorate the eggs in 2 different colors or completely different styles. Assign each color/style to an age group. This way, you get more than one winners. And the game is fairer for the little ones.
Categories:
PARTY supplies
KIDS party
ENTERTAINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Thursday, March 13, 2008 1:39 PM | Feedback (0)
This tablescape celebrates the Easter egg from a different perspective. A Sunday brunch with kids calls for a whimsical table. I infused a fresh treatment to a predictable theme. All I had to do was to mix bright colors with uncommon tableware.
Vibrant accent colors
The felt Chicken cozies are the stars of my table. Denise from Black Eiffel spots those cute ones on the April issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. Make those in two to four colors since you want to inject a punch of color to an otherwise white theme.
Once the cozies are removed, the colorful double old-fashioned and the highballs of the Rustica Barware collection maintain the vibrant pop of color to the table.
Designed by Yousuke Shimizu, these spectacular shallow bamboo bowls would be perfect as serving bowls for the cereals, the oatmeal and any other dry food. The bamboo bowls combine the 2 key design elements.
Categories:
HOLIDAY
TABLEWARE
ENTERTAINING
posted @ Thursday, March 13, 2008 1:34 AM | Feedback (1)
You do not need a design that screams Easter to look festive. Since the typical pastel Easter decorations are not my style, I created a series of hip and fun Easter tabletops. I will be presenting two tabletops today in two separate posts.
What is great for you is that my Easter tables featured tableware items that you can reuse for any occasions. In fact, the design comes from the shapes and the patterns of things you need to eat, not from a bunch of superficial accessories. It is simple and beautiful.
The birth of a concept
Thinking outside the box allows you to find fresh concepts. I usually start by analyzing the key elements of the celebration. The idea is to approach an event design from a different perspective. Basically, I look at at the Easter brunch party this way:
- Easter is a festive, family gathering that occurs in Spring
- Hosting an Easter party means planning several activities for kids and a table where the children will feel comfortable
- The egg and the bunny are the more popular symbols associated with Easter.
Categories:
TABLESCAPE
ENTERTAINING
posted @ Wednesday, March 12, 2008 1:36 PM | Feedback (2)
If you are still looking for ideas on how to style your Easter brunch, I will share several design ideas this week. So do not worry.
The Fashionable Blue and Yellow
I am starting with two decoration ideas and the best looking desserts from Martha Stewart Living. Get inspired by these crafty projects and recipes to create your own version this Easter.
If you read my posts last week, you spot the resemblances with the Spring 2008 color combinations. Since the pictures were taken a couple years ago, simply adjust the hues to fit into the 2008 color trend.
Blue and yellow mixed with white is so far my favorite palette for Easter 2008. I am assembling my own Easter tabletop the one I will use in real life. Mine may eclipse the blue and yellow scheme; we will see when I am done.
For now, let's go back to what Martha Stewart has the best to offer in my opinion this Easter. Like I said before, these are old projects from Martha Stewart. They still look interesting today.
Categories:
TABLESCAPE
ALL occasions
HOLIDAY
ENTERTAINING
GIFT IDEAS
posted @ Tuesday, March 11, 2008 1:34 PM | Feedback (5)
This post started because I saw the most wonderful dishing of picked eggs photographed in the March 2008 edition of EnRoute magazine. I forgot my copy on the plane so I will describe it for you. And I promise to show you my own version before next Tuesday.
You may be aware that pickled eggs are back in style. But the current version are far more sophisticated than boiled eggs in vinegar jars available in cheap deli restaurants.
These pickled eggs are subtle in taste, often done with organic eggs, duck eggs and quail eggs. You can serve them resting on a nest of watercress or mache salad.
Farm 255, a restaurant that seeks to reconnect food to its roots & people to their food in Athens, Georgia currently serves pickled eggs as appetizers with olive oil, dill, cracked pepper and fennel. Yum!
Nature inspired Easter Tabletop
Forget the artificial color Easter eggs and go for a more natural look. I really enjoy wrique did by dying boiled eggs with onion skins. It really looks like a piece of art. Instead of the basket, use a grayish or brownish earthenware small bowl, a rice bowl for example.
Categories:
TABLESCAPE
HOLIDAY
DISHING tips
TABLEWARE
PARTY favors
ENTERTAINING
DINING
posted @ Wednesday, March 05, 2008 1:27 AM | Feedback (1)
Made from English fine bone china, these egg shape candle holders are lovely and modern. They are sold in pair, one medium and one large egg, nicely packaged in a recycled board gift box.
UK artist Michelle Mason designed her latest creations so you can watch the wax drip like egg yolk. It is a fact that the British people like to eat soft-boiled eggs on the morning.
I like the romantic idea but not the wax stain on my tablecloth. If you are like me, you got two choices:
- Buy no dripping candles but you lose the concept
- Rest the pair of egg candle holders on a tray or a wood board
I prefer the second option.
Decorating your home at Easter or for a brunch
Better yet, a single tulip or a branch fits into the hole. So get a few pairs. Mix and match candles, empty eggs and plants to create a dramatic effect in your home.
Categories:
TABLESCAPE
HOME decor
HOLIDAY
ENTERTAINING
HOME + GARDEN
posted @ Friday, January 25, 2008 3:10 PM | Feedback (6)
A reader asked me for help because she was unable to create the Bunny Ear Fold Napkins that I taught about earlier in March. I did not try it because honestly I am not good at folding napkins.
My repertoire relays on simpler techniques. I tried it quickly with a piece of paper while at work. Fair to say, Martha's instructions were incomplete. I need step by step graphical instructions if I want to do this.
So I went looking for help, others must get trouble making it as well. I found the message boards on Martha Stewart’s Web site. One message board has people that made the fold napkin telling you tips on how to succeed.
From that message board on Martha’s board, you will see links to other Web site with step by step pictures. Although the results are no near as nice as Martha’s Bunny Ear Fold napkin on recipetips.com, it still provides useful tips that can help some of you. Milliken Table Linen gives you graphical instructions on how to create a fold similar to Martha’s look.
Categories:
PARTY ideas
HOLIDAY
ENTERTAINING
posted @ Friday, April 06, 2007 2:37 PM | Feedback (0)
This time I put together an Easter brunch scheme for grown ups. This design is based on classical garden elements. It is chic without being stuffy. What I want to do with my inspiration board is to tell you how I select every piece, so you can try to make your themed tabletop. The key is always to subtly play out your theme.
When you set up a table, adding an unexpected touch makes it one of a kind. Here I use the Petite Fleur green pails as the uninvited guests. These gardening vases are clearly more casual than the rest of the elements. The reason it works within this elegant scheme is that the pails hold the shape and the style that we found in classical French garden working spaces. Used in my scenery, the pails carry more elegance than within its usual rustic Mediterranean setting.
My starting point was the Faberge look-alike egg napkins. I fell in love at first sight with the colors and the drawings of the jeweled egg napkins by Caspari Paper Products. Although linen napkins should be used in formal setting, you can use exceptional paper napkins for a brunch or a get together dinner with closed friends or family members.
Categories:
PARTY ideas
HOLIDAY
ENTERTAINING
posted @ Sunday, April 01, 2007 8:27 PM | Feedback (1)
Pastel color schemes are often used to set up the Easter brunch table. But this year, bold patterns are all the rage in fashion and home décor. This trend was my inspiration. I started by seeking out a bold pattern tablecloth. I used the colors from the textile to bring the rest together.
This scheme is suitable for a casual event where they are kids around. The tulips, the colorful glasses and the nest made of the green grass are the elements that make it an Easter theme. This family oriented scheme is a little literal but it is OK when you want to please kids.
With a bold pattern tablecloth, the central corridor must carry sufficient visual weight to hold against the pattern. You do this so the centerpieces are not lost visually. A solid color runner is the easiest way to achieve it.
I select the twig runner because it has enough weight for the nests and the bouquets to stand out. And the solid brown adds elegance to the design. I suggest creating a few nests of different sizes. Mix and match the eggs and take into consideration the nest size. The eggs on my picture could be a little larger but remember the eggs must not stand out too much. It is a balancing act. Do not forget to use some wrapped chocolate eggs.
Categories:
PARTY ideas
HOLIDAY
KIDS party
ENTERTAINING
KIDS + BABY
posted @ Friday, March 30, 2007 12:36 AM | Feedback (1)
I just discovered a new blog with a fun suggestion to dress up your table for Easter. Based on the project from Martha Stewart, Shak in Style explains to us how to make a cute bunny ear napkin. It does not seem hard to do and it looks good.
On a picture, you see a yellow rim plate. A more current look is to use a green edge plate or a light fruit pattern plate. Green is the color of the year. From Villeroy and Boch, I spot the same plate as suggested by Shak in Style but in green. For Easter and all summer long, the Bloom dinner plate will look great if you can afford to buy an extra fantasy plate. The Wildberries collection by Villeroy & Boch displays deep berry purples and rich fertile greens. A punch of color in a nice classic pattern
Categories:
EVERYDAY
PARTY ideas
HOLIDAY
ENTERTAINING
posted @ Monday, March 19, 2007 3:01 PM | Feedback (1)
Chocolate is a delicious treat. I feel in heaven when I eat fine dark chocolate. But let’s face it; we often eat too much chocolate at Easter. I find you a greener Easter gift idea that will be fun for the kids and the grown ups.
I first learned about Eggling a while ago when planting in cracrable egg shaped pots became popular in Japan. I forgot about it. A post from design*sponge spreads the words about three new varieties of egglings, just in time for spring: spicy red pepper, lavender and wild strawberries. Great addition to their current plant variety. My heart goes to the herb varieties: basil, Italian parsley, mint, thyme. Four more flowers are also available.
Eggling looks and feels like an extra large egg, you just crack its top and you discover a garden ready to grow! Plants grow for up to five months in the Eggling, after which transplant it directly in soil or a pot. Egglink is sold for $9.95 USD or $11 CAD.
I cultivate my own cooking herbs on my terrace. When fall temperature is mild, I got fresh herbs until November. Nothing taste better than freshly cut herbs in salads or when you cooking a recipe. Even if you do not get the Eggling, go to your local market or your local garden center to buy herb plants this year.
Categories:
ALL occasions
HOLIDAY
ENTERTAINING
GIFT IDEAS
posted @ Wednesday, March 14, 2007 7:37 PM | Feedback (0)
I am still working on my inspiration board for Easter brunch that I want to present you later this month. In the meantime, I decide to present you the work of Colin Cowie featured on epicurious.com Web site.
Colin Cowie is a celebrity party planner. He has planned parties for Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Seinfeld, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Aniston, and Demi Moore, to name a very few.
epicurious.com asked him to do sometimes that normal folk can do for Easter. This is a solution done on an average joe budget and without the help of a staff of creators. So I think this article will interest anyone that wishes to better entertain at home.
St.Patrick’s Day must have been an unconscious source of inspiration for his Easter table. What I do like about his Easter table is that you get the feeling of spring without the pale tones commonly seen in Easter décor. The table setting shows a great style. Cowie has created a style for the brunch not a theme. That is why it looks good.
The epicurious.com article is thorough. Cowie has put together for you the menu, food and drink, the décor and some fun activity ideas for all the family.
Categories:
TABLESCAPE
HOLIDAY
ENTERTAINING
posted @ Sunday, March 11, 2007 10:22 PM | Feedback (2)