Easter Mantel and Peeks of Spring

Easter Mantel

and peeks of spring as it comes...

I just remembered this chocolate ceramic east bunny that my mil gave me last fall and was excited when I realized I actually DO have some Easter decor!  The white pitcher was a gift from a long time forever friend last year and the topiary is from tj maxx, I had it in the kitchen but moved it over to the mantel today.  The glass hurricanes are from the dollar tree along with the candy inside (left over decorations from the birthday party).  The white pitcher is holding a coffee filter flower bouquet that J made with my mom while they were here last week, an oldie but goodie project you can view here. It's simple but it's nice to have something different up on the mantel, it's lighter and more colorful than what I had before.  I must admit my friend Whitney inspired me to look around and find something to decorate with because she always has her house SO cute and perfect for every holiday and season.  If she ever changed jobs she would be great as a personal organizer, shopper, decorator, etc.

And over the past 2 weeks, spring has really come on strong with wonderful 70-80 degree weather!  And while my parents were here last week my dad was going around fixing things...like the toilet upstairs, the sliding door on the van and even our fountain!  We have tried to figure out how to turn it on since we moved in the house and gave up... apparently it just needed a new pump, my dad solved the problem and got it up and running and I LOVE it...I open my windows in the morning and then get back in bed and listen to the birds and the water trickling outside....ahhh....

 With all the blossoms coming out, I decided it was time to set up the hammock!

I LOVE SPRING!!!

Has spring made it's debut where you live yet?  I know we are lucky it came kind of early for our area, making it an easier transition from leaving Dallas, where the tulips were out in February...still miss it though!

Love is in the Air....

Love is in the Air...

at the zoo at least

We went to the zoo yesterday with the grandparents and as we were leaving the butterfly exhibit, saw the most amazing, double winged butterfly!!!  Until we looked a little closer and realized it was TWO butterflies which were mating...huh....never really thought about butterflies mating before...or ginormous grasshopper like insects...which were going at it in the insect exhibit right up on the glass....or the huge "sea" turtles (They were in the water with alligators so I don't know if they were actually sea turtles or have some other name) and there were a couple other exhibits that had some "wild things" going on as well...lol.  Every time my preschooler saw this action going on she said "AWWW! Look mommy the baby is riding on it's mommy's back!" Yup....that's EXACTLY what is going on...yeah...that's it.....

Coffee Filter Flowers

Here is our most recent arts and crafts project, we made coffee filter flowers.  We went for a walk last weekend and saw some tulip buds shooting up and one tulip that had opened and we started talking about spring and how everything becomes new again.  After that nature walk observing the beginnings of spring and talking about flowers, we had a rainy day and talked about how God sends the rain to make things grow and we decided to make some flowers to enjoy in the mean time.

How to Make Coffee Filter Flowers

1. To make coffee filter flowers, have you child color on coffee filters with washable markers.

2. Fill up a spray bottle and set it on mist.  Let them spray the coffee filters and watch the marker colorings take on a watercolor effect as they bleed together.

3. Let the coffee filters dry completely.

4. You can make flowers as big or small as you want...making a flower with a single coffee filter or layering 2 or 3 together.  Pinch the center of the coffee filter and push the rest up. 

5. Wrap a pipe cleaner tightly around the pinched center part of the coffee filter.  Fluff up the flowers however you like and put them in a vase.