Recycled Flowers

Both the Palm Sunday and Easter flower arrangements were only used one day, but the flowers lasted much longer. I recycled the flowers into 5 new arrangements. First the Palm Sunday recycled arrangements...

 I placed the alstromeria, gypsophila and palm in a milk glass epergne that was my mother's mother's. The epergne made the flowers appear rounded without having to use oasis.

 I simply placed the pussy willows in a tall slim vase with clear gems in the base. Hopefully the branches will root so that we can plan them in the yard.

 Now for the Easter recycling...I placed the roses in a red vase with some eucalyptus and baker fern. The flash obscures the vase a bit, but the color combination is lovely.

 To recycle the tulips, I lined a square vase with tulip leaves and placed a small brick of oasis in the center. This held the tulips better than simply letting them droop on their own. The leaves hid the oasis floral foam.

 I had two tulips left, so I placed them in a hobnail milk glass vase that is one of my mother's favorites. I added some baker fern, eucalyptus, and a sprig of pink-tipped dogwood from the yard. The top two I will take to work, but mummykins gets the hobnail vase arrangement.

Holy Week Flowers

We use artificial flowers at our church normally, but I like to use live when I can on the "high holy days". For the two Sundays in Holy Week I made the following arrangements.

For Palm Sunday I used two new bell bottomed vases that I found on sale at Target. (I actually bought all 3 off the shelf.) I used pink and candy cane alstroemeria, baby's breath (gypsophila), pussy willow, and palm branches. The children sang an offertory song waving palm branches, I was able to incorporate some of the extra in the arrangement.

For Easter Sunday I used cream roses with pink tinged edges, yellow tulips, purple iris, eucalyptus, and baker fern in two large urns. My sweet mother helped me with the arrangements. The idea was to look like spring bursting forth.

I also placed several lilies in pots on the stage and in the foyer. It isn't Easter without lilies!

Spring Has Sprung

Other areas of the US may still be cold and dreary, but we are bursting forth with warm weather, budding trees, and I even saw some mosquitos yesterday. The mosquitos can stay away, but everything else is very welcome! To celebrate spring, we decorated the house with some spring decor.

First comes the table linen that my exchange student friend Verena brought to our family when I was 16. We pull it out every Easter. It has such beautiful details!

This year on the mantle I decided to do something a little different. I decided to use easter grass as a decoration by itself instead of a filler. I like the way it turned out.

Next came the bunny explosion. Bunnies on the shelf, in the foyer, and on the bar. I love the one on the bar. It's a dish that I bought at Starbucks several years ago. He looks like he is swimming in jelly beans.

There was also an egg explosion. Marble eggs on the mantle, a large painted egg on the landing (my sister-in-law is the talented artist), and a lovely wreath from Pier 1.

I think it is safe to say, that this house is ready for spring and the Easter Bunny!

Below are a few of the arrangements I've done for church over the past year and a half (at least the ones I remembered to take photos of.)

One of two identical arrangements I created for church last fall.

For Christmas, I created a cascade of poinsettias and
magnolia branches on either side of the steps.

Also for Christmas I placed white amaryllis in

large bulb-shaped with sparkling red berries and 

willow branches.

I was able to get this picture from a friend.  For Easter I created two vases filled with white lilies, purple bearded iris, eucalyptus, bridal wreath spirea and red knockout roses all in the large bulb vases. All but the lilies, came from the yard.