And so it is Easter....HAPPY EASTER !!!

Our weather in Cape Town today says it all........ typical Easter long week end weather and time to pull out the winter snuggy jerseys and scarves......and of course time for steaming, hot bowls of soup. But for today we will stay with Easter as it is Easter Sunday.

At least the foil wrappers are bright and colourful today, even if the skies are grey!

And so for the wet view from my kitchen window right now!

What did your Easter breakfast and tea table look like today?

My collection of Easter inspiration.....but sadly, today I have no family to spoil, so I will create my Easter on this blog!

Egg cups.... old and new........

There is a legacy attached to this old chap....he used to be my Dad's egg cup, it also survived us three girls, and now I have it in a safe place.

Hot and spicy, Easter Apple n Raisin muffins....perfect with a cup of tea right now!

I also baked mini muffins to fit next to a cup of coffee. Be eclectic and use an interesting collection of crockery. It is always fun to mix old world with new and modern.

..... or perhaps you were good and enjoyed a healthy breakfast..... so you can eat those Easter eggs without feeling guilty!! I also prepared a fresh batch of Granola yesterday and added extra mixed spices to create an Easter Granola. Remember that treasures of old and new make our lives a little more interesting....so, go ahead and create a setting with a bit of vintage crockery, and a bit of new and modern.

 

 

 

 

Final countdown to Easter......

.......the only question is, is your Easter Basket ready for the Easter Egg Hunt?

If not, herewith some quick tips and tricks for a colourful Easter.

Gather your baskets, straw, feathers, ribbons, tissue paper and cellophane and get it all ready.

Do not forget those colourful beads and ladybird decorations....they will come in handy to stick on cellophane or the beads can be threaded on nylon to form Easter suncatchers with feathers at the base.

Another Easter inspired gift, glasses wrapped with woodwool, feathers and cellophane.

And of course you cannot go anywhere empty handed......If you are not prepared with gifts, just head out into the garden and gather a bunch of herbs. A country style Tussie Mussie will always be appreciated.

A beautifully presented Tussie Mussie can become the centre piece on any Easter Tea table.

Add that Easter touch to your Easter Cake as well....here I used miniature baskets with an iceberg rose and some mint....so quick, easy and effective!

I did not conquer the Hot Cross Bun challenge this year, so I decided to stay safe and create spicy Apple Easter Muffins....the kitchen smelt really festive earlier today...... Also ideal to wrap up as I did here for a quick Easter Sunday gift.

More tomorrow with a final Happy Easter to you all.......Until then, do not raid the Easter stock tonight!!!

Tomorrow they will be all yours!

Happy Earth Day to you all.

Herewith a few reminders about what you SHOULD be doing EVERY day and not only on EARTH 
DAY.......

Firstly, step outside and appreciate the beauty of nature in your own garden, or in your neighbourhood. You will be amazed at what you will see if you really open your eyes.

Pick a few simple flowers or herbs and bring them inside to be enjoyed in a special spot........ I love to surprise guests and place flowers where they least expect them...... like having a bath full of fragrant flowers floating in your guest bathroom!

 

 

Look to nature for your inspiration....... experience the colours, textures and fragrances.

 

Use nature to set the correct mood in your home.... bright flowers will add sunshine to anyone's day.... especially on a Monday morning!

Keep your compost production flourishing by using all organic scraps and peelings from the kitchen, as well as some dry leaves, bark chips and even torn up cardboard for texture. 

 

Recycle and re-use....sort out those every day containers into piles of glass, plastic, cans and paper. You will be amazed at how the pile grows in just a few days. My greatest pleasure with all the recycling we do is that once a week we only have to put out  less than a bag of refuse out for collection!

 Be creative and create your own homemade gifts. They will always be appreciated, especially if they come out of your kitchen, garden or your workroom. Making a batch of pot pourri that you can keep on feeding with dried herbs and flowers means you will always have stock to place in antique bowls or glasses as gifts. Wrap up with recycled cellophane and ribbon, and you will have a homemade / recycled / vintage gift.

 

 

Save electricity.... cook outdoors, eat outdoors and remember to switch off every appliance not in use as well as light switches. If you are not using it, switch it off....just lift your finger!

 

 

Countdown to Easter!

Cheeky Easter Bunny sending Easter greetings to all.........

 

This Easter countdown means one more week of negotiating packed isles full of Easter treats..... then we can all have a bit more freedom and space to move around at our local food retailer again!

Pack up your favourite Easter Basket and spread some love....... and your bucket does not have to be a traditional woven basket.... get creative!

 

Go rustic this Easter and create a fragrant Easter wreath using  your favourite herbs..... and create secret spots to hide a few eggs for little fingers to find......

 

 

Make your Easter wreath a part of the Easter egg hunt..... even if it is for adults to indulge in!

 

 

The wreath can be used in a sophisticated setting as well, not only in a rustic and organic setting.  This shoot was done on location at Pierre Cronje Agency, known as KNIGHT at the Willowbridge Shopping Centre in Durbanville, Cape Town.

 

A bold table setting all in Orange creates a splash of colour in the window display at KNIGHT'S.

 

A wonderful reason to use that special tea set packed away safely for a suitable occassion. Go on..... use it.

Easter can also be stylish, delicate and sophisticated....not always bright, bold and cheerful. I just love this soft and delicate touch. 

 

 One more Easter blog to go........ and it will be Happy Easter to you and yours.

On a green and environmental note, please remember that Friday 22 April is EARTH DAY when we are all encouraged to commit to doing acts of green. 

Pick up your basket and head off to your local Farmer's Market and embrace in all things organic. Remember to recycle, re - use and revamp instead of buying new..... more on Earth Day.

 

Some more 'Green' inspiration for a wedding celebration.

Yesterday I concentrated on many organic, floral ideas for a green wedding. Maybe you will not believe me, but I have more to add to the category of floral ideas for your wedding celebration.....

Who can forget the cake....of course.....and we have not as yet touched the bridal posy / tussie mussie!

My bucket full of inspiration....you will need many of these buckets to complete the task of decorating and arranging for your green, organic wedding reception!

The humble Ladybird is well recognised as a symbol for going green and organic. The reason for this is because the Ladybird is the natural enemy of the mealybug, one of the most threatening pests in the vineyards and in your vegetable patch at home. I stick little decorative ladybird's on the cellophane when I create floral posies....and here I have a beaded wire creation in my bucket.

And now back to one of the most important features of any wedding celebration.....the cake!

This cake is a carrot cake, as requested by the bridal couple..... a great choice as it has loads of moist fruit, carrots and pineapple in it. An easy recipe to go totally organic on...... the icing was cream cheese based.

Decorated with only herbs and flowers, some grated orange rind, a sprinkle of pecan nuts and porcupine quils.... as there were quils on the wedding invitation.  The challenge of decorating with everything fresh is to decorate the cake at the last minute....or hour! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Green' and Organic Wedding Ideas for the month of April.

Since April is the month we celebrated our wedding, I thought it would be fitting to add some green and environmentally friendly wedding ideas to my blog.

There are so many options and choices available to the bride to be these days ...... adding more pressure to one of the most stressful day's of one's life. Just start planning early, making those endless lists of things to do, and check, check and check again......

Here are some of my ideas for a Green Wedding.

These  Iceberg Roses and Mint  leaves and flowers floating in a bowl of water  reminds me of the famous painting by Monet.

 

 

 

 

When planning one's budget for a wedding, the cost of flowers is bound to give any bride to be a shock....especially if you intend to make an impression. My solution to that is to make use of flowers and herbs from friends gardens and simply float them in bowls of water. This makes a wonderful and peaceful table arrangement. Floating candles can be added for evening receptions.
 

How simple and effective just floating mint leaves and floating candles can be?

 

While you are thinking about flowers, the other reason for raiding your friends gardens is to plan for creating your own homemade and organic confetti. Collect rose petals, jasmin flowers, carnation florets, lavender, mint leaves and any other fragrant petals and herbs that  you can lay your hands on. Simply dry them in open baskets. Many churches and reception venues do not allow paper confetti, so this option is a user friendly one!

This homemade Pot Pourri also has cinnamon sticks and dried slices of orange in it. Should you want to spice up your pot pourri, add a selection of spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

Bougainvillea's are among the most colourful plants in the world. If you can find some of these white flowers to add to your organic confetti, you are lucky!

Mix this Crimson Jewel with your dried petals....or use them entirely on their own. Dried, they make wonderful paper flowers for organic confetti.

 
Before we leave the Floral department, there is another area where you will want to use flowers or herbs for decoration.....on the chairs at your ceremony and at the reception.

Use something that will last, such as these Bay leaves. This gives you the opportunity to prepare and decorate well in advance of the ceremony.

 

Should you be placing gifts on your guests seats, you can also add a fragrant touch with some herbs..... once again, it is best to use something that will last for the duration of the ceremony.

 

This hand towel was decorated using lavender and raffia. A lovely touch for the Ladies Room or guest suites.

 

Another reason to search for herbs.... make a small posy to be attached to each guests seat...... you are going to need a lot of help for this one!

 

Add a no cost, Organic touch to your charger plate with a sprig of something from your garden collection .... once again, something that will last.

 

I just have to add my favourite serviette fold with a sprig of herbs ...... the ultimate touch to a formal sit down dinner. I will have to do a step by step shoot to show you how to fold this serviette.

 

 

Should you be placing a small gift at each guests place setting, it could be placed inside the shirt fold instead of a sprig of herbs or a single flower.

A gift for the guys..... add a herbal touch to a bottle of something red ....the guys will love you!

 

 My ideas are endless....there is loads more to follow this blog! I have not yet finished in the floral department either.....
Until my next floral blog, happy gardening!