Hippty Hop!

Hippty Hop Easter's on it's way! I love a reason for decorating and Easter is no exception. I don't have much since a lot of the decorations are too cute-sy for me but I do try to put a little something out.

Since our plans were delayed this weekend (see this post), I decided that I would go ahead and decorate for Easter. It is super early this year so it will be here before you know it.

It all started with a need to remove a bloom-less set of bulbs on our sofa table that our sweet friends, The Adkins, brought us a while back. I'll plant them in the backyard soon but I needed something to go in the empty pot. My mom suggested I find a fake plant that looks real (they do make them) but I didn't find one on my shopping trip to Hobby Lobby.

As I'm walking around the store, I realize that they had some cute branches on sale. I have some at home but just a few. I snatched up 2 sets - one set of straight and one set of curly - to give visual interest. I already had some floral foam at home from this project and I already had Easter eggs. And viola!

Oh, I already had the little nest of eggs too. I bought it a long time ago with plans of doing something cute for spring but never got around to it. Subconsciously I must have had this in mind. And I've always wanted an Easter tree.

Literally, so easy to do...

1. put floral foam in the bottom of any container so it's snug (and not all the way to the top, I just used 2 bricks for this large container)
2. shove the sticks in so they are clustered towards the back but spread out enough to span the container
3. stick a simple plant in the front and put a little moss around it to cover the pot if necessary
4. nestle the nest of eggs in the branches
5. hang Easter eggs

Most of the items I already had on hand but if you were to buy the materials, it may run you $30-40 depending on how expensive your pot is. And all can be found at Hobby Lobby if you do want to replicate. At Christmas, I've painted these red, gold or silver and added them to a plant to decorate a pot without "over decorating".

My favorite part is I can take the eggs down and it can stay up for spring. There were some cute little birds at Hobby Lobby and I could nestle one in the branches for spring. While it's tall, it also doesn't visually take up space so it seems light and airy on the table, not the first thing you notice.

Once my masterpiece was created, I was off to the rest of the house...

(that's a picture of my parents, Nana and Pop-E. We have to keep them close because the kids like to carry their picture around since we can't see them often.)

And perhaps my next favorite Easter decorations oddly enough are in the bathroom...

I think maybe because I like the little wreath I have hanging above the sink. And I added a new plant from our shopping trip so it seems cozy by the one and only bathroom sink.

And finally the kitchen table...

We actually have the candles and greenery out most of the time during the winter months because they are practical. (we have no light on that side of the room so the candles help us see our food!) I just added the bunnies and some eggs to make it more festive.

So what about you? Do you decorate for Easter? Any cute ideas? I found a few on Pinterest but decided I didn't want to buy candy to decorate with and used more of what I already had instead.

P.S. sorry for the bad pictures. We've apparently lost our camera somewhere in the house...maybe it's a sign we need to save for a really nice camera instead of a point-and-click version.

Cabin Fever

This weekend was a little unplanned...well it was planned but yet again sickness changed those plans. So when sickness has the kids down and you have crazy sick children a little cabin fever, what else better to do than decorate! What? That's not what you do?

 

Since our Saturday night plans with friends coming for dinner had to be delayed (boo hiss) due to massive head colds (double boo hiss) the kids came down with Friday night (and our friends have a 3.5 mo old that does not need it) we decided to take our time over the weekend doing our chores and errands. After cleaning the house on Saturday I decided this was a perfect opportunity to decorate for Easter. Plus, I really felt the urge to change up some of our table tops that were starting to bug me.

 

I took Cole (who seemingly has it the least) to my favorite little craft store, Hobby Lobby. Boy did we I have fun! Cole had fun too once he got to hold a little bunny he found on a shelf. After scouting the Easter section and getting a few things for the boy's Easter basket, I found this cute little basket in their spring section. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it but I loved the shape. Look how cute it turned out holding magazines behind the couch...

 

Originally all my "need to read" magazines were just stacked on the faux table but it didn't look as polished. I love the worn finish on it and it was only $14 since all the spring items were 30% off. I can also see this basket holding toilet paper in a bathroom, used as a trash can in an office or storing toys in a kids room (painted if you didn't like the finish). Sort've wish I had bought the larger one too...hmmm.

Then I found a cute picture frame that works well by itself. Sometimes frames need some substance behind them to be able to stand alone. Disregard the random child in the picture...I'm working on replacing him with my own children. And once again, thanks Hobby Lobby for great sales (this was 50% off).

I love how it works in the center of the table now. And don't mind the Easter decorations at the other end of the table...more on that soon.

 

On Sunday we took a little trip to Lowes because we needed touch-up paint but also because I needed some new house plants. Some of mine have gotten too big or died. And while I had high hopes of putting a cute Easter decoration on the coffee table, the kids throwing my Easter eggs around like they were bouncy balls quickly changed my mind. I decided the fight wasn't worth it. So instead I opted for some greenery found at Lowes. Simple yet effective. Plus I already had the container.

 

 

 

Of course then I start walking around the house wondering what else I didn't like and could shift around fairly easily. I realized that our poor dresser top in our bed room needed much help. I usually walk by it intentionally looking the other way so I don't notice it. I ideally would like to paint this...even bought paint in an orangy-red color but I'm not 100% sure it would stay in our bedroom if when we move so I don't want to commit to the color choice yet.

This is just a small spot but basically the whole top of it has peeled away thanks to cheap furniture and water. So instead I took a basic table runner I had stored away that coordinated with our bedroom colors and viola! No more ghetto furniture.

 

 

I'll have to share more about the Easter decorations in a separate post. I had hopes of putting it all in one but alas, I'm too long winded and I really want to describe the one item I made since it's super easy and inexpensive.

 

Hope we are all well for a while...I'll run out of money if we aren't!  #cabinfevershopping

Oh ye of little faith...

I'd like to say I have a very strong faith. Difficult experiences have only strengthened it through the years (AKA my 20's) but I find myself from time to time, sometimes more frequently than I care to admit, that it wanes. I was struck by how much so just last week.

As many of you know, our house has been plagued with...well the plague. Or at least it feels that way. Someone(s) in our house has had a cold, bronchitis, sinus infection, fever virus, ear infections and/or stomach virus since just after Thanksgiving. I'm not joking. I can literally count on our hands how many healthy days we've had in the last two months. Just when I thought we were getting on a role - and by that I mean day 5 of health - Cole comes down with a fever. Turns out it was a random "fever virus". I hate when the doctor says "it's just a virus" because that means we can't do anything but let it run it's course. This happened literally the Monday before my parents were supposed to come on Thursday.

I think what bothered me most is that when the kids saw my parents at Christmas, we were all sick (stomach virus) and while we made the most of the trip, it wasn't as fun as a healthy house, especially since 12 out of 16 got it. Plus, they don't get to see them very often, maybe ever few months for a few days. So for us to get this "fever virus" just before their visit really upset me. 

This was about the time I started to cry...pout...stomp my feet...and otherwise have a very mature temper tantrum. You see I had been praying all weekend and even on Monday when he came home with the fever, "Lord, please just let it be his ears again" knowing that those could be treated with an antibiotic and he'd be feeling fine by Thursday...and ear infections aren't contagious. But it wasn't and by Wednesday his fever was over 104 and I was giving Tylenol and Ibuprofen alternating every three hours plus a tepid bath. Not to mention I was just waiting for Charlie to get it.

That's when it hit me. I can't control this situation. It is what it is and I need to be PRAISING God because it could always be worse.  As my friend Lila Anna says "I had to let go and let God". As I processed through this, I posted on Facebook:

 

 Well we had a few days of wellness before yet another random virus has struck our house again. I can count on 2 hands the number of days we've been well since Thanksgiving. Let's hope the fever virus is contained to only one child and it wraps up fast before my parents arrive on Thursday! But despite all this and my poor attitude today, I'm thankful God blesses us in food, a warm house, insurance and money to go to the doctor, ability to work from home and care for my sick ones and so much more. I choose to be positive about my circumstances...starting now.

 

You see, I was fretting over Cole, worried that Charlie was going to get it, and all because I desperately wanted everyone to be happy and healthy for my parent's visit. But there was nothing I could do. So I CHOSE to look accept what God had given me but honestly, I didn't like it, but it at least gave me a better attitude.

 

It wasn't until later that weekend that I realized that God gives us so much grace. I'm even willing to bet that we don't even recognize it many times. Cole's fever broke on Thursday so by Friday morning, he was his full pint size spunky self again. Charlie never got it either. Here I was fretting over not getting the perfect visit and all along God had it planned. I've since apologized to God for my lack of faith and thanked Him for healing Cole and giving my family a great visit. I was also reminded of our family's life verse, Proverbs 3: 5-6:

 

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

 

The entire week reminded me that it's a choice to be joyous, even in tough circumstances, and that God's grace is far greater than I could ever imagine. I'm just blessed to be one of his daughters and that should be enough.

 

If you don't know Jesus in a personal way, meaning more than just "believing God exists", your missing out on so much love and grace.