Spring came early this year to the Midwest. I was very fortunate to be able to visit the Morton Arboretum in late April on a beautiful weekday.The flowering dogwoods were spectacular, as were the redbud trees that were reflected in Lake Marmo.
The fragrance garden is indescribable,with lily of the valley and stock among other fragrant bloomers, you must experience the scents and colors for yourself! It is a wonderful way to spend a day!
Want to learn how to marbleize EASTER eggs? Wondering how to make and afford a centerpiece for your Easter Dinner table? Here are some quick and easy Easter ideas!
Marbleizing eggs for Easter is fast, easy and inexpensive.
1.Add several drops of food coloring to 3 cups of warm water and 2 tablespoons of vinegar.This will give your eggs a base coat of color.Leave the egg in til its the color that you want it to be.
2.In a second bowl make another batch of dye,a different color or a darker version of the first one (this is what I did.)
3. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and swirl the mixture with a fork,add the previously colored egg,and move it around to pick up the marbleizing second color.Remove the egg and gently pat to remove excess color and oil.
4.Viola!! Beautiful marbleized Easter eggs! Place in a bowl and your easy Easter centerpiece is complete.
For a little more elaborate Easter centerpiece, make a bulb garden with blooming spring bulbs from your florist or garden.
Plant an assortment of blooming spring bulbs in a bowl, add the eggs,finish with some foil wrapped candy.Yummy!and too cute!
What a wonderful spring surprise to see snowdrops spring up among the leaves and pine needles in my garden March 1st.Plant snowdrops in the fall for a very pleasant spring SURPRISE!
And now 3 days later I'm finding pansies that have survived the winter.
The robins were back in town by March 3rd. A very large flock of them.
Just returned from 4 Wonderful days in the Bahamas on Paradise Island, frequenting the Atlantis.It is everything I thought it would be and more! The pools,aquatic displays,grounds,shops,casino,food...EVERYTHING was amazing,(yes expensive,too.)I went on several water rides and felt like a kid!The water was warm.It was great!
I felt very comfortable and safe and completely at home there.
The weather,though rainy at times was still in the 60's and 70's.Twice as warm and sunnier than Illinois in February.The ocean is amazingly beautiful,but too cold for me.
Enjoyed the best specialty peach margarita and shrimp tamale appetizer at MESA grill.To die for!It was my favorite meal there.
I could go on and on about all there is to see at the Atlantis,but do yourself a favor and go see for yourself!
The first thing to do outside is make sure you have taken your winter wreath down and replace it with a new door decoration that says SPRING! Buy a small garden flag to welcome guests.
It's a good time now to cut spring branches to bring inside to force into bloom,apple and forsythia are two of my favorites.In about a month the pansies will be ready to go outside.How exciting is that!
Early February is the time to bring your geraniums up from the basement if you saved them in the fall from the frost.
Every September I pull up my geraniums from the pots or ground and place them in a paper bag and put them in the cellar which is about 50 degrees or so.
They do look extremely ugly and hopeless.I get out some 4 inch pots add some potting soil,trim up the geraniums, plant them and add water and hope.Within a couple of weeks they will start showing some green.Give them plenty of light but keep them cool.Just itching to start some pansies,but they won't be happy in the house,its too warm.Maybe later this month I'll try.
My resolutions are off to a slow start this year. So what else is new?
But miracles of miracles, I have been painting a little again."Beach Dream" is the title of this ACEO painting.
I'm working on some other paintings and will show some off from time to time.
Back to the resolutions,I've got to up the ebay work and try to list 6 items, twice a week.Trying to save $$ for a vacation next year.
Blogging weekly or at least two times a month.Writing for ehow, joining facebook and an online class or two, should leave me no time to get into trouble.
Having a grand time with my new dog Dixie.
She can now shake and we're working on "speak", hope she's having as much fun as I am!
Next time I'll write about gardening or getting your home ready for SPRING !
