SHADES OF SPRING GREEN TABLESCAPE

When I think of Spring... I think of GREEN... in all of it's glorious shades and tones!

Today's tablescape pays homage to the beautiful greens of Spring.

Experts say that all greens work well together... and for the most part I find that to be true. 

So, I'm playing with Spring greens and setting a relaxed and breezy table with a big splash and pop another color that also loves to play with green...

KITCHEN HERB GARDEN IN A BASKET

As I'm writing this post it is snowing outside... really! It's been a long hard winter and for the most part a very chilly spring here at StoneGable.

I'm itching to dig in the dirt and start Spring planting!

The first thing I like to plant are hardy herbs. However, even for those herbs that can stand cool weather... it's still a bit too chilly! They will still get easily nipped by the cold!

So, instead of planting them out in my herb garden, I'm planting a small kitchen gardens in a fun bushel basket!

It's easy, economical and the plants can be used as needed right now...

SPRING FOYER

Here's a little peek at part of my foyer. Bobby is done painting the walls (Benjamin Moore Sonnet) and now we are working on having a small settee slipcovered and replacing the mirror above the buffet.

Even though we are still painting the trim I decided to bring a little spring into the foyer...

PANSIES IN TEA CUPS...A TINY SPRING DIY

Oh my, how I love little the lion faced pansy! It is a sweet harbinger of spring! 

Pansies are very inexpensive and make fun and unexpected arrangements indoors.

This year I put pansies in tea cups!

RASPBERRY LEMON CURD FLOWER TARTLETS

 Raspberry Lemon Curd Flower Tartlets are the most refreshing little bite of  something sweet and delicious!

They would be perfect to serve at a tea, or Easter brunch or a Mother's Day luncheon!

And what makes them even better... they are so easy to make!!!!

These fit into the WOW FACTOR dessert category...

SPRING KITCHEN VIGNETTE

Creating a seasonal vignettes is my favorite way to decorate the kitchen table!

It's so much fun to play with my dishes and fun elements to make a vignette that brings the outdoor season inside!

This spring vignette is all about tulips and stock and eggs and bunnies and that beautiful spring green that all of nature turns after a long winter's nap...

ONION SKIN DYED EGGS DIY

I make onion skin dyed Easter eggs each spring. This tradition has gone back generations and generations in my family.

Onion skin dyed eggs so easy and  even more satisfying to make. A basket of these almost magical eggs are a real treasure! Deep oranges, warm browns, soft terracotta. Not your typical Easter colors. But once you see them you will understand!

I hope you will make these beautiful, earthy harbingers of Easter and start your own tradition...

10 AMAZING SPRING PROJECTS FROM THE SCOOP!

I'm so impressed, excited, wow-ed, and inspired by all the wonderful and creative projects from

THE SCOOP'S MEGA SPRING LINKY PARTY

that I just had to share 10 of my favorite. I think you will love them too...

HOW TO FEATHER A STORE BOUGHT NEST

Nest are a beautiful part of Spring... and Spring decorating.

What if I could show you how to take a plain and ordinary nest and make it over-the-top fabulous?

I have a formula that will work with almost any nest and a few extra elements!

Here's my secret for feathering a store bought nest...

EARLY SPRING...

Early Spring  is the time when the earth wakes up from it's long winter's nap and all of nature starts to bud and bloom!

 March has come in like a roaring lion here... and the forecast is calling for another 6-10 inches of snow tonight into tomorrow evening.  Not what I want to hear...

Since Spring is not outside my window just yet, I'm forcing it to come alive in my dining room...

FORSYTHIA WREATH DIY

Happy March 1st!

Let's celebrate a new month and Spring's coming by making a Forsythia wreath for our front door!

Forsythia are beautiful brambly early Spring flowers.

They are wild, bright, school bus yellow blooms on long tangled branches. And they are a sure sign Spring is here to stay!

Welcome Spring and family and guest to you home with a big forsythia wreath hanging on your front door...

THE SCOOP # 107

Hello, StoneGable Friends!

Welcome to

THE SCOOP #107

Exciting news for next week!

Not only will you be able to participate in The Scoop but you can also show off your best Spring posts at our Mega Spring Linky Party going on at the same time!

The Scoop girls want this to be a linky party full of mega inspiration...

NESTING INSPIRATION

It doesn't matter that there is a foot of snow still on the ground... my internal clock is ready for Spring!

How about you?

Here's a little spring nest inspiration to hold us over until the snow melts...

5 TIPS FOR BRINGING SPRING TO YOUR TABLE AND HOME

I know yesterday was Ground Hog day... and that horrid little vermin predicted 6 more weeks of winter.. but aren't most of us ready for Spring?  Today I'm sharing 5 easy tips to bring early Spring to your table!

Five little ways you can add harbinger's of Spring to your table and home...

SPRING KITCHEN

I just gave my kitchen a good spring cleaning... scrubbed down the cabinets, polished the countertops...dusted the chandy... cleaned out drawers and cabinets... and about a hundred other little jobs!

It's sparkling clean and organized... at least for today.

This is a great time to share our spring kitchen...

The kitchen is truly the heart of our home! And where I spend a good deal of my time.

Because it is a farmhouse kitchen I try to keep it pretty free of clutter and chachkies.. I like the feel of open spaces and lots of counter space.

Everything on the counters is utilitarian. But who says utilitarian can't be pretty?

The island is the exception. I like to decorate it with seasonal things...

Two large vases filled with white spring blooms give a nod to the flowering trees outside. 

Freshly hung aprons, my at-home uniform, hang on plate hooks.   I have aprons for every season... and wear them every day!

The breakfast area just off the kitchen gets a little bit of spring too.

I love this big round basket! It is just the right size for a vignette on my kitchen table.

I change small things up quite often and poor Bobby is always saying, "now where are we putting this?".

I recently purchased a mug rack from world market for our coffee station... and he had to get used to putting the WHITE mugs on it instead of in the cupboard. Bless his sweet heart!

As spring turns to early summer, I'll be adding herb pots and baskets of fresh produce to the farmhouse kitchen!

For now, I'm enjoying the open spaces and the canopy of blooms!

Remember to

SPRING PILLOW LOVE

I have such a crush on pillows! And an even bigger obsession with making them myself. Give me a remnant and a little funky trim and I'll use it to make a pillow!

Even though my living room has two pieces of furniture in it right now, (until the bulk of it is delivered in mid April) I still wanted my sofa to be welcoming and pretty...

I was at the Calico Corner's Outlet recently (hi, girls!) and picked up a few on-sale remnants for pillow making.

I could not pass up this great cotton buffalo check... and look at the ca-ra-zy trim I found for it!!!

So fun and sassy! I'll be able to use this for any season.

This sweet Le Lapin pillow has been on my must-try list for awhile now!  I first saw it at CONFESSION OF A PLATE ADDICT. Debbie did a masterful tutorial complete with a printable transfer!

She was so nice to share with all of us!

I like her knock-off so much better than the original Ballard Design pillow!

I tweaked her directions just a little to make it my own.  I changed the stripe design just a tad.

I also made an envelope back closer because I wash my pillow cases and reuse my feather pillow inserts.

For a great an easy to follow tutorial for Le Lapin, click HERE.

HIPPITY-HOPPITY HAPPY SPRING!

THE SCOOP

TUESDAY'S TREASURES

SPRING BRIDAL SHOWER, PART II... DESSERT BAR

What's a BRIDAL SHOWER without sweet treats? We celebrated Abigail and Christopher's upcoming nuptials with a spring luncheon.

A dessert bar was set up in the kitchen so our guests could help themselves... 

If you missed the first part of A SPRING BRIDAL SHOWER, click HERE.

The theme for Abby's bridal shower was FEATHER HER NEST.

It continued on to the dessert bar, but because it was stationed in the kitchen it took on a more relaxed look.

A pennant banner saying "yummy" greeted each guest.  The pennant was anchored in pots of yellow pansies.

Plates and napkins were stashed in a wire basket filled with fluff and a bird's nest.

A little whitewashed pot held extra forks and spoons.

Strawberry Shortcake was served with all kinds of yummy fixins' so each quest could make it their own way.

Click HERE for the Strawberry Shortcake recipe. It is really delicious and so easy to make!

Tiny nests held food labels.

Would you like a scoop?

THE DESSERT MENU

Strawberry Shortcake Bar:

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberries

Milk

Chocolate Sauce

Whipped Cream

Chocolate Curls

White Chocolate Curls

Almond Horns (thanks Mikaela)

M&M's

The beverage station was set up in the foyer on the buffet I had recently painted.  The buffet top opens up to a great serving surface... perfect for serving beverages or hors d'oeuvres when entertaining.

The foyer and stair are a part of the renovation we are currently working on... but we have not even started there yet!

The old wallpaper is coming off this week to be repainted like the rest of the front of our home.

BEVERAGES

Pineapple Lemonade Punch

Water With Lemon

Prosecco 

Nests were the decor of the day!

Some of the girls liked mixing the punch with the Prosecco ... fun!

Many people would think me a little crazy for hosting a bridal shower in the middle of a big renovation project. The living room and dining room floors were laid and everything was painted in those rooms, but I had no window treatments or much of the furniture we have ordered!!!

But I just ran with it and made the best of it!

Because most of my living room furniture is not coming in until the first week of April, it was the perfect place to set up tables for the luncheon!

I was even able to tuck one table in the foyer.

The centerpieces became each guests thank you gift!

I hope this shower was a special time for Abby. One that lets her know that she is so loved and cherished as the newest member of our family!!!