Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Tiptoe Through the Daffodils





Easter has come and gone, 
and April is knocking at our doors. 

 I had planned a "tiptoe through the tulips" 
sort of theme for Easter 2016.

When I spotted these adorable golden bunnies
while in Dallas during February, I knew they
would be fun with my group of Courtly Check vases 
and urns that I had used for my Queen of Hearts
table for Valentine's Day here.

My plan was to exchange the red tulips for pink,
use stacks of gardening books in 
place of the red themed decorating books,
and trade out the Queens of Hearts for bunnies.

The crowns and 
Courtly Check hearts
hanging from the brass chandelier  .   .   .

Gave way to frolicking bunnies
and Courtly Check Easter themed figures.

It all came together easily, and we've  enjoyed a lovely
spring table during the month of March.  
Fresh tulips filled the vases each week
while tulip bouquets were available for just a few dollars.

But by Easter week, tulip prices were suddenly 
two and three times what I had been paying.

I decided it best to tiptoe
through the daffodils instead.  
With daffodils available for two dollars
a bouquet, it was an easy choice.

A few girlfriends came over early in the week
for a light but delicious chicken hack salad.

Before dinner we munched on chips and guacamole and 
healthy "rabbit food,"  along with a glass or two of prosecco.
 Lemon tarts were our treat for dessert.

It was a lovely spring evening
out on the terrace under the full moon.

Our Texas weather didn't cooperate for an
Easter Sunday alfresco brunch as planned, so
Saturday afternoon I decided to set the table inside.

The William Sonoma rabbit offered to load up his
  basket with daffodils and hop on board as our centerpiece.
Limoges boxes, gifts from a sweet friend through the years,
were nestled in the grass below.

The other bunnies and daffodils that had been on the table
settled in on the buffet and on tables on the sun porch.

 Wedgwood Nantucket Basket was the obvious
choice with the woven basket detail, and green chargers
added just the right color with the natural linens.
Petite vases of daffodils brightened each place setting.

The Texas Easter Bunny filled festive cones
with special chocolates for each of our guests to take home.


We enjoyed tasty appetizers with
 champagne to start us off.

I had to have at least 
one bouquet of tulips for Easter!
The vintage Easter toys were finds while
antique shopping last year.  
They are J. Chein and Co. tin toys 
from the 1940s and 1950s, 
a bit of nostalgia from my own childhood. 

Small bites of smoked trout and smoked salmon
are one of the chef's specialties.

~ Easter Brunch ~
French Toast Sticks with Maple Syrup 
Open Face Ham and Scrambled Egg Sandwich
Caramalized Onion and Goat Cheese Tart
Bacon and Sausage Medly
Tri Colored Salad

Lemon curd tarts were my "go to" dessert for Easter week.
My inspiration was that cute lemon curd tart with a
pie crust bunny seen in the top left corner of the mosaic above.  
Jain @ A Quiet Life shared the idea in a post here.
The bunny chalkboard was an Easter gift
from a friend that arrived in time to do dessert buffet duty.

Pier 1 was the source for the cute paper napkins.
~ Life Needs More Chocolate Bunnies ~
As well as the darling bunny plates.

That's it for our Easter 2016.
Thanks for stopping by.
Tell me about your Easter ~ I'm all ears!




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Sarah
Sarah

The summer we married, my husband was in graduate school, and I was employed as a teacher. We took a portion of our savings that summer and purchased a sailboat. We christened our Catalina 22, “Hyacinths For The Soul” after Saadi’s poem. Our "Hyacinths" provided years of pleasure.

55 comments:

  1. Sarah, what an impressive celebration! Everything looks lovely. I am eyeballing your beautiful Herend pieces. You have exquisite taste, my friend! We had a very low-key dinner with traditional roasted ham, smothered cabbage, garlic mashed potatoes, and a cauliflower-broccoli-carrot mix. Pretty simple.

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  2. WOW! Just WOW! You have impeccable taste. I love the daffodils in your check vases. Have a great day!

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  3. Sarah, there are so many beautiful details here. I love those Chein toys, but really, I will have to go back and see again all the beauty. THe MC, the flowers, tablescape, the Limoges boxes at the centerpiece! What a pleasure (and work!) it must be just to go through your inventory of home accents to make seasonal changes like these!

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  4. You have been the energizer Easter Bunny.Your collections are superb.Everything is so pretty Sarah.You do have IMPECCABLE taste.
    Your parrots in the first photo are my all time fave parrots.That is such a beautiful vignette:) And the tarts:)Well just about every single vignette..

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  5. Sarah, it's always a joy to visit you. You inspire me with your flair for decorating, and this Spring tables and displays are so lovely. What blessed guest you have, to be treated to such a gorgeous table, delicious food and your company!

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  6. Sarah,
    You had an Easter extravaganza! Your tulips were just lovely and the gold bunnies you snagged were perfect with your MC. I know your friends and family enjoyed your generous hospitality!

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  7. I could spend all day here Sarah, drooling over all your lovely vignettes, tables, and delicious bites! I love how you styled the daffodils with Easter eggs and all your fun details. Love your new bunny chalkboard, all you McK-Ch pieces, everything is gorgeous!
    Jenna

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  8. Sarah, I'd be equally happy tiptoeing through the daffodils as I would tulips with your Courtly Check vases! Whether you set your table alfresco or indoors, your guests are in for a treat! All your bunny details have me want to hop to more Easter fun and I think my bunnies may linger through April. Your food looks scrumptious, especially your version of Jain's lemon curd tarts! I adore those bunny plates wearing the glasses! ♥

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  9. I enjoyed all the details in your pictures. Love the vintage Easter toys. I like the way you transitioned the Valentine's setup to spring colors and then Easter. Wouldn't you know the price of tulips would go up just in time for Easter! Though the daffodils might not have been your first choice I love them en-masse. I'm a lemon junkie so those tarts speak to me!! Love that three tier MC courtly check planter!

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  10. Oh, to be lucky enough to attend one of your luncheons or brunches, Sarah! Everything looks wonderful! Love Mr. Bunny with his basket filled with flowers! Those vintage toys are a delight! Love those darling bunny plates...so sweet! Bunnies get me every time! :)

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  11. Hi Sarah! Oh, my goodness, what a post! I love everything you've done! Your flowers, your bunnies, your food. How nice for all of your guests to eat on all of that scrumptious food and to sit at your table! Hope you're doing well.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;0

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  12. You and Debbie have the most amazing collections of M-C pieces, Sarah, and I just drool over them when I visit! Your tables, buffet, and vignettes all looks so festive for your guests, and the food looks fabulous. Those little lemon tarts are just darling! The gold bunnies certainly look happy among the CC pieces. It was such fun to visit today!

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  13. Lots of yummy stuff in this post! Your tables are all so cheery. I have definitely been missing out on both the tulips and the daffodils. Gotta fix that! Hope March is leaving like a lamb for you!

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  14. Sarah,
    There are just so many things to love on your Easter tables! Each photo, I thought I love this best. Then I saw the next photo. Since It's dinner time as I write this, and I am quite hungry, the delicious-looking food wins! The lemon tarts with the bunny cookies are just adorable.

    I spent the past week in Alabama with siblings, enjoying the redbuds, dogwoods, tulips, and working on Mother's final income tax return. Easter was good, but lots of things to do to catch up now that I'm home in TexS.

    Judith

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  15. Adorable! I love it with the daffodils, but then I love anything with daffodils. Sounds like you had a perfect Easter. We packed the whole weekend! Dianne

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  16. There are so many pretty pictures you took I don't even know what is my favorite! Love all of the flowers, the Easter cones, the Ws little bunny with his daffodils, all of your MK stuff and I spotted a pretty Quimper Teapo in the background!

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  17. Sarah, everything is just beautiful. I have never seen so many gorgeous tulips in one place at one time. Love all the different colors. The food and all your decorations are really wonderful. Love those bunny cones at each place setting..Happy Spring to you..xxoJudy

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  18. Black & white checks ... lemon tarts ... daffodils ... MacKenzie Childs ... and that delicious looking food ... of what a wonderful time it must have been!

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  19. Oh my everything looks wonderful - love all the decorations that you used. Flowers are stunning.
    You really did an outstanding job on your table.

    Have a great weekend and thanks so much for sharing all your pretty decorations.
    Mary

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  20. Sarah, I can't think of a better way to start my day! I love the combination of colors and your décor! I just got done baking bunny sugar cookies that my Scoots group will have fun decorating on Sunday for a friend's birthday celebration. She was born on Easter and LOVES anything bunny related. So our theme is bunnies. Thank you for the sweet surprise that arrived this week. xxoo

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  21. Sarah, you've had a beautiful March inside with tulips and daffodils alongside all your pretty collectibles. The MacKenzie Childs CC vases filled with the yellow daffodils and books, simply stunning! I also love your silver tray filled with Herend bunnies and with Quimper for a backdrop! What can I say but this post is filled with so much loveliness it takes my breath away. You certainly have the golden touch in all you do. My compliments to the chef, the food looks delicious and I will make your lemon curd tarts. Spring at your home is special, thanks for sharing it!
    Hugs…...

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  22. Dearest Sarah.
    WOW what a lovely Easter Brunch you and your Chef did pull off!
    Your décor, as usual, is magazine worthy and the tulips and daffodils both make a stunning presentation with your cute new found bunnies.
    Sending you hugs,
    Mariette

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  23. what a happy joyful place...April showers my friend!

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  24. It's all a work of art! The food is so pretty -- do you think the chef would share what else is on the little smoked salmon bites? Your courtly check is just gorgeous.

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  25. Wow Sarah, such an elegant affair. I love your MC pieces. maybe one day, I shall spurge. This is such a happy table with so many pretty elements. Fantastic! Have a lovely weekend.

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  26. I love seeing how others decorate and celebrate with "real life" pics of the food/set-up and décor and so this post was fantastic. Picture after picture of all the fabulous details which I so enjoyed seeing. I really like how you transformed your Valentine décor to Easter and also went from tulips to daffodils - both just as pretty. Such a pretty table setting for your Easter brunch as well - the mini vases of daffodils are a lovely addition. So glad I stopped by from Foodie Friday and Everything Else.

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  27. A lovely table you have set! Always a nice visit when I drop by here. Have a great weekend.

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  28. HPS! What lovely photos- I actually adore the Daffodils- so sunny. xoxo Tobi and the Pixies

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  29. What a gorgeous post, Sarah. As always, you have hit just the right note. I have to confess that you made me miss my old chandelier - such fun to hang special bits from it for different holidays. Your Easter lunch and ladies' lunch both sound delicious. I made homemade lemon curd for between the layers of the cake for our Easter lunch - yummy!

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  30. I love all of your settings and side buffets! I must admit, I was drooling a bit over the lovely MC vases. And the gold bunnies are so special.........tulips and daffodils, ahhhh, I am so anxious for spring weather!

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  31. a wonderful menu and such special ways of serving....so so pretty. Now, I was hoping for a photo of you and the girls....xoxo

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  32. The tulips are exquisite, Sarah... but I'm a huge fan of daffodils. Their bright yellow dresses and frills always captivate me. You are amazing at your vignettes and tablescaping. Thanks for the lovely inspiration... such a feast for my eyes.

    Hope your weekend is extraordinary!

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  33. Wow, what an Easter Show you put on! Love the new gold bunnies and yes they are perfect with the black and white! I like the daffodils in the white bunny planter too, so striking! The food looks and sounds wonderful!

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  34. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop

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  35. Oooooo, how pretty the yellow daffs look in your black & white courtly check! Lots of punch!
    The menu is divine...esp. those lemon tarts. *Drool*
    I loved seeing the fluffy tulips, too. I have resigned myself that I just can't grow them here without the deer & rabbits eating them before they even bloom. I'll have to buy mine in the store next year. They don't seem to like the hyacinths though, so those are doing great!
    This post has a lot of posh...I loved seeing every single photo up close. Thanks for sharing your celebrations, Sarah.

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  36. Oh me, oh my! LOVE every detail. You made a good choice with those gorgeous daffodils. I simply LOVE the bright yellow with the courtly check. Your table looks lovely, and did someone say LEMON tarts? Lemon lover here. YUM! Beautiful images, Sarah. Thank you for stopping by my page and commenting. Happy April and happy pinks!
    xoxo

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  37. Sarah, your spring table filled with daffodils is such a beautiful sight. I hear the birds chirping and spring is on the way. I'm glad you enjoyed a wonderful lunch with friends.

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  38. Your tables, each and every one of them, are so darned enchanting I can't believe it! The daffodils (my favorite) and the wonderful food, bunnies, crowns -- I can't begin to tell you how much this makes my heart smile. Not just my heart. My whole face is a big smile!

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  39. SARAH!

    Hello, and a belated Easter wish for JOY! What a sweet celebration you put on here with all the worker rabbits ready to haul eggs. SO ADORABLE! We had a great vacation and I had the best spring break. Your daffodils and other color flowers are promising joy. Thank you dear and sweet friend for visiting my blog! So good to see you! Anita

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  40. Sarah, it just crossed my mind that you could teach classes to young girls on how to set beautiful tables! I'm 52 and I learn from you.

    Thank you for sharing this at TOHOT. I'm pinning in several places. :)

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  41. What a pretty, cheerful and gracious table! Everything looks divine. And I just adore daffodils - they are pure sunshine! I hope you are enjoying spring, Sarah. We are expecting cooler temps this week. Back to sweaters.
    Cheers, my friend!
    xo
    L

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  42. Oh WOW! I've never seen a Queen of Hearts table...how spectacular! And I like a few bunnies out this month too! Hugs!

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  43. Thank you for sharing the most delightful Easter celebration in 2016. The tulips, daffodils, Easter decorations and the wonderful food was beautiful in every way. We are lucky to have daffodils growing wild all around us. We can pick them and enjoy their pretty golden flowers at no cost. Lucky huh? Smile.

    Happy Blue Monday and thank you for linking today.
    xo
    Jeanne

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  44. Beautiful Easter displays and what a feast!

    Donna@GardensEyeView
    and LivingFromHappiness

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  45. Your Easter decor is delighful! Love all the cute bunnies!

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  46. Sarah, I will be featuring this post on my blog tomorrow for the Thursday Favorite Things party!

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  47. Boy, when you celebrate, you certainly go all out, Sarah! Such lovely (and fun!) decorations, but I'm smitten with your J. Chein & Co. tin toys. They are fabulous, and it's so special that you still have them from your childhood. Thanks so much for sharing all of your decorating skill with us at Vintage Charm :)

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  48. Dear Sarah you sure outdid yourself, wow! What an amazing celebration with such beautiful decorations for Easter with all those cute bunnies and your McKenzie Childs pieces are gorgeous and that vignette you created is awesome.
    The table setting is lovely and the food a real treat! Great post, loved it sweetie and thanks for sharing it with us.
    FABBY

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  49. Oh the decorating and food look amazing! Thanks for sharing at HSH!

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  50. Sarah, I've scrolled through this beautiful post twice. I wanted to take in every detail. You have such a knack for creating lovely vignettes. I studied each vignette in these photos. I am in love with your vintage Easter toys. What a wonderful find. I've also fallen in love with those bunny cones. They are so sweet. Tulips or daffodils, it doesn't matter. Everything looks beautiful. I need to send my husband to Texas to train with your chef. That food looks beautiful and delicious.

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  51. Oh my! A feast for the eyes and everything looks delicious...beautifully done.
    Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  52. Where do I begin? This post is magnificent! I just loved everything. The way you went from Valentine's decorating to Easter, the wonderful food, the antique toys, the beautiful flowers is wonderful and so inspiring!

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  53. I missed this post so happy to see it featured on Amaze me Monday, Sarah! Your Easter celebration looked so beautiful! Your seasonal decorations really make everything looks so special and your menu was mouth watering. I hosted Easter for my family and we enjoyed a buffet dinner--I overcooked as usual, but my children like that as they get to take homer trays of food for the week!

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  54. OMG!!!!! Two words: positively stunning. Love all your touches of french and McK Childs!!! How do I get on your guest list?? Have a great week!!

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  55. oh what a feast for the eyes! if you can believe i only turn my laptop on once or twice a month now to finally get over here for a visit! love seeing so many vignettes, i am living an extra quiet life so its an explosion of goodies to see! you are the queen of black and white ;-)

    your tarts came out adorable and i am wild over your cute cones too! i also love your rabbit dishes, i am just getting ready to order a few cuties from west elm myself, they have so much character for a little bit of extra personality at the table.

    all around gorgeous holiday for you!

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