Spring Vase Fillers

The old standards are easy to repeat again and again when it comes to filling glass vases as a base for an arrangement or as a standalone centerpiece component.  If you would be into something very spring specific, here are a few vase filler ideas just prime for Easter time.

Thinking outside the box, consider asparagus spears for both round and square vases.  They won’t last you a season but would instead be a real attention getter for your Easter dinner table.  Line stalks side by side to fill the perimeter of a vase.  To keep them in place, opt for a vase-within-a-vase method, using a smaller interior vase or jar to hold water and your flower arrangement.  If you need extra cushion for them to hold their spots, opt for a hidden filler layer like small handfuls of crumpled, fitted tissue paper.  The same concept could be applied to carrots as well, which would draw any bunny to the table.   

Easter eggs are another timely item perfect to fill a grouping of vases, flowers or no flowers on top.  To keep it modern, group similar color families together, like pinks and oranges or blues and greens.  Or go monochromatic and choose one color or an ombre effect by layering one color from dark to light in shade.  Both plastic eggs and home dyed eggs will work beautifully for this arrangement. 

Easter candy can be a sweet spot on the dining room table when it’s used to fill vases.  Stagger a grouping of cylinder, square, rectangle, or apothecary vases or jars down the table’s center, and fill each with your candy of choice.  Jelly beans, marshmallow birds, gumballs, chocolates, and so forth can all be used.  Use one smaller vase inside if you would like your display to be a fence line of chocolate rabbits or marshmallow chicks neatly in a row.     

Why stop there?  The Easter basket grass doesn’t have to be left out, but instead can be a vase filler all its own.  You can use it as a base to nestle eggs, a nest, or some bunny figurines, or let it be the display below a spring floral arrangement.  To keep it from floating, use the vase-within-a-vase method when arranging flowers.

Take your Easter and spring staples and fill up those vases with something just right for the season to create an attractive, tasty feast for the eyes down the center of your table.  And that’s before you even serve up those traditional Easter lunch favorites.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 29th.

  

Putting Together a Hoppin' Easter Basket

When it comes to compiling the perfect Easter baskets, it’s hard to beat the Easter Bunny himself.  But if you have some little ones in your bunch you’d like to assemble something special for, here are some tips for layering it in just right.

First, start with something other than a typical Easter basket.  The classic woven style with a handle doesn’t translate into anything but Easter, and they don’t often linger too much longer once the holiday is over.  Instead, choose a bin or milk crate basket that can be used for kid room storage when the goods are gone.  They come colorful and printed or are made of natural woven materials that will have some double duty staying power.

Do layer in some faux grass.  Today’s Easter basket grass comes in different spring colors and feels hardier and less messy than what I remember as a kid.  If your basket has some depth to it, feel free to bunch up handfuls of tissue paper to give your grass layer a boost in order to show off the goody layer more prominently. 

Branch out beyond the candy.  Choose some small items that your individual recipient will enjoy.  An Easter weekend at the beach would be a great opportunity to add in a couple of sand toys.  The little artist would appreciate a new box of colors or markers with a fresh coloring book or sketch pad.  Any small trinkets for the season like sidewalk chalk, a jump rope, or a bottle of bubbles are simple, inexpensive additions that can be played with and enjoyed.  Consider a book, a DVD, or even a gift card to top off the loot.

Choose unique sugary finds.  It’s natural to gravitate just to the standard staples of mini candy, but walking through the Easter candy aisles of a store can be a great wealth of new-treat information.  You’ll find creative and crafty special items made just for the holiday like decorated cookies, carrot shaped bags of bite sized candy, and other indulgences that come packaged in fun and artistic ways. 

Don’t forget the eggs.  Topping your basket off with some filled plastic eggs makes for a nice presentation and one more way to gift little surprises.  Individually wrapped candy pieces, coins, and tiny plastic toys are all welcome reasons to crack open another egg. 

Now arrange all your gifts with one viewpoint in mind, stacking the larger and taller items in the back and working toward the shortest in the front, fanning things out to show as much of each piece as you can.  Leave your eggs for last, either spreading them out or leaving them in a cluster.  

You may not have rabbit ears and a cotton tail, but following this game plan could make you just as popular as the Easter Bunny when your little ones dive into your hoppin’ Easter basket.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 22nd.

  

What You Need for Hosting This Spring

Ladies’ lunches, showers, spring tea parties, and casual dinners can all have your doorbell ringing and your table filling up this season.  If you enjoy being the hostess, here is a list of supplies you’ll want to have on hand for your spring event.

Glass drink dispensers – They hold more and dispense more easily than pitchers.  They look great in a grouping of 2 or 3 with colorful liquid and perhaps fruit pieces on display.  And they make self-serving easy for guests’ refills.  Add in a chalkboard area for drink labeling or a pretty gold dot design, and you have a fancy-but-easy drink bar started.

Coordinating colorful paper goods – One of the simplest places to display a party’s theme is in the paper goods, and there is such a wide array of colors, styles, prints, patterns, and themes available today.  Dinner plates, appetizer plates, dinner napkins, and cocktail napkins are easy, disposal, and showy for any event.  They help host a crowd with less clean-up post-party.

Paper straws – For any girly event, paper straws are a simple added touch that packs a party punch.  Display them in a glass cylinder vase alongside your drink bar or stake them in individually prepared glasses or Mason jars.  They can coordinate with your paper goods and add another pop of festive color.

Sweet nibbles – Candy and gumballs that start out as décor and ultimately double as small bites of sweet treats can add a lot to a spring buffet.  Fill square or round glass vases with loose candy or gumballs or stick lollipops into a layer of dried beans or split peas for an anchor.  If they start to disappear, even better.

A signature – Be it a drink or dessert, having a signature something for guests to enjoy at the beginning or the end can be a memorable takeaway that stands out from the traditional punch or slice of cake.  Present it with a little sign that shows off the crafty name you’ve given it that tells what it is with a play on words or funny saying in the mix.

A takeaway – Let guests leave with something small and thoughtful you’ve prepared that goes with the theme of your gathering.  A decorated cookie wrapped in cellophane, another dessert bite in a mini box, or a glass bottle drink with a custom label are all crowd pleasers that show you thought of everything from beginning to end.

Take advantage of the fun items and ideas that can boost your spring event to a raved-about party guests are so thrilled they attended because you really know how to host.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 15th.

  

Out of the Box Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning.  It’s the time to tackle those annual hot spots so you can come out on the other side and feel like your home has gotten that deep down scrubbing that makes you feel very accomplished.  The usual list involves windows, under and behind the heavy stuff, the drapes, closets, under the beds, and of course your regular chore list on steroids.  It can be a lot to tackle.  And yet, there could be more . . .  Since the basics feel pretty, well, basic, let’s cover another short list of spring cleaning mini-projects that can each have you feeling like you’ve tackled something big and won.

The Jewelry Box – It can be an overstuffed, overflowing, tangled mess we’ve woven over time.  Sift, sort, decide to keep or give away, and then properly store what you’re keeping.  Ideally, hang necklaces, pair earrings in divided boxes in a drawer, and stack bracelets in trays or bins.  When you purge what you don’t wear and arrange what you do so you can easily see it, you’re set to accessorize your future outfits. 

Media – How many CD cases and DVDs are taking up storage space in your entertainment center or elsewhere?  Free up space by storing music files digitally and parting with movies that won’t see a screen again. 

Magazines – How do they become these piles in four different rooms in the house?  Donate back issues of magazines to a local doctor’s office or recycle them.  Afraid you’ll part with something you intended to reference again?  Don’t be; you’ll probably just Google it if the topic comes up again.

Office Supplies – If you never have the right size of envelope or can’t find a stamp when you need one, take stock of your home office supplies and purchase refills where needed.  Store them neatly for easy home office access.

Cleaning Products – In the midst of spring cleaning, empty out your cleaning products stored away under the sinks and access your use.  If it’s old, nearly empty, or has been forgotten and replaced by a new bottle or brand, clear it out.  Purchase new sponges and bar rags to start fresh.

Tools – If your junk drawer could warrant its own zip code, or the bin you pull tools from is a disastrous mess, take the time to organize.  Determine what basics need to be at the ready in the house and what is better stored in the garage for periodic use.  Compartmentalize picture hanging supplies, nails, and nuts and bolts so you know what you have and can pull from your supply easily when needed.  Replenish your stock of batteries while you’re at it. 

 

Paint – A collection of cans in the garage with runs all down the sides may not lend itself to quick and easy touchups.  Determine what paint is still good, and label the lids with the house location in permanent marker.  If a lid has been cracked and air has allowed a thick film to form on the paint’s surface, remove it; it won’t do you any good for future touchups.  Consider buying a quart of it as a new replacement.  When buying new paint, keep the paint swatch and write on it what you got in the way of finish for reference.

Think out of the box for some easy-tackle, nice-payoff projects to go along with your spring cleaning to-do list.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 8th.

            

Spring Decorating Basics

Nothing lends a light and airy feel to your home like spring décor popping up here and there.   If you’d like to transition into some seasonal staples, here’s a rundown of spring decorating basics.

Nature coming indoors is a key element of spring décor.  We know about the bunnies, eggs, birds, nests, and butterflies, which can all be taken in a modern direction to ensure they come off mature and picturesque on display.  Simply bypass versions that appear too kid friendly and opt instead for more muted colors, small wall art, plates and platters, and small figurines that can be grouped together and displayed as spring scenes.  Pair these with cake stands for added height in table centerpieces, and mix in a little greenery.

Spring green is a top seasonal shade that can be conveyed in a variety of ways, with greenery being at the top of the list.  Moss, potted plants, hydrangea and tulip blooms, green apples, and grass sprigs all do the trick.  Moss is the perfect base for a display, cover for a front door wreath, or filler over the base of a plant or bloom display.  Plants indoors are a natural accessory this time of year, as are individual stems resting in clear glass vases.  A cake stand, tray, or serving bowl full of green apples or limes is fitting for kitchen and dining displays.  Squares and rectangles of real or faux grass in a tin or wooden box are easy accessories for side and coffee tables. 

Ladylike touches also convey a spring vibe, so if you have pretty teacups that usually are reserved for the cabinet, pull those out and set up a mini tea party display with a couple of cups and saucers on a drink tray you accent with a short vase of fresh blooms.  Layering on the table linens, playing up lace, and topping table chargers with cloth napkins and napkin rings or napkins folded between layered plates can step up your dining room’s style.       

Vibrant color is also a sure sign of spring.  Bright glassware, latte bowls, and vases with hues of pink, orange, and purple in bloom can be grouped together for a table centerpiece or standalone floral accent.  Bright patterned placemats, napkins, and table cloths welcome guests to the table.

Put some spring in your home’s step this season by adding in some timely essentials that will be pretty on display until summer arrives.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 1st.