Personal Style: A Family Easter Weekend

 (wearing my mom's vintage dress and some thrifted, red vintage shoes, necklace f 21. love them)

Our Easter weekend was busy and wonderful. Our church family had a temple outing and then headed off together for a little bbq and Easter egg hunt, followed by a slide show of everyone. A very lovely, very pleasant, somewhat stressful, very exhausting day. Our Sunday was full of reflections on Christ, chocolate, salsa and naps. I hope everyone's Easter was wonderful!

 

*Linked to: Clothed Much's Rule Breaking Monday

Homefront: Easter Mantel

 It feels like it's been a very long since since a mantel post, but really, it was only since the Valentine's mantel... I've probably changed it already about 4 times since then. But for some reason I only did the Easter mantel today... crazy late for me. I haven't posted a single Easter idea post this year. Here's last years Easter mantel, for reference sake. And though, personally, I'm less of a bright bunny rabbit, chicky Easter type gal, and more of a neutral and lovely, Lettered Cottage Spring decor girl, but I do it for the kids. They just love the holiday mantel changes, and it is growing on me as well.

I got this little big guy for $7.. he's adorable!

I think I've been so excited about seeing the Gregory Brothers/Auto Tune the News/ Schmoyoho for my birthday tonight that I haven't been thinking clearly. It's funny, the last concert I went to was on my 21st bday.

For Easter this year, we are doing a long church activity, complete with a little church field trip to our local temple and do some temple work as well. I really think it's going to be a wonderful experience and will help balance the spiritual side of Easter with the chocolate bunnies, colored eggs and jellybeans side.

 my favorite vintage bunny

 "He is not here, for He has risen, as He said." Matthew 28:6

“In our hour of deepest sorrow, we can receive profound peace from the words of the angel that first Easter morning: ‘He is not here: for he is risen.’”

“As one of His special witnesses on earth today, this glorious Easter Sunday, I declare that this is true, in His sacred name—even the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior—amen.”
—President Thomas S. Monson

Read, watch, or listen to President Monson’s April 2010 conference address “He Is Risen!”
You can also view the list of scriptures referenced in this video.

Family Time: Easter Traditions

Growing up, my favorite Easter tradition, was leaving goodies out for the Easter Bunny at night, and waking up to find milky paw prints and half eaten carrots and cookies. I loved the goodies and egg hunt as well of course, but there was that wonder, was the Easter bunny real, was it a little cute bunny rabbit or a large rabbit like the mascot costumed ones? I imagined it to be somewhere in between. My husband said he imagined the Easter bunny to be similar to the Velveteen Rabbit. I like that.

My boys were just as excited as I remember being as a child, Isaac exclaiming, "The Easter Bunny ate the carrot!" , when he very first saw the table in the morning.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable, relaxing and spiritual Easter Sabbath. I love these words spoken by Jeffrey R. Holland, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints about the true meaning of Easter, the short online video entitled, "None Were With Him".

To see more of our family's shenangians, visit the whole post on my family blog. In the meantime, enjoy some of my favorite childhood Easter photos in the early 80's.

My older sis and me, taken when we lived in Hawaii.

Love/hate relationship with this juliette style bonnet. So pretty, so uncomfortable... like jelly shoes.

Intensely studying a candy or decoration of some kind. Not much has changed! Love those chairs and the Little Orphan Annie table.

This is our dance performance, (talent show maybe?) We danced to Peter Cottontale and it was sung to a recording of a woman singing in a 1940's almost Betty Boop chipmunk style voice. Loved it! I'm the little one (again, as usual) and my big sis is on the right of me with her arms out. The best part of the routine was when we turned around and shook our bunny tails!

Movin on Up

So, our internet is being turned off now while we move, and won't be up again for about a week. I will have lots of fun getting caught up on all of your lovely posts, and hopefully have some fun things to post about in our new place myself. Though unpacking instead of Christmas decorating isn't so exciting, I will have to live vicariously for a short time.

My shop is on standby until then, but I plan on having lots of new restyled vintage jewelry and Twilight jewelry up just in time for Christmas shopping.

In the meantime, have a lovely December! Try not to get too busy and remember the true meaning of Christmas! This Joy to the World video features a lovely Nativity story along with music from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. You can order it free from here. The Christmas message here is lovely as well, it has a wonderful video, family activites and music.

Family Time: Jumping on the Bed Gets You Closer to God

This weekend I visited my local antique mall and brought my camera! I have over 200 amazing photos to share with you and will be posting the best of the best this week, so do come back! (click on photos for larger view)


Mommy: (blow drying hair)
3 yr old: (jumping on mommy's bed)
Mommy: (putting on make-up)
3 yr old: I love Jesus
Mommy: You do? How come?
3 yr old: He loves me. He lives up high! (pointing to the sky)
Mommy: He does?
3 year old: Yeah, but he lives on Earth, too.
Mommy: uh-huh
3 year old: I'm going to die someday
Mommy: (silence)
3 year old: But it's okay because Jesus loves me.
Mommy: He does. I love you too!
3 year old: You're silly mommy
Mommy: (continues putting on make-up)
3 year old: (screaming contest with little brother ensues)



I try not to ask leading questions so I can see where my son goes with these conversations. He really likes to talk about God and the wonders of the Earth. I hope it never stops.



I know this letter has been around for a while, but I read it and it was a reminder that we should never underestimate our children. We should teach them that it is okay to not always agree, and to question authority at times lest something like this awful thing happens to them (video here, but don't watch if you upset easily. For a rundown sparring the details, in the video, the abused young girl says she did was she was told by the abuser because her parents taught her to never question what an adult told her to do).



Some day our precious little ones will grow up and may possibly rebel or go through other hardships and make our hearts ache, but that doesn't mean we can't open up our arms to them in those rough times. We have to remember, that if we do our part, they have to be trusted to eventually make their own decisions. I believe, that at a young age, a child can be led by the Spirit, as they are closer to the veil than we are. But as we age and we harden and the world bears down upon our children, we as parents and adults in general have to help guide our young. As the Prophet Joseph Smith once said, “I teach them {the children} correct principles, and they govern themselves." I love this talk, "Teaching Children to Govern Themselves" on the subject.



That has always been my goal, and just as long as my children know that I love them and want what is best for them, everything will be alright in the end if we keep our family strong. What is your goal when fostering your children up in this world?



Look at all of these Mormon related coloring pages and these non-denominational Christian pages I found for little ones. Great to keep them occupied in church instead of coloring in a Disney or dinosaur book!

Some Things on My Mind

Tonight, while snacking on copius amounts of [lightly] salted pretzels (following a strawberry and chocolate sundae, naturally), we watched The Visitor. It was really an incredible movie, funny, sweet, sad, touching, frustrating, a good mix of it all.


Spock pin by the pink samurai

And, while I love the blockbusters like Star Trek (please don't tell me I am the only one who really liked Spock more than Kirk... and seriously, Kirk and his daddy looked almost identical!) a good indie film is almost more gratifying. So, go and Netflix it!



Also, A Print a Day released her online mag, Parasol a week or so ago, so if you haven't checked it out, go and download it HERE! It is free and inspiring. In her next mag Parasol Review, I even have a little short story in there, but it isn't out just yet.



Design wise, what is on my mind this week? Area rugs. I'm thinking jute, shag, black and white, buttercream, flokati, pale yellow and creme stripes... oh the decisions, esp when on a budget (and 2 toddlers and a dog narrows it down even more). But that is for another post.

Sunday, I gave a talk in church about Forgiveness. It went really well and I was grateful for the opportunity to speak. It is always uplifting to have to teach something that you know you need to hear. If you would like a copy of my talk (well, the jist of it anyways) you can see it HERE. It was largely inspired by the talks “I Will Remember Your Sins No More” by President Boyd K Packer in May 2006 and “Remember Lot’s Wife" by Jeffrey R. Holland in Jan 2009 (or read only version). Great talks, you should check them out (esp the last one if you are married, it's EXCELLENT!)

Take care little peaches,