Saturday jobs

On the Saturday before Easter I spent the day in the house giving it some much needed tender loving care after I have not given it much attention in the last few months. It was so nice to be in the house and bake and clean and boy did we clean. Spring cleaning is so therapeutic! Plus baking really calms me.

For Easter gifts I made chocolate cupcakes decorated as easter nests and also lemon cupcakes.

For the lemon cupcakes I used a recipe from a Marks and Spencers cookbook Nathan's Mum gave me and then I decorated them with roses, which I had learnt to make at the Foodies cupcake class with Liggy from Liggy's cakes. Although I think I could do with a few more lessons! I loved the glitter I sprinkled on them.

My favourite was still the cheeky little chickens. I had loads left over from the girls night the week before. Each person had taken a chicken for their cupcake that night and I have since heard lots of funny stories of where the chickens have ended up. Too cute! These cupcakes were a big hit.

When we had been to IKEA I bought this beautiful blue hydrangea and potted it in a pot that I had recieved from the Burns Supper 2 years ago. Emily had decorated them in the club colours. I love this look.

I also bought a white hydrangea which is so crisp and white. I love the blue and white together too... mmm wedding colours?

I have longed for an apothecary jar for a long time and if I could have I would have brought one over from Pottery Barn/ Crate and Barrell. I see them on American websites all the time and love them. When we were in Morningside on Good Friday I found this one in a shop. I thought it looked really fresh with the lemons.

Again as pictured for the Accies girls evening (but with a bit more light this time) the little Easter tree.

I put lots of Easter decorations up. And I finally, although I don't have a photo of it filled the empty frames with photos of Nathan and I's trip to the States in November.

I thought that it was too sad to put our engagement cards away in a drawer never to be seen again so I have made them a wee feature beside our front door in the hallway. They always make me smile when I walk past.

I bought one to many card holders for the engagement cards so I thought we could use this to put our important mail that needs our attention, so it is by the front door. So far we haven't used it but I think it's kind of cute without any mail. I love the pictures on either side of the middle frame. They were taken in New York when we stayed with San and Nelson. The middle illustration is a Christmas card depicting Edinburgh castle. It was done by my Mum's friend Ian, who is an amazing illustrator.