Easter Prettifications

Something that I've always found just a teensy bit irritating is the way that magazines are out of sinc with real life months. So for example, the magazines that land on your doormat in early March are labelled April and are full of chit chat about things happening a whole month away. I am really, really not that person who can get giddy for Christmas at the start of November, or think about Easter a whole month in advance. I am much more of a Here and Now girl, living in the moment and just about able to think a week ahead at the most.

My current solution is to stash my two favourite seasonal magazines when they arrive, leaving them wrapped in their plastic so I'm not tempted to peek. I place them gently on top of my teetering to-do pile which sits precariously on my desk just to the right of my computer and I leave them for a good few weeks until I feel ready for them. It takes some doing, it's not easy to leave them alone, but I find that the very act of waiting gives me a bizarre amount of pleasure during the three weeks that they sit there staring at me.

This week I finally felt ready to think about Spring (it was the Spring Equinox that nudged me) and with Easter happening this weekend I thought it would be a good time to take a walk in Magazine Wonderland. First up is April Country Living, one of my most beloved indulgences (I've been a faithful subscriber since 1998).

Summer magazines are my most favourite, but Spring comes a close second best.

I am such a sucker for these nature-inspired styling photos, they are always so inspirational and make me want to jump up instantly and do something to prettify my home for the season.

There are always some lovely little decorative ideas and easy makes in these 'Seasonal Styling' sections....

.....oh those butterfly eggs!! So simple, but oh so pretty and majorly appealing (the butterflies are temporary tattoos, so clever! Filing that idea away for another time).

These are the 'Seasonal Looks' pages from April Country Homes magazine. I adore these particular pages every month and spend an age scouring the images and taking in every single detail. There is always a small-print section at the end which is essentially a huge long shopping list, telling you where you can buy every item and how much it costs.

The interiors are of course completely over-styled, over-thought and more than a little bit fake....

....but it doesn't stop me swooning over the gorgeousness of it all.

If I work at zooming my mind outwards and away from every minute detail in these images, it's possible to get an overall feel for the season by taking in just the colours. It's a very useful exercise for me as a lot of what I do in crochet is inspired by seasonal colours, and I really enjoy the challenge of seeing images in this way. Try it for yourself - see what colours come to you from the above photos, and focus on how they make you feel. They are light and dreamy, dusky pale pinks and soft duck egg blues, chalky whites and soft greys but there are pops of bright colour too (that mustardy-lime colour, wowsers). They make me feel relaxed and happy, and inspired too.

Here in my own home, things are much the same as they always are at this time of year. Colours aren't so much soft and dreamy as bright and breezy here in the Attic.

I fetched down the Easter Box from the Attic Eaves on Monday, I had Little B home from school with a rocket-like temperature so he was my willing assistant. I'd quite forgotten about the Mini Chicklets from last year {pattern on my blog}, it was surprisingly lovely to see them again.

I've got fancy daffodils on my table this week, all flouncy and twiddly in the centres. The deep orange is a really stunning colour, but the best thing about these daffs is the scent - oh I wish you could smell them! The essence of Spring right there in my jug. I've been sat at the table a lot this week (fighting the low grade stress that arrives with a poorly, feverish child), writing lists in my planner and quietly knitting my sock whilst breathing in the scent of these lovely flowers. It's been peaceful, in an oddly stressy kind of a way. By the way, Little B is back at school today, still a  bit wobbly but at least his body is no longer on fire. Thank goodness our Easter Holidays start tomorrow (yipppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee).

Little B and I set to work with Easterifying the mantel on Monday, the Spring version of my Christmas efforts. It's a rather shambolic, haphazard approach to be honest, a weeny bit chaotic (hang ALL the decorations, fill EVERY single branch!) but I love, love, love it. 

Most of the felt Easter decorations are as old as Little Man (13), I bought the funny little felt birds and painted wooden eggs from eBay and made the felt flowers. You can just about see that the little crochet blossom flowers are back on my twigs for Spring, I made them four years ago {pattern in this post}.

In the Easter Box there was an assortment of little decorations made by the Little People over the years, so sweet to see them all again. Funny little paper chicks, decorated eggs, things stuck with glitter, and this cute little Easter Basket made by Little B when he was a tiny toddler at playgroup. The knitted sheep in the pink knitted woolly jumper there, well she was hand knitted, by ME. Yes Me!!!! I knitted a little sheep!! More about that particular adventure with the sticks coming soon, I bet you can't wait eh? Baaaaaaaaa!

Other seasonal goodness this week has included buttery toasted Hot Cross buns (essential stress relief you understand)....

....and the finishing up of my Cupcake blanket. Finished, it is indeedy, and I do love that the colours are very In Season and just right for March. And April.

I shall be taking it to Dorset with me next week, with my fingers crossed for good weather and good photographic opportunities.

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 ps the Cupcake yarn pack will be available from my shop at Wool Warehouse on Monday 18th April. As always, I'll be sharing a full ta-dah moment here on my blog which will include a tutorial for the new Linen Stitch edging as well as the full colour sequence for the cupcake stripes. Not long to wait :)

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Paula]

Oh, Lucy, you're just awesome!!! I eagerly check for new posts every day. So bright and springy, I love your current post and can't wait to buy the Cupcake Pack!!!!

Happy Easter to you and yours, from me and mine in Indiana, USA!!!

[Wendy Thomas]

Love that sheep,would love the pattern,enjoy your easter holidays.

[Eleonora from Coastal Crochet]

Oh your house looks so lovely and colourful. Perfect for Easter! :) x

[Lindyloufromoz]

Love your Easter decorations, Lucy, your house is always so colourful, pretty and welcoming! Love the colours of your new cupcake blanket. Look forward to the pattern and the colour pack. Happy Easter to you and yours and hope the Easter bunny hops in! 😊

[Kathy, FRANCE]

It looks lovely Lucy, all bright and Springy!!! I LOVE those daffodils.....Thanks for sharing such happy, lovely photo's....makes our world a bit better.....and we all need that x x x

[Sarah]

I get just as frustrated as you do about the content of the magazines being so far in advance. I have Country Living magazine and Coast magazine, the latter isn't quite so bad. Your Easter decorations are gorgeous and so colourful. I hope you have a lovely time in Dorset some of the weather doesn't look too promising. The Station kitchen is worth visiting if you are in West Bay. Sarah x

[Eileen]

Love your sheep - full of character. Looking forward to hearing about how you made it.

[Claire]

What a riot of colour and Easterishness! Love it.

[Chessy]

It all looks so gorgeous, as ever! Wishing you and yours a happy Easter, and a lovely time in Dorset. We'll be down there too, and stopping in West Bay for obligatory fish supper at some point. Fingers crossed for fair weather...

[Lynn Butler]

I love this post! I am so ready to get to decorating. Hubby brought my Easter boxes in so I have them at the ready. I just have a bit more cleaning to do yet before I get to the fun stuff. We're hosting Easter lunch this year with family and friends. I too have my daffys. I'm hoping they will last until Sunday. Have a wonderful Easter!
Your sheep caught my eye. Too cute!

[Laura]

Happy Easter Lucy!

[Annette]

Hope you, your husband and the family have a great time in Dorset - enjoy. Happy Easter. Annette

[Jill Attwood]

I do so agree about magazines arriving out of sinc with the month.I haven't got your willpower however and remember reading about Halloween whilst sitting on the beach one August bank holiday!

[Anita walters]

I have started to save my monthly Home mags for the end of/ beginning of the month it's aimed at and find it a much more pleasurable experience,I have all month to look forward to reading them,I also feel inspired to decorate my house for Easter every year but so far haven't actually got round to doing it, I have promised myself that I am going to start collecting/ making things for next Easter,this year will have to just be a vase of lovely daffy 😊

[Angela-Southern USA]

I adore spring! (except for the pesky hay fever part) I too draw inspiration from magazines more so for the display ideas but some for the colors. The daffodils are lovely! They never last long enough,I love them so! Totally adorable sheep! I spotted her right off, can't wait to here all about it. (How funny, I've actual been on the hunt for a pattern myself.) Lovely cupcake blanket! I'm on the edge of my pastel Easter inspired blanket now. Have a fabulous Easter and spring holiday!xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[crafty mema]

how can you not love spring-my favorite season
the picture of the daffodils---is that a crochet bag in the far right cornor-mmmmmmmm

oxoxoxoxoxcrafty mema

[Susanne]

What a beautiful easterdecoration! I love it all. Spotting this cushion on the yellow chair again makes my heart sing and raises my desire to travel. Maybe next year..... I would like to show you my latest blanket inspired by your harmony blanket. How can I do it? Email, Facebook or Instagram?
Have a wonderful eastertime dear Lucy! I hope the weather will be sunny. Or dry at least...
Best wishes from Germany!

[Helen]

Happy Easter, Lucy. Hope you and your family have a healthy and joyful time together. Xx

[Lesley Melling]

Dear Lucy
I love love love your knitted sheep - will you be sharing the pattern please please pretty please. Happy Easter xx

[Carol DeLater]

Hey!! Happy Easter. You are spot on with the early magazine articles. Usually I read them and forget I wanted to try something by the time the season is right. But then crafty kind of things take time so sometimes I'm glad to read about them a month in advance.

LOVE your mantle. It is so very gorgeous.
Happy Easter

[Susan]

Gorgeous as always.I feel for the staff on these mags who are probably doing Xmas now.that would do my head in.Lets celebrate now!🐣🐣🐣🐣🌺

[Monse]

Me encantan tus fotos pero me cuesta muchisimo traducir, entender todo... sería muy importante para mí que hubiera la posibilidad de TRADUCIR al ESPAÑOL. Please!!!!!!

[Jane]

I too have a pile of magazines still in their plastic wrappers, but mainly because I can never seem to find time during a normal month to read them! I enjoy having a binge when I have the time - on holiday, if I am off work sick, or when I have some time to myself - hoping to find a few hours this weekend! I love all your decorations. We have a very bland 80s suburban house - I would dearly love a place with a bit more character and a mantelpiece! Am really tempted now to head off and find some spare DK and hook up a few chicklets ....

[Jean scriven]

Your posts cheer me so much. It is my birthday today and I have been up and down for the past three nights with my hubby who came out of hospital this week after three strokes in January. His mind has gone a bit

wobbly so it isn't easy .i made a variation of your Xmas wreath and it was lovely. Thanks for the cheery photos and God bless Yorkshire. I am a midlander with close ties to Yorkshire but have migrated to Wiltshire.

[Cathy]

What a beautiful post - it is indeed full of the colours of spring. I buy the same two magazines and also only read them 'in sync' with the month I'm in. However, now that I've seen your post I shall have to get the April one out so that I'm not reading about Eastery things after Easter's over :) The cupcake blanket is gorgeous, and I'm glad that Little B is feeling better now. I hope you enjoy your holidays.
Cathy x