easter dinner for 18: menu

The menu has been finalized and it goes a little something like this:

I printed out the menu on white cardstock and cut a bit of brown rick rack ribbon and glued it using a glue stick.

easter dinner for 18: place cards

Every year I like to personalize each guest’s place at the Easter dinner table. Last year I used “Dracula” (my embroidery machine) to embroidery the guest’s name in their napkin. This year I was inspired by easter eggs: 40 Fabulous Projects for the Whole Family. The idea of using a blown out egg as a flower vase is genius. You can easily personalize the egg using alphabet rub-ons (like shown) or with a felt tip marker.

easter dinner table 2006

Here’s a look back at my Easter dinner table last year.

easy way to blow an egg

You’ll Need:
• Eggs in an egg carton
• Straight pin or tapestry needle
• Teaspoon (from your silverware drawer, not for measuring)
• Wooden skewer (they sell great ones at IParty)
• Drinking glass
• Drinking Straws

Leave the eggs in the carton while you pierce them. Place the pin point-down against the top of the egg and lightly tap the pin head with the back of the spoon until it pierces the egg. Insert the wooden skewer into the egg and gently press it down until it pierces the bottom of the egg.

Remove the egg from the carton, hold it over the glass, and push the skewer up and down through the contents several times to break the yolk. Remove the skewer and place a straw over the hole. Blow through the straw until the contents of the egg are emptied into the glass. Rinse the blown eggs in warm water and dry with a paper towel or let them dry in a clean egg carton.

Taken from easter eggs: 40 fabulous projects for the whole family by Matthew Mead

great food fast

I made an emergency trip to Border’s last week just to procure the Great Food Fast cookbook from “She who must not be named” at a 30% discount. I’m all about speed in the kitchen. I have a plaque above my sink that says the following:

“If you are what you eat then I’m fast, easy and cheap.”

Saturday night we cracked open the book and tested it out with the Parmesan Potato Fries and the Asparagus & Gruyere Pastry. Not too shabby, but not worth typing up the recipe to share. The recipes were simple and they didn’t require a lot of ingredients or time. I’ve book marked a few others to try out.

easter dinner for 18: shopping at the fabric store

I knew I needed a patterned napkin to off set the solid color table cloth. I went to a fabric store in Boston’s Chinatown and found this fun cotton print.

Making napkins is relatively easy.

Here’s How:

1. Cut fabric into squares at your desired length. I used a store napkin as a size template. Be sure to allow at least ½ inch on all edges.
2. Use the extra ½ inch to fold under and sew.

Last year I embroidered my guests names on the napkin to serve dual purposes (place card and mouth wiper). This year I’m going to fold the napkin to hold the menu.

easter dinner for 18: shopping at IKEA

My Easter dinner theme is inspired around 2 little bird salt/pepper shakers I saw in a boutique in Beacon Hill. The salt shaker was white and the pepper shaker was turquoise. BAMM! my theme was born.

After reviewing what I’ve got at home and with idea story board in hand, it’s time to start shopping for the basics. Here’s the category of things I need:

• Dinnerware for 18
• Table Cloth
• Place Cards
• Centerpieces
• Menu
• Favors
• Napkins

My first stop on my shopping trip is IKEA. There is no better place to start because of its low prices and item availability. The plates were easy to find and very reasonably priced. Next to the plates were these super cute turquoise egg cups that couldn’t be any more perfect. I wasn’t happy with their napkin and tablecloth selection, nothing really struck my fancy. I didn’t get inspired until we made our way into the textiles section of the store. There it was like a faithful friend… the curtains. IKEA curtains are a staple in many of my projects (bench cushion, 2 sets of curtains, table top cover and an office desk skirt). I found a great pair of turquoise panels that when sewn together will make a beautiful table cloth.

When I got home I immediately mixed what I already had and what I just bought into a “draft” table setting arrangement. My shopping list is now down to the following:

• Place Cards
• Centerpieces
• Menu
• Favors
• Napkins

winter gardening: bloomed

After 3 patience months, my amaryills bulb is in full bloom.

easter dinner for 18: planning

Before I throw a party I like to look thru past editions of my favorite magazines for ideas and inspiration. I don’t like to rip things out only to loose them. It’s a digital world and I am a digital girl, so I take digital photos of things I may want to do.

Once I go thru all my mags I load the pictures to my laptop and print them all out using HP photo print wizard. I’m able to get 9 photos per page which makes it easy to have all my inspiration in one place.

here comes peter cottontail

Now that I have successfully recovered from my patty’s day hangover it’s back to crafting business. Next on the agenda, weed my way thru the next 3 months of parties and holidays. Now that Erin Go Braugh and the ice luge are nothing but fond blurry memories, the next holiday party my husband and I traditionally throw is the Pre Bunny Brunch and Easter Dinner.

To get me in the spirit I like to peruse magazines from April years past. I keep them on hand organized by month just for that purpose. I start by jotting down ideas and making a supplies list. I also pull out items that I bought during the post holiday sales from last year like my egg cup set. I bought 6 little guys with feet for a dollar each at a local store in Vermont last May.