EASTER BASKET DILEMMA: Solved!

Posted by Ethne~

Good news, Friends!  Shaun and I will be moving from our comfortable-but-too-small-for-twins condo into a house at the end of this month!  Talk about SPRING FEVER.  I can’t wait.  As in, I CANNOT WAIT!

I don’t think I’ll plant a huge garden right away, since I need to get settled in, and since Thrifty Nana (my mom) is still only 2 miles away and she’s all about a big garden in her lush yard.  You’ll definitely get plenty of gardening on the blog this summer.

TN's yard last 4th of July

Of course I will prettify my new house with lots of potted plants.  I’m feeling like pink flowers this year.  Sorry Shaun.  (Pink’s not his favorite color, and then he went and had twin girls with a gal – moi –  who loves pink.)  I’ve already got the planters, so now I’ll find some pretty pink flowers.  I’m thinking petunias, which are always good bloomers, and perhaps a pretty pink gerbera daisy.  You know I’ll keep you posted.

But let’s back up.  Easter (being this Sunday) will still be at our condo, so I haven’t done any planting yet.  Also, we live in MN, so we can’t go hog wild with planting stuff yet.  It could easily freeze for 2 full months.  Easter Egg Hunts will still occur at the grandparents’ houses in lieu of our own yard.  Not too hard to twist their arms about that – ‘What, bring the girls over for an Easter Egg Hunt?  You talked me into it.’

Last Easter hitting the giant bunny pinata with carrot bats

Walking into church last year for the Easter service.
I think this is a cute pic - that TN, always so sneaky with the camera.

I had been debating what the girls would get from the Easter Bunny.  I am CERTAIN that the girls don’t need anymore toys.  Sure, they’ll get some candy, that can’t be helped.  We’ll fill all the plastic eggs up with pennies.  Decision Done.

But I wanted something a little different.  Then it hit me: A FAIRY GARDEN!

I had seen (on Pinterest of course) someone make a miniature fairy garden out of a whiskey barrel and small plants and stones.  And you know from here, here and here that fairies are kind of our thing.

Itty bitty fairies?  Yes please.

Shaun agreed to spray paint some large white plastic pots (I conveniently have two identical ones) a color I haven’t chosen yet.  And I’ll track down some flat river rocks and gems that we can use to make a pathway.  And maybe a teensy moss garden with a miniature chair and fence.  And a fairy house.  And a pond.  Oh look, the possibilities are endless.

Of course, first things first, a planter needs plants; certainly no fairy would want to come to a garden without plants.  Here in big city, MN, a lot of stores don’t have the outdoor plants on sale yet (hello, two more months of freeze), but they do have plant starters and seeds up the wazoo.

SO, I went to trusty Home Depot and what did I find but a Disney Princess greenhouse with flower seed packets, starter soil and princess stakes and stickers.  PERFECT!

The whole fairy garden won’t come together until it’s slightly warmer out and the stores have more selection (and till Whit can track down miniature garden furniture at Hobby Lobby before she moves back to MN from GA).  But we will start with growing flowers from seeds in the girls’ very own pink greenhouses.  I’ll let you know how it goes – Shaun claims that, as usual, I’m more excited about this gift than the girls will be, but at least this will provide us with fun things to do in our new yard.  Yippee!

PS~

Dear Hobby Lobby,

Why are your stores in every state except for Minnesota?  Is there some sort of Hobby Lobby ban in my state?  Do you have something against the State of Minnesota?  Lori has Hobby Lobby in ND.  Mom Connie has Hobby Lobby in NE.  Whit has Hobby Lobby in GA.  We had a Hobby Lobby in MO when Thrifty Nana lived there.  I want one.  And when I say ‘I want one’ picture me throwing a temper tantrum, kicking and screaming, as I say it.

I look forward to your prompt cooperation in opening a store here.  Locating it in my big city suburb would be just fine, thanks for asking.

Regards,

Ethne