Easter Decor for Greeting and Dining #KmartEaster

When it comes time for holidays at our house,

I strive to make each holiday special for my kids.

We do not live near our families and I want to create memories

and traditions for my kids that will last forever.

Of course, that does not always mean I get super elaborate

or go over the top, but it does mean incorporating items they love,

letting them help decorate or cook, and creating a special table for our meal...

even if it is just the four of us.

We have already had a few egg hunts around here...and at preschool, and so my kids, especially my daughter is so excited for Easter and the Easter Bunny, and the candy, and well anything that has to do with Easter.

Even with all of my good intentions, I will admit, I am a last minute decorate...but luckily for Jules we had the amazing opportunity to head to Kmart and get our house Easter ready ahead of time!

I jumped online to preview the Celebrations by Radko line so I could start thinking of ideas and ways to incorporate the line into our existing decor...or just start over with new decor! (FUN!)

I found the Celebrations by Radko line to be charming and it reminded me of the sweet vintage figurines I pick up whenever I see them. I was feeling a little nostalgic...and my daughter was swooning over the little lambs and bunnies and chicks. We browsed the selection online, and then I made a list of what I needed..or thought I needed.
(my list grew at the store!)

We had to head out to a Kmart about an hour away to purchase our supplies, in particular the Celebrations by Radko line. 

I thought this line was sweet when I first saw is on Kmart.com, but I kind of kind of fell in love with it when I saw it at the store. It so charming,
and to top t off, Kmart had great prices on everything!
All of the Celebrations by Radko was on sale...
(Oh yeah - I bought all of the egg holders...I could not resist!)

You can read more about my shopping trip on Google+, right HERE!

We headed home and...

Now we were ready to decorate!

I have neglected my front porch, so I cleaned the whole thing off - swept, sprayed it down and got it ready for it's Easter makeover!

Our porch is covered and I always have a table and two chairs out there.

So I was definitely working around those.

Now, let me take you on a tour of our Easter Porch!

I purchased some metal "carrot" planters, Asiatic Lilies, and the Boy Bunny figurine to use on the table. Added some moss (because I love texture and layers) and a birdhouse and the paper bunny banner I made...and voila! Now we have a little Easter habitat happening on the front porch.

At Kmart, I found these great faux speckled eggs in a mustard yellow and salmon color (and nests were included too) and used them as accents on the table...
as well as on the wreath.
(I bought every package of these that were in stock!)

I purchased a pretty, decorated wreath, but...

I cannot leave anything alone...

so I added some details to it.

Hot glue was my friend for sure.

And I LOVE the final product.

To the wreath, I added:
The (same) faux eggs (that I used on the porch)
with a nest filled with a bed of torn fabric
and one of those darling Celebrations by Radko egg holders.
It was looking so sweet!

I then tea-dyed some (blown out) eggs and

made a little chalkboard pennant for that chick to display.

I think my porch looks cheery and happy and ready to welcome visitors  -
maybe I will even invite some friends over for an egg hunt at home?
I must tell you my daughter is thrilled with all of the outdoor decor,
but I have to keep my eye on her...

she wants it all in her room!

After finishing up with the porch,
I moved on to creating a fun and magical table top design
we could use for our Easter brunch (that is our big meal of the day).
Our weather here is sketchy, but for some reason,
Easter Sunday is always gorgeous and
we usually eat our brunch outside...
so outside I went with my table and chairs, and my serving cart!

When I do a table, I like to include my "loves" and make them work together, whether that be vintage finds, thrift store treasure, collections, or recently purchased items,
like by new Celebrations by Radko decor.
I do like sweet little details too,
but always keep in mind we will be eating there...
so I leave room for the essentials, 
leave glitter far from food,
and don't get too fussy with the decor.

A casually elegant table with personality is my goal,
and almost always with a bit of a handmade feel.

I think this table captures just that.

I began with the basics..the linens.
I prefer a plain white linen on the top of the table...
but I LOVE the layers and colors peeking out from under.
I layered a green cloth, some burlap (which I like to keep away from the food), and one of my newer bright and cheery yellow cloths, and then topped it with a white cloth.

Around the top of the table I attached a very simple pennant banner I made from burlap and drop cloth (super easy - all simple shapes and hot glued together!). I love this look - fun, elegant, and not too fussy...and slightly unexpected.

On the tabletop, I loved the addition of the Lamb Easter platters.
For us they were the perfect size to use as a plate...and my daughter begged me to use them as a plates for Easter brunch (I have a feeling we will be using these for months and months). They are bright and colorful and oh so sweet.

How can you not love them?

I rolled a simple white napkin and placed one of the egg holders by each place setting; a Boy Bunny for Joe, a Girl Bunny for Jules, and Lambs for the adults. Just as on the wreath, I used a tea dyed blown egg with a pennant...but this time as a place card! 

For the centerpiece, I truly kept it simple. Those chick candy bowls were begging for a plant...so chamomile it was...I love this unexpected twist!

I also used some milk glass vases from my collection, each with a single Gerber daisy, and then a couple of small jars with Narcissus. All of these simple elements look vibrant and inviting when grouped together.

I made a serving cart awhile back and it comes very handy when we eat on the deck. I used two other platters on the cart for serving. 

For one of the platters, I attached a glass taper holder to elevate it (I wanted mine to be temporary, so using candle wax or museum putty will work. If you want something permanent, a heavy duty glue is the best idea). 

And of course I also picked up the Girl Bunny Figurine (I do have a boy and a girl living here!) and she stood watch over the cart and table.

Finally as a backdrop to the festivities, I made another bunting/banner. This time I cut apart the Country living table runner (that I purchased at Kmart) and strung it with some simple twine. I think it provides a simple, vintage charm that compliments the Celebrations by Radko so nicely!

After spending so much time designing this beauty,
I had to put it to use...
I invited over Jules's friend and they had a
Tea Party!
Here is the whole scenario "in action."

So, there is a sneak peek at my Easter table
and at how I will greeting my visitors this season!

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Come on now...how can you resist this?

Oh yeah...Jules, well, she won...the Girl Bunny is now "hers."

But she says I can borrow it if I need to.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions and projects are my own #CBias