Red for Easter?!

I don't typically post everyday, but there's just something about the holidays! As the days draw nearer to Easter, I think the spirit just fills me, and I can't help but want to post one day, the next day, and everyday, about my excitement in the preparations and activities leading up to the big day itself! So here I am for Rednesday!... But hmmm.. How many red things could I possibly post about that would relate to Easter? I really had to put on my thinking cap for this one!


How do you like THIS for an Easter Bonnet?!! Yes, I definitely see some red on that!... Do you think you could find a red Easter dress, or a pretty little red purse to match it?!


I remember making this "dressy" bag around Valentine's day, one year or other. I think it's sweet, but I'm afraid I don't use it as a purse. It's much too small to hold all MY "stuff"!!... What I really use it for is clothespins! If you would like to try to make one like it, you can find the pattern HERE.

Well, when seeking the color red around here, you may find a little red in the living room... maybe some red jellybeans in a jar on my coffee table...

But you can bet your little red wagon...

..that most of the red in my house can be found in the kitchen! Yes, here's where you'll find a little red for Easter!


This little Mama Bunny dressed in red gingham is my favorite little stuffed bunny of all. Just like me, she has her two little ones to take care of! She looks so cute carrying them in the pockets of her dress! Set with her is a little basket of Easter eggs, one of them red, as you can see! And what spring display... (or, excuse me... Is the word "vignette"?)... would be complete without a little bird or two? This little guy stands just about 8" tall, so he's nice and easy to see!

So there I was, this was about all I had in red specifically for Easter, but then I thought how, actually, red is a very symbolic color in regards to our Christian faith! It is the color associated with the blood that Jesus Christ had shed for all mankind. It is symbolic of God's love and the sacrifice of His Son for our sins. The Holy Bible says...


"..God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him.." (Romans 5:8-9)

Often we see images of Jesus wearing red...

These illustrations come from this little Bible Picture Book.... so titled in red. It has a copyright date of 1949.


But as Pontius Pilate had passed judgement and sentencing, a battalion of soldiers took Jesus away, "they clothed him in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it on him". (Mark 15:17) They mocked him, and beat him. They spat upon him... When they were done, the stripped him of the purple cloak, and dressed him back into his own clothes, then led him out to crucify him.

Here is a cross necklace I made.

While it may be very simple in design, this is a favorite of mine. To me, it says "He Lives!" I wear it often, as each color of each bead intends to remind me of the following...

Black: represents our sins and how they distance us from our Heavenly Father, thus leaving us in darkness.

Red: represents the blood of Christ.

White: represents the cleansing of our bodies and souls from sin, as we repent, and look to God.

Blue: represents baptism, and the Holy Spirit that then resides within us, the believers.

Green: represents Christian growth. We "grow" through our good deeds, and in our knowledge of God.

Gold (or yellow): represents eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." (John 3:16-17)

If you would like to make this necklace, you can find how to do so HERE. I think it is a great project to share with kids.


Maybe this would be something to make in Sunday School, or with the church youth group, as lessons can be shared of what each color means.

Well, I'm off to get some housecleaning done, and if I make good timing, I may do some baking after that! I'd like to get out my sewing machine tonight, but as usual, we'll see what time allows! Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you'll pay Sue a visit, at It's a Very Cherry World! It's always fun to see what she and all the other Rednesday participants have to share each week! Have a great day, and see you tomorrow!

~Beansie~

An Easter Tea Party

It's Tea Time Tuesday, and everything's ready! Come in.. Sit down.. I'm so glad you could join me today! I've been busy, still decorating, crafting, and baking for Easter. You know how much I love the holidays!

Easter comes with sweet surprises,

Baby birds and flowers bloom.
Through my window, light and sunshine
And Spring's sweet scents fill the room!

I've made some Bird's Nest Cookies, just for my guests today! I hope you like them! I lost my own recipe somewhere, so I had to search for it on the internet. You can find recipes for these both HERE, and HERE! They were very easy to make; but yielding only 3 dozen, these will be gone in no time, so I think I'll double the batch next time. They look good, don't they?! Please do help yourself!


Here you see that I've set out my little Easter Cream and Sugar set! I think it goes nicely with the teapot I used for tea last week, don't you?!

And while this is really a baby spoon, I love to set it out as a sugar spoon instead, for the occasion! I have to find my silver polish to clean it up a bit, but isn't this little bunny spoon sweet?!


After a long cold winter, I love that I can set some pretty flowers out again. As much as I love live flowers and plants in my windows, I love that I can scatter silk ones everywhere else. While no sun or water is necessary for these to thrive, I think they're just as pretty. They still brighten things up and lift my spirits! Often I like spritz them with floral scented linen sprays. Do you do this too?... See the little pot these pretty pansies set in? I painted this one several years ago, and previously used it as a candy dish; but this year, I think I like it much better this way!


I love this charming, wooden Easter couple! I found them at a yard sale a couple of years ago. They each stand at a nice size of almost 12" tall, and have cups on their backs, to hold tapered candles! I have to set them just as you see them though, very cleverly, as the boy rabbit has no arm from the elbow down. So I always set the girl rabbit in front, as is proper anyways... Ladies before gentlemen, yes?!


Oh dear... Once again, time has flown by so quickly... And I have so much more to do today! I hope you enjoyed your visit here. I know I did, and I hope you'll stop by again next week! Please do remember to visit Sandi, our host for this weekly event, and all the other participants who will be serving tea today. Enjoy!

~Beansie~

Bunny Blues and Hershey's News!

The bunny blues?.. Not such a bad thing, I don't think! In fact, I love plenty of blue for Easter and Spring; and the bunnies, birds, and baskets are certainly multiplying around here! As Smiling Sally hosts Blue Monday today, I wanted to share a few blues for the occasion! I also have a very special Easter basket to share today, for a very good cause!

First, here you see a little rosy Easter basket I like to crochet using an empty milk jug! A very nice woman showed me these when I was only a young girl, and just learning to crochet, and I have loved making and displaying them ever since! A little blue bunny looks very comfortable sitting in there, doesn't he, with all the pretty Easter eggs? The pattern for the little crocheted blue bird can be found HERE! You can make one, or a whole flock of these fine feathered friends, to nest in your home, in whatever colors you like!


In my kitchen, you can see my Easter potholder, that I made by pairing up a pretty Easter print fabric with a recycled blue jean fabric! Next to the potholder you can see the Easter towel that I crocheted a blue hanging topper for!


On my refrigerator, I love these little blue plastic canvas bunny magnets! They are actually a pretty good size for a magnet... about 5" x 3 1/2".


Gee, I think my camera is working a little better for me lately. I can actually read the expiration date on these coupons! I also see that I never got to use them! What a crying shame that is! Oh well, I guess I'll have to throw these out, and just hope they send me new ones soon... Actually, though, Dear Son and I enjoyed some homemade hot meatball subs last night, and they were so good, I can't wait to make them again sometime!... (Sorry Subway! You still make a great Italian mixed!)

Finally, here is a very special Easter basket! Yes, blue can be found here too! See those pretty blue eggs, filled with yummy Hershey's candy inside?! The Hershey Company is teaming up with The Children's Miracle Network and Walmart, to make a donation, up to $5000.00, to CMN. What a wonderful way we can help to make this happen!


The Children's Miracle Network is a non-profit organization founded by Marie Osmond, her family, John Schneider, and others, in the hopes of helping as many children as possible, who face severe medical challenges, through specialized care and treatment at the best hospitals around the country!

So here's how this works!...

• Participate to Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop of giving away virtual Easter Baskets by creating a blog post with specific rules described here.
• Hershey Company will donate $10 per each blog post to CMN, up to total of $5,000.
• One blog post per URL counts towards the donation, but you can give as many virtual Easter baskets as you want.
• The Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop will officially begin at 12 AM EST on March 18th and end at 12 PM EST on April 4th, 2010. Blog posts submitted to us before or after that time period will not be counted for.
• The blog post link has to be submitted to us for the donation to be counted.
• In addition copy and paste the following text in your blog post:

• Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
• Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
• Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
• Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
• Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
• Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

I received my Easter basket from Doris, at Crocheting In Georgia, so thank you Doris! I now pass this on to all my followers, and to any Blue Monday visitors that come here today! I give you this basket and all information told to you here and now, and hope you'll pass it on for this very important cause!

Thank you so much for visiting! Please be sure to visit Sally and the other Blue Monday participants. I'm hoping to see lots of Easter decorations in my travels today!

~Beansie~

My Dolly Donations to Haiti

Originally, when I signed up for this project, I had hoped to get two dolls, maybe three at the most, done to send out in time for a shipment being prepared to send to Haiti.

It turns out, I was able to crochet FIVE of them!

Dolly Donations is a mission to provide love and comfort, "one dolly at a time", to the children of Haiti, who are still suffering the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake that took place on January 12, 2010. It is estimated that as many as 230,000 people were killed, 300,000 injured, and now as many as ONE MILLION are left homeless. Many children were left ophaned... It is estimated to be in the tens of thousands.


Haiti is already known to be the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The damage now done is massive. Many survivors are still living under tents pitched up with only a blanket, while medical supplies and clean drinking water are both still desperately needed.


As countries all over the world continue to provide aid and support in whatever ways they can, priorities for Haiti's recovery involve establishing a working government, clearing streets, and improving the conditions of sanitation. There is, however, worry of further complication as the rainy season approaches, which can cause flooding and mudslides, thus worsening the existing unsanitary living conditions still there.


The pattern I used for the dolls I am sending comes from HERE. It is a favorite crochet doll pattern which I never grow tired of, and I'm sure will continue to use over and over again!


Here are more pictures of the dolls... Gosh, group pictures are hard to take! Kids will be kids! Just TRY to catch them all smiling, and looking at the camera at the same time, without fidgeting and fooling around! It's not easy!


Well, I'm off to the post office to send my little dollies on their way. I wish I could have done more, but I hope they bring a smile, some comfort, and and a little security to the children who receive them. I pray God blesses these children and their families, as I hope we all continue to send whatever help we can.

~Beansie~

Tea With a Little Flower Power

I'm so happy that Spring is finally here, I decided to put together a floral theme for tea today! I'm even happier that you could stop by to join me!

The teapot I am serving with, from what I can tell, is a simple, but sweetly painted ceramic pot. I dabbled in ceramics years ago, and still think about trying my hand at it again, and I always put my initials and/or a date on the bottom of the pieces I made. But there is no mark or signature to remember its maker by here. Still it's a pretty little piece that I just knew I had to take home with me from some thrift sale, somewhere, at some time...


The cups are a pair I got from my grandmother. There were no matching saucers, but there is the stamp on the bottom of each, "Hadson", with the symbol of the anchor, then "made in occupied Japan".


Around the time between 1945-1952, Post-WWII, items that were imported from Japan, into the U.S., had to be marked as so. It is my understanding that the most serious collectors look for specifically the mark on my two tea cups. In searching for the exact cups I have, on the internet, I could not find ANY. I'm wondering if any of my tea party friends out there might recognize them? I know my pictures are a little dark, but if you do, please let me know.

Now, you know I couldn't possibly serve tea without serving a little something sweet to go with it! Here are some cookies, like the ones I made for a recent church function! I only dropped them off for the occasion... a bake sale that was taking place that day. I didn't stay, but I was so happy to hear that they were "a big hit"!!


I made them with one of my favorite cookie cutters, a good sized one for a good sized 3 1/2" cookie!


You can find the same one HERE, now with a new and improved comfort grip, apparently, if you think you might like to bake some like these yourself sometime! When frosted, they look like something straight out of the 60's and 70's!... or like they fell clean off the walls of the set of "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In", don't you think?!! Oh, some remember, and some may not. Here's a little Laugh-In refresher presentation, while we have our tea! When it comes to the part with Joanne Worley and Ruth Buzzy, towards the end, I can't help giggling and laughing right with them!

Please do help yourself to some cookies!

Well, all kidding aside for just a moment, here is a Bible verse, regarding flowers, that I would like to share today. From the 1st Letter of Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 22-25.

...Love one another earnestly from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for...

"All Flesh is like grass
and all glory like the flowers of the grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord abides for ever."

That word is the good news which was preached to you.

Getting back to my theme of the day, though, in a more familiar language from the flower-power days of peace and love, the general idea here is...

"Don't lose your cool! Come on, people now... All you need is love, right?! Yeah, Baby! You are for real, and we are all God's children. We're all as far out as the grass, and as groovy as the flowers; but get with the words, 'cuz those words of the Lord abide forever!... The word is cool, and you're either on the bus, or off the bus, man. Can you dig it?!"


Thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope you enjoyed your visit. I want to thank Sandi, who hosts Tea Time Tuesdays, at Rose Chintz Cottage & Inspirations every week! Please be sure to visit her and any others who may be hosting tea parties in Blogland today!.. Peace!