Southern Lady Entertain Decorate Celebrate March/April 2016

Each spring as the tulips and daffodils bloom, I begin planning my family’s Easter celebration, a joyous occasion for gathering around the table. In this issue, we share the best of Easter from issues past so you can host the perfect Easter lunch. You’ll find table ideas that incorporate the season’s brightest colors, tips for dyeing exquisite Easter eggs, party menus, recipes for your Easter feast, and plenty of treats like cupcakes, cookies, and our delicious Lemon Curd Cake crowned with Peeps. May your Easter be beautiful and blessed! Beginning with our May/June issue, we are changing Entertain Decorate Celebrate to Southern Lady Classics. This change is inspired by our sister publication Southern Lady. Each issue will feature entertaining ideas, home décor, mouthwatering recipes, and seasonal inspiration.…

DARLING DÉCOR Some celebrations call for big pops of decorations, like balloons. Create a modern look by filling clear balloons with confetti. Using a funnel, pour desired amount of confetti into deflated balloon (not too much!), and have them blown up with helium. PRETTY PAPER (Opposite) I love seasonal paper products, like invitations, place cards, and tags. Find these, along with other floral-themed products, from Rifle Paper Co. See the selection at riflepaperco.com. SEEDS OF LOVE Nothing says spring like a garden full of flowers, so carry this theme into a tablescape. Let your place card double as a favor by tying the name around a vintage seed packet. THE BEE’S KNEES Honey is a versatile natural sweetener that I adore. Package this delicious treat in small jars as party favors for a luncheon or birthday party—or…

Happy Place Write guests’ names on blown eggs, and use as place cards. Egg cups make great card holders when placed at each setting with a mini floral arrangement. BRIGHT & CHEERFUL Decorate your tablescape with lively spring shades. We used colorful floral linens and seasonal flowers in our centerpieces—Alstroemeria mixed with wax flower, as well as a vase full of blooming daffodils. As a nod to the Easter basket, we set Nantucket Basket dinnerware at each place setting. Fetching Favor Send friends home with jelly beans secured in small glass jars. Add our festive Easter takeaway tag, available at celebratemag.com/party-art.…

SPLENDID SIGN Brilliant quince is one of the first indications of the season’s change, so arrange a few branches to announce the arrival of spring. Use a tall transparent container to display the twigs’ natural twists and turns. UPDATED CLASSIC Give traditionally elegant calla lilies modern appeal by placing them in a rectangular vase at a fanning angle. Once blooms are positioned, carefully fill the vessel with water. NEW LIFE To communicate the budding sentiment of the season, start with a faux nest, which can be purchased at craft stores. Embellish with branches, greenery, and leaves from the yard, and finish with two speckled brown eggs. WARM WELCOME This gathering of daffodils offers greetings as guests enter your home—a sure way to let them know you’re celebrating spring. Simply place potted bulbs in a basket, cover with…

As you begin creating your table, select place mats or a tablecloth, and then pick out your chargers and plates. We’ve combined two different settings, smaller patterned plates and solid yellow chargers. Next are the centerpiece and the addition of the two side vases. The final touch is two yellow pots of natural and dyed eggs. Whether you sit at the table for Easter breakfast or just for Saturday morning toast and coffee, we hope the setting brightens your day.…

WHETHER SIMPLY BUNCHED TOGETHER OR FORMALLY ARRANGED, SPRING FLOWERS CAN CARRY YOUR COLOR PALETTE AND SET THE TONE FOR YOUR EVENT.MOVE THE INDOORS OUT INTO THE GARDEN, AND ENTERTAIN AMID NATURE’S BEAUTIFUL HANDIWORK.SKY BLUE LINENS AND DETAILS ARE KEY TO MAKING THESE BIRDS SING.…