It’s not too late to prepare for a festive spring! By Jane Collins Spring has sprung, and the grass? Well, it’s growing. It’s the time of year for celebration and festivals – Easter, boat blessings and, of course, the Striped Bass and Iris festivals. If you are in a partying mood, here are some suggestions. It’s not too late to gather an interestingly shaped branch during a walk in the woods. For an Easter centerpiece or door entrance, depending on the size, secure the branch in a container and cover the top with Easter grass. The branch can be its natural color or spray-painted white, pink or yellow – whatever your preferred color scheme. For the rest of the project, you will need these materials: plastic eggs, pale net squares cut to extend about a half inch beyond the egg shape, one-fourths inch ribbon (like satin) and some Peeps, which are optional. Use the ribbon to tie the net squares around the egg, allowing extra tails to tie the egg onto the tree. Hang them from different levels. Sacrifice the Peeps to the decorating gods (they will get hard quickly when exposed to the air). Tie the ribbon around the chickens, and intersperse them among the eggs. Place some around the bottom container for added interest. If you plan to use the decoration outside, eliminate the Peeps in case the ants get a hankerin’ for sugar. 22 APRIL • MAY 2011 | LAKESIDE
If you are planning to serve food for a boat blessing, etc., and want to “go green,” avoid using plastic table cloths. One discount store sells twin size sheets for $8. They come in a variety of colors — several shades o f blue, including turquoise, green and purple — and one sheet makes two double card table sized tablecloths or two single layered table clothes and eight napkins. The sheet comes packaged in a snap pouch that can be used to store small decorations — pebbles, battery candles, markers — until the next project. If the number of guests is small, consider buying finger-tipped towels (usually packed 6 or 8 for $7) to use as napkins. They come in various colors and designs, including flowers, animals, and objects like boats. If you are feeling particularly generous, guests may take their napkin home as a souvenir. Margarita or other great shaped glasses can be used as centerpieces. Fill the bowl part with glass rocks, crystal shapes (try to get them when they are on sale half-price since they usually run $4 a container), or plastic ice cube forms like fish. Place a tealight or battery-operated candle in the center. Use several colors of “curl” ribbon and tie it around the upper stem of the glass, letting the curls hang down toward the table. Depending on the theme, find a bag of inexpensive plastic objects like boats and scatter them around the base. For a fishing theme, fill the glass with gummy worms, dangling some from the centerpiece and around the bottom. Freeze some of the plastic fish ice cube shapes for each glass for an added touch. Spring is a great time for invention and creativity. Look around at what you can find. Remember even those decorated rocks. Place your guests’ name on them, glue some fish, a boat or other thematic object for extra attention, and use them as place cards. Have fun!