Joyeuses Pâques

Joyeuses Pâques!

Quiet Easter

Easter at our house this year will be very low key.

I'll be catching up on email, doing some work stuff, and generally taking it easy...well if taking it easy means spreading 120 bags of mulch which are scheduled for delivery tomorrow morning!

So on Sunday, if I'm able to move, we'll head to church and then enjoy a special Easter dinner.  I'm still not sure what I'm fixing since cooking a whole ham, our traditional dinner of choice, would be way too much for just the 3 of us.

Our daughter is fixing dinner at her place and invited us to come, but having to drive that far, and asking someone to take care of the dogs on Easter Sunday wasn't really a very good option, so we'll be doing our own thing.

I've spoken to a few friends, and even my extended family, and it seems we are all having a low key holiday this year.  It's funny how some years you have 20 people and other years it's more quiet and calm.  

Whether you are having a big dinner with all the trimmings, or just a quiet day, I hope you each have a very Happy Easter!

Sponsors and Springtime Giveaway

I've slowly but surely been putting out my Easter decor since the holiday is just around the corner.  But this post is about more than Easter decor, so be sure to scroll ALL the way to the bottom of the post, to meet my new sponsor and to find out about my giveaway to celebrate hitting the 900 follower mark!

I know it's a LONG post, but hopefully the Giveaway at the bottom and the discount code for my new sponsor will make it all worthwhile!

I wanted to introduce you to a new sponsor with this post, but also to let you know that I've decided to monetize my blog...I can hear some of you groaning and I understand.

I won't make excuses or give you reasons why I feel justified in doing so.  It is my blog after all, but I did at least want to let you know that you will be seeing a few ads on here through Blogher in the near future.  I just felt like it was time, and if it covers a hair appointment, or puts a little gas in my car each month, well then that'd be just fine by me.

Now back to my new sponsor.  All of the sponsors you see on my sidebar have not paid me in cash, but instead have paid me through wonderful giveaway items I have shared with you all over the 2 years I've been blogging.  As a thank you for those giveaway items, I have included them in my sidebar.   And I have a personal connection with each of my sponsors, so that makes them all the more special to me.

So now, without further adieu, meet my new Sponsor!!!  I know all of you gallery wall lovin' people are going to love this company!

 

My newest sponsor is Five Dollar Frames.  A company which sells wonderful frames at great prices and they come in a huge variety of sizes.  But don't let the name fool you, these aren't dollar store frames people, these are high quality frames at discount prices.  And the best part is they have graciously offered my readers a discount, so read on to find out more and to get the scoop on the Giveaway!

When you make an order on the 5 Dollar Frames site you can receive a 10% discount (valid until June 30th, 2012) just for being a reader of my blog...yay!  Just be sure to enter the code LTHS12 at checkout to receive the discount!

Now for the Giveaway...are you still with me people?!  Since I somehow managed to get 900 hundred crazy people to follow this little 'ole blog of mine, I decided I should go ahead and host a giveaway to say thank you for all you do to keep me motivated to walk around in my PJs snapping pictures day after day...ok I do get dressed most days! ;-)

Since my new sponsor offers frames, I thought I would offer you all something to put into one of their frames.  So the giveaway is for one of my prints, but not just any old print, how about an 12 x 18 (or smaller if you prefer) Giclee printed on beautiful specialty Epson cotton rag paper from their Exhibition Line.  This line of acid and lignin free archival paper is well regarded by museums and top photographers alike for producing beautiful images with rich, true colors.   

If you win, you can choose your print from my website Kat Warren Photography and a frame from 5 Dollar Frames and we will ship you a custom framed Giclee print that will last for generations to come.  It's my way of saying thanks a bunch for following along and listening to my crazy ramblings!

To see examples of some of my framed artwork you can go to my most recent post, simply click on my header to get to today's post.

So here are the dreaded rules for the Giveaway which will end on Friday March 30th, 2012 at Midnight!

1.   You must be a follower of Low Tide High Style to be entered.  Please leave a comment letting me know you follow!  And if you're not currently a follower, well join the party, and let me know by leaving a comment that you have!

2.  For a second chance to win you can blog, FB, Tweet, or stop people on the street to tell them about the giveaway.  But be sure to leave a second comment letting me know you've done that.

*** Please do not comment on my FB page or sadly your comments won't get entered.  In the past I have added the FB comments to my giveaway, but it just gets too complicated, so please leave ALL comments on here, thank you! ***

Happy Easter

From our house to yours...

Happy Easter!

I Love You to the Moon and Back

In a post a few weeks ago I mentioned that I had an extensive bunny collection.  Some of them stay out all year long, others only make an appearance when Peter Cottontail comes to town at Easter time.

Today's post is dedicated to just a few of my favorites, besides the Beatrix Potter figurines that I showed you here.

See that cute carrot above, well it was a gift from my good friend Doug Vogel.  When we had lunch with Ms. M recently, he brought me a little gift, the darling carrot and...

This adorable bunny which holds it!  Doug and his wife Joan are such nice people to have lunch with, and the bunny was just an added bonus!!  Thank you Doug and Joan!

I'm sure Doug and the others at Studio Three Flowers are all going a little crazy right now trying to fill Easter orders, but if you live in Charles County and still haven't gotten yours yet, be sure to give them a call.  Their website doesn't do them justice, they have really wonderful things and gorgeous arrangements, so if you live in the area, pop in and see for yourself...and no I don't get compensated for saying that, I just truly love their work!

I love blue and white together, and this little bunny has been part of my collection for a very long time.

Some of my most prized bunnies are from the worlds largest and oldest porcelain manufacturers, Herend.   I have a few of these, which were given to me by my children for birthdays or mother's day via Mr. Tide because they were little, and I love them!

They are tiny, at just a little over an inch tall, but their "fishnet" pattern and gold adornments make them so special.  These, along with another one I have, stay out year round because I just love to look at them!

This Baccarat crystal bunny is another very special piece.  It was a gift my husband picked up for me in Paris.  When I see it in my glass fronted cabinet, it reminds me of him and makes me smile!

My mother is the one who got me addicted to chalkware!  I blame her for the next set of bunnies.  I have several others too, and they were made by a local woman who does a beautiful job of creating these using old European chocolate molds.

The dancing rabbits figurine above was actually one of the pieces I inherited from my mother, and I love how sweet these two bunnies look as they stare lovingly into each others eyes.  Mr. Tide and I do this daily! ;-)

This little guy, pulling a wagon load of eggs, was one of the first ones I purchased.

And I just love the muted but vibrant colors found on this one.

I even have bunny candles, like this little bunny who is popping out of a cracked egg!

Some bunnies are more special than others, and this one is another favorite.  It was made by my mother who loved to do needlework.  The little basket holds tiny little eggs, and I love how she is clutching a little carrot!

This little cabbage holding bunny was another piece I inherited from my parents.  It's made of felted wool and I love the delicate little cabbage.  At the risk of sounding like a broken record...it's one of my favorites too...are we beginning to see a pattern here?   I love bunnies!

And last, but certainly not least is this little cutie.  A gift from my sweet daughter Anglefish, it is the palest of pinks and everything about it says Happy Easter and welcome Spring!

So there you have it, some of my favorite bunnies...I told you I had WAY too many, but I won't part with any of them, I love them all!!!

Did anyone get the title reference?

Finally I have something I can link to the beautiful Chania's blog Razmataz for her weekly Friday Photo Challenge!  Woohoo...to see more Easter lovelies visit her blog by clicking HERE!

Violets

Violets and sunshine, is there anything better? 

Ok, maybe violets, sunshine and chocolate might be better.

Or violets, sunshine, chocolate and the ocean...that would be nice.

Of course I wouldn't be opposed to the prospect of violets, sunshine, chocolate, the ocean, and no bills.

So, I think we can all agree that having a bouquet of violets sitting on our porch overlooking the ocean, while basking in the sunshine with a bowl full of yummy chocolate, with not a care in the world, including bills, would be pretty hard to beat!

Well, at least I have the violets! :-)

We are supposed to get the violent storms that caused so much devastation in the south yesterday, so I am hunkered down and writing.  I hope none of you were affected by these same storms, and my heart goes out to those who were.

Enjoy your weekend, and I'm so glad you liked the little store tour from my last post.  I will be firming up the plans for the Spread the Love Meme party and posting about it very soon...I'm excited about it and hope you will be too!

Plum Tired

Misty Belle would like to tell each of you that she appreciates you siding with her on the whole stuffing issue!  Although she has admitted to the crime, she feels certain that aliens must have taken over her body for a short time in order for her to have done that!  I think she has been watching a little too much Sci Fi channel!

In other news, I'm plum tired...as in beat!  I had a good show on Saturday, though not as good as I had hoped.  But I learned a lot, saw some old friends, and I made some wonderful contacts, so it was a rousing success on many levels besides actual sales.

Today was spent doing laundry, yard work, and breaking out the Easter decor...like this lovely little egg which I've had for years.

I love this little hand painted egg because of the colors, everything about it says springtime to me.  I realized today that I have a lot of eggs, and a whole lot of bunnies!  Maybe a few too many eggs and bunnies...nah, how can you ever have too many eggs and bunnies right?!

This week will be filled with writing, cleaning, and house selling.  I hope each of you has a wonderful start to a new week full of all sorts of possibilities!

Beatrix Potter and Me

You may have noticed by my new springy header picture that I'm ready for Easter.  This year Easter is very late in coming but that won't stop me from enjoying all of the bunnies I have around my house.

Growing up, Easter always meant new shiny white shoes, a new dress, a hat, some gloves, and maybe even a matching white purse or sweater.  My mother loved Easter and she always made sure we were dressed to the nines.  

Born just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, my mother was a proud Virginian, so while many people had let go of the classic Easter attire by the late 1960's and early 70's, we still looked like we were ready to greet the Queen on Easter morning.

And I can remember the beautiful hats my mother and grandmother wore each year on Easter Sunday.  They were a cross between a frosted confection and a floral bouquet perched atop their heads.

When I had my own children, I carried on those same traditions, just minus the hats.  We have pictures of my daughter all dressed in pastel pink with ruffle topped socks and patent leather shoes clinging to an Easter basket nearly as big as she was.  And when our son came along, he got to sport little smocked outfits with bunnies and carrots, something Little Lord Fauntleroy would have been proud to wear!


 

There was always a big Easter dinner too, with corn pudding, fresh asparagus, Virginia ham (is there any other kind?) and homemade rolls just to name a few of the goodies.  And for dessert, you had to have fresh homemade coconut cake, along with something chocolate, and lemon chess pie.

There were Easter egg hunts, and we always brought a change of clothes for the children so that they could rip and race around the yard without ruining their spiffy new duds.  And the other tradition was to open the gift my mother and father gave the kids each year, a new Beatrix Potter figurine.

Each year my mother, who dearly loved Beatrix Potter, who find just the right figurine to give to each child.  Growing up, we each had a few figurines of our own, but she really began the tradition in earnest when my niece, the eldest grandchild, was born.

When the grandchildren would stay over with my mother and father, Nana (my mother) would read them Beatrix Potter books.  Those tiny books were full of wisdom and adventure, and the kids loved hearing the tales of Peter Rabbit, Jeremy Fisher, Jemima Puddleduck and the like.

Sometimes, there were life lessons in the stories, and sometimes my children were just plain confused, like when Peter's father spanked him, something we didn't do at our house. 

Beatrix Potter was a very interesting woman who purchased property in the Lake District of England to try and help preserve the rural landscape which she so loved.  And upon her death in 1943, she left most of her property to the National Trust.  She also had dogs who look a lot like mine, and because she was such an animal lover, I have always felt a sort of kinship with Ms. Potter.

My friend Dan used to tell me how much I would love the Lake District, and I hope to go there some day. 

After my mother died, we found meticulous notes on which figurines had been purchased for which child.  And even after her stroke, she still managed to give each of the kids their precious Easter gift.

Along with the figurines my mother and father gave to the grandchildren, there were plenty more to be found at her house.  She loved these sweet little porcelain creatures brought to life from the pages of books written so long ago, and she had amassed quite a collection over the years.  I even brought back several figurines to give to my mother as gifts when I visited England for the first time.

The one pictured above with Peter holding a bunch of daffodils was one of her favorites.  My sisters and I went through her collection after my father died, and my sister M brought out "the" list to make sure that we didn't duplicate what we already had.  We separated them into ones that no one had, and then ones that someone didn't have, etc. before dividing them among each of us.  We also saved some out for my brother to take.

 

The little bunny figurines I've shared with you today are just a few examples of the 50 Beatrix Potter Figurines I have in a cabinet in my house.  One day I hope to have grandchildren, and I will likely continue the tradition of giving each child a figurine for Easter.

For now though, they remind me of my mother, of Easter, and of those wonderful tales told as only Beatrix Potter could! 

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