WEEKEND OUTINGS - Happy Easter!

Get in the Easter spirit with these beautiful photos of eggs-cellent centerpieces and decorations! 

Photos from left to right: Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, Pottery Barn (furnitureanddesign.com), Martha Stewart, Southern Living.

Easter is one of my absolute favorite holidays. My family has always celebrated this special day to the fullest with church and Sunday school in our Easter dresses, brunch surrounded by our closest friends, Easter baskets, and lively Easter egg hunts. Now that I’m older and cannot always make it home for Easter, I understand that these moments were so much more meaningful than I ever realized.

I miss all of the little touches that my mother would do to make this day such a splendid celebration. If you know my mother, you remember that for a long period of time, she was a bit obsessed with tasteful bunny and rabbit décor. It sounds kind of tacky, but she definitely had an amazing gift for finding the most lovely bunny décor and blending it with the rest of our furnishings. At one point, my dad, sisters, and I tried to count the number of rabbits in our house –we lost track somewhere around the three hundreds. Just imagine the fabulous decorations that this bunny enthusiast would come up with for Easter!

But, even more than my mother’s cheerful decorations, I miss spending the quality time with my family, worshipping together and celebrating the joyful renewal and hope of Easter. Whether or not you can make it home this Easter, find your own ways to commemorate this wonderful occasion.

Create your own Easter decorations. Even if you can’t compete with your mother’s (or Martha’s) décor, find simple and inexpensive ways to bring a little Easter spirit into your home.

Attend a church service. Whether you go every Sunday, haven’t attended since you lived at home, have never seen the point, or belong to a different faith, make it your goal to further explore the significance of Easter. Last Easter in Los Angeles, my awesome former roommate who classifies her religious views as “It’s Complicated” joined my husband and me for an Easter service. And even though it lasted an unusually long three hours, she really enjoyed the music and the opportunity to try something new. 

Host a casual brunch or attend your favorite restaurant’s brunch/dinner. Choose delicious and surprisingly simple Easter brunch recipes from Southern Living, Food Network, Williams-Sonoma, Allrecipes.com, Taste of home, and The Nest.