Easter, fabulous Mail, Cupcakes and Baked Chicken that will knock your socks off!

Wishing you a very Happy Easter Sunday!

I took these photos of the blooming pink Dogwood tree by the pool

last Wednesday after the forecast indicated a freeze was headed our way!

I couldn't bear the thought of losing everything that is blooming in the

gardens so I photographed everything and then brought in what I could!

These tulips were just taking selfies in the bright

warm sunshine on the deck a few days earlier... See?

But by Wednesday they were closed tight and shivering!

So I conducted a mercy-killing and brought them inside...

Where they immediately thanked me by smiling again!

Fortunately for all of us, Spring returned just in time for Easter!

By the time I finished having a pedi on Good Friday, Army Dad had the gardens

cleaned up and the lawns mowed in preparation for our long weekend together!

Oh, how I love this view!

As I admired this view in front of the living room window, I wished there was a

way to bring it inside. So often we hear birds chirping from the Japanese maple

trees as we sit in the sectional, which is just below the window... I find that I'm

turning around to watch the birds in the garden more than I watch television!

Then it hit me! What I needed was a rear-view mirror for the television wall!

Fortunately, I found one that fits right in! Now, I get that most people who

see it will consider it poorly placed on this wall. However, for us, this mirror

delivers the perfect view of the garden! Reclined in my favorite spot, I'm able

to see both Japanese maples, lots of birds and even the new birdhouse!

Speaking of rear-views... I finally got around to having my annual haircut

yesterday so as you can see, my hair is no longer resting on my butt! My

mom called just as I was leaving the salon and when I told her how short I

went, she made me promise to post a photo (to prove it!) So here you are,

mom... I know it's not quite as short as you would have it, but it's a start!

Oh! I almost forgot to tell you that Good Friday was an

especially great mail day for me - Here... See for yourself!

How perfectly fitting it was to receive my autographed copy of Martha's

book on the same day a package sent by my dear friend David arrived!

You know, I consider David the go-to source for all things Martha by Mail

on-line... Therefore, when David shared with me that he might be willing to

share some of his duplicate Martha Collection (for Macy*s) products and

vintage Martha by Mail items, I eagerly asked him to please... Count me in!

Especially where these charming wire trays are concerned! I missed them when

they were available through the Martha by Mail catalog and, since we didn't yet

have a Macy*s here when they came back there, I missed them a second time!

Fortunately, David and I are very similar so he purchased extras... Extras

which are thankfully now part of my kitchen! David is indeed a purveyor

of Good Things and I'll always be in his debt for sharing these wire

racks and so many other things with me! Speaking of Good Things...

Thanks to a Facebook posting by a friend, which I noticed just in time... I

picked up this autographed copy of Martha Stewart's beautiful Cakes,

which came wrapped in this fun linen tea towel by STUDIOPATRO!

Which got me thinking... I sure have been missing my collection

of Martha Stewart books, which have been part of my kitchen's décor

since Martha first began publishing! I removed them from the wall

after installing the pot rack, assuming it would look too cluttered...

But I regretted it... So I moved them to the wall by the kitchen table

after giving my collection of Jadeite away, (another decision I still

regret!) However, over the table always made them difficult to reach!

So yesterday, I decided to rush home and pull those shelves out of

storage! Of course, convincing the man who just took those shelves down

two weeks ago because I found a plate rack I wanted over the table a little

more would be a challenge. So I stopped at the market... Because surely

mentioning that I would be using the Beekman 1802 Bourbon barbecue

sauce over my baked chicken he loves so much would do the trick... Right?

Of course it did! In fact, those shelves were back up on

the wall before the chicken made it into the oven!

And, while the clutter-bug inside of me gave a slight kick...

I think it's well worth having my collection back on display and within reach!

In fact, I was so grateful and so inspired to stay in my kitchen, I decided to bake!

Cupcakes worthy of being displayed on David's wonderful wire racks!

Which, I'm delighted to say these are!

After the cupcakes finished baking I also decided only a chocolate Bundt

cake dessert would do for today's Easter Sunday dinner! But, it wouldn't

be this boxed one I passed at the Honey Baked Ham store as I picked up

our Easter ham! By the way, did you know that during holidays, the ham

bones I use in my ham and bean soup are buy-one-get-one? They are,

which is why there are now four of those ham-laden bones in my freezer!

Seriously, I have yet to find a more delicious honey baked ham than those

at the Honey Baked Ham store; however, dessert must be home-made!

So I baked a chocolate Bundt cake with

all that time I saved not baking our ham!

A few sprinkles on my Easter cupcakes later...

And, my baked BBQ chicken was ready for dinner! Honestly... If

you haven't already ordered some of this Fabulous Beekman Boys

barbecue sauce, you absolutely must... Because it is incredible!

My husband said it was the best my baked chicken ever tasted,

which is saying something because he always raves about it!

So, ladies... If you need shelves installed a third time or even

your whole kitchen remodeled... Now you know how to get there!

Happy Easter Sunday to you and all you love! To me Easter always feels

like a second New Year's celebration! There's Spring and the rebirth of our

gardens and most importantly, Easter is the Promise of Ever-Lasting Life!