Natural Elements & Easter

Here in Pittsburgh everyone has been crossing their fingers hoping for just a peek of spring weather. We've had the craziest winter--cold, rain, 50 degrees, 12 in. snow... just the most inconsistent winter season you could imagine. I woke up yesterday and had to clean off an entire foot of snow off my car! Now it's all melted and about 40 degrees, and this weekend is supposed to be almost 60. I've hated this winter more than any other. Spring is what's on my mind. It always feels like a fresh start--new clothes, being outside, better attitude. With spring comes one of my favorite holidays, Easter. Christmas Eve church service will always be my favorite, but I love Easter Sunday. Everyone comes to church in their pastel colors, beautiful spring flowers are on the altar, and you leave feeling happy, blessed, and thankful. With Easter comes another chance to decorate! You know I love decorating for the holidays, and Easter time is a great way to tie in natural elements to your decorations. Here are some ideas I'm excited to recreate. Click the images for more information.

All images from Terrain.

Outdoorsy Christmas.

Christmas in Pittsburgh

Last Christmas I needed a break from work, took a walk around the city and began noticing all the beautiful sites of the holidays around Pittsburgh. It was my first December working downtown, so I never really knew of anything but the ice skating rink in PPG Plaza. Well, little did I know the holidays were everywhere. I decided to do the same thing this year. Most of the buildings were decorated the same, but there were a few new additions and changes. Here's my Pittsburgh Christmas post from last year. Seeing this makes you realize that the littlest things in life can brighten your day!

Gallery in the Allegheny County Courthouse 

Allegheny County Hartwood Acres Mansion

Pittsburgh's City-County Building

Macy's Downtown

Holiday Market in Market Square 

Market Square

Holiday Market in Market Square

PPG Plaza

PPG Plaza Ice Skating Rink 

Allegheny County Courthouse Courtyard

US Steel Building

Beautiful Nativity outside the US Steel Building 

Giving Thanks.

I always love helping my mom get ready for Thanksgiving. I've been making a new dish every year to go along with our traditional dishes. Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays--yes, there's preparation when it comes to food, but really the rest of the day is about hanging out with family, relaxing and watching football. No gifts, not much traveling, just the chance to enjoy good food and your company.

Thanks to Pinterest, I've been spending hours looking at table scapes, side dishes, and other decorations. Here are some of the things I'm loving: