Just for the Fun of It – Growing Grass in an Eggshell

c="http://www.loulou.to/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/egg-shell-with-googly-eyes-1.jpg" alt="eggshell with googly eyes and grass hair handmade Easter decoration" width="640" height="426" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19521">There are times when you just have to try something for no reason other than that it would be fun to see how it turns out.This was the case recently, when I boiled some eggs for egg salad sandwiches, and preserved the shells intact, so they could be used as little planters.I cut the tops of as carefully as I could (although they still turned out jagged and a little cracked around the edge) and scooped the egg out using a tiny spoon. Then I poked a drainage hole in the bottom of each one with a pushpin, and placed them back into the egg carton. I filled each shell with a bit of regular potting soil and then dropped in some wheat grass seeds (aka cat grass). I pushed the seeds down a little with my finger but didn't completely bury them, and watered them well. Then I placed the carton on a tray (because water can leak through the egg carton) near a window but in indirect sunlight.It took exactly one week for the seeds to germinate and the grass to grow to the length in these first pictures (before the cat entered the scene). You might not think it is working at first because the seeds just seem to sit there for the longest time, and then suddenly you'll notice little green spikes coming up. I checked them everyday to make sure the soil was moist throughout and watered a bit when it felt dry.Once the grass begins to grow, it does so quite quickly. If it gets too long, just snip the ends with regular scissors. Kept trimmed, you grass eggshells should last about 5 days.And of course, being egg related, if we'd had guests over for Easter dinner, these would add an interesting element to a centerpiece display on the table. If you start them about 9 days before they should be ready to display when you need them. Put them in some cute eggcups or if you want to display them in an egg carton use a fresh one, as the one used for growing the grass will probably be a bit dirty or worn looking.

Crocheted Flower Brooch

I had a bit of yarn left over after crocheting this scarf earlier in the year, so I made a flower brooch with it.

In these pictures I've tried to show how a little accessory can bring new life to our cold-weather clothes, especially at the tail-end of winter when we are all sick and tired of wearing them. But here in Toronto we usually still need warm outerwear well into April. Even as things begin to warm up, I still like to wear a light hat, scarf and gloves, especially once the sun has gone down. And I thought a flower brooch would lighten things up a bit.

Easter at Our Place – 2013

ass="aligncenter size-full wp-image-16136" src="http://www.loulou.to/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/easter-decoration.jpg" alt="easter-decoration" width="640" height="426">Easter weekend was a quiet one at our casa this year. In truth it is usually a quiet holiday for us.That is why I was quite surprised when Nick brought a ham home from the grocery store. In our 14+ years together, we have never cooked ham. We don't eat much meat but do have it every once in a while, so the surprise wasn't in the fact that he had brought home meat, but rather in the type of meat he had brought. We had no idea how to cook it, and had to ask his mom during a skype call.But first we should take a look at how the day began, with the exchange of chocolate and other treats. Nick is a big fan of candied ginger, which I used to buy for him at a cute candy shop near where I used to work, but since I left that job, I don't get to the candy shop anymore. So I decided to make him some. In a nut-shell, it turned out wonderfully, but I won’t discuss it too much now, because I plan to share the details on this week's food post on Friday.  Follow Up :  Read about the Homemade Candied Ginger here!

April Fool’s Cards?!

You know I try to keep things interesting around here by varying the types of posts I do from day to day. But in today's case, it is the calendar that has made the decision for me, with April Fool's Day following right after Easter. There is just no other day that I could show you these particular vintage cards, unless I waited a whole year to do so, and I am much too impatient for that. So here you have it ... two posts showing samples from my vintage greeting card collection in a row.And right after telling you yesterday that the Easter card I showed you (here) was very rare, I must say that same thing again about these two cards. I mean, have you ever seen an April Fools card before? I hadn't until I spotted these on ebay, where the seller was asking only $3 for the pair, in perfect condition, unwritten in, including the original envelopes and free delivery.

Easter Greetings (of the Vintage Card Variety)

Here are some photos of a rare thing.

It is a vintage Easter card that I think dates back to around 1945, making it 68 years old. The reason I am so specific on the date is that I received it with a group of old valentine cards that I bought off ebay, and which were positively determined to be on that vintage.

I told the story about those Valentines in this post. By searching the internet I was able to find out some interesting information the exact person who received them in 1945 ... a girl named Dorothy, who was 12 years old at the time and living in rural Iowas, USA. I was also able to determine that Dorothy is still alive and well today, and living in California. (Ok, I couldn't tell that she was 'well' via my internet gum-shoeing but I am guessing that she is.)

So this Easter card was in amongst her old valentines. It wasn't mentioned in the listing on ebay, so was a complete surprise to find in there. And it is unsigned (as in nobody has written on it) making it more valuable in the relm of vintage paper things, keeping in mind that 'value' is based on the desire by collectors, and not in a monetary way. It isn't worth a lot money-wise.

In my years of researching and collecting vintage greeting cards, I have yet to come across another sample of this style of Easter card, one made like a valentine card. Yes, I have found plenty of examples of vintage Easter greetings, dating back to the late 1800s, but they take the form of a standard postcard. Then later, the form of a regular folded card. But this die-cut style I have not seen.

It makes me curious to know if children exchanged Easter cards back then, as they did Valentines?