Art for the young at heart + Happy Easter!

Vintage Modern Tea Party

I stumbled across Lindsay Brackeen's Etsy shop yesterday and simply fell in love with her sunny, youthful paintings. Now I realize that her prints are intended to go up in a nursery or a young girl's room-- which they would be truly perfect for-- but I want them for myself! Aren't they just so adorably cheery? And I love the spring-y, Easter-y pastel colors she uses. I posted a few of my favorites below.

Crafty Girl and Sunshine Owl Girl

This would be perfect to give a Sister or Best Friend. Reminds me of my bestie!

Lindsay even creates more fashionable, mixed-media prints, like this Pale Little Dotty.

This just might be my absolute fave. Love the birds and the lotus flowers... and I want the dress this Pink Nature Girl is wearing!

To see them all, check out Lindsay's shop and blog. And tell me which one is your fave!

Till then, I hope you are enjoying your weekend and that you have a very happy Easter! What are you doing tomorrow to celebrate? I'm not sure yet if I am going to my parents' house for a prime rib dinner or going out with the boy's family for perhaps a fancier meal at the Marriott. But both sound like yummy options! I'm always torn on these types of holidays though-- where to go? The boy's whole local extended family will be at the Marriott, and his mom has a birthday present she wants to give me; but if I don't go to my parents' house, it will just be my 'rents and my brother eating together, which I feel bad about. Do you have to deal with this kind of situation, and how do you decide where to go?

Taste the rainbow

My Easter pretty much went as I predicted on Friday, with lots of candy and cupcakes. But I did make it to church, too!

Sunday morning started off in a tizzy, since I woke up late and still had to make cupcakes! I wanted to bake them the day of so they would be fresh but this was perhaps not my best laid plan (that's a little Easter joke in there). I was a bit stressed, to say the least, and the powdered sugar was flying! (Note to self: get an apron!) The boy warned me against this and I now have to admit, he was right. Hate when that happens! But it all worked out and I got them done.

Me and the boy then had breakfast with my folks at a local diner called the Firehouse Cafe. It was my first time there but it's actually a local institution in Simi. I had the eggs benedict and they were pretty tasty. Good food, good service, I'll definitely be going back for breakfast again. After we grubbed, the bf and I went to church, something we haven't done since Christmas (I know, tisk tisk). We then rushed home, made the icing, decorated the cupcakes and geared up to go to his parents' house.

It seemed RR's whole fam was there and it was definitely a packed house (a dozen in all, not counting us!) Luckily, my cupcakes were a hit. People even took some home. I was relieved because the icing turned out not quite as thick as I was hoping but I guess all the matters is the yummy-factor. And they were delish-- I should know, I've had 3 so far!-- so if you haven't tried the recipe, it's a definite do. 

Here's some close ups of my colorful cupcakes:

In a pinch, muffin tins make great travel containers!

Those are Easter baskets in the background for me and Rick, from my mom of course!

Bright and cheery.

I hope you all had a great Easter, if you celebrate the day. Tell me, what did you do?

Candy, cupcakes and church, oh my!

Don't these Corgis make adorable bunnies? Maybe I should get Hazel some ears!

TGIF, I am so glad the weekend is here! In honor of a lazy Friday afternoon, I give you my plans for Easter in bullets:

• For Easter Sunday, I am going to be hanging with the boy and his family in Woodland Hills. I am anticipating watching a lot of sports on TV, eating some yummy food (they always have a nice spread and gourmet desserts) and drinking a lot of wine (it's the first thing his mom says to me when I come in the door: "What would you like to drink? A glass of wine?" I think she likes to get me tipsy).
• Getting sick on chocolate eggs, jelly beans, Robins Eggs malt balls and Peeps. Even though I am 24, my mom still makes me an Easter basket every year. She even made RR one last year! While I have chided her in the past for doing this-- saying "Gosh mom, I'm not a kid anymore"-- I secretly hope she doesn't stop! Though if the "Easter Bunny" leaves me one this year (yes, my mom still pretends), I will try to be more careful with it. Last year's melted in the car!
• Trying out this recipe for Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes, which also means going grocery shopping for things like muffin tins, cupcake liners and sprinkles! I think it would be a nice treat to bring when I visit the bf's fam and I'm gonna save some for my own fam to try, too. Emily's post today over at Cupcakes and Cashmere is what inspired me. I hope mine turn out as good as this picture:

• I might also try to make it to church this weekend, being that it is Easter after all. Almost forgot this holiday isn't just about chocolate and cupcakes.

So, any fun plans this weekend? I wish I was still a little girl so I could dress up in a taffeta gown and go on an Easter egg hunt. Ah, the good ol' days. Hoping you have a fabulous time, whatever you do!

Corgis as Bunnies from here.

Magnolia cupcakes image from here.