The Easter Edit

A day that was sunny and the Easter bunny.  What more could two girls ask for?*

My hallway table.

Dress: Nine West, Kohl's; Skirt: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Easter treat trio.

Charlotte on the hunt for hue.*

Bag: Current Mood, Dolls Kill; Shoes: Impo, DSW

The husband takes a bite out of Easter.*

I had to put the bunnies even farther out of Charlotte's reach this year.  But it turns out I like them better here. 

Hat: Amazon; Blue flower: Claire's; Yellow flower: Capelli, ULTA

Candy-colored carousel.*

Charlotte's dress: Blueberi Boulevard, Macy's; Charlotte's hat: Cat & Jack, Target

"The Easter Edit" sounds sophisticated, doesn't it?  Like I'm going to Monday morning-quarterback-recommend designer fits you could've worn or gourmet meals you could've prepared.  But if you're a regular, then you know that that's not what this is.  (Also, that I prefer polyester to silk and JELL-O to crème brûlée.)  That said, I admit that my pics are brightened and curated (I'm an artist, not an animal!).  But they're by no means perfect -- and neither was the holiday.  I had my outbursts and Charlotte had hers, and then I had mine again.  So, the usual.  Nevertheless, we (and by we I mean the whole family) laughed a lot too.  Which is fitting for the sitcom that's become my life -- and the part that I choose to remember.

So here's to Easter madness and memories.

And the Peeps that make them so sweet.

*Didonato Family Fun Center the Saturday before Easter.  

Easter in an Eggshell: Fashion Firsts

Fascinator: Amazon

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Skirt: Wild Fable, Target

Dress: Macy's Backstage

Bonnet Sonnet Necklace

Bag: Dolls Kill; Bracelet: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Char Bar and Memom

For Charlotte's first Easter, I wanted to get her a really special dress.  And when I was browsing Macy's Backstage, I found it: a satin party frock appliqued with bright yellow flowers and a matching cardigan.  So I was only too happy to make it my -- excuse me, Charlotte's -- own.

The bonnet was my mom's contribution.  Well, that and two bunny-bedecked pants sets, but it's the bonnet that's important.  Because, as my mom used to sing to me, every little girl must have an Easter bonnet "with all the frills upon it" and "be the grandest lady in the Easter parade."  Even if that parade is just a lap around the dessert table.

Just as every mom must make a hat necklace to match her fascinator. 👒💐

Procrastination Proclamation: A Treatise on Not Hopping to It

Dress: Macy's; Blouse: SHEIN

Bunny: Marshalls

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Boscov's

Top: Nine West, Kohl's; Skirt: ELLE, Kohl's

Bunnies: Peeps, Kohl's

Bag: Current Mood, Dolls Kill

Barrettes: SHEIN

Wreath, eggs: Michaels

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

It's finally here: my Peter Cottontail-come-lately Easter content.  So what if Easter is less than a day away?  There's still plenty of time to get crackin'.  But Tote Trove Lady, you may say, if you're trying to sell a product or be an influencer, then you should really post holiday stuff weeks or even months in advance.  Wait, what's that?  You're (mostly) not trying to become an entrepreneur or social media star?  You can't even influence your baby to stop licking lamps or grabbing your throat?  You just do this to distract yourself from the horrible things going on in the world not to mention inside your own head?  Then, by all means, take as much time as you need.  Heck, take a page out of Blink-182's book and have Halloween on Christmas.  That might be kind of cute, jack-o'-lanterns in Santa hats.

So, Easter.  Despite it being my favorite holiday, I find myself, as I so often do, one egg short of an omelet.  Because it's work, baby, work, baby, work, baby, work right up until the pastel parade.  But fatigue be darned, I love that parade and won't let myself miss it.  So I'm ignoring my grease-grimed stovetop and cobweb-choked stairs and breaking out the bunnies.  This year, I was careful to place them far from the floor, well out of Char Bar's reach.  Because she's suddenly a little crawling machine, and no crumb or knickknack is safe.

Speaking of Charlotte, I found her the sweetest Easter dress.  And myself a pretty sweet skirt.  But more on that post-holiday.

For now I need to sign some cards and bag some gifts.

Because those cobwebs aren't going to weave themselves.   

B is for Books About Bunnies and Babies

Also, Becky Bloomwood.  But we'll work our way up to that.  First things first.  As you know, I can't let a holiday pass without reading a coordinating cozy homicide.  So this Easter hat trick of three novellas including Leslie Meier's Easter Basket Murder, Lee Hollis's Death by Easter Egg, and Barbara Ross's Hopped Along was just what the Easter bunny ordered.  Each story delivered on the irresistible cocktail of cute and creepy, although I enjoyed Death by Easter Egg the most.  There's something about the combination of candy and crime that's especially decadent.    

Kind of like childbirth and chuckles, which isn't decadent, but rather soothing.  Now that I'm in the last leg of my pregnancy (30 weeks!), I felt the urge to reread Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic and Baby.  As the big day draws near, I knew that reliving Becky's hijinks would be especially entertaining and comforting.  And it was.  What I didn't expect was for it to make me cry.  (Then again, these days, there isn't much that doesn't switch on the waterworks.)  Because along with all the fiascos and fun is the heart that beats so beautifully in each of Kinsella's books.  As Becky persevered through her struggles, I knew that I could conquer mine too, and that in the end it will all be worth it because my baby girl is meant to be.

It's no wonder that this book was the first thing I slipped into my go bag.  

Immediately followed, of course, by a brand-new tube of Cherries in the Snow lipstick.      

Holiday Headliner: Sunshine Straw Hat of an Easter

 

Décor: Michaels

Postcard from a realtor

Mom's egg tree

Peeps lip balm, CVS

Feather arrangement: Michaels; Eggs: Marshalls

Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily

Mom's centerpiece

Bunnies: Target

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Fascinator: Amazon

Placemat (Mom's kitchen): Kohl's

Necklace : Ella & Elly, Zulily

Mom's kitchen window

Last Easter's chocolate bunny

As you know, Easter is my favorite holiday.  I love the flowers, the food, and the way the world finally wakes up from winter.  And even though I couldn't enjoy the traditional fare of ravioli (I'm Italian 🍝), ham, cheesecake, and chocolate, I went all in on festive fashion by splashing out on a new fascinator.  This one is a departure from my usual tulle-topped, I'm-off-to-the-Kentucky-Derby numbers.  The upturned straw, lace, and huge rose give it a Victorian-meets-'90s-meets-cottagecore feel, which, having sported more than a few Blossom-style chapeaux as a preteen, I loved.  What's more, its bright yellow makes me happy.

That said, I did eat a delicious dinner prepared by my mom, full of beef, veggies, and -- this was a real treat -- cheesy mashed potatoes.  Best of all, the starch didn't affect my glucose.  I'll take my wins where I can get them!

On that note, if you celebrate, then I hope you had a winning Easter too.  And if not, then a winning Sunday.  Because it's nice to know that a smile is just a family meal -- or accessory -- away.   

Clearly, impending motherhood is infiltrating my snark with sap. 😏

Easter Dresses and Tresses: Not a Hare Out of Place

Wreath: Michaels

Dress: ELLE, Kohl's; Hat: Amazon

Bunny: A gift from the husband the Easter after we met

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Bag: Betsey Johnson, Amazon

Card: Target

Dress: Rewind, Kohl's; Hat: Amazon

This title is a lie.  There are many hares -- and hairs -- out of place in this post, starting with my messy mop peering through that tulip wreath.  But then, imperfection counts as its own kind of theme.  Speaking of which, you know how Minnie Pearl wore her hats with the tags on?  Well, I kept the tags on, not my hats, but my bunnies.  Because they're not my bunnies after all, but Easter gifts for my nieces.  

So, it's not a shoot worthy of Vogue or Good Housekeeping.  But that's okay, because, as you know, we're all a little mad here at The Tote Trove.

And I wouldn't hat have it any other way.