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.  

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.   

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.

Keys, Please: Last Call for St. Paddy

Sweater: Paper Heart, TJ Maxx; Dress: Esley, Modcloth

Fancy Fawn Necklace

Hair clips: Marshalls

Bag: Circus by Sam Edelman, Kohl's

Top: Jessica Simpson, Zulily; Skirt: Banned, Modcloth

Key to Kilkenny Necklace

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Heart barrettes: SHEIN; Other barrettes: So, Kohl's

Sweatshirt: Macy's; Jeans: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bag: Cat & Jack, Target

Coat: Anthropologie, Zulily; Skirt: Amazon; Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily

Sassy Circles Necklace

Top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

"Keys, please!" is what every teen yells before peeling out for the mall.  But this isn't about that (also, most teens don't say "please," and only grifters still frequent the mall).  It's about how I made three new necklaces that all have to do with that jagged thing that fits into locks.  It's also a little bit about St. Patrick's Day (yes, still!), but we'll get to that.  First things first: I didn't plan the key theme.  It just happened based on the supplies that I had and the outfits I wanted to wear.  The craft goddesses work in mysterious ways, not unlike Ronald McDonald.  

 

I made the Fancy Fawn Necklace from a vintage-style motel keychain.  Not that it's from an actual motel, of course, but rather, Oriental Trading.  I saw all that blank yellow, green, and pink plastic and thought, those would make great canvases.  So I stocked up.  A doe and a couple of cherry cabochons later, and this yellow one became a pendant!

The Key to Kilkenny Necklace was a no-brainer.  I will say that the keys were an afterthought, though.  The four-leaf clovers came from a pair of earrings I got on clearance, and I needed some charms to fill in the middle.  So these keys were it.  I guess necessity really is the mother of invention.

Finally, I made the Sassy Circles Necklace using keyrings leftover from keychains I used to make a necklace years ago.  At first I was worried it might be kind of blah, but I ended up loving it.

And now for the St. Patrick's portion of our program.  Here are some pics from yesterday's dinner at my parents'.  My mom is the most festive person I know, and I like to think that I get my sense of whimsy from her.  I was with her in Marshalls when I bought these St. Paddy's hair claws.  At first I said, These are ridiculous.  Then I was like, I've gotta get them. 

 

Here's the husband hanging out with his Peeps:

And also the sour cream and shamrock potato chips he found for us to try (spoiler alert: they're delicious!):

And finally, the whole clan -- minus Mom the photographer:

We may not be Irish . . . but we do like to party! 🍀🎉🥔🍰