Spring is one of my favorite seasons to decorate in my home. I don't know if it's the"nesting" decor of birds and eggs that has me excited or if it is the promise of warmer days ahead working in the garden. This time of the year my "green thumb" gets itchy and I love to browse the garden nurseries and shop for fresh colorful plants to start refreshing the plants in my garden and this tablescape has a garden planting element to it! Gotta love that!
This year I went with a Robin's Egg Blue and Orchid Purple Color theme, you might of remembered this tablescape from last year.
When I saw these napkins, the greenish-blue with a touch of orchid I thought they would be a perfect compliment to my Robin's Egg Blue plates. I layered my crisp white linens on top {that were handed down from my mother} as was the antique silverware that was my Grandmothers{which is very special to me because it is the only thing I have of hers}. The rattan chargers and the beaded white plates are from my local World Market.
A few years back I saw an idea in one of the shelter magazines with cute little plants planted in egg shells and I've always wanted to do that. I thought here is my chance to do it! What is so great about this tablescape is that when you are finished with the plants in the shells you simply plant them in the ground, egg shell and all! I was looking for some mini-african violets at my local nursery but they didn't have any, so I went with succulents and you know I have a thang for succulents! I love how they have a tinge of purple at the edge. Don't they look cute in my turqoise-glass, blue-beaded egg cup? Guess where I got those cuties? Yep World Market!
I also got these white chocolate bunnies {I love white bunnies} and mini moss baskets there . The turqouise marshmallow eggs came from Williams-Sonoma.
Here is another picture of them on the plate, you can see how adorable they are. Now we LOVE our sweets in our house so having White Chocolate bunnies and marshmallow eggs are not enough so I made my Carrot Cake Recipe but instead of making a Carrot Cake with a Nest, this year I decided to change it up and make Carrot Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate shavings and Marshmallow eggs.
This recipe it so very moist.....I've been using it for years!
The cupcakes came out perfect and look so pretty on the Scalloped Cake Stands from World Market!
Usually I use Chow Mein noodles to make my nests but this year I thought I'd change it up and use chocolate shavings instead...and I think they give it a more delicate quality to the nest and I also like a dark colored nest as in this cake with truffle eggs I made a few years ago.
Here are most of the ingredients I used to create the Carrot Cupcakes with Chocolate Nest. I used the Divine Chocolate that I got from World Market, as well as the cupcake liners. As you can see I have their white ceramic measuring cups and I picked up the measuring spoons that looks very antique in pewter. I also bought some serving pieces to use when we sit down to our Easter Dinner.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Carrrot Cupcakes with Nest~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ingredients: 2 cups of sifted flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 3 cups of grated carrots {this is the hardest part of the recipe but it is soooo worth it!} 1 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple {drained} 2 cups of sugar, 2 cubes of soft butter {1 cup}, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup of chopped nuts.
Directions: Sift dry ingredients together, set aside.
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Mix sugar and butter well in mixer, add eggs. Mix in pineapple then add dry ingredients. Stir in carrots and nuts. Pour into cupcake liners {find cute ones in green gingham at World Market} to the top of liner. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Check with a poker to see if it comes out clean, do not over bake. When cool frost with cream cheese frosting and chocolate shavings and eggs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cream Cheese Frosting~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cube {1/2 cup} of unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 box of powdered sugar.
Mix well in an electric mixer and then frost cool cupcakes. Shave the bar of Divine Chocolate either in dark chocloate or milk chocolate and sprinke on top, add a Robins Egg to the top. Simply Divine!!
Discloser: You can find many of these products at World Market. I am a World Market Amabassador and I am compensated for their products in Gift Cards. All my opinions are my own and I have been a fan of their products for as long as I can remember for this reason I chose to become an Ambassdor. I believe in their products.
Now here is your chance to enter the Hop it Forward Sweepstakes at World Market!
Wouldn't you love to win a $2,000 dollar gift card to World Market and a years' supply of Divine Chocolate? All you have to do is spread random acts of hopiness {kindness} and post it to the World Market website. It's that easy.
Here are the sources for my tablescape....
Kooboo Chairs from World Market
Farmhouse Table made by my Friend Marty
Rattan Chargers from World Market
Robins Egg Blue plates from Homegoods
White beaded salad plate from World Market
Turqoise Beaded egg cup from World Market
Succulents from my local nursery
Greenish-blue floral napkins from World Market
White lacy napkins, handed down from my Mother
Napkin rings , can't remember.
Antique silverware handed down from my Mother
Turqoise Tumblers, a gift from a good friend
Striped straws from World Market
Daisy lids from Target in the dollar section
Cake Stands from World Market
Flower Pitcher from Southern Living
Flowers from Trader Joes
Candelier from Southern Living
Silverware handed down from Grandmother
Hope you are enjoying your Springtime I sure am! Looking forward to planting some Lilly of the Valley in our backyard garden bed and a veggie garden!
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