A Corner of Spring

Although its getting warmer here, there are very few signs of spring yet, but I have a little spring in one corner of my house.  I made a spring mantle and have been waiting for the apple blossoms to flower for it to be complete.

Memories of my father are important to me and one memory I have is of him showing me how to force spring trees to bloom early indoors.  He used to go out and pick cherry blossoms, or forsythia and bring these huge branches home.  I was never sure where he got the branches but I do know he had a tendency to sneak onto other people's land and "free" them of a few lower branches or flowers (He did this with lilacs too, and was once held at gun point by a little old lady.  My dad was a rule breaker.).  But after a few weeks we had flowers in the house when it was still bare outside.

This year I decided to do the same in his honor.  I picked some apple blossoms from an abandoned house next door (only slight rule breaking for me) and just this week they have bloomed. 

To go with my apple blossoms I made a little spring centerpiece.  

I decoupaged the eggs with tissue paper and fabric and made the nests a couple of weeks back.  The rest were from the house.  Besides the fact that my cat has been eating one of the nests (I'm really not that upset) I think it turned out quite well.

I love the birdcage.  I have a thing for birdcages but my husband thinks I'm crazy for wanting them all over my house.  I had a friend who collected birdcages and I just think they are the most beautiful decorations.  Birdcages can be so beautiful, delicate, and eerie all at the same time.  This one is fake of course, but one day I will have some hanging in corners or whatnot. 

So there you have it, a corner of spring to foreshadow the coming weeks.  Forcing branches to bloom early may become a yearly ritual for me.  Next year I'll try cherry (that is if I can find some abandoned cherry branches).

P.S.  Here is Rhea eating my nest and then posing like a good kitty.

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