Easter Basket

This year, I was lucky to find a basket in the shape of a duck. Not everyone looks out for a duck-shaped basket, but I'm no ordinary bird. Back in January, John and I stopped into an antique store in Oshkosh, Wisconsin where I spotted such a ducky basket tucked away on a dealer's shelf. I wanted to transform the green ducky into a sleek black swan, as inspired by a project I had seen before with the exact same basket. I loved Kevin Sharkey's usage of an unconventional (darker) Easter palette using black and rich purples. For my basket, I added my gilded eggs I made a couple years ago. I'm happy with how my swan turned out and I think it'll look great on our Easter table this year.

 

Starved Rock

About an hour and a half away from Chicago, John and I recently took a day trip to Starved Rock State Park, which is known for dramatic rock canyons located adjacent to the Illinois River. We had a great time climbing up and down many stairs on the well maintained trails. We visited several canyons and climbed several rock mounds. Because of the lack of substantial rain within the region, the waterfalls in the canyons were slow trickles, if any were to be found. John remarked that the spring thaw next year is probably a better time to see the waterfalls in action. We still loved looking at the curved formations and it felt good to explore more of the natural side of the state of Illinois.

Garfield Park Conservatory

Heading directly west from Chicago's downtown Loop, there is an outstanding garden oasis called the Garfield Park Conservatory. Having arrived in Chicago during the middle of winter the Conservatory was a welcomed retreat away from the cold. The conservatory is comprised of several large glass atriums filled with an abundant variety of plants, trees, and flowers. Several unique features to the conservatory at Garfield Park included a special atrium for children and a 'show' atrium filled with hanging inverted yellow umbrellas and special blooming plants featured by the Conservatory. For a suggested donation for $5 for adults a visit to the Conservatory was definitely worth it and I hope to go back very soon.