easter
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{What Do I Know of Holy}: 12 Activities to Keep Easter Alive all Year Long

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

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Hi! I'm Erin from Worthy of the Prize and I am sad that another Easter has come and gone. My favorite holiday is over. Sigh.

All that remains is a house full of empty baskets, plastic eggs and sugar-crazed children.


But I don't want Easter to be over. I want these beautiful boys of mine {yes, I know I am biased but seriously...beautiful} to marvel in the resurrection all year long. It is not simply an event that took place 2000 years ago or even a once a year celebration. It is a way of life.

And yes, we Texans love our bluebonnets! ;)

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. {Philippians 3:10-12}


I want to keep Easter alive in our hearts and home all year round. Will you join me?


As soon as Easter is over, make an Easter Egg Countdown using 12 of your leftover plastic eggs. Inside each egg write 1 of the following activities on a piece of paper. Open 1 egg together as a family at the beginning of the corresponding month and be sure to complete that activity together before the month is over. When you have completed all 12 activities it will be time for Easter again and you can go here for 12 Ways to Make Easter about Jesus!

{1} April: Read Five Ways to Celebrate Easter Every Day and make a list of how you can incorporate these suggestions into your everyday lives.

{2} May: Grow Monarch Butterflies or build a Butterfly Garden and discuss the fact that in Christ we have new life and are a new creation. {2 Corinthians 5:17}

{3} June: Do an Easter Egg Fitness Treasure Hunt, using your leftover plastic eggs, as a reminder that our bodies are living sacrifices. {Romans 12:1-2}

{4} July: Celebrate Independance Day, pointing out that we have freedom in Christ because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. {Galatians 5:1}

{5} August: Write a letter telling someone who has wronged you that you forgive them, in response to the grace that God lavished upon us through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

{6} September: Do a service project for someone in need, reminding everyone that it is important to make sacrifices for others in the same way that Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross.

{7} October: Go on a nature walk or take a trip to see the fall colors, discussing how God's creation reveals his glory - the same glory that was displayed through Christ's death and resurrection. {Psalm 19}

{8} November: Make a Thankful Tree and have everyone add things to it that God did for them this past year that they are thankful for, highlighting Jesus' death on the cross as the greatest thing he has ever done for us.

{9} December: Read through Max Lucado's One Incredible Moment, discussing why Jesus came to Earth and how his birth points the way to his death and resurrection.

{10} January: Choose One Word for your family to focus on in the new year - relate it to your desire to put Christ first. Make Family Art to hang in your home as a reminder. Have each family member choose a personal verse that they are going to memorize and meditate on that year. Make Scripture Hands to reinforce it.

{11} February: Make John 3:16 Valentines and pass them out to family and friends.

{12} March: Gather up all of your crosses or make Easter Crosses and display them in a prominent place in your home, along with this Free Easter Printable, to keep your focus on Christ's suffering during the approaching Easter season.

Most importantly, attend church together as a family all year long - not just at Christmas and Easter.

Do you have any ideas of your own, for keeping Easter alive year round? Feel free to leave comments with links!

Be sure to join us for our {Hope for the Home} series every Monday, where we share intentional ways to make God apart of our everyday lives and home.

And then stop back by next Wednesday as we continue our I HATE RELIGION discussion. Don't forget to invite your friends!

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{What Do I Know of Holy}: Your Response is What Matters

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

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Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he is risen as he said! {Luke 24:5-6}


The angel rolled that stone away, not because Jesus needed help getting out, but because we needed to see that he was not there.

Which leads me to the question...how has the resurrection changed you?

It is not simply an event that took place 2000 years ago or just a once a year celebration. It is a way of life.

You cannot encounter an event of this magnitude, or the entire life of Jesus for that matter, and walk away the same. There is a choice to make.

If you missed our discussion last week, go here to read why I absolutely believe that Jesus is who he said he was and why I believe that the resurrection did happen.

And then make your own decision...

-was Jesus really the Son of God?
-did the resurrection really happen?
-what does it mean for my life?

If you agree with me that He IS Risen, go here for more information on how you can have new life in Christ.


Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? {John 11:25-26}



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Easter, Some Eggs & A Birthday

Sunday, April 8, 2012

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Just taking a moment to wish you all a really wonderful Easter! Here is a peek at some of our eggs. The boys had fun dying them yesterday. I had fun making some of them pretty too!
My Heart's Song shows us how she printed on tissue paper so that's exactly how I did these eggs. With art from The Graphics Fairy. So cool!

We also get to celebrate my little one's birthday today. He was actually born on Easter day and this is the first time Easter falls on his birthday since! He's so excited!!!
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John 3:16 The Story of Love

Thursday, April 5, 2012

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This video is so amazing that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share it here on the blog. Easter is just a few days away which makes it perfect timing to share it. It is truly beautiful and brought me to tears.

It's just over 18 minutes long but trust me it is worth it. Make sure you play it when you have time to sit through it's entirety. If that's not now then please come back later and watch. You will be glad you did.

Check out the Resurrection Garden my boys and I made. We cheated a bit by using ground cover instead of planting seed. We just did not have time for grass to grow.
When I saw this posted over at Worthy of the Prize I knew it was the perfect project to put a visual in my boys head of the price Christ paid and the gift He gave through His death. That Easter made the way!!!

I hope you all have a great Easter. While you are hunting eggs and eating choco bunnies take time to remember the true meaning.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

If you want to learn more about having a personal relationship with Christ and accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior please visit this post by Worthy of the Prize where they share everything you need to know.

Linking to:
S- The DIY Showoff, Under the Table and Dreaming, MThe Girl Creative, MM Party at BNOTP, Making the World Cuter, Skip to my Lou, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Keeping it SimpleT- Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, All Thingz Related, Today's Creative Blog, Hope Studios W- Trendy Treehouse, Blue Cricket Design, Someday Crafts, My Backyard Eden, Room to Inspire, Creations by Kara, Just a Girl, T- Yesterday on Tuesday, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Somewhat SimpleTidy Mom, Fireflies and JellybeansF- It's FUN to Craft, The Shabby Nest, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Tatertots and Jello, Funky Junk InteriorsS- Along for the Ride, I Heart Naptime
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{What Do I Know of Holy}: He Is Risen

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

1 comment
I love Easter!

It is my absolute favorite holiday, for many reasons....springtime...flowers...the colors...the candy....the new dresses....and of course, the resurrection! Without Easter, without the resurrection....there would be no love, no hope, no joy...no new life! How depressing that would be!

In 1 Corinthians 15: 12-22, Paul says:

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith...But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

I can honestly say that I agree with Paul and believe in the resurrection 100%, with all of my heart.

I actually wrote a paper in seminary on the very topic of the validity of the resurrection, so I could probably go on and on about why I believe that Christ did indeed rise from the dead, but I don't want you to fall asleep on me, ha!

So I will tell you the one thing I discovered that leads me to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christ is alive today...the lives and deaths of his disciples....not just Paul, who wrote the above passage, but also Peter, James, John, Stephen, John the Baptist, the list goes on and on of men, who dedicated their entire lives to preaching Christ risen!

And as a result...they were beaten, tortured, imprisoned and eventually died horrible, humiliating deaths...all for a man who was the supposed Son of God, who supposedly rose from the dead after being brutally killed, without saving himself, and was then left in a forgotten tomb?

Why in the world would these men risk their lives for such a cause? Why would they give their lives for this crazy man? You see, you can't just say that Jesus Christ was a good man. I mean he claimed to be the Son of God for crying out loud?!!? You have to draw one of two conclusions...either he was crazy, or he actually is who he claimed to be. There is no in between here.

You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. {C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)}

You know one theory related to the empty tomb is that the disciples stole Jesus' body and disposed of it so that they would not be thought of as fools. This theory was spread by the Roman soldiers who were supposed to be guarding his dead body.

SOOOO...you are telling me that the same disciples who were running scared for their lives the night before the crucifixion when Jesus' was arrested...the very disciples who betrayed Jesus' and went into hiding while he was crucified and buried....then decided to steal his body and hide it so as not to appear foolish...are all of a sudden, 3 days later, preaching Christ risen and dying for a cause that they know is not true because they stole his dead body?!!?

Sorry, not buying it. Obviously, something drastic happened during those 3 days that gave the disciples overwhelming confidence and power for them to stop running scared and instead boldy proclaim, as Peter did, that Jesus is in fact "the Christ, the Son of the Living God!" And I can tell you that it wasn't the dead body of a crazy man.

It actually makes more sense to me that maybe, just maybe...the shady Roman government did in fact pay off the soldiers to spread the lie that the disciples hid the body, which was never found by the way...so that they, the government, the very leaders of the Roman Empire, would not appear to be fools...since they were the ones who had the Son of God crucified and then carelessly misplaced his body.

Think about it for yourself and while you are at it, ponder this passage from Romans 5:6-9:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

It still amazes me that God "sent his one and only son," JESUS, to die for an undeserving sinner like me. And all we have to do to be forgiven and have eternal life in Heaven with him, is to "confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead!"

I pray that the resurrection becomes real in your life, no matter your circumstances...all God asks is that we come to him, he has already worked out the details!

Happy Easter and Praise God for "He Is Risen!"

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{What Do I Know of Holy}: 12 Ways to Make Easter about Jesus

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

2 comments
Erin here again with another edition of What Do I Know of Holy. You can find more of Erin over at her blog Worthy of the Prize.

I love Easter. It is absolutely my favorite holiday.


Truth. I am addicted to Cadbury Mini Eggs.



Seriously. Every Easter I make myself sick on them because I know that they will not be in the stores again until next year.

This year I have really had to control myself because I am trying to lose weight for my sister's upcoming wedding. I have only had 2 small bags, individual sized servings. So far I am down 16 lbs. - Wooooohoooo!!! :)

Yes, one reason I love Easter so much is the yummy candy.

Another reason is these little things..


Oh how I love tulips. Such simple beauty. They covered the grounds of my college every spring. They were my wedding flower. Big A and I even had our pictures made in them {at TCU} before we got married, to display at the wedding.


Taken 10 years ago, ha!

I can't help but be joyful when spring is in the air. It's as if God himself is painting his masterpiece on a clean, fresh canvas. Writing his story all over again, for all the world to see.

But of course, the main reason I love Easter is because of the resurrection. It is the very reason why we have Easter. It is the foundation of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection, Jesus is not who he claimed to be.

Next week I will tell you why I absolutely believe that the resurrection really happened.

With this in mind, I want to make sure that Easter at our house is not about egg hunts, bunnies and candy! Don't get me wrong...we do all of these things and have a fabulous time. But I want to make sure my boys know why we do these things. Why we celebrate Easter. Why Jesus died for us.

12 ways to make Easter about Jesus

1. Read the Easter Story {Matthew 28} together as a family. If your children are young, read it from the Jesus Story Bible. Watch this video for the visual story.

2. Download this Free Easter Printable to display in your home and enter to win the Matching Easter Banner.

3. Make Resurrection Eggs.

4. Attend church together as a family - not just at Easter but all year round.

5. Paint Handprint Easter Lambs.

6. Fill your child's Easter basket with Fun Faith Reminders.

7. Bake Resurrection Rolls for Easter Morning. Or prepare an entire Christian Passover Meal .

8. Create a Family Handprint Tree and have everyone add things that God has done for them that they are thankful for onto the palm of their hand, reminding them that Jesus' death on the cross is the greatest thing he ever did for us.

9. Do a service project together as a family. Maybe take a meal to a family in need, reminding everyone that it is important to make sacrifices for others, in the same way that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross.

10. Display Easter Crosses in your home as a visual reminder to all who enter.

11. Listen to Laura Story's What a Savior.

12. Plant a flower garden together as a family, take a trip to the botanic gardens or make a Resurrection Garden and discuss how God gave us new life in Christ.

Go here to see other Easter Ideas that I have pinned. Feel free to leave comments with your own Easter ideas and I will pin them to my board as well.

May you all have a blessed Easter with loved ones!

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said." {Matthew 28:5-6} 

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Easter Sunday

Sunday, April 24, 2011

2 comments
Matthew 28 (New Living Translation)


The Resurrection
1 Early on Sunday morning,[a] as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.

2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

The Report of the Guard
11 As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. 12 A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. 13 They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ 14 If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” 15 So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.

The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[b] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
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Egg dying fun!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

4 comments

Lots of Easter egg dyeing going on everywhere! We just did ours and I wanted to share them with you. Cause they are sooooooo pretty!


 Love all the bright color.

Also managed to squeeze in some silk dyed Easter eggs this year. While the kiddos were dying theirs I had these lovelies boiling!


Tried something a little different this time. We left off the outer white fabric wrapping. I wanted to see if this step could be eliminated and they still came out just fine! Yay! You can find instructions for these silk dyed eggs HERE.


I like this orange one ↓ for some reason. And several of them look like tattoos to me.

 Can you see Mickey in the one below?
Have you done your eggs yet? Have you ever tried the silk dyed eggs?


ShutterLoveTuesdays
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Easter Printables

Friday, April 22, 2011

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Just enjoying Easter break with the fam!

Please enjoy these Easter printables. Print on card stock for place cards or print on label paper for labels like pictured above. Made with elements from Just So Scrappy, go say hi and tell her Cap Creations sent ya!

Write names or notes on them as needed! Enjoy and if you don't hear from me before Sunday, HAPPY EASTER!!!

Click on image below, click on it again to enlarge, right click and save to your computer and print.



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Thrifty Makeover {Easter Style}

Monday, March 21, 2011

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If you're new around here you may not know that I kinda have a thing for thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets, swap meets and so on. Is thrift shopping a hobby? Or an addiction? Oh no!

I recently picked up this wooden candle stick and egg at my favorite thrift store. I say favorite because every Wednesday is sale day!!! Love that!

They both needed a makeover! So here they are just bursting with confidence!
I started with a paint job and a little antiquing to both. Then I used Mod Podge to stick on the chick and another image on the other side which I got from The Graphics Fairy.

Other side.


 I love my little egg.
And I love turning something old into something new! How about you?

Linking up at:
S- The DIY Showoff, Under the Table and Dreaming, MThe Girl Creative, MM Party at BNOTP, Making the World Cuter, Skip to my Lou, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Keeping it SimpleT- Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie, All Thingz Related, Today's Creative Blog, Hope Studios W- Trendy Treehouse, Blue Cricket Design, Me and My Bucket, Someday Crafts, My Backyard Eden, Room to Inspire, Creations by Kara, Just a Girl, T- Yesterday on Tuesday, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Life as Lori, Somewhat Simple, Beyond the Picket Fence, Fireflies and JellybeansF- A Few of My Favorite Things, It's FUN to Craft, The Shabby Nest, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Tatertots and Jello, Funky Junk InteriorsS- Along for the Ride, I Heart Naptime
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Photo Friday - Easter Eggs

Friday, April 9, 2010

7 comments
Easter Eggs! As much as I wanted to make more of the Silk Dyed Eggs, time just didn't permit. We had a birthday party planed for the day before Easter. So many efforts went into that! Anyway, we still had fun dying the eggs here! Kids got to dye them and I got to foil/metal leaf! Yay!


Photo Friday is a collection of my own personal favorite photos.
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Easter

Thursday, March 25, 2010

1 comment
Matthew 28 (New Living Translation)

The Resurrection
1 Early on Sunday morning,[a] as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.

2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. 9 And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

The Report of the Guard
11 As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. 12 A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. 13 They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ 14 If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” 15 So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today.

The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[b] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
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Silk Dyed Easter Eggs - Oh So Pretty!

Friday, March 19, 2010

11 comments
These are gorgeous! You will not believe the detail. Seriously the most beautiful Easter eggs I have ever dyed. And I am posting this now so that you still have time to find your silk before this Easter. And yes, I know this has been done several times by several people including Martha.

Silk Dyed Easter Eggs
I want to mention, I do not know how safe these are to eat. The dye in the ties is probably not food grade. You may not want to eat them. If anyone knows please share in the comments box. That said we do eat ours lol! If they sit out all day for decoration you might not want to eat them though.

Materials:
Glass, Enamel Pot or I use a Stainless.
White Fabric cut in pieces large enough to cover one silk wrapped egg. (washed sheet from a thrift store works)
100% Silk Material
Raw Eggs
Twist Ties
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
Water
Tongs
Vegetable Oil

1. Remove the lining from the ties and cut silk into pieces large enough to wrap around one egg.

2. Wrap raw eggs so the printed side of the silk is touching the egg and tie silk with a twist tie. Try to get the silk as smooth as possible against the egg.

3. Wrap white fabric around the silk wrapped egg an tie with another twist tie.

4. Put eggs in the pot and cover eggs completely with water and add 1/4 cup vinegar.

5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.

6. Use tongs to remove eggs from water and let cool.

7. Remove eggs from fabric when cool enough to handle. This is the fun part! Each one is like a little present!

8. Rub a bit of vegetable oil on the eggs to add a little shine.

Tips - Look at thrift shops and yard sales for silk ties. The uglier the tie the prettier the egg! Bold and dark colored ties work better. It must be 100% silk or it will come out like the egg at the bottom right in the egg carton picture way below.





I hit the silk tie jack pot last May at a local, annual church rummage sale. Tons of ties and like 10¢ each! I know where I'm going every year for my ties!

The tie on the right in the photo below made my fave egg last year (the black egg in the photos above that reminds me of a tattoo). And I can't wait to see what the two on the left do this year! See Mickey peeking in the center tie?
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