Make an Easter Pussy Willow Tree

 Marcy and John created Easter pussy willow trees today which can be saved and reused every year, as long as the puppy doesn't chew up any more of the twigs!  They had seen some like them in Grasmere, a beautiful shop in Barrington, Rhode Island.  They used terracotta pots, pussy willows, cement, and dry moss.

 Their eldest son got a turn mixing the cement.

Marcy protected the edges of the pots with masking tape.  John filled the pots with the wet cement, leaving a few inches of space at the top for the moss.

 In this picture, John is giving the pot a shake to level the cement.

 They started putting in the pussy willow twigs right away.  The cement hardened quickly.

 Marcy spent some time arranging the pussy willows the way she wanted, and then she held them in place for a few moments.

 After the cement began to firm up, Marcy covered it with the dry moss.  Then we went off some for adventures for a few hours.  When we came back, the pussy willow trees were ready to move inside.

 It was time to decorate the trees with John and Marcy's special hand painted egg collection. 

Long ago, when John was a little boy, his mother used to paint each of her children an egg every Easter.  Marcy has continued the tradition for her three boys.

 John's mother always painted the date on her eggs, and so does Marcy.

 Marcy loves to paint animals for her boys.  She uses watercolor, so the paintings are wonderfully detailed and translucent.  If you use watercolor, make sure you always handle your eggs with dry hands.

 I adore Marcy's grasshopper.

 Look at the sea turtle and the flowers!

 Look at this beautiful amanita which John's mother painted.  What a treasure!

And look at Marcy's beautiful Beatrix Potter bunny!

Marcy and John have also collected some goose eggs painted by artists.  Do you recognize the illustrations on this egg?

 That's right, it's the root children.

 Amazing!

 Look at this mallard, so carefully painted.

 This might be my favorite, with its wildflowers and busy insects.

What are your favorite Easter holiday traditions?  Share them with us!  And you can visit the Grasmere shop page by clicking on the title of this post.