easter sunday

Some family photos from this year's very short Easter Sunday - Jared & I met up with my family after church for the annual family photo op (2013 & 2012), scarfed a delicious lunch & then packed up the car to head down to the Outer Banks for the week. Jared, very sadly, is home until tomorrow night, so I'm counting down minutes until my sweetheart joins me in this little slice of North Carolina paradise.

Although it rained the whole way down & into this morning... & although it's still quite chilly/windy out, I'm grateful for some relaxation (read: answering emails from as far back as two weeks ago), some serious cuddles with the golden doode, & the promise of a 76 degree day tomorrow that ends with Jared & I in the same state. Hallelujah x 2!

DIY - marble-ous easter eggs

I have what some would probably call a childlike obsession with dyeing eggs at Easter. I remain unashamed, because there aren't very many "crafts" that are this easy, colorful, & delicious. We took a marbled approach this year, & it was basically as easy as all the Pinterest links said it would be... Shocking, right? (You can see our dip-dyed eggs from last year here.)

  

>> We started with a base color, using this blending guide. >> With five bowls of color (orange, pink, yellow, grass green, lime green), we split the eggs up into five groups. >> Placing one egg in each color, we left our first batch in for nearly 12 minutes to get a deep color. Keep checking that first batch to make sure your shells aren't eroding! >> From there, we reduced the length of time that the eggs spent in the dye by 2 minutes...ish (12, 8, 6, 4, & 1 minute). Doing this created a nice, even gradient of colors. >> Once all the colors are done (& you've taken pictures, obvi), add about a 1/2 cup of oil to the bowls of dye. We used olive oil, because to me, it seemed to be the densest oil. But that's just my opinion & I have zero scientific fact to back that up. >> Drop one egg at a time into the dye bowl. We learned that if you just drop it in, you obviously are going to get more dye coverage. If you use a fork to whisk up the oil a bit, it will spread the oil out, creating a more intricate pattern. >> We waited until this step to create a blue & a purple dye, which I would highly recommend. It's just a game of creativity from there. Marble one egg in multiple colors! Add more dye for more vibrant colors! Get cahhh-razzzy! >> But, also be willing to think in reverse - To keep a pastel egg light, whisk your dye A LOT before dropping it in. >> When you pull the eggs out, there will be oil. Lots of oil. Let them dry before you wipe them off! >> & voila! You have beautiful marbled eggs! Now take more pictures, then crack 'em open & get them deviled up! Yummm. 

easter sunday!

Well, hey there, ya'll! Last week somehow became an avoid-eye-contact-with-the-blogger-bookmark kind of week. It's funny how those sneak up. & speaking of sneaking up, Easter popped up really quickly! It was a jam packed weekend, & I have lots (LOTS) of pictures to make up for the blog silence. 

My family takes our Easter Sunday photos pretty seriously. For the last few years, it's been the family photo-op, & the color scheme planning has gotten ser-i-ous. It was downpouring aaaaall morning this Easter, so my parents' back patio replaced the typical outdoor scenery. Even with the added humidity from the rain, it was actually a perfect backdrop. So, without further ado... The Essmann Family Photo Sesh, 2013. (With some Sunday Best hiding out in the middle.)

^ Yeah, my parents are adorable. But let's talk about mom's SHOES. Blim-blam. ^

 

 ^ Voted best picture, 2013 - The Golden Doodle Photo Bomb ^

 

^ I ask her to be my light test & she does this. OH, OKAY. ^

 

 ^ Added a baby to this year's picture of The Girls ^

 ^ This dog loves having her picture taken. Like, she's smiling. ^

HIS

jacket - moss // shirt - j. crew // chambray bowtie - tie bar // pocket sqare - h&m // pants - uo // loafers - thrifted

HERS

shirt - h&m // skirt - t.j. maxx // heels - old navy // barrette - h&m + hot glue + ribbon

^ This part is so sad after all the work that goes into egg dye-ing ^

 ^ But then you make Sour Cream + Bacon Deviled Eggs & it's not so sad anymore ^

^ Then you get cocky & make Roasted Garlic + Chive Deviled Eggs & you're like, "What is sad?"

 ^ Mama's pretty table. ^

& we'll talk some more about those dyed eggs tomorrow. I'd also like to disclaimer that my hair is not actually THAT red, although it turns copper every single freaking time I try to go even the slightest bit darker. But gray skies & reflected light & blahhh blah blahhhh.

Gosh, this post is a little all over the place. It's a lot all over the place. But I'm watching a Cardinals game (HEYYYY BASEBALL SEASON!!!) over the top of my laptop, & then focusing the rest of my attention on not stealing cheese off of Jared's snack plate. #willpower #yearofthebridesmaid #butaaaallIwaaaaantischeeeeeeeeese