After coming off of last week’s spring-like, 70 degree days in Central PA, today is a harsh reminder that winter is still here. We are, however, grateful for the taste of warm weather and look forward to spring right around the corner!  Until the warm weather is here to stay, why not settle in at home, embrace a few simple luxuries while you can, and relax!  We found some great tips from Amy at Design*Sponge that we couldn’t resist sharing with you.

• Make a hot drink. Whether its coffee, tea, hot chocolate or some other yummy liquid treat, you’ll surely be warmed from the inside-out.
• Put on your favorite slippers. There’s nothing like soft slippers and a blanket to keep you warm and cozy.
• Light a candle. When it starts to get dark out, light the room with the warm glow from a candle.

This adorable Meadowbrooke Gourd coffee cup luminary will bring warmth to your room!

Visit Amy’s blog post for more ways to beat the winter blues!

In a recent post, we  introduced you to our February product of the month. (pictured below)

Meadowbrooke Gourds bunny candy dishes

These cute bunny candy dishes are great for spring decorations in your home, but these open-bellied bunnies would be great to use as Easter baskets, too!

Give these bunny baskets to your friends and family filled with:

• Plastic Easter grass
• Chocolate Easter eggs
• Easter egg bouncy balls
• Jellybeans

It’s so easy and fun to get creative with these Easter baskets. The bunny basket can then turn into a candy dish to display all the Easter goodies throughout the Spring season.

This Easter basket gourd is another great option for a unique basket to give as a gift or keep as a decoration for yourself.

The Easter bunny candy dishes and the Easter basket gourd can be purchased online at our Meadowbrooke Gourds website or at our retail store in Carlisle. Enjoy!

Have plans for Saturday, February 26th? If not, then come out to our Meadowbrooke Gourds store location in Carlisle, PA for our February painting class! From 1:00pm-3:00pm Bonnie Hoffman will be teaching a class on how to paint “Luck of the Irish”, this adorable leprechaun! The fee for the class is $25

Activities fill up quickly, so please register early to avoid disappointment.  Registration and pre-payment is required.  You can register & pre-pay by calling us at 717-776-6029 or email us at bethm@mbgourds.com.

For more information, including directions to our retail location, visit our website.

In case you can’t make it out to our Irish-themed class, we thought we’d share another way to decorate your home for St. Patrick’s Day! Focus on leaving hints of green around your home.

image courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Dress up a collection of pretty green glass bottles by wrapping them with copper wire.

image courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Grow some good luck of your own with this shamrock wall hanging.

image courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Make your guests feel lucky with this home made place setting!

For more information on  how to bring these hints of green into your home and some other great tips, visit Better Homes and Gardens!

Whether you  paint your own leprechaun  gourd or decide to bring some festive green into your home in another way, we hope you find yourself extra lucky on this St. Patrick’s Day!

As you anticipate the idea of spring cleaning, you might also get the urge to organize and give your living space a face-lift. One task that is sometimes forgotten is our bookshelves! How do you balance your large book collection and make it look good at the same time? We have a few suggestions to get your creative gears working!

1. Alternate stacking books horizontally and vertically

2. In deep bookshelves, layer photos and books and stack figurines or other small art objects on horizontal books.

3. Our favorite suggestion is incorporating  Meadowbrooke gourds into your bookshelves to add a splash of character to your collection!

These gourds would make great additions to your bookshelves by adding crisp color.

Our gourdicopia collection (small splendors featured to the left) would also make a beautiful display on a bookshelf.

You can find these gourds on our website!

Have fun with your rearranging this spring and don’t be afraid to try something new!

The February product of the month is our new Bunny Candy Dish. They come in two colors, grey or white, and are 7 inches in diameter. Each Bunny has a brightly colored bow. The open belly is ready to be filled with candy, eggs or anything you choose. Get in the spring mood just like us and bring one of these cute bunnies home with you!

February Product of the Month

Visit  Meadowbrooke Gourds website to get your very own Bunny Candy Dish for your home!

We recently wrote a blog post about creating your own mod podge vases at home.

Another idea would be to make your own gourd vase with out the decoupage! All you need is a penguin gourd and some paint! (And someone handy that can saw the top off of your raw gourd.) With some bright paints and artificial spring flowers, you can make this easy craft into a home decoration for the new season!

gourd vases in our retail store

Try turning your vases into Valentine’s Day decorations! Paint the gourds pink or red to give your seasonal decorating a boost! This simple craft is sure to add a pop of color to your home.