Celebrating Spring

It was the first day of Spring a couple of days ago and although Spring isn't my favorite season, I am enjoying all the flowers and tree blossom (but not the resulting pollen!).

I'm hosting Book Club next week so I thought it was high time the Winter wreath I have over my mantel was replaced with something more appropriate!  Over the weekend I collected materials from Hobby Lobby and Michaels and this afternoon I put my new wreath together.

I wanted it to look like a woodland wreath, a little wild, like something you might find growing by a tiny stream.  I like to build on these grapevine wreaths because it is so easy to tuck in the wired stems.  I hot glued the little nest in place and also the moss around it but everything else is woven in.  

This photo (below) was taken last Spring up in the mountains.  While on a hike, we came across this tiny pool, just a few inches across, fed by melting snow and surrounded by soft mosses.  

The wreath is a good size, about 18inches across so it fills a good space over the mantel.  It makes me smile.  

In celebration of the lighter, warmer and more colorful season I made Caprese Salad for dinner last night.  It's my daughter's favorite salad and we had it with some delicious spicy homemade veggie burgers.  Trader Joes had some lovely mixed heirloom tomatoes that smelled really properly like tomatoes and some lovely fresh basil.  I added in some fresh mozzarella and a light dressing made with olive oil, a fragrant Meyer lemon from the garden, a touch of really good balsamic vinegar and some crushed garlic.   It was delicious.