Easter in Washington Recap

I had a wonderful weekend in Washington with two of my dearest high school friends who traveled home from their school (the same one) in Pennsylvania for Easter.  The weekend began with spectacular weather on Friday which continued all day Saturday.  Unfortunately, it rained on Sunday, but we were quite thankful for the previous days of spring weather.  Here is a recap of the festivities.

Easter Eggs and Easter Baskets

The top picture in this pic stich (app found here) are eggs that I decorated on Easter morning.  Traditionally, my family decorates Easter eggs on Palm Sunday or just a day or two before Easter, but I did these with my friend A on Easter Sunday.  I really enjoyed this because it brought the whole family (her family) into the kitchen early before the midday meal began to spend time with each other creating fun decorations.  Five of them are mine, the ones that aren’t include the pink Easter bunny, the apple tree, and the intricate one in the lower right hand corner.  My favorite egg is the pale yellow, cherry-blossom-inspired egg with the pink flowers.  I first applied blue painter’s tape that I had cut into the shape of flowers.  Next I dipped it in yellow dye.  Finally, after drying, I removed the tape and outlined the flowers with paint pen.

The bottom picture is from the Easter baskets I put together for my siblings.  I chose the items, tied all the ribbons, and arranged them… the Easter bunny footed the bill.  I especially love the boys’ sand pails which were used instead of baskets.  I actually couldn’t find their normal baskets, but this turned out to be a handy alternative.

Easter Finest

And finally, our Easter outfits.  Guess who wore Lilly despite saying here that she wouldn’t?  However, I still did choose a sophisticated dress.  M, in the center, decided that she was going to wear my strapless, fitted A-line J Crew dress that I discussed on Friday.  Year after year, it continues to be a timeless Easter/graduation/spring tea party favorite.

How was your Easter?

Wahl’s Easter Chocolate

5 boxes stack up for my siblings and I

Every Easter and Christmas for as long as I can remember, I receive a 1 pound box of orange chocolate from my mother, aunt, or grandmother.  I finally asked my grandmother why, year after year, we order this amazingly delicious orange chocolate from Wahl’s Candy in Cheektowaga, NY (of all places).

Well here’s the story I was looking for in the words of my grandmother: “When we first moved to Buffalo, I was about 7 [1939].  My mother went looking for some good candy, after all, she had worked in a wonderful candy store previously in PA fixing all the window displays.  She was very loved by the owner [of that candy store] and every night he gave her a small white bag with some special treats for my brother and I.  So we were very spoiled and used to the best!”

“After searching Buffalo, we found Wahl’s and the tradition started.  We rarely purchased their candy except for Easter and Christmas because it was too expensive and right after the war years when money was still very scarce.  It was only about 2 miles from our home so you can imagine how we wished to go more often.”

“I do remember one Easter when I was about ten, we went to the store on Holy Thursday and purchased 4 brown paper bags full, which cost almost 30 dollars (a ton of money at the time).  My mother would take that candy and make the most beautiful Easter bakets you ever saw!  We were the envy of all our friends!  When Pop-pop and I married, we moved to the other side of the city, but would take trips to Wahl’s and bring candies to my Mother.  After she passed, your Aunt Lynda would go pick up candy with her boys and sit by Mother’s grave, eat the orange chocolate and sponge candy in the grass, and say some prayers.”

“End of story- we are still loving it!”

Happy Easter!

This is a photo of my grandmother (center) and her parents circa late 1940s/early 1950s.