A Bouquet of Thanks

Hello Friends-

I've been a bit out of touch and I'm quite sorry. It's been a really horrible week since we last chatted and I haven't felt particularly entertaining... but I did want to stop by and thank all of you for your incredibly kind words, lovely gifts and sweet thoughts - each one found a place in my heart and lifted my spirits. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful friends.

I'll be back later this week with a new recipe, but for now I wanted to share this beautiful spring bouquet with you. We're on the cusp of spring here and the colors are just starting to bloom. Eager to hurry the process along, I brought these bright tulips to a friend's dinner party last week. 

I found them for $5 a bunch at the grocery store, discarded the plastic they came in and used a length of plain burlap from the fabric store to wrap them. At $2-3 dollars a yard I buy a few yards at a time and use it to wrap small food gifts or cover the table for an inexpensive tablecloth. For my bouquet, I cut a 12" square, folded it into a triangle, wrapped it around the flower stems like you would swaddle a baby and tied it with a piece of raffia. Voila... an elegant, inexpensive and colorful hostess gift that looks like it came from a fancy florist!