Beyond Words

Earlier this week while playing golf, my friends and I were searching for mis-hit balls…one yellow, one red, and one white one. As we were doing so, one of them commented that we were on a ball hunt that closely resembled an Easter egg hunt. Quickly the worry of having to take a drop was overshadowed by laughter and memories of many an egg hunt.

 

Tis the season, right? Colored eggs, jelly beans, and even those confetti-filled cascarons fill our homes and store shelves. As I penned in a previous blog, eggs symbolize Easter and come in all styles and patterns. Most are of the plastic or real variety, but there is a variety that is in a class all its own: Fabergé Eggs. I’ve always ooohed and awwwed over them and decided this was the perfect time of year to do some digging on them. I’m eggs-cited to share what I learned with you!

 

 

It’s been nearly 140 years since the first Faberge egg was created 1885 when Tsar Alexander III of Russia’s Romanov imperial family commissioned Peter Carl Faberge to create a jeweled egg as an Easter gift for his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna with the above pictured Hen Egg. Okay, I already learned something as I had no idea Fabergé Eggs actually started as true Easter eggs.

 

The stunning golf-banded, enamel-sheathed Hen Egg featured a surprise inside: a gold yolk that opened to reveal a golden hen sitting on gold straw. Yep, that’s a lot of gold and trust me, it was real gold. The hen also held a surprise: a miniature diamond replica of the imperial crown and a ruby pendant. Meant as a one-time gift, the egg proved so popular and lovely to look at that an annual tradition was started and the rest is egg history. Once owned by Malcolm Forbes, the Hen Egg is now housed in the Fabergé Museum in Saint-Petersburg.

 

 

A total of 50 eggs were created for the Russian royals; 43 of which are still around today. Each year Fabergé oversaw a production team of metalsmiths, jewelers, designers, and other artisans to create the annual egg; details of which were kept secret until presented to the tsar.

 

Taken by the Bolsheviks during the Russian revolution, pieces ended up in various places but eventually became highly sought after works of art. According to a “Town & Country” magazine feature on the eggs, they have taken on a new life in the international art market, appearing and disappearing in private and public collections. Perhaps most famous of Fabergé egg hunters was none other than Malcolm Forbes whose collection at one point included nine eggs that today would sell for millions of dollars.

 

Sadly I don’t have one and likely never will (there are some pretty dupes out there though if you are just looking for a look) but, let’s look at some of the more famous Fabergé eggs and a few of my favorites.

 

 

Stunning does not describe this work of art and one of the Fabergé collection’s most celebrated eggs. This Mosaic Egg was designed by Alma Theresia Pihl, one of only two women who designed at the House of Faberge at the beginning of the 20^th century. The egg was commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II as a gift for Empress Alexandra and features an inlay pattern based on an embroidery pattern. Today it is owned by the British royal family.

 

 

Speaking of royals, how amazing is this, the Coronation Egg from 1897? Presented to Empress Alexander by Tsar Nicholas II as a memento of their 1896 coronation, it is sheathed in multicolored gold embellished enamel. The work of art contains a removable miniature replica of a coach built for Catherine the Great that was used to transport subsequent Romanov rulers. A large portrait-cut diamond is set in the top of the egg and is surrounded by 10 other diamonds through which the monogram of the empress can be seen. At the opposite end is a smaller diamond set among rose diamonds and surrounded by gold petals. Purchased at one point by Forbes, the Coronation Egg is housed in the Fabergé Museum in Saint-Petersburg.

 

 

Who doesn’t love a basket of flowers and who doesn’t love this stunner from 1901?  Empress Alexandra is said to have displayed this Basket of Flowers egg in her winter Palace study. She quite possibly gazed at the nine-inch work of art featuring a bouquet of wildflowers, leaves, and husks cast in gold and decorated in colorful enamel longing for spring as a long, cold winter ensued.  The silver gilt-and-oyster enamel basket mounted with a rose-diamond trellis and oval handle all on a blue enamel base is truly magnificent.

 

 

On the opposite end of the season spectrum came the Winter Egg in 1913. Given to his mother by Tsar Nicholas in 1913, it stands alone in the Fabergé world with its unique rock crystal carved thin as glass. Embellished with platinum diamonds that resemble frost, the egg rests on a rock crystal base designed to look like a block of melting ice. Amidst this winter theme is a platinum basket full of anemones and flowers made of gold and garnet…all studded with 1,378 diamonds that in 2002 sold at auction for $9.6 million to a private collector. Happy Easter to them!

 

 

Flowers delicately made from pearls and rose-cut diamonds adorn this 1898 masterpiece called the Lilies of the Valley Egg that also consists of leaves of green enamel on gold. A single pearl on the side rises to reveal three miniature portraits of Czar Nicholas II and his daughters Olga and Tatiana. It was a gift from the Czar to wife Empress Alexandra and is on view at the Fabergé Museum.

 

 

I’m particularly fond of this topiary-like creation given to his mom by Tsar Nicholas in 1911. It is made from enamel and jeweled nephrite and its leaves contain a tiny lever disguised as fruit that activates a hinged top revealing a feathered songbird that actually flaps its wings, opens its beak, and sings! I love topiaries and I love this egg.

 

 

Last but certainly not least is the last egg given to Empress Maria by Alexander III. Its trademark Fabergé inside surprise was lost but many speculate it was a bed of pearls while others believe it was the Resurrection Egg that fit perfectly inside the bigger Renaissance Egg. It has held the interest of many owners and collectors including Swingline Staplers founders Belle and Jack Linsky, who in 1949 tried unsuccessfully to donate them both to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They later sold the Renaissance Egg to a Manhattan antique dealer who sold it to Forbes. It was later one of 10 imperial eggs purchased from Forbes in 2004 for an estimated $100 million.

 

 

In short, he was a merchant from Parnu who opened a small jewelry workshop in St. Petersburg. In 1846 his son Carl was born and later took over the family firm after his dad sent him across Europe to learn more about their craft. In 1885 he was appointed supplier to the Imperial Court and by the 19^th Century the House of Fabergé was recognized the world over and Carl was named supplier to many European monarchs.

 

 

At its peak, the House of Fabergé has several branches, including one in London. Its flagship store was also home to Carl’s fashionable home and included a studio for designers and a specialized library. The company hired only the best jewelers and employed more than 500 people at one point. Up until its closure in 1918, it had produced more than 300,000 objects and considered not only monarchs as clients, but prominent politicians, business leaders, and artists as well.

 

As luck would have it, the First World War was hard on Carl and the firm and his home country. Many employees were drafted and after the October Revolution, the House of Fabergé closed its doors for good. As we’ve all learned in history books, the new government executed the Romanovs, who were Fabergé chief clients, and the making of Easter eggs like no others was no more. Carl eventually fled the country using false documents; died in Lausanne, Switzerland; and was buried in Cannes.

 

 

Who knew the extraordinary story and history of these extraordinarily historic eggs? I certainly didn’t but now that I’m in the know, I still think they’re beautiful but am also kinda happy with just my plastic, ceramic, porcelain, and real ones. After all, it’s not about the eggs but what they represent. Here’s hoping you have an eggs-tra special Easter!

Easter Sunday is two weeks away and everywhere you look it’s all things Easter so I thought I’d share with you some fun tidbits on a few of the more popular things we think of when we think of Easter. From the Easter Bunny to Jelly Beans and more, have fun learning and sharing the stories behind each of them.

 

 

Let’s hop right to it with the beloved Easter rabbit, AKA the Easter Bunny. Much like Santa Claus and Christmas, rabbits have nothing to do with the real meaning of Easter, Jesus’ resurrection, but like other Easter favorites they do represent “new life,” which is what Easter is really all about.

 

Easter always occurs in spring and spring is when the weather gets warmer, flowers start to bloom, and animals come out of hiding after a long winter of hibernation. Lots of other animals like rabbits are born in the spring, which again brings up “new life.”

 

 

So, what about Easter eggs? Well, lots of animals like birds and lizards are born from eggs and many of them are born in the spring reminding us of new life once again. And if you think about it, Jelly Beans (one of my favorite candies) are oval-shaped just like eggs so it’s no coincidence they are an Easter basket tradition. Peeps are also a favorite Easter treat and are shaped like baby birds I, however, am not a Peeps fan although they are kinda cute.

 

 

As I just mentioned, Jelly Beans are one of my favorite candies and another Easter custom is also a favorite of mine: the Easter Lily. In fact, it’s in my top three favorite flowers right up there with daisies and tulips. Every year I buy myself one and even a grocery store variety is sufficient in that any lily smells divine and fills a room with its own heaven-sent scent. I can smell their fragrance just looking at the picture above. But why do we only enjoy them at Easter?

 

Traditionally, the trumpet-shaped white blooms symbolize purity, virtue, innocence, hope, and life…the very spiritual essences of Easter. They’re mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible and are referenced several times in the Song of Solomon as well as in the Sermon on the Mount. Their religious tie-in goes even further.

 

Often called “white-robed apostles of hope,” lilies were said to be found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ’s agony. Tradition has it beautiful white lilies sprung up where drops of Christ’s sweat fell to the ground in His final hours. Today churches commemorate this belief by filling altars and aisles with Easter Lilies. They embody joy and life and serve as beautiful reminders that Easter is truly a time of rejoicing and celebrating.

 

 

Easter Lilies can fill a room with their sweet aroma as can some of the traditional foods we eat at Easter. Like ham. But how exactly did it get to be the meat of choice at our Easter tables? It all goes back many, many years ago when hogs were slaughtered in the fall but due to lack of electric refrigeration; any meat that wasn’t eaten fresh in the cold months was cured so it would keep longer and be edible in the spring. It just so happened that, because curing takes a while, the first hams were ready right around Easter. Thankfully today we have the finest of refrigeration so hams of all sorts can be found year ‘round. Still, whether honey-baked or smoked, chances are ham will be on many an Easter table.

 

 

Lastly, one of my favorite Easter legends. I’m not sure how I never knew the story until fairly recently, especially since I grew up in the Rocky Mountains where there are many pine trees, but it was news to me when I came upon it. And I loved it.

 

 

Apparently this time of year pine trees start their new growth. The tallest branch shoots forth and upward and forms the shape of a cross. If you look up and look around at certain pine trees you might see shoots developing making a familiar shape. The yellow shoots first form vertically followed by side buds, which eventually form branches and new growths that resemble a cross. They start slow and small, but as the days get closer to Easter, the tallest shoots branch off and form the familiar Christian symbol leading some believers to say “even trees know it’s Easter!”

 

The crosses are more prominent and more readily seen on Loblolly Pines in the southern U.S. and on Ponderosa Pines in the west but can also be found on a variety of other pines as well. The fact that this happens around the Easter season is likely pure coincidence, but who doesn’t love a little lore?

 

 

So there you have it, all things Easter wrapped up nicely in a virtual basket of info. I hope you learned something, liked it, and have an Easter season filled with hope, love, and lots of Jelly Beans!

 

 

Welcome to a recap of the Red Carpet that wasn’t. Yep. The 95^th Academy Awards red carpet was actually champagne. More on that in a bit.

 

Truth be told I didn’t watch the Oscars, don’t know who most of the nominees were, and haven’t heard of or seen most of the movies nominated. I did see “Top Gun,” “Elvis,” “Father Stu,” and “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” the latter of which wins all of my awards as I adored it, but that’s about it unless the BTS concert movie counts, which I also “attended.”

 

I use to love going to the movies, but when those who pretend for a living and get paid millions for doing so decided they were smarter than me and half the country, I said buh-bye to all things Hollywood. Hollyweird. But, a girl loves a pretty dress so I’m here to peruse what I’ve seen online so this suburbia girl is putting her pretend fashion guru hat on and giving her take on best and worst dressed.  Let’s go.

 

 

 

My award for “Best Dressed” is shared by two: Angela Bassett in Moschino and Cara Delevingne in Elie Saab. Both ladies festooned their dresses with jewelry by Bulgari and both brought old Hollywood glam to the red…er beige carpet. I loved the bold colors, elegant draping, and the fact that model Delevingne showed Hollywood how it’s done. Sidenote: what Bassett isn’t winning any awards for was her caught-on-camera reaction to hearing Jamie Lee Curtis beat her and others for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. No one knows what she was thinking, but the clips I’ve seen are not a good look for her.

 

 

Next up for me: Cate Blanchett in Louis Vuitton. It probably didn’t hurt that instead of watching the Oscar’s, I watched Cate’s film from several years ago that I just discovered, “Where’d You Go Bernadette” and absolutely loved it! What a great movie! I also loved that for the Oscars, Cate remained her original self and chose something we could all almost see ourselves wearing in a more average Joe manner.

 

 

 

Emily Blunt was the picture of perfection and subtle yet stunning style in white Valentino. I absolutely adored this whole look and those earrings! They don’t show up like much in photos but as she walked, they were uh-mazing Chopard statements that added the perfect amount of glam to her otherwise polished look.

 

 

 

 

Also lovely in white were Michelle Williams, who always looks chic; Sofia Carson, who I don’t know but know she picked a winner here; and Best Actress award winner Michelle Yeoh. Let’s start with Williams. Again, she always seems to win the red carpet and last night’s choice of Chanel Couture was yet another triumph. It could almost be a wedding gown or the inspiration for one! Then there were Carson’s Cinderella-like gown by Giambattista Valli Haute Couture and that Chopard piece of art around her neck. Perfection. Last but certainly not least was Michelle Yeoh. How classy is she? Her Dior Couture feathery gown was ethereal and I love that this woman who is certainly not past her prime still chose a sheer neckline rather than going totally strapless. Class. I guess couture wins this round!

 

 

 

Next up the opposite of white: black. I have several winners here but no one did it better than Chloe East in her stunning Monique Lhuillier and equally stunning Fred Leighton necklace. If I could wear any of the gowns mentioned in this blog to the Oscars or to any gala, it would be Chloe’s.

 

 

I also liked Vanessa Hudgen’s minimalist vintage Chanel column gown but would have liked it just a tad longer. I guess when you are offered vintage Chanel you go with the length they bring you. Oui oui!

 

 

Deepika Padukone was equally glam and stunning in an Audrey Hepburn-esque Louis Vuitton masterpiece complete with opera gloves. And will you look at that necklace?! One giant diamond was this girl’s best friend last night. Check. Mate.

 

 

Zuri Hall also donned opera gloves and her old-school meets edgy Tarik Ediz stunner checked all the boxes. I thought her hair and makeup were picture perfect too.

 

 

I’m including Julia Louis-Dreyfus here not because I loved her Lanvin gown (I do like it though) but because it fits the black theme and because she smiled for photos! What a rarity and what a shame that more of these glamazons never look happy in their enormously expensive gowns. Thank you Julia, and thank you for bringing your son as your date.

 

 

 

Adding some color the camel carpet (let’s see how many ways I can describe the “champagne” carpet just for fun!) were Kerry Condon, Ruth E. Carter, and Drew Afualo who brightened things up with shades of yellow. Condon’s single strap pleated mellow yellow gown with a flowing train was both whimsical and lovely. I thought Carter’s bright yellow gown with bright pink train lining and matching shoes was festive and fun and can see why she won Best Costume Designer. Influencer (ugh how I hate to write that but I did like her gown) Afualo matched Carter somewhat in shades of yellow and I not only loved her dress but loved the bow detail. In my quick search of who designed these three lovely ladies’ lovely gowns I came up empty so my apologies to whoever designed them.

 

 

Hollywood icon Sharon Stone wasn’t on the actual telecast khaki carpet, but she did turn heads at the post-awards Vanity Fair party in this stunning yellow caped dress with floral embroidery. I loved it so much I had to include it here. Some just know how to rule a carpet.

 

 

 

 

Also adding a color punch were nominated Makeup Artist Linda Eisenhamerova and Producer Victoria Alonso whose hot pink what looks like a satin gown I would wear and whose cobalt blue beauty with a sheer cape was perfect for the occasion and perfect for her. I also swooned over Eisenhamerova’s gold pumps and matching clutch. Nicely done ladies.

 

 

 

Subtle trains on otherwise subtle dresses also caught my eye, including Jessica Chastain’s silver sequins Gucci with black-embellished plunging neckline and black velvet lined train and Hong Chau’s oh-so-pretty-in-pink sleeveless Prada column with a fun feathery black train. I also surprisingly loved Chastain’s matchy-matchy necklace and thought her hair and makeup were flawless.

 

 

 

Speaking of glitter, and if you know me you know I love the stuff, I feel obliged to include Sigourney Weaver here in her gold Givenchy. I thought it was fun yet age-appropriate (can I still say that these days?).

 

 

     

Okay…now for the men. They were, for the most part, either very classic (which I love) or very “push the envelope” (which I don’t) so I’m going with just three: Samuel L. Jackson in Georgio Armani, Austin Butler in Saint Laurent, and Michael B. Jordan in Louis Vuitton.

 

 

Couples didn’t seem to be as big a thing this year but I always love what Willow Bay choses and she and spouse Bob Igor were once again smart and stylish. And talk about real smart and real stylish; Penn and NYU graduate Willow is yes, a former model, but also a former television journalist, editor, and author who in 2017 became dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Igor definitely out-kicked his coverage on this one.

 

I will say I didn’t looove Jamie Lee Curtis’ dress…something about the corseted tubing in the middle. Thinking I would have loved it way more without that embellishment but I did love how it played off her aging gracefully hair.

 

And now for the “What Were You Thinking?” awards. I can’t really pick a “worst dressed” but these are all in contention.

 

 

No words here. Too long. Too low cut. Too much. Sorry Zuhair Murad; on someone else maybe. On petite Eva Longoria. Not so much.

 

 

Yawn. For a beautiful woman whose husband is president and CEO of one of the world’s largest luxury brand conglomerates, Salma Hayek’s taste and choice of fashion forever baffles me. Including orangey-red, sequined, tasseled Gucci. Of all the choices she must have had she went with this. Hmmm…

 

 

I get it. The concept was maybe good but the execution was not. Again, just too much. I’m no designer but I’m thinking maybe get rid of the black fabric draping below Elizabeth Banks’ waist and just go with a white lower half, black bodice, and black train. Just a thought. Thought her hair and makeup were good though. Very Sharon Stone-ish.

 

 

No idea who Florence Pugh is but I’ve seen this pic everywhere today. Again, I get it; you’re young and wanting to do something different for the Oscars. Black biker shorts with seemingly endless Valentino white draping maybe pushed it too far though. It seems to have worked publicity-wise but that’s not always a good thing.

 

 

 

I’m all for sparkly, but this Louis Vuitton Kate Hudson said yes to was a no even for me. She said yes to this dress??? I don’t even know where to start. The sleeves? The fabric? The fit? The all of the above?

 

 

 

Pretty Kimberly Williams was not so pretty in this ‘80s prom-like pink voluminous gown. Giving some grace here as the dress that the pink cape covered was okay…except for the feathers that lined the hem…so maybe there’s hope. She’s such a pretty girl.

 

 

Very disappointed in Halle Berry in this Tamara Ralph choice as she’s often one of my faves. Maybe I’d like it more without the obnoxiously high slit. Maybe I’d like it more if she went tasteful not trendy. Less is more but I would have liked to have seen more elegance and less “look at me, look at me.” Not a fan of her hair either.

 

 

Don’t know who Jessie Buckley is but no. Just no.

 

 

And now for the question everyone seemed to be asking, “what happened to the red carpet?” Your eyes weren’t playing tricks on you; the carpet all of the above strolled down was not red, it was champagne. Yep, for the first time since 1961 the famous red carpet was anything but and it was also covered this year. The sienna-colored tent and neutral carpet were said to be chosen to convey “watching the sunset on a white-sand beach at the golden hour with a glass of champagne in hand, evoking calm and peacefulness” according to one of the event’s creative consultants.

 

You can’t make this stuff up. Only in Hollywood. Now back to reality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We all know, or should know, proper etiquette regarding napkins at a table. In brief, they are either folder under the knife and spoon to the left of a plate or creatively folded on top of the plate. Once seated, you are to immediately take the napkin and place it on your lap and it should stay on your lap for the entire meal. When done eating or if you need to get up during the meal, you’re to neatly fold it and place it either on the empty plate or next to it. So that’s etiquette, but have you heard the biblical folded napkin story?

 

 

According to Hebrew tradition during the time of Christ’s life and death, a folded napkin had everything to do with a master and a servant. Every Jewish servant boy knew that when he set a table for the master, he made sure it was exactly the way the master wanted it. Nothing new here, right? Yes, the table was properly set and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, for the master to finish the meal. The servant would not dare touch the table until the master was done. Here’s where the napkin comes into play.

 

If the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers and mouth, and then wad up the napkin and throw it on the table. This was the servant’s sign to clear the table as a wadded up napkin signified “I’m done.” If, however, the master got up from the table and laid a folded up napkin beside his plate, it mean “I’m coming back” and the servant was not to touch the setting.

 

I’m coming back.

 

Hmmmm…any guess how this is biblically related now?

 

 

Think about it. The Gospel tells us that the clothes Jesus was wearing at death were thrown aside but a cloth was neatly placed over His head. When Simon Peter entered the tomb, he noticed the wrapping lying about but that the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and laying neatly on the side.

 

I’m coming back.

 

Powerful, right? The power and meaning of a meal in Jesus’ life is equally significant.

 

 

 

Okay, so it probably wasn’t a meal that included a yummy cinnamon roll, but it did entail feeding a hungry soul. All along.

 

 

What immediately comes to mind is likely the Last Supper, but it started way prior. The Passover meal was historically important as Israelites shared a meal to remember both the bitterness of their slavery and the sweetness of their liberation. From the very beginning, it could be said that Jesus’ own life and ministry was food and/or meal-centered. At birth He proved food for a hungry world and is the Bread of Life. His ministry often involved meals or food, including His first miracle in which He turned water in wine at Cana and many of His preaching and teaching involved bread and fish. In His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaims as part of the Beatitudes, “Blessed are those who hunger for justice for they will be filled.” What’s glorious about Jesus’ meals is that everyone was invited.

 

 

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that traits that enable us to live a moral life are listed as “Fruits of the Holy Spirit” (Gal 5:19-22). I’m not talking apples and oranges, I’m talking Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.  These seeds are planted in us to help us maintain good habits and virtues and are the opposite of what are called the “Bitter Fruits.” Yeah, they make us bitter and even worse, as they consist of traits such as immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, and carousing.

 

As we sit down for meals this Lent and as we anticipate Easter, let’s imagine for a minute a table full of those we’ve wronged, not forgiven, judged, or even deceived. Not very appetizing, is it? Yet, that’s the type of table Jesus, the Master of all masters set so even if we don’t actually do it, set that table in your mind and envision it. Then, let’s all be grateful for the food on our plates and for even the napkins on our lap. No masters or servants needed to know and believe “I’m coming back.”