1 Happy Easter Photo Card, Paper Culture
2 Eco Plastic Easter Eggs, Eco Eggs filled with jellybeans
3 Painterly Pastel Eggs DIY Tutorial, Papernstitch
4 Porcelain Egg Candles, Revisions Design Studio
5 Milk bottles, Acme Party Box Company with striped paper straws, Just Artifacts
6 Fun table setting with kraft table runner, chalk drawn utensils and colorful confetti
* To view images of our spring inspiration, visit our Pinterest boards.

For an eco-friendly way to set up a fun table setting, bring in Kraft paper as a table cloth that will entertain both kids and adults. Using chalk, you can draw utensil outlines as well as provide an artsy alternative for guests to draw on the paper. Scatter the tops with colorful confetti in spring shades of mint green, coral pink and canary yellow. Not only will this brighten up your Sunday brunch, but also your Easter egg dying station. For beverages and things, we like to reuse jars and bottles like the milk bottles from Acme and accent them with paper straws (always eco chic!) in the chosen color scheme.

A good way to emphasize recycling materials is to bring them to life in new settings. In addition to using eggs to dip and dye, try using them as candles. You can break them in half, pour in soy wax and light them. Or, if you rather save your eggs for your traditional hunt, go ahead and check out Revisions Design Studio’s porcelain egg candles with soy wax! They’ve already done the job for you so you can buy them as is and set them up for your tablescape.

As an eco-friendly business, we like to support all things that help out Mother Earth, so we were extremely egg-static when we saw these eco plastic Easter eggs from Eco Eggs, which are made with corn and are completely compostable. You can use them as favors filed with jellybeans for a more casual spring party or even hide them with little prizes and treats for the little ones for their Easter egg hunt. Cap off your party by sending your guests away with one of our fun spring themed Easter cards from your family thanking them for hopping along to your party to usher in Spring and to celebrate this season with all its promises of new life.

Ocean Terry Oversize Fouta Towel, Nine Space
Reversible Beach Chair, Julie Brown Designs
Lunch Pot, Black + Blum
Wooden Utensils, Sucre
Splish Splash Pool Party Invites, Paper Culture
Baby Float with Sun Canopy, Swimways
Lomography Camera, La Sardina
Summer Fun Paper Plates, Tag
Medium Tote Bag, J.Crew x Sea Bags

Start off your watery escapades with one of Paper Culture’s summer party invitations, find the one that best fits your pool party, and invite all your dear family and friends. Then pack a picnic lunch in Black + Blum’s ingenious lunch pot to eat with the crafty wooden utensils from Sucre. And, as always, a camera in fun colors to document the memories.

Needless to say, my daughter’s first pool adventure was a blast for the entire family filled with yummy food, refreshing water games, and laughs and relaxation. We practically had to drag her out of the water with promises of future pool parties!

1 Prime Cut Apron by Sur La Table, $24.95
2 Bamboo Barbecue Cutting/Serving Board by Crate and Barrel, $29.95
3 Backyard BBQ Invitations by Paper Culture, $1.39
4 Burger Coasters exclusively at MoMA, $22
5 Oliver Appetizer Plates by CB2, $2.95 each
6 Barbecue Sauces by Williams-Sonoma, $12.95 – $14.95
7 Hamman Stripe Monogrammed Hand Towels by West Elm, $10 each
8 Mobile Foodie Survival Kit by PLANT, $26
9 Extreme Barbecue by Dan Huntley and Lisa Grace Lednicer, $8
10 Fyrkat Picnic Charcoal Grill by Bodum, $80
11 Tool Set with Hardwood Case by Mr. Bar-B-Q, $120
12 Everything’s Better T-Shirt by Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, $15

Fun items like the burger coasters and Oliver appetizer plates will be a smash at any summer party. And dear ‘ol dad can always use an apron highlighting all things meat as well as a grilling tool kit in a hardwood case. We’ve provided direct links to all of the items, but we’ve also created a Barbecue Mood Board on Pinterest as well. Check it out and also take a look at our other Pinterest boards while you’re at it.

We at Paper Culture hope that this will help you kick off your summer in the right way. Don’t forget to send an invitation our way!

As you may know, I recently started writing the “Inspired” blog for Paper Culture. Before I started my job, I did some research — I looked at the site. I checked out the assortment of cards and designs that were available. But I hadn’t really experienced Paper Culture until now. My daughter is turning four next week and I am making, as my Aunt Aleen from NJ would say, a party for her. This year I am doing the tried and true “age of the child plus one extra guest.” I have gone to too many 4-year-old birthday parties recently, where the birthday child has been in meltdown mode for the last half hour of the party. Also my daughter just started a new school, so I wasn’t really sure, who to invite. Here is my experience:

1. Register: I went on paperculture.com and registered, which was a piece of cake.

2. Pick your card: I had a terrible idea and let my daughter pick her invitation. She was very opinionated and a difficult customer to boot. “Fairies don’t have green wings. The princess’ mouth is too big.” And she didn’t like the line that went through the letters – disliking fonts at her age???! We finally settled on a card that she liked. It had scoops of ice-cream on it. Needless to say, she likes sugar.

3. Input text: I filled out the pertinent information. And then the site quickly sends you a proof and asks if everything is ok, or if you have questions about the design. I wasn’t sure if the text should be in all caps or not. I sent my proof back with my question. 30 minutes later I got a new proof and the designer had fixed everything: the “headline” was in all caps, and the other text was capitalized as needed. I also asked if the card could be more pink. Voila! I got a new proof, which had a pink background. We were good to go.

4. Order: I ordered 10 cards as this is going to be a small fete.

5. Mail: I hadn’t realized that Paper Culture offers a “Mail & Message Service.” The cards can be sent directly to you for you to send out, or the “Mail & Message Service” addresses and sends out the cards for you! You only pay for the stamps. I figured I would try it, as my handwriting leans towards being illegible. You can either type in your addresses – there is a nice little intuitive form – or you can import your addresses by using the paperculture.com excel address template. The Paper Culture people will assist you if you are stuck, but really it was so logical that I didn’t need help. And it didn’t take very long to do.

6. Message: Then I came upon the most magical part of the process. You can type individual notes for each guest which will be printed on the back of the card. Or you can send everyone the same key information and either personalize it a bit, or not at all. You never want to fill the front of your card with important, but non-festive information like directions and/or parking instructions. And you don’t need to with the “Message” part of the “Mail & Message Service.”

7. Purchase: I bought ($32.54 including tax and the cost of stamps) them on Tuesday and my daughter received her invite in the mail the next Wednesday. Not bad at all. Actually, it was quite a wonderful experience. And the word on the street has been amazing. My daughter’s friend, Sasha, told her that she had taped it to her wall. And two Moms told me that they loved everything about it.

Now I just have to figure out how to keep six 4-year-olds busy for two hours. Any thoughts? Suggestions?

Martha Stewart’s Honeydew Agua Fresca – Tired of the tried and true mint lemonade and peach iced-tea recipes? Don’t be bored by your summer beverages — enjoy this refreshing traditional Mexican fruit drink in just a few minutes.

Serves 10

14 cups honeydew melon or cantaloupe (from a 5-pound melon)
1/3 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from 4 limes)
Ice
2 cups raspberries

Set a large fine-mesh sieve over a large pitcher or jug. In batches, in a food processor or blender, puree melon until smooth. Pour melon puree through sieve, pressing on solids with a rubber spatula (you should have about 4 cups juice).

In a small bowl, combine superfine sugar and fresh lime juice; stir until sugar dissolves. Add lime mixture and 4 cups water to melon juice and mix well. Adjust sweetness with more sugar if desired. (Mixture can be refrigerated, up to 2 days.) To serve, add plenty of ice and 2 cups raspberries.

101 Cookbook’s Summer Corn Salad – Fresh corn is easy to find in the summer at the farmers’ market and this tasty salad is quick to make and a big hit with adults and children, alike.

Serves 6 or more.
Prep time: 10 min

6 ears of corn
1 large shallot, minced
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
v. scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
3/4 cup / 4 oz / 115g toasted pepitas
3/4 cup / 4 oz / 115g toasted sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

Shuck the corn and use a knife to cut the kernels from the cobs. Place the kernels in a medium bowl with the shallot while you make the dressing.

Combine the lemon juice, salt, and sugar in a small bowl or jar. Gradually add the oil, whisking vigorously until the dressing comes together. Taste, and adjust with more lemon juice, salt or sugar, if needed. This dressing should be on the sweet side, not overly tangy.

Just before serving, add the seeds to the bowl of corn along with 2/3 of the dressing. Toss well, really get everything well coated. If you want more dressing, add more to taste. Crush the oregano between your palms and let it shower down on to the salad. Toss one more time and serve.

Epicurious’ Fresh Fruit Ice Trio: Lime, Watermelon & Pineapple (by Lourdes Castro, Simply Mexican) – Having lived in Los Angeles, I’ve had the great fortune of savoring the Mexican street vendor fruit cocktail. This ice cold dessert is inspired by the plastic bag-fruit-concoction and is a perfect way to end a meal.

Serves 6

Lime
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 6 limes)
Finely grated zest of 3 limes

Watermelon
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups water
4 cups chopped seedless watermelon (about 3 pounds whole fruit), rind removed
Juice of 1 lime

Pineapple
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, chopped (about 3 cups)

LIME
Prepare a Simple Syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan set over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool. Add the Lime Juice and Freeze. Pour the simple syrup and lime juice in a 9 by 11-inch nonreactive baking pan and stir in the lime zest. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. After 1 hour, stir the mixture well, using a fork. Return to the freezer for another hour, then stir again. Allow the mixture to freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight (it is not necessary to continue stirring after you have done it twice).

Serve. Remove the pan from the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Using a fork, scrape the fruit ice and serve it in a small bowl.

WATERMELON
Prepare a Simple Syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan set over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool. Puree the Watermelon and Freeze. Puree the watermelon chunks (it is fine if small seeds are still attached) in a blender until smooth. Pour the simple syrup, lime juice, and watermelon puree in a 9 by 11-inch nonreactive baking pan and stir well. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. After 1 hour, stir the mixture well, using a fork. Return to the freezer for another hour, then stir again. This time allow the mixture to freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight (it is not necessary to continue stirring after you have done it twice).

Serve
Remove the pan from the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Using a fork, scrape the fruit ice and serve it in a small bowl.

PINEAPPLE
Prepare a Simple Syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan set over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool. Puree the Pineapple and Freeze. Puree the pineapple chunks in a blender until smooth. Pour the simple syrup and pineapple puree in a 9 by 11-inch nonreactive baking pan and stir well. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. After 1 hour, stir the mixture well using a fork. Return to the freezer for another hour, then stir again. This time allow the mixture to freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight (it is not necessary to continue stirring after you have done it twice).

Serve
Remove the pan from the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Using a fork, scrape the fruit ice and serve it in a small bowl.

1. Soy Crayons – $1.00

If you have a crayon-eater in your family, like I do, you’re going to love these bright and planet-friendly (AP certified non-toxic and contains no lead) crayons. Made from 100% renewable resources without paraffin wax, the crayons offer hours of scribbling fun. The box contains the following eight colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown and black.2. Hand Turned Wooden Top – $4.00

An old classic with a new twist, this 2″ wide and 1.25″ tall top is hand turned hard maple. The colorful swirling stripes on both the top and bottom of the disk are made with non-toxic and permanent inks.

3. Eco Panda Pick Up Sticks – $3.00
Made from bamboo, the ultimate sustainable material, this eco-friendly wooden sticks game is not only fun to play, but 100% biodegradable too.

4. The Mushroom Kaleidoscope – $4.50

Trippy! These mushroom kaleidoscopes let children see the beauty of the world through three different lenses. Plan Toys are dedicated to using non chemically treated recycled rubberwood.

5. Plantable Nut Tree -$1.10

Little green thumbs are going to love this little present. Just soak and plant the 4″ x 5″ tall Plantable Nut tree and watch pretty Wildflowers bloom. Enjoy the living gift with your child as s/he learns science too.