For Top Paddock devotees, you might remember us visiting creative Alexis and her crafty, colourful Easter 2021 celebration, shared right here! Not only has her daughter grown, but the Easter table is bigger than ever this year. 

Did you read the Peter Rabbit books as a kid?

Of course! I still have my 80’s copies; I even had a set of teensy mini ones, so small they looked like they were for dolls. It was actually the first book my eldest son latched onto when we started reading to him. He memorised the story so he knew when we would skip a page and he always made a point of talking about poor Peter's dad ending up in a pie. As a joke, I had to add a little pie to the lunch table, but I promise it was chicken! I grew up with a gorgeous pet bunny, so no cooked rabbit at my events.

What does Easter morning look like at your place?

We are very lucky; the Easter Bunny loves to visit our place. The first thing I thought when I saw our garden for the first time was how totally perfect it was going to be for Easter egg hunts, and it is. It's a cottage-style garden, just the right amount overgrown for the Bunny to hide lots of eggs and treats for kids to find.

After the kiddos have found all their eggs, they get to eat a few for brekkie while we have pancakes and bunny milkshakes for the kids, and lots of coffee for the grown-ups.

You are known for your epic tablescapes and heartfelt parties; how did you create this Easter theme? 

Easy! The stunning Binny design led the way. I always need a jumping-off point for any party or table theme. If a client isn't sure, I'll get them to give me a colour or two and then build a story around it. There's always a story swirling around in my head - it's the writer in me! So, seeing the gorgeous designs of Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail meant it had to be a lunch table laden with garden-fresh veggies, springtime flowers, berries, and moss.

I added little wooden crates and terracotta pots filled with goodies and even Peter Rabbit books tucked here and there. Surprising little touches like that make fantastic ice-breakers on a table, especially if some guests are newly introduced. I looked for cute seed packets to wrap up as favours for grown-ups (they are my weakness; I can't go past them in Bunnings!). 

When you're styling with a standout tablecloth like this gorgeous Binny print, focus all the bulky elements down the middle of the table, almost making a 'runner' of sorts. That way the design can sing and breathe, and guests can see it properly.

I do love a stacked plate and bowl set, and is there any more perfect time to whip out the cabbage bowls and platters?! And if your napkins match the table cloth, lay them over a solid colour, so they pop against it and don't get lost against the main tablecloth design. I couldn’t find a charger plate that I loved, so I painted some old plastic ones with terracotta paint and they came up great.

I love that these Binny napkins have frills! The most fun table designs have loads of texture. Not just things on a table, but a tactile feast too, with lots of feel and touch.

We loved your last ice cream cake hack, because who doesn't like a time-saving trick or ten when it comes to hosting Easter! What will you do this year? 

No one loves a hack more than me, and this is probably my all-time favourite ice cream cake idea. It's a bit more work than the last one, but it's a greatest hit in my family.

I mix up vanilla ice cream with strawberries, a swirl of strawberry jam, some shaved chocolate and coconut, then set it into two round tins, being sure to line them with cling wrap first.

Then I make around 12-15 scoops of ice cream and place them in the freezer to set.

When it's time to assemble, move quickly, piling the two round cakes on top of each other, and using whipped cream, 'ice' the cake all over and pop it back in the freezer. If you want to do this before serving, the whipped cream freezes almost instantly! So handy.

When it's dessert time, pile all your scoops on top of the cake, and then you can quickly serve the kiddos by taking a scoop and popping it straight into a cone. Once all the little sticky children have been served, cut up slices for the grown-ups. It works every time, because you can serve it so fast. It keeps everyone happy!

Are you working on any Easter craft at the moment?  

I've fallen completely in love with blown-egg designs again! We always made them as kids, but until now I haven't attempted them with my own. They love the whole process, from emptying the eggs carefully, (we've been having a lot of scrambled eggs of late) then
creating a style.

While the little ones got into painting, I used paper napkins to decoupage onto the eggs. It was so easy, and a cheap and effective way to make something special for Easter. I even used the stunning Binny tissue paper to make one of the eggs. From now on, I'll keep
all special paper and napkins in a box, ready to pull out for my Easter crafts.

Where do you find all the crockery and special bits and pieces for your tables?

I'm lucky to have The Festive Co Studio on hand which is chock full of props and plates, and I can never let go of them. I swear, everything gets used again and again! I did buy a huge set of vintage dinnerware on Facebook Marketplace a few years ago, that I used on this Easter table. It's the prettiest print of greenery and pansies, I love to use it at this time of year.

And I've never walked past a thrift shop without stepping in. Ever. The gorgeous blue and white dish and the strawberry platter have been thrifted over the years. I hope at least one of my kids appreciates all my quirky dinnerware in the future!