Pretty Pink Centerpieces for Brunch

I am finally getting around to posting the lovely photos from my Mother's Day brunch.  I was pulled away from my inspiration board when I saw these lovely lavender mini roses, which I had to incorporate into the centerpieces.  I lined both my kitchen and dining room tables with pink tablecloths and bubble bowl vases with tea light candles and curled gold ribbon scattered between.  The place settings were very simple with thick clear plastic plates and gold silverware with gold napkin rings.  I served an awesome sausage and egg bake as the main course and also make a homemade raspberry jam.  The raspberry puree served two purposes: I poured it into champagne for a fun girly drink, and I also had it available to spread on toast with Nutella.  The fresh bread from the bakery and chocolate chip scones were also a hit.  My guests brought salad, fruit salad, and cake...so we had more than enough to eat.  What do you think about these centerpieces?  They are so pretty and can be used for any type of event.  Would you set your table in a similar way?  Here are some more shots just because they are pretty.  Thanks for reading today!

Mother's Day Brunch Inspiration Board

I have a confession:  I am new to entertaining.  As a new wife, I have had two dinner parties in my new home.  My first event was an elegant pink themed birthday party and a month later I hosted my chalkboard and mason jar themed party.  I also had a brunch where I served my Easter egg casserole.  Right now, I am a little stressed...but mostly excited...because I am hosting the first combined family event for Mother's Day Brunch.

Spoiler Alert!!!! - I am sharing the inspiration for my Mother's Day brunch.  If you are attending, proceed with caution.  This Mother's Day, I will be hosting a brunch for some super special women in my life: my mom, mother in law, grandma, and god mother.  We will be hosting 20 guests, which is the largest crowd I have ever entertained or cooked for...wish me luck!

The party starts at 11am, so I want to serve a mix of breakfast and lunch dishes.  My guests have all offered to help cook, so we are going to have a nice variety to choose from.  I am going to make 2 sausage and egg casseroles and try this Parmesan Bread Pudding too.  I absolutely love bread, so I will pick up some fresh Challah and rye from a local bakery in the morning to serve with butter and Nutella.  Since it is a celebration, I will have mimosas and potentially a batch of raspberry Bellini's ready too.  We will also have fruit salad, a mixed greens salad, pastries, and cake. 

 

I love how poppy, coral, and teal look so fresh and modern when mixed with gold.  For the details of this brunch, I drew inspiration from this epic Ann Taylor belt, and picked a color palette around it.  If time allows, I'd love to make DIY gold dot vases to hold pink and orange floral arrangements.  One thing is for sure...I will certainly be wearing a tailored dress and gold accessories to match.

What are you doing for Mother's Day?  Do you have any advice for when I host my first major event?

Winter Gathering with a Chili Buffet

For my husband's birthday, my mother-in law hosted a dinner party.  The evening's theme was a winter gathering with a buffet of 3 chili dishes and hearty sides.  

 Chili was served at a warming station full of three different varieties.  Each chili had a label in a white vase with festive winter flowers.

A spinach salad with bacon and hard boiled egg was served to start our meal.

Stacks of colorful plates, soup bowls, and small bowls were displayed by the chili station.  This was a fun way to serve ourselves.

Chili toppings like chives, cilantro, and sour cream were displayed in decorative Nora Fleming serving trays.  No detail was missed.

For dessert she served a gourmet vanilla cake with white chocolate shavings.

Fresh strawberries and heavy cream were served with roasted coffee after dinner.  Isn't this white serving tray with a heart so adorable?  It is part of the Nora Fleming serving collection, which features hand painted "minis" and white platters.

White Bean Chicken Chili with Celery

Spicy No Bean Chili with Turkey

White Bean Chili with Chicken and Corn

Roasted Vegetable Soup

Spinach Salad with Bacon and Egg

Sauteed Purple Cabbage

This party was a hit thanks to the delicious food, beautiful display, and great company.  The hostess truly thought of every little detail.  You should try hosting a winter gathering for your next dinner party.  But if you're next gathering is more formal, consider an elegant dinner party or a mason jar tablescape.

Thanks for stopping by our blog today!  If this post got you hungry for chili, check out Kaylin's vegetarian chili recipe here.

Game Night Pajama Party

Sometimes, hosting a get together can take a lot of work...but a game night pajama party is the exception.  Instead of serving dinner, provide easy store bought snacks for your guests like trail mix, nuts, and pretzels.  Have these arranged in matching serving bowls within easy reach so you can munch all night. 

For dessert, lay out an array of gourmet treats like praline cookies, chocolate covered almonds, and truffles.  Again, these should be in the same place you are playing games.  For my party, I lined treats along the TV stand.

The party doesn't stop there - have champagne and drinks on hand in addition to a variety of games.  We played Mexican Train Dominoes, but I also had Scattergories, UNO, and Apples To Apples within arm's reach.

To make it a really laid back night, ask your guests to wear their pajamas.  It is such a fun and cozy way to spend an evening.  I highly recommend it.

Cheese and Chalkboard Themed Party

For my 26th birthday, I held a cheese-themed party for my family.  In lieu of gifts, I asked each guest to bring cheese.  We ate the cheese for an appetizer, and I prepared a three course meal featuring cheese in each of the selections.  Because cheese and wine go so well together, I kept the decor casual with chalkboards, mason jars, and vintage accents.

Inspiration

My love of cheese inspired the entire party.  The picture above is an aged gouda, which is my favorite.

DIY "Chalkboard" Place Mats

I wanted to use real chalkboards for place mats, but I was afraid the chalk would be messy at my dining table.  Instead, I found black poster boards and cut them in half.

I used a silver permanent marker and drew stitching along the perimeter.  Then, I hand wrote the name of each guest in the upper left-hand corner for a personal touch.  I love that they look like chalkboards but are disposable.

Appetizer Station

I prepared a station for appetizers on my counter.  A personalized place mat thanked my guests for the cheese and asked them to label it with porcelain labels I got from Crate and Barrel.  

I also made homemade crostini and laid out olives and salami.

Mason Jar and Rose Tablescape

The table was lined with mason jars and roses.  The DIY chalkboard place mats fit perfectly.

I used jars of varying heights to add some interest to the centerpiece.

I kept the place settings very simple with a clean white plate, single fork/knife, and crisp white linen napkins.

These vintage crystal goblets in purple, green, pink and blue added extra color to the table.

Cheese Filled Three Course Menu

I served a garden salad with gouda cheese, scalloped potatoes, broccoli with a Parmesan cream sauce, and chicken stuffed with Borsin cheese.  The guys enjoyed steak.

I really enjoyed the party.  It was simple to put together and very laid back.  Kevin and I learned a lot at our first dinner party, and I didn't make the same mistakes again.  I think the center piece would be perfect for a rustic, vintage, or castle wedding.  What do you think?