Mother's Day Brunch Ideas

{tabletop photos by Kristin Rogers Photography}

What do you have planned for Mother's Day?  With a few days left to plan, I've put together some brunch ideas that are pretty and festive and a great way to enjoy the morning.  Whether you want to create this for your own mother, a group of girlfriends who are moms, or set the table for you and your own young children, here is the plan for you. 

Set the Table: 

• Set a pretty, but simple table with a lace table topper and a few bunches of flowers.
• Lace and doilies always say "mom" or "ladies" to me.
• Keep the flowers in one or two colors for a stronger statement.
• Finally, tie on a special chair sign so mom knows exactly where to sit. 

Menu:

Serve a menu of delicious food that pleases everyone's palette. 

• Individual portions of quiche or frittatas makes for a pretty presentation and is a hearty main course.  
• Who doesn't love bacon, right!  Add a twist with this cornmeal & brown sugar coated recipe.
•  Growing up in the South, biscuits are a staple at the breakfast table.  Serve them with a variety of flavored butters.  Choose both savory and sweet options - herb, honey walnut, fruit flavors.
• Serve fresh fruit with a little yogurt and granola to end the meal on a light and healthy note.

Finally, make a sweet toast to mom with a mimosa, and have a Happy Mother's Day!

A Royal Wedding Viewing Party

We are only days away from the wedding of the decade, and I for one, can't wait to see how it all comes together! The wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton will be nothing short of amazing and I thought I'd share a few ideas with you in case you want to host a party and watch the nuptials in royal style.

Since this is primarily a "girly" event (weddings in general) I decided to use a feminine color palette of soft pink, rose, and cream for the decorative details. This is also reminiscent of the florals found on English china. This is the time to use your tiered serving stand, your best set of china, and your silver pieces.

You can set your DVR and record the event to watch later if you like, and host a brunch with scones, crumpets (English muffins), sliced ham, and fresh berries. For decor, make sure to use teapots and teacups and fill them with pretty flower arrangements. Place some hats, which you can get from a thrift store for little money, on various heights of hat stands or pillar candle holders. You can also have an array of hats for your guests to choose from and wear, or require them to wear their own. No proper royal event would be complete without them!

To add more interest to your food display, utilize the printable picks available from Bird's Party. This set incorporates our color scheme, gold crowns, and Union Jack. Another great printable resource, is Paper & Cake who has designed these fantastic photo props available in a top hat, a tiara, and of course, that gorgeous ring! Don't forget to toast the bride and groom with champagne. Set up a variety of juices to add to the glass - orange juice, peach nectar, and pear nectar are all great choices.

What's a wedding without wedding cake? I love these mini wedding cakes served instead of cupcakes. You can make these using a specially shaped baking pan, or by baking a sheet cake and cutting out different sized circles using a set of biscuit cutters. Just stack them, ice them, and add a few decorative touches with piping bags and decorating supplies. As a parting gift for your guests, place some "tea bag" cookies in a celephane bag and tie it up with a pretty ribbon. You could also add a couple of real tea bags to the gift if you like. These tea bag cookies are easy to make using a shortbread recipe and following the instructions found on Beurrista.

However you choose to celebrate, this Royal Wedding is sure to be a spectacular event!

Don't forget to visit me at the Blog Frog Coffee Talk community and discuss all things entertaining related!

Photos: teapot with flowers, hat on stand, tiered server(?), berries with printable picks, champagne, printable photo props, tea bag cookies, mini wedding cakes.

St. Patrick's Day Ideas

I think St. Patrick's Day is one of the most fun celebrations of the year - right up there with Mardi Gras!  It's a time to throw a party just for the pure pleasure of having food & cocktails with friends, and it's acceptable to get a little 'cheeky' with decor and details!  I've put together some ideas here that you can implement for your own gathering.  With lots of green, a rainbow, and a "pot of gold" you're guests are sure to have a good time...

Set the table with a green tablecloth, vases, and party ware.  I like the cool flowery napkins shown here - they remind me of a stylized shamrock.  Green spider mums in dried split peas is an easy but attractive centerpiece.  Make an Irish flag banner with felt, fabric, or paper cut into triangles and hot glued to ribbon.

Serve a buffet of bite-sized foods consisting of traditional fish-n-chips, mini shepherd's pies, and mini reuben sandwiches.  Wash it down with a "Pot of Gold" cocktail with flecks of real gold from Goldschlager.  Set up your cocktail bar with rainbow colored streamers hanging as a backdrop, and place a sign that reads, "A 'Pot of Gold' at the end of the Rainbow."  Have some glasses already filled and lined in rows.  Scatter gold coins around the bar top and around the glasses.

For dessert and favors, set up a Sweets Table with candies, cupcakes, and green rice crispy treats, along with decorative take out boxes.  Be sure to have Irish Coffee available too.

Sources:
flower in split peas, tablescape, cupcakes, invitation, popcorn, cupcake toppers
candy display, take-out box, rainbow streamers, fish-n-chips, mini shepherd's pies, mini reuben sandwiches, Irish coffee, Pot of Gold cocktail, rice crispy treats.

Havana Nights Party

I'm excited to share this latest project with you!  I've recently had the opportunity to create some original party ideas for the Celebrations website.  I've had a long relationship with the site writing articles and sharing my "real parties" with them, but to create something from scratch for pure inspiration purposes is what I love doing most of all!  The first design I did is a Havana Nights theme and includes some simple styling ideas as well as food, drink, and favor recommendations.  This is a great party theme to welcome Spring, or to host for a males birthday celebration.  The traditional Cuban icons such as cigars and 'manly' cocktails bring a naturally masculine touch to the party.  You can check out the entire party gallery on the site to get all the ideas for hosting your own Night in Havana party.

Vintage & Monograms Engagement Party

I created this inspiration board using the lovely invitations from Hazelbug as a starting point.  I loved the vintage style lettering, pretty blue border("something blue"), and the monogram at the top.  The monogramming is a great way to create a customized event.  Hang a banner with the couples initials, place monograms on favor hang tags, apply them to the menu cards and other signage.  Add in the vintage touch with milk glass vases, depression glass, retro bar ware, and a photo table featuring black and white or sepia toned wedding photos of older family members.  To me this feels like an engagement party that's perfect for a very close family who wants to honor it's most mature and influential members.  Cheers to that!

invitation, retro bar, other photos saved previously & undocumented.



Ice Skating Party Inspiration

I don't know about you, but I am just about DONE with this cold winter and snow, snow, snow.  Being in the South, it's just not normal!  However, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade...and when the weather gives you low temperatures, have an ice skating party! 

This idea was inspired by the adorable invitations from one of our sponsors, BNute, and a family-friendly skating party recently shared on Hip Hip Hooray blog.  These fun invitations immediately set the tone for good old fashioned fun with it's retro design.  The color scheme is carried into the flower arrangements using silvery foliage and white flowers (similar to snow).

You can incorporate the pink through printable collections, sweet treats, and fabric or paper goods.

Of course you need to warm the guests up when they come in from the cold, and hot cheese fondue is a great interactive way to do that.  Dense bread cubes and raw or steamed veggies are the perfect dippers.  For a little protein you can also add sliced cooked sausage medalions to dip.

Hot chocolate helps finish everything off and can be enjoyed with other sweet treats like cupcakes and cookies.

Don't have a place for ice skating in your area?  Host a "snow day" and have snowball fights, build snowmen, go sledding down a hill.  Bring your inner child back out to play!

Other photos in this board: flowers (Martha Stewart), fondue, hot cocoa, cupcake topper (Save the Date for Cupcakes)

Trend Alert: Paper Chains

What is it about the humble little paper chain of our childhood that makes it so chic today?  Maybe it's the fabulous papers available which introduces interesting patterns.  Maybe it's the ease and affordability of the project itself.  Or maybe it's the resurgence of all things retro and vintage that has brought it to the forefront.  Whatever the reason, these fun and whimsical swags that used to hang along Christmas trees, are popping up in the most stylish and modern designs from weddings to kids parties. 

 Ever since I posted this party last year I've noticed a definate increase in their presence.  The great thing is that anyone can incorporate this trend without being a craftsman or a crafter.  Just cut and glue (or staple) until your hearts content.  Get creative and use newspaper, old books, sheet music, etc.

Hope to see it at your next party!

Photos:

Style Me Pretty via P is for Party

Shana Faust; Martha Stewart

The City Cradle

The Purple Pug

Paper and Cake

Custom Inspiration Board - Pastels And Cocktails

I recently did a custom inspiration board for Mari who was hosting a Christmas cocktail party for 30.  I thought I'd share this one with you as it may be helpful in coordinating your own party over the next couple of weeks.  We began with a pastel color scheme and an invitation by My Expression, with a reindeer graphic...

The colors are soft but still sophisticated, with the slightest hint of retro.  The nice thing about having a Christmas party is that half the decorating is already done! You can add extra touches with retro-style ornaments in glass bowls or apothecary jars, add in a few deer to connect back to the invitations, and add decorative details to your buffet tables and bar with mini Christmas trees, hanging wrapping paper as a backdrop, adding a wreath or banner to the back drop, etc.  If there will be dancing involved (which was the case for Mari) adding a disco ball over the dance floor adds a "party" atmosphere as well as a retro vibe.

Take your queue from the popular dessert tables and arrange your appetizer buffet in the same manner, lining up simple white platters with uniform rows of finger foods. Don't forget to add a few nibbles to the living room cocktail table. 

For a take home favor, wrap up a holiday cookie in a paper cd case, or cellophane bag. Add a 'thank you' sticker and pretty bow and have them in a bowl, or tray near the door.

Photos:

ornaments in bowl, Deer candy skewers, side board & cocktail display,

ornament wreath, deer ornament, framed sign, jar of ornaments, favors, tabletop display, tabletop tree display,

champagne bucket, appetizers, living room cocktail table

Bird's Holiday Party Guide

I'm excited for my friend Bird of Bird Crafts, who has just launched her E-zine - Bird's Holiday Party Guide, full of beautiful and inspiring photos, tutorials, recipes, and vendor products!  Many of the ideas are from Bird's signature parties, but there are also contributions from Sandra Downie Event Designs, Haniela's Food & Photography, and even myself!  Just look at how amazing it is (click on photo to open):

Christmas Cocktails & Cheers Party

Time to spread a little holiday cheer by hosting a small cocktail party (for 6-8 guests)!  I teamed up with Fresh Press to design this gathering inspired by their "Cocktails and Cheers" invitation.  Their designs are sleek and modern, and for this one I simply brought the swag from the invitation into my design, using ribbon and felt circles.  Read on for the party details.

The food is part of the design with it's green, red, and white hues. 

• I've always loved a mashed potato bar so I served some up in mini martini glasses.  The mini glasses keep the portion size just right.  Set out toppings such as shredded cheese, bacon bits, and chives.
• At my annual Christmas party, shrimp cocktail is always the first thing to go.  I made individual servings using small tea light holders.  The well is perfect for holding cocktail sauce and the shrimp sits on the side nicely.  
• For some international flair I served wonton potstickers in asian spoons.  Again, the bowl of the spoon holds a sweet chili sauce that you can guiltlessly double-dip in.
• For a fun and unexpected touch, I served individual ceasar "salad shooters" in small shot glasses.  The colors are right on with green lettuce and red cherry tomatoes.
• Finally, serve a signature cocktail for the evening and give it a themed name.  Champagne is always my celebration drink of choice and it's made that much better with the addition of cranberry juice and amaretto add-ins.  Get the full recipe here - I called it a "Jolly Old Elf" cocktail!

   I hope this party inspiration gets you in the mood for holiday entertaining. 

Cheers!

Modern Pumpkin Design For Entertaining

You're going to "Fall" in love with this design from Katie Grace Designs.  Katie is the winner of the Fall Celebration Challenge on the City Cradle, and I'm sure you can see why.  She is an amazing talent and found a way to make rustic pumpkins = modern entertaining.

Katie set up a dessert and tea bar full of interesting and unique details.  She's a wiz at doing that, as you may remember from this amazing party she also designed.  I will let the pictures speak for themselves:

I love all the wrappings she did for everything, especially the tea bags that are wrapped and hung on the branches.  You can read more about Katies design here, including the Pumpkin Trifle recipe, and the DIY pinecone chandelier.  Why not think about doing something like this for Thanksgiving?! 

Photos by Kristin J. Portraiture

Dinner And A Movie - Autumn Entertaining

My friend Sharon of Cupcakes and Cutlery has got some mad skills when it comes to stylish design! She recently designed this "Dinner and a Movie" party to help inspire Autumn entertaining for the Fall celebration challenge on the City Cradle. Every little detail is divine and I soooo want to be at this party.

Not only is her styling impeccable, but her idea here is sheer genius - she wrapped glass votive holders (or jars) with dried corn husks and cut the edges with a decorative craft punch.  She also fashioned 'flowers' out of more corn husks to help frame the outdoor movie screen.

The "concession stand" is presented in a red wagon and every snack is beautifully displayed.  Check out the twizzlers and mini Hershey's bundles below!  Oh, and the popcorn boxes?...a swatch of denim fabric is used as a fun accent under the sticker label!

In case you're wondering, why all the references to vegetables?  The location for the shoot was at a local restaurant which has it's own vegatable garden out back, and is the place where the outdoor movie theater was set up.   You can read more about Sharon's photo shoot here and here, and get the recipe for the Apple Spice Sangria (pictured above) here.

Photos by Sadie James Photography