This year for Mother’s Day I decided to put together a little brunch, and invite my Mom and my BFF. We had a lovely time, and my husband did most of the cooking so I could enjoy it too.

I was inspired by the beautiful spring weather to use yellow as the colour scheme for the party. I don’t own a lot of yellow, but since I used yellow with white, I didn’t really need too much. A few strategic hits of yellow had a big impact. I started out wanting to do a grouping of pom poms and paper lanterns over my kitchen table, that incorporated my fun light. I made paper doily pom poms, and used some yellow paper lanterns for big impact.

For the table I used a simple white linen runner, and layered on some simple sweet yellow candles with some garden bouquets in mason jars. I don’t have many yellow flowers, so I used white, added some yellow spray roses that I bought, and tied the jars with different yellow ribbons. I love how it turned out.

I wanted to eat outside in the sun, so we set up the table buffet style. I found pretty polka dot napkins, and these sweet yellow striped paper straws.

For drinks we served Irish tea, along with lemonade for the little girls, and mimosas for the grown ups. I found this bottle with the fun stopper at the dollar store. The colour didn’t match our decor, so I wrapped it in a paper doily and ribbon. I love how it turned out.

I decided to serve granola with yogurt, honey and berries, so we could make our own parfaits. I made homemade granola for the first time, and it was a hit. I found the recipe here at “theKitchn“. My guests loved it so much that I sent them all home with a little for their breakfast the next day!

We also served a hash brown casserole, bacon, sausage, and quiche. I used this recipe for the quiche, and made one with broccoli and cheddar and the other with Swiss cheese and spinach. I made them the day before and just re-heated for the brunch. Worked like a charm.

The whole brunch idea came about because my husband makes the best buttermilk pancakes. He made plain, blueberry and chocolate chip.

We served them with vanilla whipped cream, warm maple syrup, and blueberry syrup, which I made by cooking blueberries in maple syrup. Yum.

For dessert we had some donuts, and I made the chocolate chip oatmeal muffins again, see the recipe here -one of my new favs.

Some little people really enjoyed the donuts.

I wanted us all to enjoy the warm weather so I set up the outside table with our yellow theme too. I hung my regular white candle lanterns with some pretty yellow ribbon and I made a yellow and white planter for the table.

I wanted to add a little more yellow, and thought the garden gnomes were a really fun addition.

I got some $2 garden gnomes at the dollar store, and a ceramic mushroom and gave them a few coats of glossy yellow paint. I love the bit of whimsy they add to the table. I will probably re-spray paint them pink later -my favourite colour these days, and add them to the garden border.

The brunch was so yummy, we all enjoyed the sun, eating and drinking and making our way back to the buffet for seconds and thirds, while the kids played tag and enjoyed the swing and sandbox together. It was a very happy Mother’s Day!

With a brunch like this…life really is a party!

This post is linked up at Between Naps on the Porch, and Whipperberry.

We’re planning on getting together with family and friends that feel like family to celebrate this weekend. It’s my husbands birthday, and we’re having a beer and root beer tasting to celebrate (more on that coming soon) but for the kids I wanted to include some Easter fun. I am planning on using my new favourite scheme of kraft paper and twine for the adult table, and wanted to come up with an Easter version of this neutral scheme for the kid’s table.

I used two end tables and children’s table to set up our little table for six. I know this usually never happens, but all the tables were the same height! I covered them all with brown kraft paper to start. I used easy plastic white plates, and then made sweet little bundles of napkins and cutlery. I used these mini paper bags and stamped them with “Hoppy Easter”.

I wanted to add a bunny detail. I found a simple bunny template at Titantoni. I cut the bunnies out of simple brown cardboard, hot glued on a little cotton batten to create the sweetest bunny tail ever, and tied them on to the little bags with some twine. So sweet.

I decided it would be fun to make a little garland too, so I cut out the printed pattern in white, and alternated them with some more cut out of brown kraft paper.

I decided to keep it simple, and instead of breaking out the sewing machine and worrying about keeping the spacing right, a used a simple needle and thread and stitched them together by hand.

They are so light, I just taped them up for the weekend. I love how they turned out, and they were so simple to make. They’d also look great with a more colourful table cut out of coordinating scrapbook paper. I had some white paper doily bunting so I strung it up as well, to create a layered effect.

One final detail on our simple table we these sweet little Easter nests. I wanted to add a little centrepiece, but worried about the kids knocking over flowers, so I came up with this kid-proof idea.

I shredded some of the brown kraft paper, and a few pages from an old book. I lined some glass bowls with a little plastic wrap to use as the mold for the nests.

I mixed a little warm water with white glue and dipped in my shredder paper, then I just pushed them into the mold and let them dry a couple days. My little girls are already eyeing the chocolate eggs.

I love how my neutral Easter table for the kids turned out, and it was really simple to put together with things I had around the house.

Hope you and yours have a very “Hoppy Easter” too!

This post is linked up at Whipperberry,  Blue Cricket Design, Cuisine Kathleen,  Tatertots and Jello, and Between Naps on the Porch, check out these great link parties for some more fun ideas.

As we all put the Halloween decorations away today, I know my American friends thoughts will turn to preparing for Thanksgiving. I thought I’d share my table from our Canadian Thanksgiving a few weeks ago.

I was really pleased with how the table turned out, this is the first time I’ve hosted Thanksgiving. I started out with the burlap runner, see how I made it here. I used my regular white plates, and these new amber glasses, which I scored on clearance last year, they’re House and Home from Zellers.

At each place setting I made a napkin ring out of simple twine, and oak leaves cut out with my Cricut machine, similar to the ones I used to create the fall branches I made here. Each person also received a Maple Cream Chocolate as a little favour.

My sister, who is a florist, brought these beautiful flowers. I love the way she incorporated the grapevine, large seed pods, and acorns. She made two smaller arrangements, which worked out beautifully for this large table.

The oak leaves and acorns theme was carried throughout the table, with a scattering of the glittered acorns I made earlier, see the how to here.

I really like how the colour palette of the table came together, using the nature burlap, twine, and book page and kraft paper oak leaves, combined with the glitter of the acorns in coppers, silvers, and brown, and the subtle orange of the cinnamon roses on the table, and the amber glassware. There was the suggestion of the typical orange, red and yellow but in a more subtle subdued palette.

On the console table, my antique turkey, and some candles dressed up with a little ribbon, and a bowl full on caramels!

Over on the buffet there is one of the fall branches, and a simple pumpkin on a dessert stand. I also have my apothecary jars filled with seeds, and nuts. I love the covered dessert plate holding three white little pumpkins.

Dinner was a great success, and it was wonderful to spend time with family and friends.

Great food, and even greater company all gathered together to be thankful…now that’s when life is really a party!

This post is linked up at Between Naps on the Porch, We Are That Family, and Blue Cricket Design.

I’ve been doing a little summer entertaining, and thought you might like my modern, pink, summery table.

I started with a light pink table runner on the dark wood, and then used my everyday white plates. I love these square side plates, and layered them with a simple pink cotton napkin. I love the pink glasses.

The centre piece is three frosted glass square vases, repeating the square from the side plate, filled with simple green hydrangea from my garden. On either side are hurricane vases with pink pillar candles.

I love the simplicity and clean lines, mixed with a fun colour like pink. This table made a great backdrop for a relaxed summer feast.

The menu celebrated the fresh food of late summer; pictures and recipes coming soon!

This post is linked up at Between Naps on the Porch, and Tatertots and Jello.

This Father’s Day we got together with my husband’s family for a time of fun, food and swimming. I did the table and love how it turned out. I had been wanting to try making some bunting flags, and this was the perfect occasion. I didn’t want to spend a lot on fabric, and thought it would be fun for Father’s Day to use some men’s old shirts in different shades of blues, with some strips and plaids. I headed off to the second hand store, but at 4 bucks a shirt, I didn’t want to spend $20 for one decoration. The next day was Saturday, Garage Sale Day! 50 cents each is way more my style!

I also bought some pinking sheers -an investment piece. I found a bunting flag pattern at Grace Designs, and cut it down slightly. I cut out the triangles with the pinking sheers, and sewed them to a blue ribbon. I didn’t hem them or anything, the pinking sheer edge is supposed to cut down on unravelling, and I thought it looked great too!

I love how they turned out!

For the table I used a beach mat with blue trim, some simple candle holders with citronella candles, white flowers from the garden, and this fun caddy with all the essentials in it.

My favourite element was the “Dad” word. My name starts with “D”, and I had these bookends, I borrowed a “A” from Maddie’s wall to make our centrepiece. Love it!!!

We had an awesome dinner of steaks, lobsters, and salads.

My Mother-in-law made her amazing home-made buns, and to the delight of her grandchildren, she made a special one for each of them with their initial on it.

The kids and Daddy’s all a great time in the pool!

For dessert, they ordered some delicious cupcakes! Just for fun, I also made a mini-bunting for the top of the cupcakes -so cute!

On Father’s Day especially, life is a party!

This post is linked up at Blue Cricket Designs and Between Naps on the Porch.