My friend Kayte Frye and I have collaborated on a couple of pieces in the past year, most recently an article for Suburban Living Magazine entitled "Brunch in Style this Spring." Because this magazine is local to Holly Springs, Apex and Fuquay Varina, a lot of my friends, blog subscribers and clients likely missed it so I thought I'd share some of the highlights here. I'll focus on the tablescape which is my area of expertise in the article but I highly encourage you to check out the article (linked above) for some delicious yet simple recipes that are a great addition to your Easter (or any occasion!) brunch courtesy of my friend Kayte of Southern Fryed Bliss.
We kept things simple, achievable and affordable which is my favorite way to roll. Here's an overview of our tablescape:
As you can tell, the star of the show is most certainly the flowers. Here we took a more is more approach but by using really affordable flowers, we were able to make a big statement without breaking the bank. Trader Joe's is my favorite spot for affordable flowers and I typically am there at least once every week or two to replenish my supply of fresh flowers for my own house. Here we used a mix of white hydrangeas, two colors of tulips and two colors of extremely inexpensive stock filler. Total money spent on all the flowers on this table (which consisted of one large centerpiece and two smaller arrangements that flanked the centerpiece) was about $20. Looks like a lot more, doesn't it?!
Here is a view of the smaller arrangements. To elevate BORING and inexpensive clear vases we had on hand, I used the leaves from the bottom of the hydrangea stalks to wrap the inside of the vase. Not only does this make the arrangements look more expensive but it masks the mix of smaller stems in the vase.
I also wanted to do something a little special with the silverware other than just setting it to the side of the place setting so I used (yet again) some of the leftover leaves from the stock that I had stripped off of the stalks and tied a couple of leaves around the silverware with some green raffia ribbon. It was so easy but added a thoughtful visual detail.
Both Kayte and I own plain white dishes and so we thought that we could show people how to use their own everyday dishware but elevate it in a way so that it looks so much more special. White certainly isn't a very exciting color but when plated with the beautiful and colorful food, it takes a necessary back stage to the star of the show. Having the white plates also allow your eye to rest in an otherwise busy tablescape full of lots of vibrant color thanks to the flowers, napkins and food.
Check out the full article for all of the recipes and additional how-to's and sourcing information on any of the items you see on the table.
I also want to give a shout out to my good friend Alice who helped us edit the article before publication!
xo, Cameron
