Ladies Who Brunch

We had a party!
Mollie and I decided to host a Christmas Brunch for a few favorite ladies.

We wanted to let them know how special we think they are.

We made our list and sent out invitations the middle of November.

The holidays are busy and we wanted to get our date on their calendars.

We chose the first Saturday morning in December.

We hoped people would have fewer conflicts that early.

It motivated us to get started with our Christmas decorating!

A bit tricky since we were at the beach for Thanksgiving 
and we don't decorate before Thanksgiving.
We had 6 days to pull it off!

Come in!!
(and Go Braves!)

 Wal Mart had $4.00  Fraser Fir wreaths.
 I added the bow and some additional greenery 
including the obligatory Southern Christmas greenery - Magnolia.
 If you live in the South and don't have a Magnolia in your yard 
and your friends won't share their Magnolia with you then you need new friends.;)

Our Entry Way.

In August, my mom surprised me with two, yes two, amazing bamboo bar carts. 
They are in perfect condition. They belonged to a dear friend of hers who is clearing some things out. Her friends' mother bought them many years ago in the Philippines when they lived there. They are truly antiques and I feel so fortunate to have both of them. Mollie and I decided to decorate the carts, stock them with goodies and sprinkle them around the downstairs to help with the  flow.

This bar cart was to the right in front of our DIY mirrored French Doors

 

 Next to the front door, we placed the other bar cart. 
This beauty has a brass tray for the top!

(I still have more polishing to do but it already has a great, warm gleam!)

The bamboo basket holds a little "surcie"
  (Definition (n): word used in the South to mean a small, thoughtful gift, unexpected gift, just because.)

We made an ornament for each guest.
And gave it to them as they got ready to leave.

To the left is our Library from our Spring One Room Challenge
 all decked out for the holidays with plenty of seating for Ladies Who Brunch.

I've already talked about this little tree and it's DIY Chinoiserie ornaments.

To the right of the entry way is our Family Room.
Clean and without two big dog beds in the middle of it :)
Can we take a moment?
#raredoghairfreepicture

No ornaments on the big tree yet. We only had 6 days, remember??

And in the corner of the Family Room we placed a bar cart that we already owned. 
It's thrifted, but not as old or distinguished a the other two!

This cart was for those who weren't having Mimosas.
(We also set up a coffee and hot chocolate bar in the kitchen using Mollie's Keurig.)

And then in to the kitchen...
and this is where I fell down on my job as photographer!
We got to talking and I forgot to take many more pictures!!! Happens at every party!
But here are a few shots of the food and fun...

Chicken Salad in little jars with leaf lettuce.

I'm not sure Valerie was ready to have her picture taken!

We used the large blue and white flower pot to hold our champagne on ice. 

Worked perfectly!

I always use gift wrap as my table runners.
 I bought this bright green and white at Hobby Lobby back in October. 

The table at the other end of the kitchen matched the island set up!

But I didn't take any more pictures of all the goodies or cute touches!!

#bloggerfail

Mollie and her Sorority sisters at the brunch.

(They did not talk beforehand to coordinate their outfits for this photo op!!)

We had so much fun, everyone was so glad our get together was brunch

 and early in the month.

Mollie and I think this may the beginning of a tradition!

Business in the front...

... party in the back!!!

That's the story around here. 

We had a Low Country Boil a couple of weeks ago when College Girl graduated.
It was all about the school colors - red and blue! Go West!!

 

( Excuse me while I post one more Proud Parent photo!!)

If you follow along on Instagram - my fave!, 

then you know we have been in Bridal Shower prep mode since then.

The Bride-to-be's colors are coral-y blush and pinks, gold and white. 

That's all I needed to know. 

I went to town spray painting frames, papier mache letters and signs in those colors!

That's a serious spread right there!!

Someone said they felt like they were in a Southern Living photo shoot - so cute!

(On a side note the sign above is not quite finished... I still have to paint flowers in those fab pinks and corals at the top before the wedding!! But we used it at the shower anyway!)

There is a blush and gold polka dot runner down the middle of the table under all that yummy food.
It's hidden but I did my old gift wrap runner trick!
And I made the tassels from plastic tablecloths late one night using directions from a Youtube video. It's addicting. I couldn't stop making them!

I had a lot of help with the food. 
The MOB made these adorable little carnation looking, bite-sized cupcakes for dessert. 
They're small so having 6 is like 1 serving of a regular sized cupcake, right? Right?

The bride loved the idea of a Mimosa Bar and who wouldn't??

A family friend offered to take care of that!! 

But who has 35 champagne flutes...

The Mother-of-the-Bride cleverly started picking them up at Goodwill and thrift stores
and they were lovely - some were quite nice and old.
 We each took a couple afterwards to use and remember the special day when we sip champagne!

( I used a gold Sharpie to create all of the signs!! That's right - Sharpie!!)

 All the little gold frames sprinkled around have Bridal Etiquette Tips 
from Emily Post's 1922 articles.
The times they are a changin'!!

The Bride-To-Be is a cutie!!

We filled the swinging bed with gifts.

And then we oohed and aahed and laughed while the BTB opened and opened her gifts.

( And there is a reason we have a huge pink crustacean hanging on the wall of our porch behind everyone - don't you? #itsagoodstory)

And by the time we ate all the delicious brunch treats, sipped mimosas, and admired all the gifts we were tuckered out...

It's not a party until someone falls asleep :)


And then we cleaned up all of our Bridal Brunch paraphernalia 
and set up for a party at 7 p.m. ... 
Another day, Another post - 2 big parties in one day!!

Celebrate!!! Cause We Have a Graduate!!

College Girl graduated over the weekend.
I guess we have to call her Graduate Girl now :)

It was a fun-filled weekend with friends and family.

She had her Chi Omega stole to wear and we had it monogrammed. 
(Again, I say, it's the South and a Sorority)
She had a cord in the UWG colors to represent her time 
as an Admissions Tour Guide and Ambassador.

( Mollie and Wolfie)

( She was Tour Guide of the Year!!)

But mostly, it's about the cap.
What you put on your cap says it all...

This cap speaks the truth.
Starbucks gift cards were the currency of her college life.

( Mollie's Chi O sister who is married and in NY joined us for the weekend of festivities.

It was fun for Molls to have Courtney home for the weekend!)

The ceremony was very nice - and not too long!
It started at 9 am which was crazy early since we had to leave home at 6 am but we made lunch reservations and were seated and starting a lovely lunch by 11:45. Not bad.

Then we headed home to prep for the Lowcountry Boil she requested for her party.
We had been planning and prepping for ages but due to crazy unforeseen circumstances we were waaaaay behind schedule.
My family swooped in and pitched in and we were ready for our shindig on Sunday evening!

We made a Cornhole game with the West Georgia mascot and shield on them.

We cleaned and painted our porch, did some yard work and then the fun began - decorating.
The UWG colors are red and blue and our graduation party was a couple of weeks after July 4th so we scooped up a lot of great red and blue decor on clearance!

I was having so much fun at our party that I forgot to take very many pictures
 and the ones I did take are not very good :(  Oops!

I should have taken better pictures but the hanging photo board was a hit!! We suspended it over the table so it could be viewed from both sides. I printed 91 pictures that gave an overview of Molls college experience. I printed them in black and white except for the ones where she was in school colors and then I printed those in full color. It was fun. 
I also printed a picture from the first day of preschool and kindergarten.

Mollie wanted traditional Southern desserts with her LowCountry Boil - 

Banana Pudding and Key Lime Pie. 

Neither one of those holds up or serves well to a large group in the 95 plus degree weather we've been having. So we bought these adorable little canning jars that do not have any writing on the sides and layered the desserts into them. Then once they were sealed they could be thrown into a cooler or galvanized tub full of ice.

 Everyone loved them. 

I made little signs with directions, the menu, etc. on them. 

I used cardboard and stood them in buckets and old cans we saved.

We had a Sangria Bar which was a ton of fun and I took not one single picture of - Gah!!

My mom bought the cute jars that sit either upright or tilt to one side - like old fashioned candy jars and we cut up the fruit and put in those. We set that on a chill platter insert I had.We put out red wine and a cooler of white and ice and everyone created their own concoction. Very refreshing!

 We put the "glasses" which were mason jars upside down in this metal tub.

(With The Grands as she calls them)

With her cousin, who graduated this week too :)

  We just hung out and devoured 20 pounds of shrimp and fixins!!

( Brook was so busy eating he couldn't pose for a pic!!)

Mollie nannied this little cutie for a couple of Summers!!

Sorority Sisters - the one closest in the pic is Mollie's Big!!

LCB and friends and family relaxing and chatting - 
that's how we do Graduation in the South!!