Macarons: Pete's Sister Creative Gifts
Rosette and Coconut Cakes: Happy Cakes
Ruffled Cakes: Shannon's Sugar High
Flowerwall: Flowerwall Vancouver
When Kristin told me she wanted to host a welcome home party for me, I naturally declined. Despite my love for throwing parties, I'm not all that into being the guest of honour. But, she twisted my arm a bit (all she had to say was wine) and we decided to make the event a really special way to say goodbye to Manitoba (where I lived for almost three years) and hello again to BC (where I spent my entire life prior to Manitoba, and came back to for good).
While in Winnipeg I had the pleasure of getting to know one fabulous soul and artist - Kal Barteski. You've likely seen her work without even knowing it if you don't already know her - and if you do, you know how lucky it was for me to become acquainted with her! She truly is a special spirit with a massive heart - one of the nicest people you will ever meet with a wild passion for art and animals (in particular, polar bears). Kal has loaned her script to Vancouver Urban Winery for some pretty fantastic label art - so featuring VUWxkbscript seemed like the perfect way to bridge my Winnipeg experience and my coastal home. (Vancouver peeps - she's coming for a custom #kbscript pop-up at VUW next Monday June 6th! See you there?)
The name cards were fun to do and oh so easy. We used our Silhouette Cameo to cut out the names on black decal material, and used these ceramic Pottery Barn cheese markers as name cards.
The gorgeous eucalyptus garland from Celsia, and natural tablewares from Pier 1 helped bring together that breezy, natural West Coast vibe. And, to make it truly a "catered to Jen" affair, we tracked down a delicious collection of Vancouver-made dairy-free nut cheeses by Blue Heron (thanks to a shout out from local foodie Erin Ireland). I've been plant-based for the last few years and despite Kristin being far from it, she was happy to take on the challenge of creating a vegan cheese board. We will be posting the cheeseboard and more details on the nut cheese later this week for those interested!
To tie it all together, my personal and custom #kbscript (more of Kal's beautiful handwork) was a focal point as it really does just the perfect job at summing me up (and this wine and cheese party)!
WINE: Vancouver Urban Winery
TABLE: Restoration Hardware
CHAIR RENTALS: The Little Wedding Shoppe
GARLAND: Celsia Florist
PLACEMATS, NAPKINS, AND NAPKIN RINGS: Pier 1
ART: Kal Barteski
MENU: The Paper Society
NUT CHEESE: Blue Heron
PLATES: Sophie Conran
If we were to choose one meal to host, it would most definitely be brunch (and it's not just because mimosas are involved). Dinner parties are always a good idea - but there's something about daylight and breakfast foods (okay, and mimosas) that make brunch a winner in our books.
Since brunch isn't usually as time intensive as hosting a five-course meal (or at least it shouldn't be), it's the perfect opportunity to spend that extra bit of time setting the perfect tablescape. This girls' brunch was a trial run for an upcoming Mother's Day brunch I'm hosting for my mom and grandma. We must say, it looked just as delicious as it tasted!
We based the table around a simple garland of eucalyptus and colourful blooms and gave it an even bigger punch of colour from a selection of fruit sourced straight from my fridge. The fruit was such an easy addition. It added colour, texture and a vibrancy that flowers alone couldn't. The bonus was that our centrepiece was partially edible! Grapefruit mimosas and halved grapefruit were the perfect and light prelude to a main of crepes suzette, followed up with ristretto for this caffeine-crazed gal right here.
The citrus garland was really easy to put together and made a huge visual impact. If you're hosting for Mother's Day, it's definitely worth a go!
RECREATE OUR LOOK
- Greenery from the florist (or your backyard bushes!)
- Eucalyptus
- Floral tape or wire
- Floral tape or wire
- One grocery store bouquet
- Variety of citrus fruits (grapefruit, orange, blood orange, lime, lemon)
- Dragon fruit
- Two bunches of grapes
Start with the greenery and shape it into a garland the length of your table. Use floral tape or wire to secure it together. Cut the stems of your flowers from the bouquet and place throughout, leaving some blank spots for the fruit. Cut all the fruit in halves (minus the grapes) and place throughout the garland until you achieve the look you're going for! If you want to prep in advance of your brunch, you can use strips of floral foam under the garland to stick the flowers in and then place the fruit just beforehand.
Flowers: Flower Factory
Chargers and flatware: Pier 1
Plates: Sophie Conran
Flowers: Flower Factory
Chargers and flatware: Pier 1
Plates: Sophie Conran
May just might be our favourite month of the year. The weather is better, flowers are in full bloom, and... Cinco de Mayo! Who doesn't love margaritas, Mexi food, and bright, bold, colours? Inspired by travels to Jen's all time fave destination in Mexico, Boca Paila (Tulum - and if you haven't gone, GO THERE!), we brought in so many of our favourite things.
Refinished bamboo chairs, white washed wood chargers, and the most AH-MAZING florals were the perfect natural elements to juxtapose our modern, white, tulip table.
We repurposed napkin rings as bud "vases" (holders) for the succulents, and created a papel picado banner.
We hope you find some inspiration for your next Mexi - fiesta, and stay tuned for a yummy recipe for our blood orange mojito.
Sources:
Styling: The Party Society
Photography: Taya Photography
Flowers: Flower Factory
Table: Ikea Doksta
Table Runner: Mesa Chic
Tablewares (flatware, chargers, glasses): Pier 1
Plates - Canvas Collection at Canadian Tire
Napkins: Homesense
Stir sticks: Paper and Parties
