making easter pretty: setting a friendly table

Posted on 25. Apr, 2011 by Princess Lasertron in inspiration, photos

Setting a table for a holiday brunch usually calls for your prettiest plates, freshly-starched linens, and a beautiful centerpiece. Although there’s nothing like steam-ironing tablecloths on my short list of simple pleasures, our small Easter brunch for three-and-a-half with my brother, husband, and baby called for something more comfortable and casual. Yet it was still important for me to host a party that felt elegant and well-planned.

The concept for the table was simple: a neutral, natural base (in the wooden table, white paper, and kraft Easter treat bags) with brilliantly colored small details (in the flowers, paper balls, and favors).

I lined the edges of our thick wooden table with paper. It served as a placemat, a drawing surface, added visual interest. Also, leaving the middle of the table bare adds some form to the function.

I filled kraft bags with Easter treats, wrote each person’s name on the outside, and tied each one to a chair back with yarn. Each place setting also got a tumbler, a champagne glass for mimosas (or a new bunny sippy cup), a jar of crayons, and an ice cream-shaped bottle of bubbles. As the platters of french toast and cinnamon rolls dwindled the white paper became more scribbled-on, and the bubbles came out to bring a playful end to the meal.

My mom is usually the host of holiday get-togethers, but she and my dad are en route to Florida for the shuttle launch! My mom won tickets from NASA on twitter and she gets to sit in a special group of people in the verrrrrry front of the gallery where she will livetweet and blog the entire experience. You can follow her journey in the MotherShip, a gigantic rock star motorhome, on Twitter and on her blog! My mom Mary Beth is an amazing writer and she will make you wish you were there.

xo
meg

Tags: easter, party, photos, table