The Woods at Whippoorhill: Mother/Daughter Senior Brunch 2023

We had four young ladies from our church to graduate from high school back in May. I have known each one of them since they were born, and all of them were part of my Miss Manners program as they grew up. I wanted to honor them, so I hosted them and their mothers for brunch last Saturday.

One mother and daughter were unable to attend, and my own daughter was out of town. That gave us an uneven seven in attendance, so I decided to squeeze in an extra setting so we could all sit together in the dining room.

I'm so happy with the way my tablescape turned out. It's feminine, summery, and so welcoming. Let me take you on a little tour!

Normally I mix and match my plates, but this is perhaps my favorite set of china that I own. I decided to just use it and let it shine in all it's glory! This pattern is called "Double Phoenix" in red, and it's by Nikko. I have used it several times, most recently for Valentine's Day 2023. But My favorite table featuring these dishes was a Paris-themed Valentine's Day dinner a few years ago. Take a look at it. It's breathtaking!

I went ahead and set the plate stack, even though I removed the bowl and dessert plate before they arrived. I always like to give you a bird's eye view of a table setting. As usual, I took the liberty of placing things where they fit, and not necessarily where they go.

I wanted a lot of texture to break up the red and white dishes. I think I succeeded!

I don't have anything blooming in my yard right now, so I picked up a $5 bouquet from Walmart and fleshed it out with greenery from my yard. Actually, I took a chance and ordered it online to pickup with my grocery order. I got lucky. It was in pretty good shape. One rose was beginning to turn a little brown, but I removed a few outer petals, and it was fine. I've completely changed my mind about baby's breath. It is usually just used as a filler in a rose bouquet, but when there's a mixture of colors and lots of greenery, I think it provides a pop of color (yes, white is a color!), and a textured softness to the arrangement.

I added some fern fronds and some gardenia greenery for bulk.

I always use candles or at least tea lights in my tablescape, no matter the time of day. They add such a warmth and intimacy to the table. These little red tealight holders picked up on the dish pattern.

I made these pretty little rose bowls several years ago. You can see how I did that here.

I pulled out my pretty little green stem glasses to use. I wanted to add another color to the mix, and there was green in my napkins. I was given these glasses years ago by my sister-in-law. She had purchased them at Cracker Barrel. I only have eleven. If you ever see them anywhere, let me know! I got the vintage juice glasses off eBay a couple of years ago for Jewell's Hobbit-themed senior tea party. I used them with amber colored stemware for that party, but I like them mixed with the green better.

I made these napkins over twenty years ago. I was in charge of setting a table for an event, and I used these with green stems and my white everyday dishes. I wish I had a picture of the table, but that was before I began keeping a record. I love toile! And these play so nicely with my dishes, don't you think?

The flatware is Abigail by Hampton Silversmiths and came from Target nearly 25 years ago. I only hand wash it, and so far, the gold accents have held up beautifully.

Another view of the entire table...

You know I love a theme. Strawberry was my choice for the day. Each course contained strawberries, and it went nicely with the plates. I chose to serve this Strawberry Kiwi fruit blend tea from Harney and Sons. I always like to offer a non-caffeinated option.

It's hard to read this tea canister, but it was a traditional English Breakfast tea. I purchased this at Biltmore on our last trip. I've started displaying the tea canisters as part of my tablescapes. I think they're pretty, plus, it allows my guests to learn about the tea I'm serving them.

I love a good salad for breakfast or brunch, especially when it's full of fruit! Baby spinach, strawberries, blueberries, feta, red onion, and some walnuts I toasted that morning in a skillet with butter, salt, and sugar. I topped it off with a poppy seed dressing. It was a hit!

We love French toast at our house, but it's hard to make it for a crowd. I made a French toast casserole with fresh strawberries and blueberries. I made it the night before and then just baked it off before they arrived. A friend had recently given us a gift basket from Vermont, and it had a very nice quality maple syrup in it. It was the perfect topping. I baked the breakfast links in the oven, as well. That meant all I had to do that morning was make my cheese grits. I make my grits with milk and chicken broth, and then I finish them off by adding grated applewood smoked gouda cheese. Delicious!

In keeping with my strawberry theme, I made strawberry lemon blondies. They were delicious! This was also a make-ahead dish, so I just had to make the glaze the morning of the brunch. Easy Peasy.