After our court date last week we had a little luncheon with both sets of our parents and some of our closest Cincinnati friends. It was a simple luncheon, but I thought I’d share the decorations I came up with which were all items from around our house. The only thing I bought was some fabric and fresh flowers.
Around the house, using twine and paper clips I hung snapshots from Charley’s first 6-months of life. It was so fun to see photos from so many different days, with so many different people and so many different sweet memories. Not to mention seeing photos of how much a baby changes and grows in 6-months is amazing.
A few months ago I found five, recycled glass vases at an antique store for $14 total! They normally sit on a shelf in our guest room, but for the party I gave them some flair with ripped fabric (simply cut a slit and rip – fabric always rips in a perfect line), twine and ribbon.
The water jug is from Ikea for less than $5. Tied around it is also some fabric and raffia.
The table runner is simply 3 yards of fabric, folded in half. No sewn edges or nothin’! Easy peasy, simple decor.
Around the silverware is bits of twine, holding the fork and spoon together.
The “CHARLOTTE” banner was made by a friend.
I got all the flowers at Kroger for less than $15 ($3-4 per bunch). Don’t flowers go such a ways in making bright and cheery decor?
The chalkboard sign is simply a piece of foamboard I already had on hand with two coats of chalkboard paint painted on. It made the board warp (like in a subtle U-shape), but it ended up working out perfectly because it could sit on the buffet table on it’s own.
The pictures around the edges are iPhone pics I’ve taken since Charley was born. I taped them around the edges in chronological order. To turn them to black and white I created an action in Photoshop and simply ran it on the entire folder where I had collected my favorite iPhone pics. Then, I had them printed at Kroger as mini-prints (basically their version of wallet-sized prints).
The quote, if you can’t read it is from an anonymous author and reads, “Not flesh of my flesh, nor bone of my bone, but still miraculously my own. Never forget for a single minute that you did not grow under my heart, but in it.”
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And, the menu:
Potato and Cheddar Cheese Soup
Corn Chowder (this stuff was amazing!)
Mini-Ham Sandwiches (my favs!)
Flourless Chocolate Cake (see recipe below)
And, champagne!
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Her little party made me realize just how much I love planning events where friends, food, fun and champagne are included! It was pretty easy, definitely fun and the luncheon quickly turned into an early evening who’s-ready-for-round-two? event. I’m looking forward to her first birthday which will be in the summer! Mint mojitos anyone?
xo,
jc
Recipe for cake:
Ingredients:
- 4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease 8″ round cake pan and dust with cocoa powder.
- In the top of a double boiler over lightly simmering water, melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Slices can also be reheated for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave before serving.