Why Yes, It Was My Idea!

Had a big breakfast, that I hosted this morning & can I just say I am pooped.  It's only 12 PM, but I feel like it should be about 5 or 6 in the afternoon.  I guess that's what happens when you start your day at 4:30.  I'll drink a Coke Zero & be fine in about 30 minutes.  Yea for caffeine!

I have to say that I think it was a success.  You know when you know something will just work?  I had a feeling that this would just work.  It was happy food, so how could it not work???  I'll stop talking so you can see what I did.

 Here is the room.  I know, it has an industrial feel, but it was not too bad.  I tried to go simple on the decorations. I was limited with, well, everything.  Maybe a better word would be steward.  I was trying to be a good steward with my resources.  There were five tables total.  I couldn't fit the last one, that would be at the bottom right, in the picture.  Every table was full and we had some people sitting or standing around the room.  It was a great turnout.

Here is the drink table.  Yes I know, 'thank you captain obvious'.  I did get a giggle at hearing one of the principals say he was in heaven because of the chocolate caramel coffee creamer I bought.  I'm glad I could at least make one person happy.  It's always the little things.

<-  Buffet table.  Can I tell you how much I love my steamer trays?  Yes, I know they are the cheap ones you can buy at Party City, but I love them none the less.  What did they eat you ask?
Grits Bar with sausage, bacon, cheese, caramelized onions &
         grape tomatoes
Apple Pancake casserole with syrup
Egg and Sausage casserole
Sausage balls
Orange Cranberry & Banana Walnut bread
A very large fruit tray
Yeah, it was good.  Just in case you were wondering.

There are some things that start off being great ideas, but then something happens & it has the potential to go south.  But then, you suddenly have an epiphany & it all works out.  See the very dry Magnolia leaf with the food item on it.  That was one of those things.  I had picked Magnolia leaves for the table decorations, but they dried out.  YIKES!  On a whim, I saved a bunch of them.  One of the ways I used the dried leaves was to let everyone know what they were eating.  I did it all down the buffet table & I have to say it looked cute.  It helped tie the buffet table in with the regular tables.  Yea!  A lot of people asked me if I got the idea off of Pinterest.  Nope. It was my idea, but it is now on Pinterest. :)

Because my sweet friend Melissa let me pick new Magnolia leaves from her tree, I was able to fill the arrangement in with the dried leaves.  I know that sounds weird, but it actually looked cool because you had the dark green of the fresh leaves & the lighter green of the dried leaves.  Go figure.  Here is a centerpiece with the candles lit.  I love candles.  My children do too.  We're weird.  But it's the good kind of weird.






Everything is now clean & put away.  Since I'm done writing this, I'm going to get a Coke, put on my Hot Socks & put my feet up for a bit.  Carpool is coming up soon & then I have a strange feeling I'm going to have some pretty hungry people tonight.  Can you say leftovers???  :)

Celebrating Life & putting one in the W column,
~ashley