Saturday turned out to be a wonderful morning for a breakfast on the patio with the girls who volunteered to be on my decorating committee for After Prom. We’ve been working hard to come up with all the decorations for this school function happening next weekend! The After Prom Party has been a tradition at our school for years and a wonderful way to keep our kids safe and entertained for the late-night hours following the Prom! It has actually become quite an event which requires loads of work from all the committee members to create a memorable evening. And like most school events, it also requires sticking within a budget. This means lots of pounding the pavement for donations and in the case of our committee, also a TON of hands-on crafting and finagling of props to create the biggest bang for our buck! We started brain-storming last fall and have been working toward this event ever since! My committee has put in plenty of personal time…and we also have the biggest, single chunk of time approaching when we begin the process of setting up on Friday! So to show my appreciation for all the assistance from my friends, I decided that a “thank you” breakfast might be a nice idea! So Saturday it was, a morning of thankful fun! The early hours of the day did require a sweater, but it turned to be a fabulous way to begin the weekend…sipping warm coffee, munching on breakfast goodies, and spending time catching up on things other than After Prom! I’m so grateful for all their help…it really has been a collaboration!
a simple gesture of thanks…
with plenty of work still left to do, i really wanted to gather the girls together for an opportunity to relax and get geared up for the busy week we’ll all have coming at us! i wanted to express my heartfelt thanks and luckily, breakfast is pretty simple to throw together making it a perfect gathering to host during a busy time! i knew i wanted to celebrate on the patio so i grabbed the extension cord, brought out the coffeemaker, and set up a caffeine station on an old dresser…
it doesn’t take much to create a coffee bar! some simple stir-sticks, creamer, and sugar is all that’s necessary! of course you could really go wild with extra toppings too but many of my friends drink coffee black so they’re really low maintenance!
i did have some fun setting out my favorite mugs…love these!
a rolling cart that i use on the patio all the time for serving s’mores and other summertime goodies played double-duty as a brunch buffet! the shelves come in handy for extras like plates, napkins, & utensils…
the wonderful thing about breakfast food…it’s so easy! you can purchase so many yummy options and many casseroles can be made the night before…such a time saver when it comes to setting up! i used metal platters and bake ware to set on racks with candles beneath to keep everything warm. sometimes chafing dishes get too hot so candles can be a perfect option to replace the sterno canisters…and less maintenance too!
and these mini pancakes were a cinch to make by simply layering them with fresh raspberry curd and topped with a berry! you could use any type of fruit filling you love…and they taste great at room temperature too so they’re perfect for a buffet!
and lastly, my patio server holds some breakfast sweets, cold beverages, and handmade favors for the girls to take!
miniature sweets topped with the party picks look pretty in pink!
some OJ…or even a mimosa!
and some “thank you” gifts for the girls…corks filled with succulents make fun magnets and sweet little favors to show my appreciation!
i really hope they enjoyed it as much as i did! a morning on the patio…
a perfect place to say “thank you”!
check in on wednesday when i share how easy it is to make the planter corks!