Summer Blues

And I'll say it again.. Happy China Week! This post is one of my favorite's in a while, and I just love any excuse to use my china - especially on such a beautiful day outside! As I mentioned Monday I wanted to figure out different ways other than a just a fancy dinner party to use my CRU china collection. Can you get more casual than an outdoor picnic? We've used our picnic table so much recently and I've been dying to take my china out there! (Just had to keep Ranger inside!)

So I love blue. A lot. Every time I see something in TJMAXX that's blue I have to buy it. Blue vase at a garage sale? Yes please. Recently I posted about painting our rickety old picnic table a bright turquoise, and to compliment it in the back yard I found two fabulously wonderful retro metal chairs for $30 on craigslist. Seriously the steal of the summer!  So in the theme of "blues" and "china" I give you a "Summer Blues" (with a hint of hot pink) picnic with my CRU Lauderdale Collection china - which is still 10% off!

Let me know what you think and different ideas you have for using your own china for more casual settings! 

Click here for more information about the Family & Friends CRU Summer Extravaganza while you still have time! 

A Sparkly Favorite Things Brunch

Happy Monday! Always a good day when you go to Sonic for your ritual Diet Green Tea with peach and blackberry and they give it to you for free! In other news this weekend was by far the most fun party weekend in a long while! I hosted a "Favorite Things" brunch on Saturday morning that I am sharing today and then hosted a gender reveal party for the triplets that I will share soon!

If you haven't heard of a favorite things party it's pretty simple and A LOT of fun. Basically you invite your girl friends (it was so good to meet new friends at ours!) and you ask each of them to bring five of their favorite thing to the party. Have a favorite lip gloss? Bring it. A cup of jo you fancy? Bring it. The options are endless! You gather and draw names and deliver your gifts to those you drew and explain why they are your favorite thing. Then each friend goes home with 5 new favorite things! We played some "favorite things" games too and it was all such a great way to learn more about each other!

My theme I went with was "Kate Spade Meets Sparkly Christmas" since obviously those are my two favorite things. Hope you enjoy!

It was my first time to really use my china and it was so wonderful! 

Can we talk about this gold pear candle? Goodwill. 25 cents. Amazing. 

"Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String" for guests to take their gifts home in! 

This was the favorite things game we played - you have everyone fill it out and then you go around and just like scattergories if anyone else had the same things written or circled you both have to cross it out! The person with the most left wins a prize! 

 Party favors! 

For brunch we had:
Merry Mimosas
Parfait Bar
Breakfast Casserole
Potatoes O'brien
Chocolate Muffins   

 All the gifts under the tree! 

Excited about Jenny's gift! 

Playing the "favorite things game

Such an amazing group of girls! Missing two that had to leave early but shout out to Marisa and Tara! Let's make it an annual brunch! 

Host your own Favorite Things Party this year as a gift exchange for you and your friends, expect lot's of warm woolen mittens and crisp apple strudels to be among the "favorite things!"

Warm Wishes, 

- Hailey