The Perfect Mimosa Recipe to Serve at Your Next Spring Brunch

This past weekend I traveled up to New Jersey with my husband and Dolly to spend Easter with my in-laws.  We had a wonderful weekend together shopping, going out to dinner and just spending quality time together.  The highlight of the weekend would definitely have to have been the delicious brunch my mother-in-law made for us on Easter Sunday.  The menu included - a Garden Veggie Gruyere Fritatta, Bacon, Assorted pastries and the most delicious mimosas (pictured above).  

I have received a bunch of inquiries from followers wanting to know how to make these  fabulous mimosas, so today I am sharing the recipe for making this delicious cocktail.  I love this recipe because it is a unique take on the traditional mimosa and is a perfect cocktail for serving/enjoying during the spring and summer months.  Below I have included a list of the ingredients, a link to the actual recipe (courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis) and a few ideas for how to style/serve this beverage.  

Ingredients

• Prosecco
• Sparkling Water (Chilled)
• Lemons
• Agave or Honey
• Fresh Strawberries
• Fresh Basil 

Instructions

• See here, for details on how to make Giada's Strawberry, Lemon and Basil Mimosa 

Suggestions for Outfitting this Cocktail

• Paper Source's Paper Flower Picks
• Mackenzie-Childs Blooming Champagne Flutes
• Simon Pearce Addison Pitcher
• Spring-themed Cocktail Napkins (here and here)

St. Patrick's Day Breakfast Bar Cart, Part 2

In continuing my preparations for St. Patrick's Day, today I am unveiling the second half of my St. Patrick's Day Breakfast Bar Cart.  As you probably recall from yesterday's post, the top tier of my bar cart was outfitted with a lovely and very delicious Irish coffee service.  While Irish coffee is a great way to kick of St. Paddy's Day, it may not be a practical option for those of you who might be wishing to have a productive day.  The second tier of my Irish Bar Cart contains food and beverage options for St. Patrick's Day that are absolutely delicious and really easy to assemble.  Here is how I went about rounding out my breakfast bar cart:

In an effort to come up with a morning beverage that was delicious, refreshing and festive, I have opted to serve a delicious pitcher of Lime, Kiwi Berry and Mint Infused water.  We are now entering the start of the spring season, so these flavors couldn't be more appropriate for this time of year.  Not only are all three components green, but they all pair beautifully together.  Here is what I used to create this fabulously festive beverage:

• Simon Pearce Addison Pitcher
• 1/2 Pint Kiwi Berries (Rinsed and sliced in half)
• 2 Limes (Rinsed and sliced paper thin)
• 1 Bunch Fresh Mint (Garnish each glass with a sprig)
• Gold Foil Paper Straws
• CB2 Marta Olive Green Double Old Fashioned Glass
• CB2 Marta Tasting Glass (to hold extra lime slices for garnish)

Instructions

1. Fill a pitcher with cold filtered water
2. Add 1 lime thinly sliced and 1/2 pint of sliced kiwi berries
3. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving
4. Serve water over ice with a fresh sprig of mint and slice of lime to garnish

When it came to assembling this breakfast bar cart, I knew I couldn't just have beverages.  I decided to serve a freshly baked loaf of Irish Soda Bread alongside my Irish coffee and infused water.  This bread is an Irish classic and makes for a fabulous addition to any meal (especially breakfast!). 

In an effort to save time, I have to admit that I bought the bread from a bakery.  However, if you are looking to try your hand at making Irish soda bread from scratch, here is a great recipe.  To serve this bread, I used the following:

• World Market's Jade Colored Glass Pedestal Stand
• Gold Serving Paper
• CB2 Small Cuatro Platters
• Laguiole Pearl Handle Knife Set

I am so thrilled with the way this bar cart came together and cannot wait to share these breakfast treats with my friends tomorrow.  I hope every has a wonderful and spirited St. Patrick's Day tomorrow!

Coffee Table Updating

This past weekend was highly productive.  Between cleaning out/organizing this one closet I had been eying for some time now, buying a new car and finally "scaping" my new coffee table, I am feeling very accomplished on this Monday morning.  For today's post, I wanted to share some of the latest updates to our new coffee table.  As you may recall from this post, we purchased a new coffee table to better fit the scale of our living space and provide guests with a little more leg room when gathered around our coffee table.  Opting to go with a glass/metal coffee table was a must for lightening up the space, especially since the perimeter of our room is a sea of dark wood.  When I came across the Claremont Coffee Table, I was absolutely over the moon!  In addition to being the ideal color, shape and size, this coffee table also came with an antique mirrored lower shelf.  New look and additional storage had me totally smitten.  

While everything about this coffee table is exactly what I was looking for, it did present one challenge - my traditional coffee table tray of decor didn't translate to this new table. In addition, I was now tasked with designing 2 levels. 

For the top layer, I decided to keep it simple with a pretty vase that I have currently filled with a mix of fresh white roses and gladiolas.  This minimalistic approach keeps the table functional and doesn't detract from the lower tier display.  Here is a breakdown of what I used to create the lower tier display:

Coffee Table Books

I love to decorate with books, so using coffee table books on this shelf was a no brainer.  I decided to go with a set of completely fresh books on this my coffee table, since they would be displayed prominently for everyone to see (unlike my bookshelf where people only see books from a distance).  Note- When purchasing coffee table books to stack for display purposes, it is important to make sure that the book dimensions are similar in order to create a cohesive look.  Here is a list with links for the coffee table books I selected:

• The Big Book of Chic, by: Miles Redd
• The Houses of VERANDA: The Art of Living Well, by: Lisa Newsom
• Garden Inspirations, by: Charlotte Moss

Succulents

I love the look and texture of a succulent.  The pop of green color, paired with the low profile and rustic box makes this a perfect addition to this display shelf.  The one thing that I would like to note about succulents is that they require full light to thrive (since they are a member of the cacti family), so I would recommend using a faux succulent (like this one or this one) in a space like your living room where full light might not be an option.  

Coasters

I have said this time and again, set your guests up for success by placing coasters throughout your various sitting/gathering areas.  Keeping in mind my mantra and my concept of varying textures, I have opted to stack this set of Bali Coasters.  Not only do they provide protection for my coffee table from drink condensation, but I also love the handwoven look of these round coasters (and at a cost of $5.95, how could I resist?!).

Decorative Bowls

Decorative bowls are a great addition to any display space.  For this coffee table, I opted to include my large CB2 Brass Pinch bowl to balance out the side opposite my coffee table books and give the space a pop of metallic color.  In addition, I included my small Simon Pearce Chaplain bowl in the middle to dress up the space and balance out my more casual accents (succulent and coasters).   

Match Box

A book of matches and/or a lighter is extremely useful to have in every room that contains candles and/or votives.  While commercial matchboxes and lighters are not the most aesthetically pleasing, a decorative matchbox cover like the one pictured above or this one, will provide you with the ability to have a practical item on display without junking up the look of your coffee table.  I am particularly fond of this matchbox not only because it was a gift from my best friend but also because it ties in perfectly to the orange/coral color in my throw pillows.  

Just like designing a bookshelf, creating this display required a great deal of mixing, matching, arranging and re-arranging before I achieved an end result that I was happy with.  I would encourage you to thoughtful with the items you choose to include on your coffee table and remember to stay focused on functionality, design and color scheme.  Keeping these thoughts in mind will ensure coffee tablescaping success!