[title subtitle=”words and images: Yvonne Pratt”][/title]
We have a Christmas tradition in our home.My husband goes downstairs to make coffee, turn on the Christmas lights and music, and to make sure Santa has come and gone safely! Everyone else in the house gathers on the second floor waiting for the okay to come down. Youngest to oldest stampede down the stairs when he gives the all clear! We gather ’round the tree and read the Christmas story, pray and sing a Christmas carol. Everyone opens a gift or two, taking turns from youngest to oldest, then it’s time for our favorite meal – Christmas brunch!
Traditions have an important place in our lives. Because traditions are like glue, they have the ability to galvanize families. Bonding us together by an activity that creates lifelong memories. Christmas brunch goes back for generations in our family and it far outshines Christmas dinner in food fare and decorations. The food is always the same because everyone has their favorites and I don’t want a mutiny at Christmas on my hands. But the table decorations are different every year. Sometimes fancy and over-the-top, sometimes simple and uncomplicated. But, hopefully, always memorable.
This year’s table echoes the Christmas decorations through the rest of our home. Small cyprus trees, stars, snowflakes and lots of black and white! It’s fresh and chic and looks fabulous with splashes of red.
It’s a casual Christmas brunch table. I’ve put away my Christmas china and opted for simple white mix-and-match plates. It’s a nice clean look that makes all the other colors pop!
Awaiting guests at the table is a crisply wrapped black and white chevron package with a big silky bow — another family tradition. Inside is a new ornament! The gift works as part of my table
décor. There is also a festively wrapped candy cane to continue the color scheme. This year’s placecards are red and white gift tags!
Red homespun napkins and casual placemats give the table a warm, inviting feel. And just for fun I used red handled flatware!
Mimosas have become our Christmas brunch libation! This year mimosas will be served with sassy straws. I don’t know if my boys will appreciate the straws but my girls will love them!
Tiny cyprus trees planted in assorted white bowls parade down the center of our Christmas brunch table. Small pinecones are clustered around the base of the trees to hide the soil. They give the tiny trees a grand woodland look. Brightly wrapped gifts, a scattering of pinecones, and some sparkly snowflakes finish off the centerpiece.
Sweet reindeer salt and pepper shakers hide between the trees. It’s the little extra touches that bring out the oooh’s and ahhh’s from everyone!
Yvonne is the creator of StoneGable, a beautiful and widely popular blog about all things home. Her love for American farmhouse living is evident throughout her posts on decorating, home décor, DIYs, gardening, cooking and much more.
