Mothers Day Brunch for Todays CNY Woman

I’m excited today to share a recent project that I wrote and styled for local women’s magazine, Today’s CNY Woman. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, the feature is all about planning the perfect little Mother’s Day brunch with a few pretty details and little to no fuss. Just how I like it! You can see the complete feature online for all of my tips and ideas. If you’re in the Syracuse area, the print issue is available next week so be sure to pick it up! And just for fun, I’m sharing some behind the scenes photos below, Instagram style.

{Today’s CNY Woman, May 2012.}

We shot on location at The Barn in Caz, one of the coolest places I’ve been in a long time. Jean, proprietress extraordinaire, curates the most beautiful collection of vintage and antique furniture and household accessories. Once a month she opens the doors of the barn to live music and eager shoppers who scoop up her treasures. Also an interior designer, Jean works closely with design students from Cazenovia College to style the sweetest vignettes throughout the space, which definitely lent inspiration to the shoot. You can follow The Barn on Facebook for updates on their upcoming sales and events.

A vintage patio table is set with colorful dinnerware and draped in a vintage hand-embroidered table cloth. The linens were a vintage find at a garage sale that I picked up for $2 a couple of years ago. The two colors of green set the stage for the rest of the design.

Two big bunches of white stock set in a tall cylinder vase created the perfect centerpiece. I wrapped the vase in jute webbing from BurlapFabric.com for an easy way to personalize the look. Just attach on the backside with hot glue or safety pins and it’s that easy!

Want to keep it super simple? Dress up a pretty fruit tart or cake from a local bakery by serving it up on a rustic cutting board. Here I also used an antique silver pie server – love the combination of the patina against the wood!

Layer patterned dessert plats atop everyday white dinnerware for a dressed up look that doesn’t break the bank. There’s no need to have a bunch of fancy china laying around, just score pretty things as you see them at garage sales and pair them with what you already own.

How fancy does lemonade look served on a tray and paired with paper straws? You can find these straws from Shop Sweet Lulu (a sponsor of The Sweetest Occasion). The tray is a piece I scored at Target a few years ago and regularly put into action whenever I can find a good excuse.

{Photos by Cyd Converse for The Sweetest Occasion. See the complete feature in Today’s CNY Woman.}