Birthday Supper for Family and Friends

We finally got around to celebrating Little's birthday with a supper for family and friends this past weekend. I made one of her favorite meals--barbecue ribs, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, mixed green salad, and for dessert, a chocolate-mint pie. Little doesn't care for cake!

Although I'd just spruced up the house with spring and Easter decorations, I wanted her birthday dinner to have a fresh, springtime look that would be different from what I'm planning for our Easter brunch.

So, I decided to go with one of my favorite floral combinations of white and green. I think making flower arrangements and setting the table are the best part of hosting a party or celebration. And, it's easy to set a festive mood without spending a lot of money. I bought two bouquets of white hydrangea and one of white mums for $12 total at Publix. My splurge was a $7 bouquet of white tulips, so I still spent less than $20. I already had the birch bark containers, the burlap ribbon and the white linen table runner. And I thought the combination of woodsy and refined perfectly suited Little's tomboy chic style.

I divided the flowers, trimmed the stems and got them in fresh water as soon as I got home from the grocery. Then I headed out into the yard to see what I could find to fill out the bouquets. Boxwood, of course. And I always add a couple of plain wooden twigs to arrangements for structure and height and movement. Happily, I found some white camellia blossoms that had survived the day's rainfall, so I clipped those along with some sort of blooming cherry tree branches. 

When everything was combined, I had enough flowers left over to do a little arrangement for the family room coffee table.

Then, I set the table, but in my haste to try to get a photo in the fading light, I forgot the glasses. Oh well, I remembered before the guests arrived!  

After dinner, the Mister cued up the 1958 classic tune "Sixteen Candles" by the Crests for our teenage queen.

Her brothers came through with a big Lilly surprise, and our dear friends treated her to sweets, jewelry, and--every teenager's favorite--cash!

And, yep, time to get sappy--it was all wrapped up with love! Happy Birthday, Little! We are so thankful to God for you and the joy you bring to our lives. xoxo