breakfast & bouquets
Hello my lovelies! Welcome back to Avalon Avenue! This past Saturday was the first edition of my monthly event series: Always Better with Company. This month’s theme was Breakfast and Bouquets, which, spoiler alert, turned more into Brunch and Bouquets.
Originally, I set the event for 10:30 AM (since the Madrid heat is still pretty toasty), but I ended up moving it to 11:30/12. I can always count on my friends to be a little late (an hour or so), and I mean that in the best way possible. At this point, we all know each other so well that if something starts at a certain time, we’ve got at least an extra hour before it actually begins, which honestly helps me in the long run to get everything 100% (or close to it) before they arrive.
So, after several days of planning and prepping, let’s get into how everything came together!
The Planning
So let’s get into the details of the planning. I always start with the theme about two or three weeks in advance, so I have plenty of time to create an invite and send it out to my friends two weeks before. After that, I build out a moodboard and get to planning everything.
For this event, I used my Gathering Guide to help me out. It was the perfect planner for everything from the menu to the moodboard, the décor to the little details that can be so easy to forget. I loved using it not only to plan the event with ease but also to have a little keepsake of it afterward! Here’s a peek at some of the pages I used for this one.
Once everything was figured out, I went to the grocery store, the craft store for décor, the flower vendor, and whatever other stops I needed to make. This always ends up taking about three days and multiple trips. Even with all the lists I make, something always gets forgotten, or I just can’t carry it all in one go. At least it helps me get my steps in!
The day before, I washed all the napkins and tablecloths, cleaned up the backyard, hung up the colorful garland (from my moodboard), and prepped all the other little details I needed. This event was a bit different from my usual dinners because it was earlier in the day, so I had to be more prepared beforehand. Luckily, that worked out perfectly because instead of cooking while guests arrived, I got to hang out with everyone. We sipped mimosas and waited until the whole group was there to start eating.
The Food
For most events, I spend a whole day prepping food ahead of time. This one didn’t need quite as much. However, I did make the peach jam the night before so it had time to thicken and develop overnight.
Here’s a quick menu rundown:
Scrambled eggs
Twisted bacon bites
Wishbone Kitchen cathead biscuits
Peach jam
Extras: oranges, bananas, avocado with olive oil drizzle.
On the morning of, I woke up at 7:30, made my coffee, and started cooking. From the casserole to the eggs, the entire process took about five hours in total. The funniest discovery came when I realized I had accidentally bought chocolate croissants instead of plain ones for the casserole. At first, I was stressed, but honestly, a banana and chocolate combination could never go wrong in my eyes. And, even so, it ended up being the favorite dish of the day. Proof that everything really does happen for a reason.
Everything else turned out as expected, though the biscuits could’ve been better. But for my first attempt, I’ll take it. Sorry, Meredith Hayden, I'll do better next time! The peach jam on top did, however, end up making them pretty divine at the end of the day.
The Event Itself
After three days of planning and prepping, the event officially started around 1:00 PM. About 12 of my friends came over for an afternoon of eating and bouquet building. Everyone brought 1–2 bunches of flowers, which made the most colorful bouquets you could imagine. That was kind of the whole point of this activity. Instead of spending way too much money on 10+ different flower types or buying a premade arrangement, we made our own mix, which was just so special.
I had been saving bean jars (the perks of being vegetarian) to use as vases for a little bit now. The day before, I cleaned and dried them, then added twine around the edges for a little extra detail. I also printed out a sign with mini instructions for everyone to follow:
Grab a jar
Fill it with water
Add a teaspoon of baking soda (a little hack I found for freshness)
Build your bouquet
It was so fun seeing how everyone’s arrangements turned out. Some people wanted one of everything, some went for a monochrome vibe, some kept the stems short and full, while others let them flow long and wild. Each bouquet had so much personality, and I adored them all.
This event was absolutely fabulous, and I’m so happy to be back in Madrid surrounded by friends for this exact reason. Now that everyone’s home, we can make sure these events happen at least once a month.
Stay tuned for next month’s theme and all the behind-the-scenes prep! Until next time…
Xoxo,
Avalon