New Year's Day Brunch - Julie Wendell

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I enjoyed lots of time with loved ones, which culminated in a festive New Year’s Day Brunch Open House. We hosted this celebration for a few family and friends who hadn’t had the chance to visit our new home yet. It was so fun to gather together to celebrate the new year and new beginnings.

We opted for comfy casual attire. I found my sweater at a cute local shop in downtown Snohomish. My champagne bottle and glass earrings are from a newly discovered shop that I’ll definitely be buying from again! And, I wore my favorite leggings and comfiest slippers. Chelsea is sporting one of our favorite sweaters (we both have it in two colors) and her favorite, comfiest slides.

In preparation for the party, I took down the majority of our Christmas decor, and swapped in some New Year’s decor, including a porch makeover, removing the red plaid ribbons from the wreath and adding in black, white and gold ribbons in their place. I also used my Cricut to make a porch sign welcoming in the new year, and I swapped out my tartan plaid Ruggable for this neutral plaid Ruggable. Side note – if you’ve ever considered (or even if you haven’t considered!) a Ruggable doormat – I HIGHLY recommend them. I’ve been so pleased with how easily they wash up, how well they hold up in the rain and snow, and all the fun designs.

I also updated the tree to a New Year’s tree, which is a tradition I started last year and really love!

On the mantle I added in pinks, golds, and greens to compliment the decor on the tree.

I found the perfect balloon arch kit at Party City to match my color scheme. I also added in a few gold starburst and confetti balloons, leftover from my holiday party. I hung the arch over the entry into our kitchen to make it a showpiece at the party. Then I did a smaller version in our little reading nook space.

Throughout the house, I added in some flower arrangements featuring white, pink, and peach flowers and seasonal greenery for a bright, fresh element for decor.

I rented the linens and dishes for the party, and I love how it really completed the look for the party. I opted for a light grey tablecloth with a bit of sheen to it for that extra New Year’s sparkle. For the plates, I chose “pass plates” that have a notch in them for glasses. They made it easy for guests to have one hand free while mingling. These plates will be my new go-to for parties, I love them!

The dining table was packed with lots of yummy treats for guests to enjoy, including pull aparts, croque madame brioche bites, 4-ingredient meatballs, a charcuterie on the lazy susan, and a lots of other delicious treats tucked throughout.

On the side table, I featured a New Year’s Spritz mocktail (white cranberry, peach, and grapefruit juices with 7 up), and in the kitchen I set-up a mimosa bar, hot cocoa bar, and a bloody mary bar.

In my office, I created a little space for the kids in attendance, where they could color and hang out. I covered a table in butcher paper, the printed out some free coloring pages I found online, and added in a couple jars full of crayons. I was pleased to see all the kids take advantage of this cozy little space!

As a thank you to the guests, I had a little favor for everyone to continue the celebration of the new year at home – a champagne toast candle with personalized matches. I wrapped the set in a cellophane bag, then tied it with black ribbon and attached a personalized tag. I got the matches and tags from this site, which was so easy to use, and I’ll definitely be a repeat customer!