A Southern Graduation Celebration Part 2

Hello! If you saw my last post, you saw the fun tablescape I did for my daughter’s graduation party. Here’s all the info on the lunch buffet we held to honor our graduate!

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For starters, we carried on the same rustic and sunflower theme as we did with the graduation tablescape. (We used sunflowers because it’s her favorite flower.) Kay-Lynn’s school colors are red, navy and white, so I decided to incorporate touches of red throughout the decor by placing red ribbons around vases and making a red fabric garland banner. To make the garland, I took a piece of strong twine and tied it securley to each end of the front of the credenza. Then I cut up strips of the gingham fabric about 15 inches long. I also cut the white ribbon 15 inches long. (I used white ribbon because I couldn’t find a bright white fabric that I liked.) Then I just looped the ribbon over the twine and pulled it through - making sure the knot side was always showing towards me.

My little ones got to the candy before I took the photos! Hence, the half filled candy bowls.

My little ones got to the candy before I took the photos! Hence, the half filled candy bowls.

The graduation was in the afternoon so we had a late lunch. We had chicken salad sandwiches with croissants, fresh fruit, and chips. We also had dessert made of delicious custom made sugar cookies, cupcakes and a lemon Nothing Bundt Cake. (It’s Kay-Lynn’s favorite cake.) To save money, and instead of ordering the graduation topper through Nothing Bundt cakes, I decided to decorate the cake myself. I incorporated fresh sunflowers and baby’s breath, topped with a sparkly Class of 2020 cake topper. I also added in a few graduation cap and diploma cut outs that I bought from Hobby Lobby.

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We picked up the croissants from Costco. The deal around on lots of croissants.

We picked up the croissants from Costco. The deal around on lots of croissants.

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My husband and I designed the sign together. We made it with inspiration from a logo we made for a North Texas Church Prom we were in charge of a couple years back. We had the sign printed at Office Depot in a 24’x30’ size. We then used spay adhesive and attached it foam core to give it a sturdy backing. The backdrop my husband Justin made from a piece of bead board we had in the garage. We then added a shiplap peel and stick wall paper to give it the look of wood paneling. I added the eucalptus garland to the left side with faux sunflowers popping out. To be honest, I wish I had used more garland as to cover the entire left side of the board to give it a more dramatic look.

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Would you believe it? I bought these yummy cupcakes at Walmart! You can find these 2020 toppers here.

Would you believe it? I bought these yummy cupcakes at Walmart! You can find these 2020 toppers here.

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We definably had to have Coca-Cola, as it’s Kay-Lynn’s favorite drink! I wanted to use Coke in glass bottles, but everywhere I went they didn’t carry it or they were sold out. It was only after the party I found some vintage bottles of Coke in stock at Costco. They would have looked awesome!

Her’s a photo of my daughter graduation cap. It’s tradidion here in North Texas to decorate your cap. Her hat said:

God made, Jesus saved, Texas raised.

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Hail the conquering Graduate!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my daughter’s graduation celebration! Check out the previous post for all the decorating details about the table decorations. Hope you enjoyed this that it will inspire you and give you ideas!

You can shop the products in this post by clicking on the images below.

A Southern Graduation Celebration Part 1

High school gradation is always an event to celebrate! (Especially this year!) So I definably wanted to honor my senior graduate. My daughter Kay-Lynn is a true Texas girl at heart - she even wore cowboy boots to walk the stage when getting her diploma. I wanted to create a graduation celebration that reflected her southern girl style.

Look at this adorable cookie my friend Jaime made to fit the event decor! Love the sunflowers and wood details. It’s too pretty to eat!

Look at this adorable cookie my friend Jaime made to fit the event decor! Love the sunflowers and wood details. It’s too pretty to eat!

Because of the craziness of this year we did not have a traditional graduation. The school district decided on a ceremony where the graduates and parents would get dropped off in front of the stadium, with a driver staying in the car, then the graduate would quickly walk across the stage and get their diploma. The parents would take photos and return to their vehicle where the driver was waiting. It turned out be be a great alternative! 

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My daughter Kay-Lynn isn’t a fancy girl so a rustic celebration was the perfect theme. I decided on having a taller bouquet of flowers in the middle of the table and two smaller bouquets on either side. I also added two eucalyptus garlands as runners down the middle of the table. Kay-Lynn’s favorite flowers are sunflowers, so they were a must have! I picked up two bunches of sunflowers from my local Kroger grocery store, along with some Baby’s Breath and some other filler flowers for the main bouquet. I added red gingham ribbon as an accent color because it’s one of the main colors of her high school, as well as giving the tablescape a pop of color. 

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I wanted to stay with natural colors and textures for my place settings. I always begin by layering different pieces starting at the bottom and working my way up to the top. I started with seagrass plate chargers then added white dishes with brown distressed edges. I went with a neutral linen cloth napkin, and topped it off with these silverware pouches with cream bows from Cutlery Couture. The silverware pouches were the perfect focal point of the table and in my opinion, one of the best entertaining inventions ever! The make place settings look perfectly polished. Plus they are super functional! #ad 

These silverware pouches from Cutlery Couture were a hit. Everyone complimented them. I will definiently be using silverware pouches again for future tablescapes and party decor.

These silverware pouches from Cutlery Couture were a hit. Everyone complimented them. I will definiently be using silverware pouches again for future tablescapes and party decor.

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To make these fun, super easy decorative centerpieces, I took a mason jars and covered them with burlap and plaid ribbons, then wrapped them with twine. (You can see a tutorial here on my Tik Tok account.) I then added two sunflower stems per glass, the Baby’s Breath and the cute graduation toppers - which I purchased from Hobby Lobby.

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I purchased the goblets from the dollar store! I needed eight glasses and it was much cheaper to pay $1.00 per glass then buy a box of glasses from Target or Walmart. (Tip: I get lots of my party decor from Dollar Tree!)

I love these adorable custom made cookies! Class of 2020 will never never be forgotten!

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These silverware pouches from Cutlery Couture are my favorite!

These silverware pouches from Cutlery Couture are my favorite!

Hope you enjoyed this rustic tablescape. Stay tuned for the second part of Kay-Lynn’s graduation celebration, where I share all the details of the buffet table display. Part 2 will to go live Sunday, June 7th!

You can shop the products in this post by clicking on the images below.

Celebrating Our Graduating Senior

I love spring! I love decorating my home for spring! I love everything about spring! It’s a season full of activities and celebrating joyous occasions. However, as we all know, this spring is different. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic my daughter’s high school graduation ceremony and all of her senior activities are more than likely cancelled. But that doesn't mean we're not going to honor her! You bet we are! One of the best ways I have found to celebrate my daughter was to go ahead order her graduation announcements and the stationery for saying thank you for the graduation gifts.  

I discovered a wonderful company called Basic Invite. They offer so many different styles and colors for all occasions. I love that you can order printed samples of the actual invitation before placing the final order. We received her sample announcements and they look beautiful! It was great to be able to see the paper and printing quality in person and not just on the computer screen. But most importantly, my daughter loves them, and it made her so happy!

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Basic Invite is also one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. Once you select a design, you can change the color of each element on the card. With over 180 colors to choose from, you can make sure the card is exactly how you want it. #AD And right now Basic Invite is offering 15% off with coupon code:15FF51 I love coupon codes! 

Here’s a look at the front and back of this style card.

Here’s a look at the front and back of this style card.

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Since the actual graduation ceremony probably won’t take place, I'm already planning on having our own graduation here at home. I'm going to decorate the house like crazy! I’m going to decorate the front door with ribbons in her school colors, and have balloons everywhere! We’re also going to have her favorite meal at home. I’ve already ordered her cap and gown and we are going to take pictures of her in the cap and gown. We are also going to go to the outside of the convention center (where graduation was supposed to take place) and take photos in front of the building in her wearing her cap and gown. 

I’m so grateful we can still send out graduation announcements as a way to celebrate our seniors! They deserve so much praise for their accomplishments - especially now!

Here’s a look at the front and back of this style card.

Here’s a look at the front and back of this style card.

I’d love to know, do you have a senior? Are you still planning to celebrate graduation, if so what are your ideas? #classof2020

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