Valentines Day
Photography by Alice Corkren

What says I Love You more than a homemade biscuit and some red eye gravy? C’mon now…pretty much nothing. Since Valentines day is on a Sunday this year what better way to celebrate than with a brunch. Not just your typical brunch either. Can you say Southern Style? The menu is pretty much standard: Eggs Benedict, a potato side, and some champagne. However, replace the English muffin with a buttery, toasty biscuit, insert a robust piece of ham, top with a perfectly poached egg, pour on some hot red eye gravy, serve up with some sweet potato hash, and you my friend have created something straight out of Alabama heaven. For those of you that have never heard of red-eye gravy, you’re in for a real treat. You see this gravy is the perfect combination of ham drippings, butter, and strong black coffee. We can just let all that ham fat go to waste in the pan. That would be plain silly.

Just because it’s Valentines Day doesn’t mean you have to break the bank creating a festive tablescape. Here I’ve assembled a festive tablescape for less than $40 dollars simply using items I already have and opting for greenery found just outside my door rather than flowers from the florist. All you need is a little elbow grease and some spray paint skills. Believe me, when I say that a can of gold spray paint must be kept in the house at ALL times. I prefer Krylon MAXX brand spray paint because of its quick drying time and large coverage area. (Not to mention the price) Gold accents instantly add a touch of glamour and a feeling of luxury even in the most ordinary of settings. For the centerpiece take a step outside and choose some greenery that you have on hand. Thick wooded stemmed evergreens are perfect because they arrange neatly and fewer clippings are needed. I used Bay Magnolia leaves, which are evergreen and somewhat smooth in texture. The texture is an important factor, because less texture means less paint. Now grab that can of paint and get going! Arrange the stems in your fists and bind them by using twine or floral wire ( rubberband, ponytail holder). Place them in an old container, I used an oversized Mason jar and start spraying away. Let the paint dry in between coats, and don’t spray too close because it will most definitely run. Repeat the process; moving the arrangement around until you have a beautiful gilded masterpiece. Place them in a clear glass container. You don’t want anything too overpowering that would be competing with the arrangement. Remove a few leaves and using a white paint pen write the name of your guests and boom you have customized place cards. Instead of using the traditional red I opted for a muted, vintage pink. For the place settings considering using mismatched fine china that shares a similar pattern. Here I used four individual patterns, all from roughly the same era that portray beautiful hand painted roses with 24-carat gold plating. All of which I purchased for a couple bucks at a local thrift store. For fun and whimsical placemats simply take a poster board and cut it to the desired dimensions (standard). Spray the poster board generously with adhesive and then glitter the hell out of it. Allow you placemats to dry for a couple hours and party on. When assembling your tablescape get creative and incorporate other gold objects from around the house. I particularly liked using antique German chocolate boxes with interesting shapes and scenes. Fill them with your own homemade candy and gift them to your beloved as a special treat. Hand held mirrors also make perfect and unexpected wine or drink coasters. Want to just stay in bed? Simply make some minor changes to bring brunch to the budoir. Read all about it here: http://www.thebittersocialite.com/breakfast-in-bed/

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