The First of many Easter Brunches
When Sean hopped on board to host Easter, little did he know I had already mapped out exactly what that would look like. From the menu, to the decor, to the Easter egg hunt—I’ve been dreaming about hosting this holiday for quite some time. I even had a vintage floral china set bookmarked on Facebook Marketplace (we ended up finding one in Capitola—follow our adventure here).
You see, we always spent Easter with my mom’s side of the family. What started as a holiday spent at my grandparents house for brunch, eventually was celebrated at ours. With an intimate group size of 30ish people, we spent the day outside enjoying fan-favorite home cooked dishes, kickball games and the annual easter egg hunt. And as we got older… the stakes got higher. My grandma would stash a few eggs with larger bills inside, which—unsurprisingly—turned the hunt into absolute chaos. There may have been a few near-injuries over the years. I’ll never forget the time my cousin Vinnie stepped into a hornet’s nest. With 13 grandchildren, ER visits weren’t exactly uncommon.
Like most of our family gatherings, the food spread was everything. It stretched across two long tables and somehow kept growing throughout the day. I looked forward to the bagel spread, my mom’s homemade quiche, my Aunt Kathy’s cheesy potatoes (and cinnamon rolls), and the endless supply of fresh fruit.
It was at an Easter brunch where I discovered what might be my favorite bagel combo of all time: an everything bagel, toasted, with plain cream cheese and topped with crispy bacon. Simple. Perfect.
So it probably comes at no surprise that our Easter Brunch menu included a few nostalgic nods to my childhood– with a few “Harris” additions mixed in.
The Menu
A full bagel bar equipped with fresh bagels from our local favorite, Poppy Bagels, plus a variety of cream cheeses, fresh lox, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado
My Aunt Kathy’s cheesy potatoes (my first time making them– and they did not disappoint)
A French Toast Casserole (Sean is currently working through the leftovers) [Recipe here]
A homemade Quiche Lorraine, brought by our sister-in-law Kristine
Assorted Fresh Fruit
Mini Dirt Cakes topped with Cadbury eggs [recipe coming soon!]
Libations
A mimosa bar
Gin Fizzes (a Harris Sunday tradition)
Bloody Marys
An assortment of Beer
Taking full advantage of the gorgeous Bay Area weather, we decided to host everything outside on the deck. The only problem? We didn’t actually have an outdoor dining table.
While I was deep in a search for a 10-foot table (and mentally preparing for the price tag), Sean casually suggested, “Why don’t I just build one?” And just like that… he did. And it is an absolute stunner.
A step-by-step guide for this table build is coming soon!
If you know me, you know a tablescape isn’t complete without flowers. So Saturday morning, I headed to the SF Flower Mart to pick up an assortment of blooms. My goal was to pull out the colors in our new china set using a collection of bud vases scattered down the table.
Hot take: Rafa’s has the best ranunculus selection in the Bay Area. They’re quickly becoming my favorite late spring flower—soft, layered petals with the most vibrant colors. Naturally, I grabbed about five dozen and mixed in a few other varieties for texture.
To complete the tablescape, I handmade a set of jute rope placemats [how-to guide coming soon] to complement our Minton Marlow bone china—something we can use for many outdoor gatherings to come. I couldn’t help but cheekily smile with pride as I layered the placemats, dishes, and napkins adorned with the carrot napkin rings I DIYed. Seeing the vision come together through all the details really makes the time and effort worth it.
To elevate the outdoor ambiance and add a little party charm, I made five paper chains out of cardstock in Easter colors—orange, yellow, pink, blue, and green. We strung them above the deck, and they added that instant “wow” factor for the kids. Nothing makes me happier than creating little moments of magic for our nieces and nephews to remember.
As I watched the kids run around the yard searching for their Easter eggs (pro tip: assign each kid their own color!), I couldn’t help but think—this is what it’s really all about. Hosting is so much more than being a place to gather. It’s about creating the space for core memories to take shape, and that’s something I’ll never take for granted.
And truthfully, somewhere between hosting, cooking, and soaking it all in, I didn’t take a single photo or video of the day. At first, I wished I had—but the more I thought about it, the more it felt right. Some moments are meant to be fully lived, not captured. And this one? It’s a memory I’ll hold onto for a long time.
All the things I purchased
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