Bring Out Your Inner Domestic Goddess by Hosting a Spring Brunch

Spring is in the air! Well, at least for some of us. If you’re still chillin’ (quite literally) in the Northeast, then you may (or may not be) covered in a few feet of snow. But we can hope that’s over, right? Regardless, spring means the return of one awesome thing…okay, well, spring means the return of a lot of awesome things — sun dresses, the sun in general and obviously eating outdoors, because brunch is always so much better if you can do it on a nice patio, with some rosé and some spring-inspired quiche, lots of flowers and, again, your favorite sundress and strappy sandals. Don’t tell me you don’t want to be there right this second.

You don’t have to wait for the bistros to start posting their spring brunch specials, though. Channel your inner domestic goddess (or your inner Nigella Lawson or Barefoot Contessa, whichever your preference — don’t even try to tell me that you prefer a domestic goddess other than these two queens, because it just doesn’t exist) and throw your own spring brunch for you and all your girls.

Here’s what you’re gonna need:

1. Pretty Things

So this is up to loose interpretation. Like, really loose interpretation. Dig out whatever you think will make your space pretty. Go with what makes you feel good. Pink and floral motifs are good for some gals, but it’s not a hard and fast rule. Maybe you want to throw a literary-themed spring brunch (a la Jane Austen). Maybe you want to jump a season ahead and go all palm trees and beachy. You do you. Whatever you do, though, don’t just leave your space as-is. You gotta make it special, whether that’s by buying new table linens at Target or smooth-talking your mom into letting you borrow the family china.

2. Easy Tiny Touches

So there are tons of tiny things you can do to make your guests think that you’re a domestic goddess, when in reality you’re just following simple Pinterest instructions in your pajamas while taking shots of tequila on a Tuesday night (no judgement). For example, buy some smallish silk flowers at the craft store and then freeze them into ice cubes for your Champagne bucket. Or, send your guests home with a cute favor, like a chic potted succulent that even the worst of your friends can’t kill. Coordinate colors in little things, like paper straws or a signature cocktail.

3. The Food

Okay, you know that everyone is just there for the food, right? Well, you probably don’t want to be spend your spring brunch slaving away in the kitchen and your guests don’t want that for you either. After all, they’re there to see you (eating your food and drinking your booze for free is just a plus). Thankfully, brunch is a pretty light, low-key meal and it’s easy to make things elegant without making them hard. Foolproof options include the non-cook’s version of chicken and waffles — two frozen waffles sandwiching a frozen chicken nugget, held together with a skewer and smothered in syrup. You can put just about anything on a skewer and it becomes automatically “fancy.” Fruit, donut holes, cheese, you name it. You can also make your guests do the work of assembling and plating, with a waffle bar, bagel bar, breakfast burrito bar. But don’t you dare forget the bloody mary bar.

4. The Friends

But the most important thing to tricking people into making them think you’re a domestic goddess — just make sure everyone has a great time. While that’s easy to do if you keep the bloody mary’s and mimosas flowing, it’s also equally easy if you keep the guest list limited to only your very best friends. You’ll be more relaxed, they’ll forgive any domestic goddess failures and you won’t even have to crop your frenemies out of your Facebook pics.