With my final cookbook, Celebration Boards, we’re bringing joy to every gathering with beautiful, easy-to-create food boards for holidays, special occasions, seasonal celebrations, and everyday moments worth celebrating.
Celebrate Joy
Today is such a special day. Celebration Boards is officially here!
It’s hard to even put into words what it feels like to finally say that. This book has been years in the making, and I’ve poured so much of myself, my creativity and everything I’ve learned about building boards into these pages.
In many ways, I feel like I’ve been working toward Celebration Boards since Beautiful Boards came out in 2019. Over the years since, I’ve built hundreds and hundreds of boards – for holidays, parties, weeknight dinners, game days, family celebrations and so many everyday moments in between. Each one has taught me something about what works, what makes the process easier, how to make a board look beautiful without feeling fussy and, most importantly, how much joy can come from gathering people around one.
Celebration Boards brings all of that experience together in one place, and I truly feel like this is my best and the most useful board book yet.
The beginning of the book is filled with my very best tips and tricks, including my BOARDS Method, an easy formula you can use to build just about any board you can dream up. My hope is that you don’t just recreate the boards in these pages – although I certainly hope you do! – but that the book gives you the confidence and inspiration to create boards of your own.
The Boards!
And then, of course, there are the boards themselves!
There are boards for holidays and special occasions, boards for entertaining, boards that can turn dinner into something a little more fun, and boards that give you an excuse to gather the people you love around the table. Some are impressive, some are incredibly simple, and some might surprise you with just how doable they are.
Choosing favorites feels almost impossible because I really do love them all for different reasons. For me, it’s less about having one favorite board and more about the occasion – who I’m gathering with, what we’re celebrating or even just what we’re in the mood for.
Some are boards we come back to again and again as a family, like the Southern Biscuit Board or Build-Your-Own Mediterranean Rice Bowl Board. When I’m entertaining, I’ll always love an Epic Charcuterie Board, and I have such a soft spot for the holiday boards because they instantly make an occasion feel like a celebration. And then there are the ones that are just plain fun – the Book Club Board, Easter Bunny Brunch Board and even an Espresso Martini Board! That’s one of the things I love most about this book: there really is a board for just about every kind of gathering, celebration or everyday moment.
An Incredible Team
One of the most special parts of creating this book was bringing all of these ideas to life during the photo shoots. A cookbook like this takes so many hands and so much heart behind the scenes, and I had the most incredible team helping me turn my creations into the beautiful pages you’re now holding.
There were long days, lots and lots of food, so many boards, plenty of problem-solving and so much creativity and laughter along the way. I’m incredibly grateful for every person who poured their talent into this book. It truly took a team, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we created together.
A Truly Stunning Book
And can we talk about the actual BOOK for a minute?!
It is just so beautiful. The textured spine, the gold embossing, the gorgeous photography throughout – I wanted this to be a book you would actually want to leave sitting out on your kitchen counter or coffee table. Something you reach for when you need an idea, but also something beautiful enough to give as a gift.
And I really do think it makes such a special gift – for a birthday, wedding, shower, housewarming, hostess gift, the holidays or simply for that person in your life who loves bringing people together. I hope it becomes one of those books that gets gifted and shared over and over again.
A Fitting Finale
There’s something else about this book that makes today feel especially emotional for me.
I have a strong feeling this will be my last cookbook. It’s a feeling that reminds me of when I just knew our fourth baby would be our last. Sometimes you just know when something feels complete.
I’ve learned over the years to trust that instinct, and right now, four just feels so good. I never want to say never, because life has surprised me plenty of times before. But when I look at these four books together and think about everything that went into creating them, I feel such an incredible sense of pride, gratitude and completeness. Each one represents a different season of my life and my work, and Celebration Boards feels like such a beautiful way to complete this chapter.
If this does end up being my last book, I can’t imagine one that feels more me.
At its heart, this book is about so much more than food on a board. It’s about gathering. Celebrating. Making people feel special. Turning an ordinary meal into a memory. Giving ourselves a reason to slow down, come together and enjoy each other. That has always been the heart behind the recipes and boards I create, and I hope you feel it on every page.
Thank You
And finally, I just want to say THANK YOU.
Thank you for buying my books. For making my recipes. For building my boards. For sharing them with me. For gifting my books to people you love. For following along through all of the different seasons of The BakerMama and for continuing to show up and cheer me on. I never take it for granted.
And if you’re able to join me at one of my book tour stops, I would absolutely love to see you! Getting to celebrate this book in person with so many of you is going to make this season even more special. Come say hi, bring your book to be personalized and let’s celebrate together!
Knowing that Celebration Boards is finally making its way into your kitchens and homes is the very best part of all of this. I cannot wait to see which boards you make first, how you make them your own, and all of the celebrations – big and small – that happen around them. I hope this book inspires you to gather often, celebrate everything and always make room for a little more fun around the table. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of this with me.
Celebration Boards is finally yours. And I hope you love it as much as I loved creating it.
xoxo,
