My friends, we are entering the season of Backyard BBQ’s and Pool Parties; and the thought of hosting get-togethers at our new home has me bursting with excitement.
Me being the hostess that I am, I genuinely find joy in planning and preparing a party. It doesn’t matter if it’s a huge event or just a few people coming over to hang out, I immediately go into planning mode. I start to come up with ideas for the meal, the entertainment and of course the decorating.
One of my favorite things to plan is the table-scape, because it’s a big part of what sets the mood of your party. If you are going to be more casual, you set things up a la carte or family style, if you are going for something more formal that’s when you incorporate place settings and bring out the glassware.
For our Memorial Day party we wanted to keep things a little more low key, so we went with the family style set up. I kept things simple in the decoration department, but I was still able to infuse some of my personal style by using a couple lanterns, some faux greenery, candles and a color theme that was light and bright.
We were going to have quite a few little ones running around and breakable dishes were not on the menu, so I pulled out my amazing plastic cups (that look anything but) and melamine plates. The beauty about these, is how nice they look and the fact that they are insanely durable. Every mom’s dream. Along with the plates and cups, I found these flatware holders, that I think are perfect for any kind of outdoor or rustic themed event. Not only do they help keep things a little more neat and tidy, they’re made of a natural burlap, which in my opinion is the perfect accompaniment for any BBQ, and they can be personalized on their adorable chalk board fronts. That’s what I call a win-win-win.
To put together a really simple and easy side that garners TONS of compliments, pull out the panini grill and make some crispy smashed potatoes! First, boil your potatoes to soften them. I used red potatoes because of the color and the size, but any choice will work. Once the potatoes are softened up, place on a heated panini grill, brush with some olive oil and a dusting of seasoning salt (or other seasonings you prefer) and close the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the outside of the potatoes are crispy. Serve and enjoy!
Because we were having our party in our outdoor space and wanted to keep the food pest free these awesome food tent nets came in really handy. They were incredibly useful and I think that they are also pretty adorable. They come in a variety of sizes so I was able to cover even my bigger more awkward shaped dishes.
When it came to the rest of the decor, our party was for Memorial Day, so of course I wanted to sprinkle around some Red, White and Blue. We hung up our American Flag, a cute little yarn bunting, some awesome pergola lights and incorporated a couple throw pillows throughout the mix. I have to say, I always find it amazing how just tossing 3 or 4 pillows onto a bench or chair can help tie a whole room together. #givemeallthethrowpillows
I hope your summer parties and Memorial Day plans are full of family, friends and good food… and of course, some cute decor too!