I wanted to recap my summer with everyone because I don’t know about you, but that was the quickest summer of my life!
From May to August I was able to hone in on my creativity and get involved with so many fun things: a first birthday party, a wedding, some fun inspiration shoots, and collaborate with so many fun people. I strive to be the best I could be on all of those opportunities.
I know technically, summer isn’t over yet, but I urge you to fit in a few more bbq’s and dinner parties before Fall!
I want to start my recap with this super adorable bridal shower inspiration shoot I did with Amanda Hendrickson Photography. Don’t get thwarted that we featured this as a Bridal Shower, you can use any of these elements in any sort of entertaining event, Even the soap! what a fun place card and take home for your guests, just attach a tented card stock with your guests names and ta-da!
and that croquembouche could fit in with a french themed party and really wow your guests!
I was able to team up with Crate and Barrel and show off their melamine collection for outdoor entertaining.If you have ever broken a glass on your patio- you know how awesome this melamine is. I chose to keep things fun and casual with ditching a traditional table runner and using an elongated tray to hold my centerpieces, which I used some inexpensive flowers and re purposed, hand painted mason jars. Thank also to Alpine Event Rentals for the awesome farm table and benches and tent and Brown Brothers Catering for making such a delicious summer feast!
My two bits of advice for throwing a dinner party in which your guests don’t know one another well, add an element of activity in your gathering. This fun Girls Night Out party, shot at the park by Amanda Kay Memories, highlights the season of summer, and the vibrant yellow, lemony color we all associate with summer. for this party. I made some fruit purees simply made by whole fresh fruit blended in your favorite mixing machine and to make it cute, I bought these cute beaker jar things. these purees were used two ways- to flavor iced tea and/or lemonade and to top some lemon sorbet.
This is such a fun cocktail party idea, so fun to get some people together before the big outing and a way for people to break the ice with one another and not at the big event, that could be awkward.
Summer lends the fruits of our Farmer’s labor, and I fell in love with this idea of taking a cheese and cracker snack and elevating it to a whole new level with fresh peaches and salty prosciutto.
I totally bombed this demo, but you get the idea, and a big thank you to the Dabo family for coming over and tasting three different varieties of potential demos and then voting on this one to air.
and Finally, lets take it from casual to formal now. and I know there are some purists out there who rolled their eyes at me about how I explained a formal dinner set up…it really is two ways for me- and it really sets the tone for the rest of your dinner. If you want to express that your dinner party is the formal, pass to the right, make eye contact on the toasts type feeling, then set the entire table..if you are leaning towards the family style feel, pile up your plates and pass them around when everyone is seated. Thank you Pier 1 imports for these beautiful dinnerware pieces!
Click on the various links posted above to get more details and inspiration on all of these ideas!
I have more Summer projects in the works but they are all for Fall, so here’s to the most creative Summer season I have had yet..it has been a blast to be a part of all of these things and to have shared them with you!
{Foodie + Cakes + Classes} 