The Colors of Summer - A Porch Party
Yesterday was one of those Southern summer days (even though summer isn’t quite here), where the humidity was so high you could almost cut it with a knife and the air felt thick. Not exactly the day you’d think to throw an soiree but…sometimes, you just follow the plan, and the plan was to set the porch up for a party and make a delicious pasta and then photograph everything, so that’s what I did. In between the preparation and setting up, we had two quick downpours that only made the humidity higher. The sky literally opened up and it rained cats and dogs and then the sun came out and then, it happened all over again! In spite of the weather, I think everything was beautiful!
My color scheme for this table started with a beautiful tablecloth (they call it a picnic throw) that was gifted to me from Hat Attack! I love bright colors as you know and this table was really was so much fun to put together! I have the best florist who can create anything I ask her to and I simply sent the tablecloth to her and she came up with the most beautiful centerpiece that included all the colors of the tablecloth! Next…I scoured Amazon for matching linen napkins and found a perfect yellow match. I also pulled out a few of my own pink napkins to add in. I now think I have every color of linen napkins that will match any theme I ever dream up! I also pulled out some very old Vietri orange glasses (these are so pretty) and yellow candle holders that matched perfectly. I am a collector of things and it pays off when it comes to setting a table!
My daughter Rebecca gave me some beautiful yellow serving utensils (similar here and here and these are so much fun) for my birthday and they were a great addition to the bar cart for serving the warm pasta salad. And of course, my handmade plates from Haand graced the table (the larger white plate and small pink one)! I’m always surprised at what I already have to create a beautiful table, so before I purchase anything, I look through my cabinets and dive into my party closet to see what items will match.
After all of this planning, I did make a quick trip to Homegoods and then the grocery store. At Homegoods, I found a great orange planter and used it as a wine chilla (chiller) (everything is pictured below). The bottom of the planter has a plastic plug so it really did make the perfect wine chiller. I also found a tiered rattan stand (similar here) that held veggies and decorative basil and I found some great glasses with a lime green rim (similar here and these are pretty) that could also be used to serve ice cream, any layered cold dessert, or sangria! This summer table came together so easily and after it was all over, I really wished I had invited a few people over for dinner, but Baldy and I thoroughly enjoyed everything!
The finished table…
As the afternoon went on, my hair got frizzier and frizzier, but as they say, the show must go on, so I just embraced it and carried on…after all it is summer in the South!
This dress from Brochu Walker (the color is poppy) matched the tablecloth perfectly (isn’t that always a thing), and I wore it with a gorgeous jade beaded necklace and earrings from Julie Vos and Schutz sandals. Perfect look for a hot and humid day!
These gorgeous acrylic serving utensils were a gift from my daughter and I love them! They’ll also be so beautiful with my large wooden salad bowl…so many plans for summer tables!
The gold flatware is from Amazon and I love it with this table setting!
I made a variation of the pasta that’s posted here, only this time, I simplified it by using gnocchi that I found in the dried pasta section and it was delicious! Everything went on a baking sheet and I popped into the oven so there was much less cleanup. I switched things up a little and left out the mozzarella this time and used freshly grated Parmesan and lots of fresh basil instead! This salad, whichever version you choose is full of the flavors of summer…zucchini, tomatoes, fresh corn and pesto!
Fresh veggies with Boursin cheese are a delicious and easy appetizer and the cheese was so pretty served in a pink butter keeper from Haand.
Does anything smell better than fresh basil?
These flowers! So perfectly matched and absolutely gorgeous!
The beautiful tablecloth from Hat Attack (again, they call it a picnic throw and it would be great for a picnic on the beach) is rectangular, so I folded it in half and used it over a white round one that I also found on Amazon. I ordered the linen napkins and the Martha Stewart white tablecloth and they came overnight…I’m always so amazed at how quickly you can get things from Amazon!
I couldn’t resist putting a couple of these pretty little Key limes into the glass just for decoration!
I alternated pink and orange napkins to add more interest to the table.
Find ways to use your dishes (or planters) for things they weren’t necessarily intended for…creativity always makes a really pretty and I love an unexpected presentation. Using herbs as garnish and decoration is an inexpensive way to make everything look pretty as well, and herbs make everything smell so good!
Don’t be afraid to mix patterns on your table. I found this striped napkin folded in a chest in my breakfast room and the colors were perfect…the more layered the table, the more interesting it is!
The warm pasta salad…I’ll post this exact recipe tomorrow so be sure to pay me a visit in the morning!
Boursin cheese is good on anything in my opinion!
A selection of wine chills in a vibrant orange planter. You know I love a good French Rosé!
I dressed up a store bought lemon cake for dessert and it was delicious…you don’t always have to make everything!
More summer entertaining ideas coming your way soon!
Baldy and I are off to an adoption party this afternoon (remember the blog post I wrote about Social Services?). This is a story with a very happy ending and we couldn’t be happier for our friends!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! Happy Sunday and thanks for reading!