Designer Tips for Making Your Summer Party PopBy John Voket
With summer on the horizon, many of us are currently planning our summer parties. However, there is quite a distance between wanting to throw a great summer party and actually pulling it off. So we'll look at some of the big challenges summer party hosts may face.
When it comes to planning a summer party, lifestyle expert Ceci Carmichael recently told blogger Candace Rose Anderson that people avoid entertaining because they just think it’ll be so full of stress and they’re not going to have a good time anyway. Carmichael's best advice—plan ahead. That means two weeks out get your list all set, get your menu all set and then along the way take bite size chunks out of it so that the day before you aren't walking a tightrope between vacuuming and cooking at the same time. Party planner to the stars Mindy Weiss (StyleMePretty.com) advises aspiring party hosts to mind these tips: Freshen up with Color: Don’t be afraid to add pop to your party with bright colors. Purchase a fun, colored table runner for outdoor tables and a set of patterned napkins for a fresh look. Include a few brightly colored dinner plates alongside basic white dishes. That simple pop of color adds excitement to the table. Plan a Picnic in Your Own Backyard: Surprise your guests by setting up an outdoor picnic area. Spread multi-colored throws, blankets even large quilts on your grass and add bright colored pillows. The “eclectic look” is in! Place fun trays on the blankets filled with guacamole and chips or bottles of water and glassed bottled soda pop. Light up the Garden: Lanterns placed throughout your outdoor area are always noticed! They can hang from gazebos or line the walkway into the party. These lanterns use battery-powered candles as an alternative to regular candles… they’re gorgeous and are safe too! Invest in a Bar Cart: Freshen up your bar by adding a bar cart to the area where your guests are gathering. The bar cart can be filled with alcoholic drinks for the party goers, or for an outdoor family event try beautiful pitchers of lemonade or iced lavender hibiscus tea. Recently, I took my bar cart and filled it will fun desserts that the guests could try at their leisure. |
Today's Top Stories |