Last week I hosted an end-of-summer party in our backyard and it was so fun, I just have to tell you about it in case you want to throw your own. It's not too late, you know! Summer doesn't officially end until September 21st ;) (Yes, I'm one of those who protests fall until October 1st!) I love any excuse to gather, celebrate, create beauty, and see friends, so this just thrilled my heart to put together. I wanted to have a bit of a theme, so I thought "what's more summery than lemon?!"
Almost every food item at the party had a hint of lemon, and it just made it that much more festive and fun. We did apps, a full dinner and desserts. I asked some of my friends to bring apps or desserts so I could focus on the main course, and it worked out perfectly. I'll go through the menu throughout the post!
To start, I sent out an evite with the details and asked for the guests to let me know if they could bring a lemon-themed app or dessert. In the invitation, I also told my friends to wear their favorite summer dress! Such an easy way to make the evening feel even more special :)
Oh, and here's the playlist I used for the party. It was perfect in every way. If you know Nancy Myers movies, then you just know!
THE LEMONADE BAR
One thing I knew right away I wanted to do was create a lemonade bar. We had an ice bucket full of other drinks, in addition to a few wine choices, but this lemonade bar was the true favorite! I had pink and regular lemonade, then 3 garnishes of mint, muddled blueberries and raspberries. What summer party is complete without a signature cocktail?! Enter the Limoncello Spritz!
If guests wanted to, they could add prosecco and club soda to their lemonade to make a little cocktail. It was so delicious and summery! I love making sure there's an interactive element at any party. It gives people something direct to do and makes things feel more celebratory.
DINING ALFRESCO
We ate in our backyard, so I really wanted to make it feel extra special and elevated. We strung up more twinkle lights, then set up two 6' tables with inexpensive white, floor length linens and yellow colored runners. Then I borrowed all the tabletop dishes and glassware from a friend who is an amazing thrifter! Her basement is like a treasure trove of every dish you could ever need. I knew I wanted to mix blue chinoiserie dishes with the yellow runner. I added napkins, candles, mix matched amber glasses and I just love the way it all played so well together! It felt very Santorini ;)
I am so thankful to have a couple friends with gorgeous flower gardens, so I grabbed all my flowers from them!
THE MENU
For appetizers, we enjoyed homemade bruschetta with lemon basil and a charcuterie complete with a lemon-feta dip that truly was a hit!
For dinner, we served cilantro-citrus chicken skewers with veggies, a subtle lemon garlic couscous, salad with apples, raisins, parmesan cheese and a lemon dressing, fruit salad and of course, homemade sourdough bread ;)
Dessert was also delicious! Friends brought lemon bars, brownies, scotcheroos (if you've never heard of them, you must try them!) and a dutch almond cake topped with strawberries. It was the perfect assortment!
So grateful for all these sweet friends and neighbors!
Here's your nudge to throw a party for the heck of it! Sometimes you just need to do something fun for no reason at all, especially in the midst of hard seasons, like it has been for us. It was the best evening and it may just become a new summer tradition!
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