My Outdoor Oasis Summer Party!

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Pier 1 Imports. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and to thank me for participating. But we really had a lovely party! Good food, pretty decorations and great friends equals a fantastic time!

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Ahhh summer. Don’t you just love it? Summer weather, summer food & drinks, pretty decorations and time spent with friends and family…it’s my fave. Once even the hint of summer arrives I’m ready to welcome in the season with a party for my friends…a summer kick-off if you will. Complete with great food, pretty decorations and great company! So that’s exactly what we did. I gathered some friends together on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon and we welcomed in summer with an outdoor oasis party with a little help from Pier 1! I really wanted to keep our party fun and relaxed, because that is what getting together with friends is all about!

Come join us!

The perfect place to start is with a cheery party table! For me, summer is all about colour! Bright, cheery colour. With our winters being so long and dreary, I don’t waste a minute adding colour everywhere I can.

I found these gorgeous plates and chargers at Pier 1 as part of their outdoor summer line. I love that they are melamine so I can use them over and over all throughout the summer, for fancy shindigs and everyday eating! I can even take them out on picnics!

Oh, and see that gorgeous flower pattern in the lower right corner? Those are my most favourite part of the table…my new chair cushions (I found them at Pier 1 as well)! Love love them!

Once I had my place settings figured out, I had some fun adding extra decorations to the table. I really wanted everything to be fun and festive, so I had to have these fun drink umbrellas! The kids loved them!

I always like to make sure there are a lot of flowers around too! Flowers always take table decor to the next level. I just kept the flowers simple for this party and scattered some pretty carnations around the table in my collection of thrift store vases. They matched the plates perfectly and just really tied everything together.

I always like to add fresh fruit to the table too…the bright pops of colour just look so pretty! I often use cake plates to showcase fresh fruit as well as pretty desserts. This gorgeous cake plate is also from Pier 1.

Then I made sure to have a little extra lighting for when the sun went down. These glass candle lanterns cast a gorgeous light at night. So pretty!

Once the table was set, I finished off the decor with a few items I had around home. Hanging paper lanterns and decorations are the perfect finishing touch. Pier 1 has many paper lanterns for your outdoor parties!

But wait…you can’t have a party without food right?

For this party we went with a Greek theme and served up some Greek Salad, Greek Chicken and pita bread with tzatziki sauce. I also served up some fresh lemonade!

So delicious!

I loved how everything for this outdoor oasis party came together. All the colours and patterns just seem to work well together…it’s cheery and very fun! We had an amazing night with our friends!

If you’re thinking of throwing a summer party, I’ve got some simple tips for putting together a cheery party without a lot of stress:

Keep the menu simple. There is no need to get to elaborate…we all just love simple and delicious food!
Consider having a potluck. People love to contribute to get togethers. Ask someone to bring a salad, or dessert.
Shop around your home for decor. Look for vases, pretty glasses, and linens.
When you are shopping for decor for your party, buy items that you can use all year round if you wish. And keep in mind what you already have at home so you can mix and match what you buy.
Ask for help to get your party ready! Have your kids put the flowers in vases, or set the table. Get you husband working the BBQ. Parties are a group effort.
Try to have your party ready to go at least 20 minutes before the guests arrive. This time will give you a moment to get yourself ready and relaxed. Maybe even time to have a little glass of wine and enjoy your pretty decor before everyone gets there!

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