Outdoor entertaining

Trust me, I am all for theme parties (and if costumes are involved, even better). But part of what I like about a theme party is choosing the theme; at Fourth of July parties, it is decided before you send the first invitation. So then the question becomes, do you go all-out stars-and-stripes-and-Uncle-Sam-hats, or just use some combination of red, white or blue party supplies to set the mood. Or do you skip the patriotic thing altogether and just focus on the food? I scanned the Independence Day-themed items on Plumparty.com and found plenty of options for all of the above.
So now, the informal poll: Which of these items would guests most likely find on your Fourth of July table:

The literal and cheap: set of three stars and stripes snack bowls for $4. You won't be using these again (and they wouldn't hold up even if you wanted to).
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I went to a fun party hosted by some friends on Saturday where we all wound up on their picturesque roofdeck, snacking on a delicious cheese and antipasti spread and drinking wine. How perfect! If our terrace wasn't a crawl-through (literally you crawl through a window to get onto our terrace!), I'd love to add some bigger furniture pieces that would make it easier to stay camped outside all evening. I never would have thought to look at Ace Hardware for outdoor furniture but it turns out this hardware retailer stocks some cool things on their site. And this is about the most affordable outdoor bar set that I've seen! (The wood bar comes with the two stools shown for $120.)

For now, I'm thinking of smaller ways we can make our summer parties a little more special. I love how a bold tablecloth can make over a dining area with a splash of color and pattern. Read More »

The last Monday of May provides many things—an opportunity to think nice thoughts about all the veterans who've fought for our country, a day off work (hallelujah!), and the motivation to clean up those barbecue tongs and hone our summer entertaining skills for the season to come. Think of it as training day for the next 3 months' weekends: nail your strategy this time, and you're golden. Read More »

Is it jumping the gun to go ahead and buy everything you need for an awesome picnic kit just in case the weather suddenly turns warm one Saturday afternoon? You don’t want to be stuck in the line at the store when good sunshine hours are slipping you by (or stuck with the discounted Easter plates because all the other picnic gear is sold out). Keep reading for all the pieces you need to make three distinct picnic kits, and be ready to hit the grass at a moment's notice.  So to speak. Read More »