Have you ever decided at the very last minute that you are going to host a get together? Sometimes as a holiday approaches my husband and I will be talking in the morning, sipping on coffee and he will tell me “you want to do a little something for the 4th and invite a few friends?” And that’s how this post was inspired. I want to share with you how easy it is to put together a little party that looks like it took a whole lot more planning than it actually did.
Our backyard (the pool) is under construction, but that is no reason to not utilize the terrace. Just becasue everything isn’t perfect doesn’t mean you can’t create a perfect little nook. I first placed this 4 ft table on the terrace, in front of our kitchen window and got to work.
I then added a blue stripe fabric to the table that I had purchased at Walmart (way less expensive than an actual tablecloth). As a backdrop I used a patriotic pleated fan that I purchased at Target a few years ago. All those fans and flags go on a steep sale right after the fourth and that’s your chance to grab a few.
I inverted a plastic beverage bowl to create a little height for the drinks, which I placed on a galvanized tray.
This little white pail holds the straws – of course, red and blue (they were leftover from our boys’ birthday parties).
Another pail holds a ton of glow sticks. Kids love those and they also go on sale after the fourth so stock up.
Now onto the food. Like I said this is last minute so we won’t be fussing over preparing a ton of food. Enter hot dogs, everyone loves a good hot dog.
Another item that I usually have on hand is pesto in a jar. You can dress up any dish with pesto by adding it to pasta, or in this case creating a little caprese salad.
And you already know that I had a ton of salsa on hand since I shared my recipe last week. You can find it here. So I just opened up a bag of chips and this is always a crowd pleaser!
So let’s add some sweets to the mix. I purchased these already made from the store but they are so easy to make at home. Simply layer vanilla pudding with masserated fruit and top off with whipped cream. The other container has pudding with crushed cannoli and topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips. It looks super fancy but it’s also super easy. Of course you can also buy a ready-made cake.
This whole party is laid back but we do need some plates and utensils. I found these gorgeous plates at Sur la table (60% off!) and the best part is that they are plastic!
Here is one last tip for outdoor entertaining: Place a plant on the table that repels insects. I chose this lavender plant but basil and rosemary work as well.
I hope you enjoyed these tips and that they inspire you to gather more often despite short notice plans.
How are you all celebrating the 4th this year?
Leave a Reply