Monday, July 5, 2010

The Pièce de Résistance

We did it.  Our parties keep getting better and better!  Yesterday, we had 76 friends and family members gathered in our backyard for a wonderfully festive event: our son's 4th birthday and the 4th of July.  And it was one heck of a good time, if I do say so myself (inspite of the rain).

  • Details.  I think a party is in the details.  I wanted there to be patriotic flare all over the house and that's what I did!
We had red, white, and blue balloons in front and in back.  We had red, white, and blue homemade bunting and garland.  We had red, white, and blue flowers on the tables.  We had red, white, and blue tattoos for the kids (and adults, I suppose).  We had handmade red, white, and blue "sparklers" on display in the bathroom and in the kitchen windowsill.  And the food table was donned with red, white, and blue pinwheels surrounded by red white and blue flowers.
  • Food (and Beverage).  My other favorite element of a good party is the food. 
We served marinated and skewered beef, pork, and chicken.  We served cupcakes made from scratch with buttercream frosting.  We had "grilled" veggies.  Then, everyone else brought stuff to share so we had pasta salad and fruit salad and green salad and watermelon... the list could go on forever!  There were probably 10 different varieties of beer and a huge pitcher of homemade sangria. 
 

  • Detailed Food.  This, for me, is the pièce de résistance.  If I am able to incorporate the best of homemade food with my party's theme, I am Martha Stewart for a day.  Except, I don't have her budget so maybe I'm Real Simple meets Martha Stewart with a dash of Country Living.  I am Charming and Cheap
We served homemade from scratch white cupcakes cake with red, white, and blue sprinkles melted inside the cake and topped with a dollop of fluffy white frosting and sprinkled again with red, white, and blue.  And for the finale (drum roll please), we served skewered blueberries and strawberries finely finished with homemade marshmallows shaped like stars.  Am I tooting my own horn too much?  


Here's the deal.  I'm not so original, but I do so enjoy throwing a good party.  I got all of my ideas online.  I'm happy to share all of my secrets... later.  I'm still recovering. 

Oh.  Did I mention the Mason Jar lanterns?  Spectacular!

1 comment:

  1. We served cupcakes made from scratch with buttercream frosting.


    :)

    ReplyDelete