SASSY
design
Sweet
Summertime By Andrew Skipper
Ahhhh… sweet summertime, where the long days gently fade into warm nights. This is the season of lawn games such as croquet, bocce ball and badminton followed by a cocktail in the garden and dinner al fresco. Summer entertaining tends to be more casual, but it needn't feel any less special. Lifestyle Expert Andrew Skipper shares tips on effortless outdoor entertaining with style. When playing host to an outdoor gathering, you want to make it as easy on yourself as possible. No one wants to constantly be carrying things in and out of the house or running back and forth to the refrigerator. By stocking up on functional serving pieces and planning ahead, you can easily eliminate the stress of having people over and ease into the lazy days of summer. Offering a house cocktail keeps you from having to play bartender all evening. Here, I've set out a pitcher of grapefruit juice, a bottle of vodka and an ice bucket so guests can serve themselves. It's also nice to have bottled water on
hand. Whenever friends ask if they can bring anything to an outdoor soiree, I always say, "Ice, ice, ice!" You can never have enough ice on a hot day, and it's easy for people to pick up a bag or two on their way. I've taken the same ‘help yourself ’ approach when it comes to snacks. Keep it simple by putting out a few bowls of chips and Chex Mix to ward off hunger until dinner time. Don't be afraid to set up a drinks-and-food station away from the house. It encourages movement and forces guests to circulate and mingle the old-fashioned way.
Keep it Clean Sit a Spell
It's so important to have comfortable seating so guests can relax. Upright chairs with removable cushions are perfect for dining outdoors. I also like to have deeper chairs for lounging, perhaps in the garden or around an outdoor fireplace.
Use dish towels in place of cloth napkins for outdoor meals. I like them because they are larger than cloth napkins, which means cleaning up big messes (like barbecue sauce) is a lot easier. They are also heavier than paper napkins so they won't blow away with the slightest breeze. Just throw them in the wash after the party and don't worry about ironing them before the next one! Mix and match all sorts of fun patterns but keep the color palette consistent.