Hosting An Easy Summer Dinner Party

Despite what you think of me, I am much more of a party goer than a party thrower. I get stressed out hosting a party for a couple reasons:

1. Throwing a beautiful, delicious, and well-appointed party is really expensive and time consuming. It just is. Doing a 1/2 assed job doesn’t sound satisfying so I tend to just not.

2. Expectations of me in this realm are high and I honestly am WAY too lazy and busy to do anything beyond flowers, candles, ready-made apps (or chili), punch, and music (I need a nap just thinking about it). I can pull this together so it looks great, but I get stressed out with the idea of inviting people I don’t know super well over as they might be expecting me to KILL IT. My best friends have seen me and my house at its worst; everybody else makes me nervous.

So, I tasked Andrea and Amanda to concept/shoot and style an entertaining story based on me, the lazy party girl. They pulled together the following peach and green summer party, with supplies that are easy to find and easier to style (all of which are linked below).

Let’s start with the flowers:

Flower arrangements can get stupidly expensive, but flowers, branches, or plants are key to livening up a flat surface – so you kinda need them. Instead of spending $50+, let’s go the cheaper route: greenery. You can typically get “filler” greenery at the florist for super cheap (or even free in some cases). Even better, you can literally find some really pretty leafy greens right outside. Go for branches and wildflowers, and picking from your own property is a good idea but LORD KNOWS I have snagged many an illegal branch.

I love the simplicity in what Andrea and Amanda did. They used water glasses, bold greenery, and layered them perfectly.

Start with a quick and easy runner for your centerpiece. Just overlap some of the larger leaves on top of one another to create a tropical look. Then grab any and all vases, jars, or drinking glasses and add the greenery to give the centerpiece some height.

Next the dish-ware:

They used cafe au lait bowls, simple white plates that most of you probably have, and some woven chargers that act as placemats. What follows is so sweet:

I’m not sure why I haven’t done this before – the graphic/flat leaf as a decorative layer on a plate – but I LOVE it. And that, my friends is super easy. You just clip and place.

They added more color to create a summery feel with these peach glasses from World Market, and the napkins and bowls from Anthropologie.

As for dinnerware and flatware, they grabbed this gold flatware (I own 12 sets of these myself) and these plates from Target. I love how they add some natural texture to the look, and these chargers/placemats are only $35.96 for a set of four at World Market.

There you have it – a green and peach summer tablescape for the lazy party thrower. I love how much impact that greenery has for how little it can cost. Combine it with a super on-trend and happy color, like that peach, and what you get is a simple happiness for not a lot of work – aka my goal in life.

1. Set of 4 Rattan Chargers | 2. Latte Bowls | 3. Melamine Dinner Plate | 4. Linen Market Napkin | 5. Set of 4 Carats Dof Glasses | 6. 5 Piece Izon Gold Flatware Set | 7. Franklin Dining Table | 8. Tarno Folding Chair

Thanks so much to Andrea and Amanda for pulling this together and expect a few more from these talented ladies.

Creative Direction & Photography by: Andrea Posadas
Styling & Story by: Amanda Holstein

Want more entertaining posts? Check these out: My Favorite Hostess Gifts,  My Pastel Easter Brunch, Charlie’s Sip & See, A Portable Feast.