How I Threw a ‘Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall’ Party!
I love a good party — especially one where I can eat without sweating. Saying goodbye to summer here in Arizona means we Phoenicians can finally enjoy our evenings outdoors again. This year I’m so glad we finished the garden patio in time for some fall feasts. Before I pulled out the pumpkin breads and spiced drinks, I decided to throw a little ‘Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall’ party.
Here’s how I did it!
1. I made the theme fun and fruity!
Nothing says summer like a little zest. I used oranges as a starting point for our party because I wanted to encourage our baby Cara Cara tree in the background there to grow. And, truth be told, all summer I was also thinking about how to create an orange creamsicle cake to satisfy my sweet tooth! I decorated the patio with a few oranges around the space, and lit a tangy, Valencia Orange-scented candle from Aromatique. Of course I matched my outfit from the French brand, Cremeiux, to pair with the party too!
I can’t tell you how much I love this candle company. Their scents are bursting with flavor, and you’ll enjoy the ‘Agave Pineapple’, and ‘Bourbon and Bergamot’, I’m sure! Placing clementines among the patio made for super easy clean up!
Not going to lie, it was still pretty warm out, and our orange and creme cheese frosting began to melt. Don’t worry though, we ate it all up before any more of it suffered from the heat! I used mint from our new garden potting table for added garnish to our tasty treat.
TIP: Don’t forget to add orange zest and orange liquor to any creme cheese or buttercreme frosting you make. So good!
2. Keep Drinks Simple, Keep Drinks Fresh
With family coming over, I wanted to keep the beverages easy to access, and easy to enjoy. I’ve learned my lesson from offering juice boxes and sodas cans from a cooler. They end up half finished, and sometimes on the floor. For the kids, I made an easy orange water. They loved it! And this Elderflower and Rose Lemonade by Belvior added extra sweetness to my creamsicle cake. Don’t be afraid to grab extra glassware from The Dollar Tree when you know you’ll need extra water glasses. IKEA also has amazing pink glasses I love. Check them out HERE. For kid-friendly cups, click HERE.
* For more on our favorite fruity flavors, cheers with our Magdaleno mixed drink HERE!
3. Mix Old and New for a Fresh Table Format
Mixing and matching your dinnerware adds to all the Martha Stewart fun. Personally, I love visiting my local thrift and antique stores to find dinnerware that adds that special touch to my table. Stand in store aisles for a few minutes to coordinate the various options into one cohesive set. If you’re not a fine china kind of girl or guy, visit ShopSweetLulu.com where you can fancy all the paper plates your little heart will be sure to love. Amazon also has some incredible and affordable options HERE and HERE. My new linen table runner was the perfect neutral for the patterned plates.
* Read how I purchased my latest set of 6 party plates all for under $20 HERE!
Me looking very loving at my niece to put down that candle or I would eat all her cake for her.
I put out an easy spring mix salad with a simple orange vinaigrette before we did the whole sugar overload thing. If you really want to keep the party extra simple, try serving only appetizers or only dessert.
