Outdoor Party with Pier 1 Imports and a Giveaway

Over Memorial Day weekend we decided to throw a little outdoor party to celebrate the beginning of Summer. We invited some friends and family over for a casual garden party in our backyard. There was about twenty of us, so it was fun little gathering.

We cleaned up the backyard and patio from the last remnants of winter and planned for everyone to hang out outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. The backyard needed some new accessories to brighten it up  a bit for the Summer. I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Pier 1 Imports. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and to thank me for participating. Partnering with Pier 1 Imports was fun because of their huge selection of outdoor products. I picked out some nice, neutral yet elegant products to compliment the relaxed vibe I’m going for in the backyard.

 I didn’t want to go all out with the party decor because we want to keep with the casual, outdoor vibe. So I used my natural linen tablecloths and paired them with some recycled plates and napkins. Even the cups we used were made of corn plastic.

We kept the menu pretty simple with all finger foods: homemade sandwiches, an organic veggie platter with vegan sanctuary dip paired with rustic veggie chips, a fruit platter, some olive, nuts and a great cheese plate. We wrapped the sandwiches in butcher paper tied with twine and served them in this great metal tub. The sandwiches were turkey and monterey jack cheese, salami and cheddar and a veggie option with tomatoes, avocado and cucumber.

The flowers in vases are all from the backyard and are mostly nasturtiums. I even threw a couple of nasturtiums on the veggie platter since they’re edible and very tasty!

I made some cucumber, rosemary lemonade to drink. The weather was hot, hot, hot so this went fast. This beverage dispenser was also big a hit.

We set up a temporary bar on the Mr’s potting bench, which worked out perfectly 😉

For dessert Arden and I made some chocolate rosemary mini-cupcakes, decorated with tiny sprigs of rosemary.

We outfitted the patio with these new outdoor drapes and these great modern lanterns to dress it up a little bit. Almost reminds me of my favorite resort…almost 😉

This ceramic stool was a great addition to the lounging area. The perfect place to rest some nice cold lemonade.

And to top it all off we added this new pagoda-style umbrella in natural. It’s really quite a statement piece.

Oh and a couple of items for nighttime patio enjoyment: an umbrella light and remote and some flameless candles also controlled via remote, very cool, right? Can’t wait to test ’em out!

Now for a little giveaway, hosted by Pier 1. They’re giving one reader a $25 gift card to Pier 1. You can enter below using the Rafflecopter widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway