Sparkling summer parties start at the table

Tag : Dessert Rose

Hosting an outdoor party is a great way to savor a Northwestsummer, which has a tendency to arrive late and leave early. With alittle planning, you can have dinner guests who will do just theopposite.
Before you start, be sure to consider the size, season and natureof the party.
Always have a theme in mind, and don't be afraid to show somepersonality. You can't go wrong with materials that are inherentlybeautiful, be it top-of-the-line table linens or freshly cut fernstucked under glass charger plates.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
• Rent a 5-foot round table with a glass overlay.
• Cover chairs with sheer muslin or chiffon that ripples in the breeze.
• Use sterling flatware and ivory china.
• Gather rose petals in different colors and generously sprinkle them on a whitetablecloth, under a glass overlay if available. Then place a lowglass bowl in the center of the table and fill it with roseblossoms.
• For a finishing touch, have everyone's name printed onto small white cards (computerfonts work just fine) and put them in silver 2-by-3-inch frames ateach place setting.
• No party should go without a signature drink. For summer, try lemon drops. They're a reallysweet martini, similar to a cosmopolitan.
• Cut something fresh from your yard. Gather all sorts of shallow glass bowls and floatroses, peonies, rhodies and dogwood blossoms at varying heightsaround the table.
• Simple can be just as pretty. Place short bud vases at each place setting with a single gardenrose.
• Fill tall glass vases with water and floating candles. Add a dash of food coloring in a shade of your choice.
• Make dessert interactive. Take a big silver tray, cover it with linen and get out yourfanciest cut glass bowl. Fill it with huge, ripe strawberries. Thenplace smaller bowls around it with whipping cream and raw sugarcrystals. Dip and enoy!
-- Homes & Gardens of the Northwest staff
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