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Host your very own vintage-style garden party

January 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

01310576828_elizabethmarielouisehelenwills.jpg1. Put out the flags
Capture the very heart of the vintage English garden party by decking your outdoor space with a decorative flurry of bunting. And nothing makes a vintage statement better than this charming blue gingham and Union Jack bunting from Dotcomgiftshop.

2. Dress your table for success
Add a little vintage glamour to your outdoor table by dressing it up in a beautiful tablecloth. A splash of vintage-style floral will make your spread appear all the more deliciously chic. Get your guests’ mouths watering with this adorable tablecloth from the queen of florals, Cath Kidston.

3. Time for tea
With tea very much a garden party staple, make sure your event isn’t thirsty for style by selecting a vintage statement teapot to sit as a table centrepiece. Celebrating over a century of English craftsmanship, who better to be a guest at your garden party than Royal Albert with their exquisite Memory Lane bone china teapot, designed in the classic baroque Montrose shape.

4. A sweet treat
No garden party would be complete without a beautiful display of homemade cakes. But for hygiene purposes, it’s best to keep them covered up. Show-off your gorgeous culinary skills with this classic shaped glass covered cake stand from Cocomale, ideal for keeping cakes fresh throughout the day.

5. Hampers for old-fashioned style
For a garden party on a smaller scale, you might like to consider investing in a traditional picnic basket and having a smaller spread on your lawn. This gorgeous
Optima Traditional Picnic Basket from PrezzyBox comes in a lovely Cottage Garden design, with sustainable willow basket, cotton napkins, ceramic plates, cutlery, and a choice of wine glasses or cups.

6. Shabby? More like chic.
Jazz up even the shabbiest of chairs and make them look inviting to your guests by adding a little vintage-style padding. These cute reversible seat pads from La Maison boast a vintage French floral on one side, and a candy stripe on the reverse – just perfect for elegant behinds!

7. Service with a smile
As the perfect host, make sure your guests’ plates and glasses are never empty by serving up your delicious treats, from a vintage-style cake trolley. This beautiful rosewood carved trolley from Amazon, which comes complete with a detachable serving tray, and opens up as a table is ideal to make you the host or hostess with the mostess.

8. Shade with sartorial conscience
In true English garden party style, weather is bound to be a topic of conversation, so offer your guests a little shade from the sun, with a decorative vintage-style sun parasol. Make a bold and glamorous vintage statement with this Victoriana-shaped cream umbrella with tassels, from Burford.

9. In full swing
Add a touch of vintage romance to your garden party with a feature swing bench, ideal for couples. Sneak away from the crowd for a little together-time this traditional regency-striped, swinging hammock bench from Amazon which comes with a weather-proof canopy.

10. Twilight-lighting
As the sun begins to set on your garden party and twilight settles in, create a warm, romantic glow from the trees, tables, and paths with some vintage-style candle lanterns. These pretty glass lanterns from Not on the High Street bear the words ‘Fete au Jardin,’ and have room for a tea light. What better way to leave a lasting impression on guests than with a little candlelit chic.

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Screen House Secrets – How Your Garden Party Can Greatly Benefit From Using A Screen House

January 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

11310576827_fulham-garden-party.jpgMost people use traditional canopies to shelter their garden parties or barbeques against the burning sun or light summer rain. But did you ever consider using a screen house instead? You will have a bit less of an “outside feeling”, but it can solve some of the greatest problems you face when having a garden party.

What a screen house can do for your garden party that a canopy can’t:

Much better wind protection
Much better protection against rain
Much better protection against insects

Screen house benefit #1: Much better wind protection
On windy days, your guests might easily get cold when using a canopy, especially when the weather is not so hot, or when you party till late in the night and the evening gets chilly. In a screen house, you will be safe from the wind. No uncomfortable freezing. No plates or glasses being blown over either, and no sand blowing into your food.

Screen house benefit #2: Much better protection against rain
A canopy only protects you from rain that is coming down quite straight. If a heavy wind blows it in an angle, you will get wet. A screen house, on the other hand, shelters you almost as effectively as your own house. Not only will you be protected from the rain coming from above, but also from windblown rain from the sides and rain splashing on the ground. That makes it a great option when your party might be hit by unexpected downpours.

Screen house benefit #3: Much better protection against insects
One of the biggest and most annoying garden party problems is troublesome insects: Hoards of flies hunting for your grilled meat, and swarms of wasps who are after your juices, gas drinks and beers. A canopy does nothing to keep them out. However, when using a screen house, you can simply shut the doors when the food is ready, and you and your guests can enjoy your barbeque or buffet without having to share it with insects. No more food getting cold because you are too busy chasing flies off it.

Sometimes, it can also be a good idea of using both a canopy and a screen house. People can then decide where they feel more comfortable. Use the canopy for the time of the barbeque and the drinks outside, and later gather in the screen house for taking the actual meal. And if the weather changes, you can quickly move from the canopy to the screen house, without the party being interrupted.

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10 Tips for Lighting Up Your Garden Party

December 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

21310576771_p101218002.jpgGarden parties on warm summer evenings are a pleasure to look forward to. Here are 10 easy ways to decorate your outdoor space with light without breaking the budget.

1) Illuminate driveways, paths, stairs, pool decks, and dark corners with paper bag lanterns made from tealights and brown paper lunch bags. Place few rocks inside each lantern as anchors.

2) Make a small investment in easy-to-install solar path lighting. There is no wiring of any kind and the light fixture can be moved around as needed (around $30 each).

3) Place citronella candles and tiki torches around seating areas to deter insects. Make sure they are not too close to the food, as the smell can overpower flavors.

4) Lace decorative paper Chinese lanterns, or inexpensive multi-colored, themed, or bright white sting lights through railings, patio umbrellas, and pergolas.

5) Place candles, tea-lights, votives or fabric lanterns on buffet tables and bars. Remember to keep candles in a safe container or candle holder.

6) Float candles in bird baths, pools or ponds. Floating solar lights are also available.

7) Create dance floor by hanging mini-disco ball from a tree branch and pointing a spotlight at it.

8) Use retro lava lamps and fiber-optic domes or globes for themed lighting that’s funky and fun.

9) Fill mason jars with about five centimeters of sand, then drop in a tea light for a safe but pretty light that won’t go out in a breeze. Place a row along the side of a path and on each stair.

10) Adorn flea market or thrift store chandeliers holding tea lights and hang from an overhead support or canopy.

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