Hi, hello & welcome back sweet friends 💜 I can hardly believe that we are in the home stretch of 2022 and quickly approaching all the end of year holidays. We are actually just starting to experience Fall here in Austin and y’all, I am beyond thrilled. After 8ish weeks of 105+ degree weather in the summer and months without rain, it feels amazing to simply be able to take a walk in the middle of the day, host people for dinner on the roof and honestly, just not sweat through my clothes within 15 minutes of stepping outside.
In the spirit of being able to happily entertain outside, I’ve been loving the weekly dinner parties I’ve been able to host now. Using a mix of summer favorites and a few new Fall items, I spent far too much time putting together, what I would consider, the perfect transitional table setting for a daytime lunch with friends. I also mixed in so many of my favorite high and low pieces and like these $5 salad plates (low) and blue Estelle Colored Martini Glasses (highish) and disposable water cups with limited faux bamboo silverware. Let’s jump in!
The sweet Gen Sohr AKA Pencil & Paper Co shared these Pioneer Woman Jade scallop plates (salad & dinner) over the summer and I absolutely fell in love. The color is perfect for most seasons and the shape can dress up any table. Paired with a dust blue napkin on jute, all the colors compliment the BB&B tablecloth I just picked up which I plan to use all year long. And yes, I am proudly setting this lunch table with disposable water cups because how cute are these? ICYMI, I hosted a Beyoncé listening party when her new album dropped late Summer and because I was hosting a larger group than usual and the vibe was totally casual, I went with these Chinet crystal cups to avoid a pile up of dishes. For just a few bucks, I had (& still have) more than enough water cups to have friends over whenever.
For this lunch, I pulled out my absolute favorite Estelle Colored Glasses (honestly, every glass is my favorite) for a champagne and/or rosé toast. I pride myself on the fact that I can always find a reason for a celebratory toast and I wear that badge with high honor 🤷♀️ Since the weather was just a tab bit warm this day and I knew we’d be outside for a bit, I opted to bring a house plant in a fun planter from Spain (via TJ Maxx) as the centerpiece instead of flowers. This is also one of my favorite hacks if you don’t have time to or don’t want to get a bunch of flowers. Any house plant that can be in the sun for a bit and is contained enough not to take up too much space is a great option for the center of a dinning table with guests.
Even though you wouldn’t typically light candles during the daytime for an outdoor meal, I wanted to include the vanilla scented candles with pressed flowers. I just love them so much and the scent is perfectly subtle for those who may be sensitive to strong scents. These candlestick holders are another go to item for dinner parties and even around the house to add some height to the coffee table, counter or book stack. I thrifted the water bottles that just so happen to match the candle sticks perfectly.
For dinner parties at any time of the day, I opt to have all the food on a separate side table. This does mean people have to stand and walk a few feet to make plates but this method clears up space to keep bottles and flowers and other “prettier” items on the table. Usually when we move to dessert, I move the centerpiece to the food table and bring the dessert to the middle for everyone to grab and pass.
Well friends, that’s all for my favorite transitional lunch table. Admittedly, I’ve been having too much fun with these and have been channeling my creativity energy into creating fun tables that become a talking point throughout dinner. I just love it!
I can’t wait to chat with y’all again soon and hope you loved seeing what I’ve been up to. – xo, Azanique
