So there was big news in the CC household this last weekend; my sister and her partner got engaged! It also happened to be her birthday, so the day was spent at their lovely home with a gathering of family and friends from our village; it was altogether magical, and despite the weather being cooler than it has been of late, it really felt like a summer party. It got me thinking how sublime these seasonal celebrations can be, with only a little effort and prior planning.

So let's start with the most important thing: the food. If you get the food right, all else will follow; my mum's parties are notorious for their vast number of dishes and colourful presentation and this event was no exception! Bright pops of peppers combined with seasonal salad ingredients formed the basis of the scheme with deli meats, dips and olive breads adding to the mix. I didn't manage to snap the new potatoes or homemade quiches but add those and you've got a feast!

I always like to have lots of flowers at summer parties; they seem to capture the essence of the season better than any other decoration, perhaps because they're usually picked direct from the garden. You can see here we went for unconventional vases and used a watering can (lots of flowers and not enough jugs!) but it works so well in an informal setting.

Finally, if you want to add a little more decoration and don't have many florals in your back garden, why not try tissue paper pom poms? Once you get going they're actually really easy to make and there's a great tutorial here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfork_fpbWc

What do you like to include in a summer party? Are you hosting any this year? I'd love to hear about them!

P.S.

• If you're unsure what's good to eat now check out this post.
• Have you seen my Big Summer List?