Well, when I made posting a priority in September, I knew my frequency might drop back down this month – but I didn’t expect to write only my second post of the month on the 16th! It’s been a busy two weeks, between traveling to New England for a wedding and to meet our newish nephew, me traveling to New York for work for five days, and starting a new family group at our church. I thought I’d get back in the swing of things by sharing our porch party! After 2012’s Julia & Julia dinner party and last year’s adventure dinner party, I knew I wanted to host another special event for some of our friends this year. We considered another adventurous location, but decided instead to celebrate our new home and its glorious porch. We used the same six-foot folding table that we bought for last year’s party, and splurged on two strings of lights from World Market. We moved our dining chairs outside for the evening. The simple white tablecloth was from Target, and I added some pale blue thin tapers at the last minute. Our menu was Mediterranean: bruschetta, chicken souvlaki, quinoa Greek salad, and chocolate raspberry pavlova – all things we had made many times before. Friends brought rosé and pitas and hummus. We started with a walk around our neighborhood, then came back to the house and finished prepping dinner. We completely lucked out with the weather – August in North Carolina can be HOT and muggy, but we got a mild, sunny day in the 70’s. Bliss! It made for a really relaxed evening, as we were able to stay outside in comfort, chatting and laughing. This year’s dinner party iteration wasn’t particularly elaborate, but it was lovely, and so good to get

More than two years ago I wrote on this blog that I wanted to host a dinner party inspired by the movie Julie & Julia. And this past Saturday, John and I did just that! We were furiously preparing right up until the last minute (seriously, the kitchen was a disaster zone at 5:30, and guests were scheduled to arrive at 6!), so I didn’t get too many great photos, but thanks to my Instagram pals Graham and Nancy, I put together the collection above! Our dining room table (which normally seats four) expanded to seat all ten of our guests. We went simple with a white tablecloth, then added small bunches of carnations in milk glass and mint julep cups and some heart confetti. My parents also surprised me with a delivery of red and pink flowers, which was SO sweet of them! We served Julia’s recipe for boeuf bourguignon and plenty of fresh baguettes in latte bowls with our simple faux-French cloth napkins. Guests were guided to their seats by hand water-colored place cards, and went home with crepe-wrapped chocolates. We also had a little bar set up that stayed within the color scheme (red and white wine, Shirley Temples (my fave!), and raspberry lemonade) and featured heart striped straws. The best part, though? Besides the company, it had to be the outfits. I wish I had a photo, because everyone completely dressed the part – and looked fabulous!! I’m already dreaming up our next dinner party… P.S. More Instagram photos