Let us be grateful to people that make us happy. They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. -Marcel Proust I had the great privilege to host a group of women for a small backyard party under the stars. They were all troopers as it was, in typical Phoenix fashion, hot outside, and the only stars you could really see without squinting, were the hanging lights and candles. 😉 It was such a treat for me to see this group of ladies come together. Some I have known my whole life and others are newly found friendships. My great friend Shannon Shannon Widney Photography took these AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS photos for me and I couldn’t be more excited with how they turned out!When I first thought about the mood to set at the party, I thought relaxed, comfortable and a profound glow that would highlight all of the beautiful smiles and personalities around the table. Around here, I reuse, re-purpose and thrift as much as possible! You can seriously make the most beautiful spaces with things just laying around the house. Can you believe that most of the lights are from my wedding, almost 12 years ago? They still work great! To give a soft foundation, layering rugs, blankets and pillows kept the area comfy and grass free, which meant little to no bugs and it just made it feel luxurious for zilch dollars, since I just grabbed what I had.
The “chargers” are actually remainder watercolor paper with a spray paint ombre vanilla edge and iridescent glitter. The simple white napkins I embellished with a cream fabric paint polka dot, made from a q-tip.
Dishes all came from my cabinet. Pink vintage mixed with my fav modern plaid Anthro plates, glasses are all thrifted and were under $10 for all 20!
My fav unique shot from Shannon Widney of Shannon Widney Photography. This simple backdrop was a mix of my great-grandmother’s shawl, simple pink fringe and my girl’s gold lights.
To keep things fresh, adding some living elements to your table keeps things more organic and brings some amazing colors to the set up. I love adding the unexpected, so we cut rose buds and placed them in purple sea urchins. The barnacles have the same lavender tinge and are perfect for tucking plants in and creating interesting and beautiful small arrangements.
The color palette really evolved after eyeing this cotton candy throw blanket from Nosh Studio. A different take on an autumn table, moody pink, creams, lavender, copper and hints of iridescent.
Being a huge fan of copper it was obvious that my brass candle holders needed an update with some copper spray paint. The ONLY binge in this set up were the faceted copper candle holders from Target. They are amazing and light SO beautifully with a candle or make a great vessel for displaying small trinkets or plants. Target copper lanterns
One of the most amazing things about putting together a party in my family is that we all jump in to help out. Although I made and created the set-up my fun mama and sis Heather put together all of the yummy food and boy it was delish!
Get in my mouth goat cheese, honey, blackberry crisp! One of my favorites of the night!
These pinterest inspired sandwiches are actually BBQ donut holes topped with cole slaw.
The true beauty of this party was when everyone gathered around the table, sharing, eating, laughing, being vulnerable and just beautiful ladies.
This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. John 15:13