Spur-of-the-Moment Summer Parties
The weather is perfect and you're feeling social- what do you do? Throw
a spur-of-the-moment party! With the help of "Instant Parties" (Meadowbrook Press) by Luann Grosscup
and Jo O'Connor Tazelaar, you can throw a great party exactly when the mood strikes you. Each of their
suggested parties can be prepared in less than a day- so embrace spontaneity and let the party begin!
Here's a quick plan to throwing a spur-of-the-moment pool party that only
gets better after the sun goes down.
Invitations: Call or email your guests- tell them to come prepared to swim and sun in the afternoon and to dine, drink and dance in the evening.
Menu: Panini sandwiches (chicken, ham, vegetarian), sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and served with fresh basil and slices of mozzarella, sliced Granny Smith apples with a squeeze of lime juice, and Gelato (Italian ice) for dessert.
To drink: Campari and club soda on the rocks with lemon or lime, Gin and tonic, Vodka tonic, and white wine spritzer with a lime wedge.
Props and Décor: Provide some shade from the sun- an umbrella table should do the trick. Have fresh towels and sunscreen available poolside, perhaps even glasses and a pitcher of ice water to cool down thirsty guests. For decoration, hang small, three-tiered vegetable and fruit baskets from the outer branches of trees. Hang lanterns and put up tiki torches to be lit when the sun goes down. For an extra effect in the evening, light floating candles in the pool as the waters still. If you want to make the party area seem larger, hang additional lighting a slight distance from the pool.
Music: In the afternoon, treat your guests to appropriate poolside music- The Beach Boys, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and Jimmy Buffet are great choices. In the evening you'll want to change the mood to something more sultry, such as music from the following artists: Dinah Washington, Frank Sinatra, Andre Previn, k.d. lang and Herbie Mann.
Courtesy of FeatureSource
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