{SMITH STREET}: {Sunday Funday}

D (the boyfriend) and I are hosting a small lunch this coming Sunday with a few close friends! I love sit-down dinner parties and since there will only be 8 of us, I figure I could pull off a sit-down lunch! I'm thinking of a beach themed lunch outdoors since the weather has been fantastic. The forecast for Sunday is a clear, 75-degrees. Perfection.

Decor
I'm thinking of setting up a rectangle table and a couple of benches on each side for more intimate seating. It's a good way to encourage conversation as some of the guests don't know each other well just yet. I have a handful of white linens that my mom brought over for our last family get together. White linens are typically associated with finer dining so I'm going to add brown craft paper to line the top of the table for a bit of a rustic touch. I plan to use our white seashell Pottery Barn plates I scored online a couple years back. I'm grateful for succumbing to my intuition that one day, I'm sure, I'll need a set of 8 beach-themed plates. Ha!

Food
We're planning on serving typical BBQ food (i.e. burgers, hot dogs, etc. ) And, of course, wine! There's nothing else that reminds me of summer more than a backyard BBQ. I love, love, love them!

Tips for Hosting
Since buying this house, we've hosted a good handful of parties. Along the way, I've learned a few things. Here are my 3 best tips!

1. Prep as much as you can before the day of the event. For example, make or prep as much of the food you'll be serving the night before. In my case, I'll be making the potato salad on Saturday night since that recipe has lots of steps and need at least a few hours to chill thoroughly in the fridge. Another to-do you can definitely complete ahead of time is to clean your house a week to several days before. Unless you are dragging mud across your living room, you're house won't get that dirty. The only thing I do make sure to clean the day of is the main bathroom that guests will be using and the kitchen since we'll be there most of the day.

2. Enlist help. If you need it, ask. Most guests/family/friends offer to help prep, clean after or bring a dish. Take them up on their offer! It doesn't take away from being a good host.

3. Have fun! It's not worth throwing a party or get together if YOU'RE not having fun. And, you're setting the mood and vibe of your event so make sure it's a positive one!

{This table set up is what I had in mind}