Part 2: Summertime dinner party reveal!

Did you catch yesterday's post, where I left you hanging with this?

Well this morning I'm delighted to take you on a little journey of how the final dinner party look came to be! This dresser is in our art room, which also serves as the occasional rosy retreat meeting place/dining room.  When I first had my idea to decorate for an extra-special dinner, the dresser looked like this.  I knew to make it look fabulous I would need to be quick.  My time is limited, as I'm sure yours is.  But with a few easy "rules" to decorating you can go from sloppy to special in just a matter of minutes.  

Although arranging displays and styling props may come quite easy to me, it might not to you so let's take this step by step, shall we? To begin, I cleared everything off the dresser, but left the tall shutters.  As a general rule, I like to add my tallest props first, which I did here by setting the red pitcher to the left. 

Next, I wanted to continue playing up the height/background interest so I hung the white paper banner I showed you how to make yesterday. 

After that came a medium height set of props, tomatoes stacked on top of this rusty, metal box I bought at a local store (Cellar Door Antiques in downtown Springdale for the local folks).  

*A note about boxes, toolboxes, etc.-they work great for a multitude of things!  You can use them to bring height to a short item like these bowl of tomatoes, or simply open the lid and style something inside.  If the price is right, I almost always pick items like these up because they come in so handy!*

Now, let's be real honest for a second.  I could have stopped with the photo before this one….with the bowl of tomatoes and simple metal box.  That, to me, was quite beautiful. If your style leans more towards the simple and minimal, that is your look.  If you think "more is more" then THIS is your look! 

I added in the vintage books, candles, painted branches my girls helped me with, interesting cans from the grocery store, hot peppers, and tiny plates from Italy.  

All of these items together-different heights, colors, sizes, and textures, created an interesting, eye-catching dinner party display!

To style the table, I kept it much more simple since the dresser was rather done up.  I first laid this "runner", which is actually a rug from Wal-Mart.  The brand is Better Homes and Gardens and it is a very good sized rug, priced at $9.97.  I have thrifted enough rugs to know that is a deal!  It usually lays in my craft room, but after a good shake off, turned into the most perfect table runner. The "fuzzies" in the jar came straight from the pasture on the farm.  

As my girls, Brett, and I gathered around the table together there was a special quality to the dinner.  More than anything this was a hands-on way I could love on my family.  

Maybe for you it's baking, or organizing, or planning fun outings.  Whatever it is, go for it.  Tell your limitations, doubts, fears, to hit the road Jack (and don't come back). 

You and I, our families, we're worth celebrating right this very moment.