Birthday Magic | 25th Birthday Picnic

Hello Friends!

So it has been a hot minute since we have posted anything thanks to all the summer festivities that have been going on. The most recent summer festivity, my 25th birthday!! As you may remember last year I celebrated with a Lobster Bake. This year I wanted a more laid back picnic themed family dinner, and here is the result!

PICNIC VIBE

I 100% knew that I wanted to eat on the ground, but also knew I didn't want my food in my lap. We remedied this situation by boosting a large wooden pallet up with 4 concrete blocks. Since pallets have big gaps between the wood, we set another thin flat surface on top so our drinks, etc. wouldn't fall through. To cover it up we used sheets that were floral, pastel, and light. I didn't want any heavy colors weighing down the party atmosphere, so white based sheets were a must.

If a birthday picnic was a recipe, a tree would be the secret ingredient. I know this might seem silly, but a tree is integral to creating shade, hanging things on, and just all around looking cute in the background.

EXTRA PADDING NEVER HURTS

For seating we used outdoor cushions, but normal pillows would have worked fine too. We used these ones because we have outdoor furniture they go on and were easily accessible. I also added a couple throw pillows, simply for décor purposes.

BIRTHDAY ATTIRE

For my birthday outfit I wore a long dress from Rue 21 to match the vibe of the dinner. I also made a floral crown with fresh flowers (p.s. Kroger's fresh flowers are sooooo much nicer than Walmart's fresh flowers). I used green wire, green floral tape, and pink and gold ribbon from Pat Catan's to make the floral crown. I premade it and kept it in the fridge until it was time to wear it. The crown surprised me and stayed looking fresh for TWO DAYS afterwards!! How crazy was that!?

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART

For dinner I wanted my favorite food: shrimp, asparagus, pasta, and sweet potatoes (fun fact: sweet potatoes are my favorite food... like EVER!!). I also wanted pink lemonade because I feel like its cousin, yellow lemonade, gets used a lot more and I feel sorry for pink lemonade. Yes, I understand that it's irrational for me to feel sorry for something that's inanimate, but tell my feelings that.

Okay, so cake. I wanted TONS of candles. Little candles, big candles, sparklers. The photo above where Rem and I are making O's with our mouths is the moment when a sparkler caught fire literally took our breath away. It was simply stunning!

LIGHTING 

The star of the show was definitely the lighting. When the sun finally sank past the horizon, the fairy lights had their moment to create magic. Literally, it was magical. I bought 4 battery operated paper lanterns to hang from the tree. They created a soft ambient lighting that complimented the Thomas Edison fairy lights. I bought 2 strands of the Thomas Edison fairy lights from Kroger (ON SALE for $10 each #BargainShopper). We also had torches in buckets of gravel to string everything together. The torches were filled with bug repellent and were a must to keep the bugs away.

FINALE

To finish off the night, we set up the outdoor theater and watch A Royal Night Out on the side of the house. All in all the picnic dinner theater night was a huge success! I loved every minute of it and cannot wait to recreate another similar summer night!

Any questions? Comment them below!

Tilly

Autumnal Picnic | Easy How To

Hello friends,

With the arrival of crisp, cool air, comes the arrival of the leaves changing colors. I love to be outside this time of year to take in all of the beautiful colors. One way I enjoy fall weather is through putting together, and delighting in, an outdoor picnic. Picnics are pretty easy to put together, therefore I thought I would let you know what I include in mine.

The first thing one should do when picnicking, is to find the perfect spot! Since it is fall, it is always good to pick a spot with plenty views of the changing of leaves.

The first item I obtain is a basket. This one is a Longaberger basket, but you may use any type of container to place your things in. I next grab a blanket to sit on. I love using plaid or flannel blankets as they truly embody the fall atmosphere. The next, and perhaps the most important item, is something to drink. Here I have water and Pumpkin Spice Black Tea to steep. However, any other tea, coffee, hot chocolate, etc. would work just fine! Going along with something to drink, is something to drink with. I simply grabbed an autumnal mug and placed in the basket. After deciding which drink will keep me warm, I decide on snacks. Because I have such a sweet tooth, I opted for a bag of dark chocolate with pomegranate flavor. I also threw in some apples to complement the fall season. Finally, I grabbed a book to read! For this day, I took along The 5th Wave (so far its good).

The last step in enjoying a picnic, is to relax and relish in the fall foliage! I hope this inspires you to go outdoors and do the same! Since the leaves change and fall so fast, one should take advantage of the beautiful colors while they can.

As always, thank you for stopping by,

Tilly