K.I.S.S. 4th of July Buffet Tablescape

I am a firm believer in Keeping It Simple Sweetie! Especially when entertaining!

Now, of course, I love to bring out my beautiful dishes, crystal & silver for some occasions, BUT… there are other occasions that call for simplicity and ease of cleanup!

It is AMAZING what is available for disposable tabletop items these days! You can make a table look just as FABULOUS with plastic and paper goods as you can with fine china!

I tend to collect pretty paper & plastic plates, paper napkins, etc. as I see them when I’m out and about, because, it seems if I wait till I actually NEED them, they’re nowhere to be found! (eye roll)

I found these fabulous plates and napkins at HomeGoods!

I love to look for 2 or 3 sizes of plates that I can layer just like I would with my “real” dishes! Like this……

Isn’t that pretty…. and practical and FUN!!! ?

Here are just a few of my

K.I.S.S. Summer Tablescape Tips* (easy but still ELEGANT!):

One thing I like to do when entertaining in the summer is to use *trays for setting things up, this makes it easy to transport items outside and back inside! Look for inexpensive oversized plates/platters, like this one, if you can’t find just the right tray.

Also, I use some of my *pretty glasses as containers for items like flatware and condiments.

Another tip is to use *footed stands to elevate some of the items on your table. If you don’t have footed stands (cake stands) you can turn a few glasses upside down to lift things up a bit. I’ve used a small cake stand here with a round plastic platter set on top as a place for the florals to sit.

I love to mix in a few items that feel a bit more elegant with the “disposable” items, such as real glasses, sometimes flatware, and almost always a *cloth table cover. I have several that are just for outside/picnic use, like this pretty blue damask from April Cornell (one of my favorite sources for pretty table linens). Sometimes I’ll use cloth rather than paper napkins as well, depending on the size of the crowd!

 

The MOST important thing to remember about summertime –or anytime- entertaining

is *HAVE FUN!!!

Don’t be afraid to create a pretty table according to YOUR style, using what YOU have! Your table, just like your home, should reflect YOU and YOUR sense of style!

Happy Summer Entertaining!

Celebrate Every Day!

xoxo~ Kathleen