Outdoor Celebration!

Today is the last day of Kyle's first quarter in Culinary School! Technically, Wednesday was his last day "on campus", but after today all his work for his online classes will be done and I think that requires a celebration! What shall we do? Cook of course!
With the weather warming up and the light lasting longer, it is time for outdoor entertaining. If you haven't checked out the contest on Olioboard presented by Wayfair, you should take a look here! Need some more inspiration?

This is a fabulous space saving idea that can close up and be out of your way, and drop down to provide an outdoor bar area complete with serving surface! How neat is that? When it's closed, you have a top surface perfect for a few herbs! Re-Pin this look directly from our blog, or here so you won't forget this fabulous idea!

This bar cart gives me the impression of not only being vintage, but hand made. I can just see one of my grandpas putting a metal box on top of a basic pull cart and turning it into a bar cart perfect for entertaining! Maybe I can find a way to recreate this look in a DIY project, because unfortunately Pottery Barn no longer carries this gem.

I am always looking for eco-friendly ways to do just about everything. This recycled glass drink dispenser from West Elm fits the bill! I love when companies that make their money off of production and distribution take the initiative to do things a little "greener".

Any good outdoor party needs a place to serve the food and share the appreciation! I love this table from Wayfair. You can shop it here! This reminds me of growing up in Massachusetts, where I could always find an element of shutters in at least 75% of the outdoor furniture I saw. What's great about this table to me now is it seats 8 with a small footprint, and it would be super easy to get clean! With our three dogs, anything that falls between the slats can be "re-purposed" into a doggie treat.

What's an outdoor celebration (especially for a culinary student) without a fabulous recipe?! These Honey Lime Chicken Skewers are something I found on Pinterest, but they were sourced from another blog originally. I love grilling, the smells, the fresh clean flavors, and the use of citrus in the summer! 

The perfect way to end our outdoor soiree is with a cocktail that matches the vibe, food, and makes you say "ahhhh"! I also found this Honey Citrus Cocktail on Pinterest, here's the recipe:

4 oz. Skyy Infused Dragon Fruit vodka

2 tsp. honey

4 oz. fresh squeezed grapefruit juice

4 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice

sugar rim

For full instructions, visit Sugar and Charm

My project for today is to spruce up our outdoor spaces, and decide what stays and what goes to the yard sale. I'll show you our results soon! I hope you all have something to celebrate this season, and if not, just pick a night and enjoy yourselves! Life is too short and provides too much stress to not take a moment when there is a cool breeze on a summer night and just breathe! 

Enjoy!