In light of the recent amazing weather we've been having, we decided to throw a little neighborhood cocktail party. We finally got to bust out all of the cushions for the Dedon outdoor furniture that we bought last summer, because we totally re-landscaped our yard. This is the lounge area, complete with the 'fire pit' and slate tiles. The Sunbrella cushions are from Pier 1.
I took my inspiration for this informal tablescape from a photo of a rustic French chateau that a friend e-mailed me. The provence look means simple, well-used, and lots of mismatched, so I put out a bunch of different cheese knives (because who likes to use a cheese-knife that's already been used?).
I used simple plates to put out pretty collections of provence-inspired glass- and flatware, all of which was gathered around the fire pit, in case it got chilly (a good call, because it did!).
There was white wine for the adults, and a sparkling pomegranate and blood orange juice thing I found for the kids at Whole Foods. I also put out some pretty tulips.
The Dedon furniture was something we just stumbled upon at Studio B. They're weatherproof (we left them out all winter) and very stylish, no?
I put out cheese from Quebec, olives, nuts, and my new culinary innovation: the Bresaola cannoli, which is a blend of black pepper, olive oil, and ricotta cheese wrapped in a slice of Italian cured beef. Delicious, if I do say so myself.
Finally, the mismatched glassware, much of which we bought on our November trips to Paris.
