Summer Soirée: Ideal conditions for fabulous frivolity

Summer.

The cicadas are calling out for lovers. This season always makes me feel a bit sexy. Fewer layers. Airy materials. Aroused nipples poking through soft fabrics that fall gently from the body, highlighting my female form. It’s so hot in Birmingham I can hardly imagine wearing clothes.

A few years ago, Jason and I vacationed in a cabin in the woods and snuck outside naked. It felt so foreign and unnatural to me. To be outside with no clothes on. No one but the two of us and the orb spiders high in the trees spinning their webs. I yearn for that freedom to let it all go. All fears around being caught, being seen, being ridiculed, being judged. To feel the air on my skin and roam freely under the stars. It seems so liberating to me now. I want to make love outside in the open air. To feel like an animal and a fearless woman. That’s the underlying mood for this Summer Soirée.

The buck moon waxes full tonight. This moon symbolizing release — the buck sheds his antlers so larger ones are able to grow in. What are we shedding to make space for something bigger and better in our lives?

I was twenty-one when Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette was released in 2006. I’ll never forget being transfixed by the late night garden party scene. A white tent in a field, full of hanging chandeliers, champagne flowing, and guests enjoying life, making memories to last a life time like staying up to watch the sun rise. I have always romanticized a party like that of my own.

A soirée implies a certain level of elegance as it’s meant to be held at night (French for evening). Designers are currently sending out their newsletters summoning us to join them for outdoor splendor. The ones I’ve read call for a more relaxed vibe. You know the sort. Wrinkly linen table clothes and bringing the record player out into the yard.

However, in my fantasies we are never casual. I find much joy in celebrating life by bringing all of the luxuries we enjoy together in one place: the good dress, the good dishes, etc. I often dream of nights far away in a countryside that don’t resemble landscapes my own neighborhood. Here in the South, the vampire mosquitos and suffocating humidity are keeping me indoors. But what if the breeze was gentle and there were no bugs who bite, with temps hovering at seventy and humidity low, and all your guests came dressed in their finery to feast under a blanket of stars?

For this very special evening, embroider the details of the night on vintage handkerchiefs and hand deliver each one. Or watercolor your design on special textured paper if like me you can’t imagine taking the time for that level of detail for multiple guests! I have been dreaming of hand embroidered invites for some time now. At least for a year. I think it’s manageable to stitch for a party of 6-8 with careful planning. I once embroidered vegetables on napkins over a weekend for a dinner.

I love this 80s lucite dining table. It has amazing sculptural legs that add to our light and airy summer vibe. I imagine the legs peering out from under a swag/drapery style table cloth. Learn to swag here from this YouTube video. I recently learned about these beautiful vintage Kuznetsov floral dishes (Russian in origin ~ 1800s). They are a bit expensive so any vintage floral plate will do. Mix and match the patterns but pay attention to scale and color. I seem to be in a Grecian headspace (due to my Fig Goddess clay work) so these column chairs by Micah Rosenblatt are speaking to me. Any chair wiry and sculptural will do!

We must have an abundance of florals spilling out from clunky hand made vases. Playful silver candle sticks light the mood for romance. You can be romantic even with your friends. Everyone appreciates the soft glow of a candlelit dinner. It invites connection and deep conversations long into the night.

I love a dress code and I love any excuse to put on a pretty dress. At this Summer Soirée, silky sheens will ruffle in the night air while the moon sparkles off our skin and the candlelight bronzes our faces. Wear your best party frock!

These Dream Pop sounds will carry you through the night. Add your favorites! Linger around the table telling stories or add your favorite dance tunes for a dance party! I love to dance. Let’s kick off our shoes, feel the lush grass (if you have it!), wriggle our toes, and toss away our cares.

Some plates that never disappoint might be a light summer pasta (no heavy sauces), Alison Roman’s one pot roast chicken and dates, or Julis Robert’s Tarragon chicken. The goal with here is no fuss but still retains a bit of finesse. I also like the idea of wet licking lips all around the table. Perhaps to encourage delectable kisses after your eyes meet across the table! Salads, roasted aparagus, squash, or okra (summer vegetables), mocktails or your favorite clear 1-2 ingredent cocktails (Classic Daiquiri is mine), fill up the Roemer glasses with ice cold mineral water, and dig in.

I hope you enjoyed joining me in spirt for this Summer Soirée!

Let me know what parties you’re throwing this summer. Will they be anything like this? I hope I can secure an invite! ;)