A Simple Summer Soiree

A few weeks ago I planned and hosted a fun summer soiree.  Two factors were determined to be mandatory:  it was to be outdoors and on a strict budget.

Here are the details of the event with their descriptions below:

The Invites



The invites were completely DIY and turned out to be a grand total of only 15 cents each when I calculated the costs. I had to really think out of the box for these (due to budget), and after wandering around a local craft-store for a bit I managed to find a back corner of the store that sold scrap pieces of cardstock for only $3 a bag. Score!  Next I found some colorful spools of ribbon that were on a 3 for $1 sale, double score!  I had the colors and theme I wanted to go with, but I initially had no specific idea of what I would do with  my "supplies".  After a bit of brainstorming  however, I decided I would start out by taking my scissors and (free hand) cutting out a few iconic shapes that reflected summer-time outdoors: sunhats, kites and sailboats. These I cut out of scraps of cardstock and then glued to another piece of  larger cardstock in contrasting but coordinating patterns so that nothing was too matchy matchy.  I then added a little bit of colorful ribbon to deliniate the sunhats, kites and sailboats while adding a bit of texture.

The information was hand-written on the back.  I liked how they're not "perfect" and boast that "handmade" look. The whole project was so much fun and very reminiscent of 5th grade art-class.  Ha! I think they turned out ideal for the casual, fun and summery theme I was aiming for, and fortunately were a hit with the guests!

Centerpieces and Tablescape

For the outdoor table-scape, I kept it simple, colorful and very budget friendly. For centerpieces I  found these super cute white and yellow striped "planting pots" on another great 2 for 1 super sale ( in the same craft store above) and loved how these coordinated with the invites.  To add a pretty, fresh and organic pop of color, I added bright orange gerbera daisies that I bought at my local grocery store (also on sale.)  In case you didn't know this orange/turquoise combo is one of my favorites because of it's seasonal versatility! I also had a seperate larger-scale centerpiece using a summery pale yellow watering can  boasting  a gorgeous, tropical bird of paradise arrangement.   All these were set a top the table covers that were actually flat " bed sheets" that I found on super sale at a discount home store. The turquoise color provided a great contrast to the yellow and white pots and the bright flowers, it also coordinated quite lovely with the green outdoors. The "dinnerware" was re-usable outdoor plates in a similar bright blue, and these were also purchased on the cheapo:) The "napkins" were actually dish-rags I picked out from the dollar store from a 99 cent bin, I made sure to choose the yellow and white ones to coordinate with my summery "theme." I then tied them with a bit of rustic string and added a pretty pop of orange daisy and voila!

The event was a great success, albeit I unfortunately forgot to capture shots of the food and desserts that were served (yummy red-velvet cupcakes), but I did manage to take this picture...

The grilled steak and cheese sandwhiches that were being gobbled up by those of the male gender...go figure;)

Looking to throw a summer soiree on a strict budget of your own? Look no further than C'est La Vie, I can make the simplest of concepts become spectacular events. Please email me to cestlavie.events@gmail.com with any and all questions or fill out my C'est La Vie Application Form and Style Questionnaire to begin!:)

Stay tuned for many more projects, updates, and galleries to come!