SUMMER ENTERTAINING.....CASUAL, FRESH AND SIMPLE

Hello Loves....welcome back to Estelle's!

How is your summer so far?
Now that people are returning to normal life,
little impromptu gatherings are taking place in our homes,
which is a really fun thing to think about!
If you have an event, such as a graduation, birthday or anniversary
coming up, you usually plan for this months in advance!
The food and decorations can be on a grand scale......
but, what happens when family or friends drop by unexpectedly?

I guess you could say I learned from the best referring
to my Mother and Grandmother......a good southern hostess
knows to keep certain items on hand so you can quickly
pull together a casual, yet delightful snack table!

Pretty paper napkins....keep a variety of these in your pantry...
all sorts of styles and seasons.....

Serve your favorite homemade cocktail dip....
everyone loves a hot Spinach Artichoke Dip...
cream cheese, sour cream, artichokes, spinach and lots of cheese......divine!
I always serve mine with the south's favorite cracker...RITZ!

For those with a bit of a heartier appetite, like my boys,
they love deli oven roasted turkey and swiss on party rolls...

I don't always have fresh flowers, but I do have little silk arrangements that
I can pull together at a minute's notice to add color and texture to the table.....

Summer is THE perfect season to take advantage of the fresh
and colorful fruits and veggies....who can resist those succulent
dark red cherries?

Add a lovely serving bowl of fresh citrus, watermelon slices and
sweet strawberries....all perfect for finger foods!

These colorful sweet mini peppers are ideal for pairing with dips...
also good for using with eggs in the morning.....

Choose pretty goblets and add citrus slices then
fill them with sparkling cold water....so very refreshing and so, so pretty!

I hope this provided you a few tips on entertaining
without worrying about the menu and the tablescape..
I'll just bet you will be the hostess that sparkles and shines!