summer party | She Plans Parties

Golf Birthday Party Ideas

May 16, 2012 By: Linettecomment

Summer is the perfect time for a golf birthday party, so I thought it would be perfect timing to put together some golf birthday party ideas. You have to start with the supplies. Celebrate Express has some really cool golf party supplies. Check them out.

You can find them to order here:
Golf Deluxe Party Pack for 8

Here is a cute idea for a golf cake. It uses iridescent fondant to cover the cake and the golf ball on top can be made using the Wilton Sports Ball Pan Set.

Or if you want to keep things simpler you can use this Golf Cake Topper and make a classic sheet cake.

A couple other ideas for your golf theme party:

Give the guests personalized golf balls or golf tees for party favors
Plant small pots with green grass and stick a small golf flag in the center for table decorations
Challenge your friends to a little golf in the pool.
Make some golf flag decorations.
Serve meatball subs, and call them golf ball sandwiches
Tee Time Cupcakes

It doesn’t even have to be a birthday party! Golf would make the perfect theme for a summer bachelor party, retirement party, or birthday, and it might even work as a last minute theme for your Father’s Day celebration. If you have ideas to share for a golf party, please feel free to discuss them in the comment section.

Summer Birthday Party Ideas for Adults

May 14, 2011 By: Linettecomment

Adults like to have fun birthday parties too! Just because you’re not a little kid any more doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the fun. Summer birthdays are the funnest! There so many things you can do during the summer to have a birthday party everyone will love. Here are a few of my favorites.

Plan a pool party~ You don’t have to be a kid to have fun in the swimming pool with your friends. Get a game of water volleyball, or water basketball going and everyone will have a blast.
Plan a beach party or luau~ Plan your party at the local beach, complete with sand volleyball, and a cookout. Give it a luau theme and hand out leis to guests as they arrive.
Plan a golf party~ If the birthday man or woman enjoys golf or put put add it to your party theme. You can even take the party on location and play a game of putt putt, or head to the golf course for entertainment.
Plan an ice cream party~ Complete with a make your own sundae bar. Yum!
A backyard bbq or cookout with a few friends can make for a casual summer birthday idea.
Head out to the local park for your birthday where friends can play games like volleyball, horseshoes, or Frisbee. Just bring the grill along, or have everyone bring their favorite dish.

I hope one of these ideas inspires you when you’re planning your summer adult birthday party! Have fun!

Image via sxc.hu

Fun Summer Garden Party Recipes and Ideas

April 12, 2011 By: Linettecomment

A few years ago a friend of mine planned a wonderful summer garden party. She set up tables in her apple orchard, between some beautiful flower gardens. It was a fabulous setting for a super fun party.

She had everyone bring their favorite garden dish, with a copy of the recipe to share with everyone else. The hostess also served herbal teas, and beverages. It was so much fun to sit out among her beautiful flowers, sip tea, and talk about gardens and food. I came away with some great recipes, and some wonderful memories shared with friends.

We did several fun things during the party. One of my favorites was the garden hat contest. She had everyone decorate a garden hat to wear to the party. When everyone was seated we voted on our favorites. The hostess put together prizes of potted plants, and she used flower pots to hold an assortment of gardening gifts.

If you planned a party in the spring or fall you could also include a plant, or seed swap in the festivities. Or plan to tour several local gardens during the party.

The best part was the food, so I’ve gathered some links with some great ideas, and finger foods to add to your garden tea party:

If you plan a summer garden party, we’d love to hear about it. Please feel free to share your ideas below!

Image: sxc.hu

Ice Cream Party Ideas

March 22, 2011 By: Linettecomment

An ice cream sundae bar is an easy summer party treat, and it also makes a great summer party theme! You can even make your own homemade ice cream!

Here are some of the toppings you can add to your sundae bar:

Nuts (check with your guests to make sure no one is allergic to nuts)
hot fudge
peanut butter topping
caramel
strawberries or other berries, fresh or mixed together to make a sauce or topping
fresh sliced peaches
bananas
chopped cookies
chopped candies
cherries
chocolate chips
whipped topping
crushed mini chocolate bars
sprinkles

You can offer several flavors of ice cream, and let your guests serve themselves.

Here are some fun Ice Cream Sprinkles Party Supplies. These would be a blast for an ice cream party, or any summer gathering. Love the smiling ice cream cones!

Here are a few more ice cream party ideas:

Make a cake that looks like ice cream or ice cream that looks like a cake.
Play pin the cherry on the banana split. Make the cherry and the banana split from felt, mounted on a piece of cardboard. Don’t forget the blindfold!
Offer ice cream cones, and sundae cups
Dip some of the cones in chocolate!

An ice cream party theme would be great for summer birthday parties, backyard barbecues, cookouts, family reunions, poolside parties, graduations, or just because! If you’re planning or have planned an ice cream party, please feel free to share your own ideas!

Summer Party Planning Tips

June 21, 2010 By: Linettecomment

Today I have a few summer party planning tips to share. It’s wonderful when you have everything planned out, and ready to go, so you can kick back and enjoy yourself at party time. Summer parties always work better when they’re laid back, and easy. A complicated formal summer party just isn’t as much fun.

Guests love to hang out around the pool, or on the back deck in their chair, playing a game of cornhole, horseshoes or around the grill on warm summer nights, talking and laughing about good times.

Keep your summer parties easy going and fun. Here are a few summer party planning tips to get you started:

Set the mood for the party before your guests arrive. Add some tiki lights for decoration, or some candles placed on the tables to help set the mood.
Keep the decorations simple, let the great outdoors do your decorating, with some simple single flowers in vases for table centerpieces.
Look in your cabinets before you go to the grocery to see what you already have to serve to your guests. Sometimes some simple crackers and dip will save you from making an extra run to the store.
You don’t have to make everything from scratch, use a few prepackaged items in with your homemade and no one will know the difference.
Make dishes you can prepare ahead of time, marinade your meat the day before, make chilled desserts you can store in the fridge until party time.

I guess basically what I’m trying to say is, keep your summer party simple! Oh, and have fun and enjoy the night!

Cucumber Sandwiches

May 2, 2010 By: Linette1 Comment

I have an easy Summer party appetizer or finger food recipe to share with you today. Cucumbers are a cool refreshing taste of summer.

Cucumber sandwiches are super simple to make. They’re great for bridal or baby showers, graduations, a summer garden tea, or backyard cookout.

Cucumber Sandwiches

Mini pumpernickel bread (in the Deli section at most supermarkets)
1-2 cucumbers~ sliced
Dill weed
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1~ 8oz cream cheese (at room temperature)

Mix the Mayonnaise and cream cheese together with a blender until smooth. Spread the cream cheese Mayonnaise mixture on the pumpernickel slices, then top each one with a cucumber and sprinkle with dill on top for garnish and flavor.

Cinco De Mayo~ Summer Tequila Cocktail Recipes With a Twist

April 30, 2010 By: Linette2 Comments

Today I have some fabulous Cinco De Mayo cocktail recipes to share with you. These recipes would also be perfect vor any summer party. I can see myself beside the pool, or lounging in the beach chair with one of these in my hand.

These cocktail recipes would also be fabulous for a backyard barbecue, with a tropical island theme. Just looking at them makes me think of sandy beaches!

I might just have to make one of these tequila cocktails this weekend!

The recipes are courtesy of Oro Azul Tequila.

Island Sunset

1 ½ oz Oro Azul Blanco Tequila
½ oz Cointreau®
2 oz pomegranate juice
1 oz fresh lime juice
½ oz simple syrup

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add above ingredients shake well and pour into a Collins glass filled with ice.

La Bonita

1 ½ oz Oro Azul Reposado Tequila
½ oz Cointreau®
2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 oz pear juice
1 oz simple syrup

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add above ingredients shake well and pour into a Collins glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

El Matador

1 ½ oz Oro Azul Blanco Tequila
3 oz pineapple juice
Juice of ½ lime

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add above ingredients shake well and strain into a champagne flute.

Pomegranate Perfection

1 ½ oz Oro Azul Añejo Tequila
½ oz apple brandy
2 oz pomegranate Juice
2 oz fresh squeezed lemon Juice
Splash of cinnamon

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add above ingredients shake well and strain into an ice filled 12 oz glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Mangorita

2 oz Oro Azul Reposado Tequila
½ oz Triple Sec®
2 oz mango juice

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add above ingredients shake well and strain into a martini glass.

Oro Azul is produced by the Lopez Garibay family, which has been in the tequila business for over 100 years. Established in 1921, their present ranch is located in the heart of the tequila region, Los Altos, where only the finest blue agave is found.

After five generations, the family continues to follow a traditional style, handmade tequila production process that focuses on 100 percent estate grown blue agave and attention to preserving the original cultivation and distillation techniques used over a century ago.

Always remind your guests to drink responsibly, and never drink and drive!

Red White and Blue Dessert Idea~ Cupcake Flag

April 29, 2010 By: Linette2 Comments

Here’s a fun twist to the flag cake. This cupcake flag would be a fun dessert idea for Memorial Day, The Fourth of July, or any summer party. I used mini cupcakes to put this one together. You could also use regular size cupcakes to make the cupcake flag, if you’re making it for a large party. You can use a large covered cardboard, or assemble the flag right on the dessert table.

The cupcake flag takes 48 cupcakes to make. Here’s the breakdown: Ice twelve cupcakes with royal blue icing, use one of the star tips to make white stars on the blue cupcakes. Arrange the blue cupcakes in 3 rows of 4.

Ice the rest of the cupcakes with white icing. Arrange the white cupcakes 4 more cupcakes to finish off the blue rows. Add 3 more rows of white cupcakes below. For a total of 6 rows of 8 cupcakes. Add strawberry slices to make stripes.

Like I said above you can assemble the flag right on the dessert table, or you can cover a large piece of cardboard, or a baking sheet with silver foil. If you will be traveling with your cupcake flag, add a tiny dollop of icing under each cupcake to help hold them in place.