House by the Shore loves entertaining and we feel the 4th of July is a great occasion to celebrate with family & friends.  Many of you will be entertaining outdoors so we wanted to share some tips for your outdoor gathering. 

A Buffet is a versatile way to serve a small or large crowd, it requires that guests serve themselves in a logical sequence. Each dish should have a serving utensil next to it and portions should be pre-cut for individual servings, foods that require a knife should only be served at a seated buffet. Avoid foods that run or melt to avoid a messy plate. Always serve beverages in a separate area from the food and have separate sections for alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages. If you are low on serving containers try using these for dips & sauces: hollowed out bread, eggplant, red or green bell peppers and squash, serves for an easy clean up too. Some simple garnish ideas are broccoli florets, dill, cilantro and parsley sprigs, lemon, lime and orange wedges, notched cucumber rounds and basil leaves. For Desserts we opt to do cupcakes, pies or cakes that are colorfully decorated.

DECORATIONS
Decorations set the mood for an occasion and we feel it should be reflected throughout the house too. Flowers, balloons, party favors, ribbons and flags add flair to a party. For the buffet table we like the idea of rolling the utensils in a napkin tied with a red & blue ribbon and place them in a basket towards the end of the buffet. A beautiful and festive centerpiece would be a large vase or bucket filled with flags & white flowers. Visit our pinterest boards for more ideas and recipes.
House By The Shore's Blog Policy

• Choose a Theme: Coastal or nautical - you can also be more specific like yachting or anchors. This helps you define the night and create fun activities and an aura around you and guests with your décor.

• Set a Smart Table: Patterned table clothes hide stains better than solid colors, while stacking plates and dishes on different levels will help to keep bugs away from food. Outlining tables with citronella candles will also help to keep mosquitoes away and guests more comfortable.

• Music: Interesting tip – start with the music louder and turn it lower as more people arrive so people don’t shout over it as much, especially since usually the opposite happens.

• Have plenty of seating. Arrange for seating both inside and outside so that your guests can mingle in the air conditioning and the summer breeze. Set up your furniture so people can sit for conversations in groups that aren’t too large or too small. 
  

• Pick a simple classic menu that keeps guests happy but easy for you. Offer a couple different entrees like grilled chicken and a seafood dish such as, grilled salmon with avocado salsa, with several side dishes to accompany them. Just don’t forget dessert! You can always do something fun and interactive like an ice cream or s’mores bar!

• Tell everyone to BYOB or BYOW (wine) or whatever they choose. If you’d like to provide some provide one type like a certain beer or a signature cocktail, like a Spiked Pomegranate Cooler, to keep cost down.

• Accept help from friends and don’t take it all on yourself. People love parties and they love to help - so let them. Also enjoy yourself. Have a couple of cocktails and take time to let loose with your friends. 

Spring Coastal Table

Festive Coastal Christmas Entertaining!

Blue Crab Stoneware

cover setting a festive holiday table and some additional ideas for coastal Christmas entertaining. 

Source: HGTV - Create a Coastal-Chic Holiday Table