SUMMER SOIREE

“The summer soiree garden party is so much fun to host. The colors and casual elegance fit perfectly into a lazy Sunday afternoon. With beautiful warm weather, gathering outdoors to enjoy iced tea, pretty

sandwiches, and sweet desserts is a wonderful way to celebrate. The flowers, beautiful linens, and bright balloon are my favorite accents! The setup is simple, too, really everything can be prepped easily the day before.

There’s plenty of time to enjoy the party!”

MEET CAMILLECamille is the founder of Planning Pretty blog and creative studio.

She shares playful and elegant home decor, entertaining ideas, and tips for everyday life.

Throw your own casual outdoor party complete with croquet and tea sandwiches. Get three easy DIY projects and pretty recipes—

everything you need to celebrate summer in style is right here.

©Copyright 2015, Better Homes and Gardens™ Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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BALLOON WITH LACE TASSELS

You’ll need: - 36-inch diameter yellow balloons - 36 feet of lightweight lace ribbon, assorted colors and styles- Fabric shears or crafts scissors- Florist wire- Curling ribbon or twine- 6 feet of 1-inch wide white satin ribbon- Lace doilies- Stapler- Helium

SOIREE PRINTABLES

FABRIC FLOWER BROOCH

You’ll need: - Flower templates (page 3)- 2 yards of fabric - Sewing pins- Fabric shears- Sewing needle and thread- Safety pins or buttons

Steps:1. Cut lace ribbon into eighteen 2-feet long strips. Group three strips together and fold in half. For a polished look, keep ribbon ends even. 2. Wrap a small piece of the florist wire around the ribbon fold. Make sure the wire is tight around the center. 3. Tie a knot around the center, using curling ribbon or twine, covering the florist wire. Cut ends of ribbon or twine, leaving them about 4 inches long to attach to the balloon. Repeat to create six tassels. 4. Tape white satin ribbon to the wall. Measure and divide the ribbon into thirds. Staple one doily to the ribbon at the top third. Tie two tassels underneath doily. Repeat with remaining two thirds of the ribbon. 5. Inflate the balloon with helium and tie a long strand of curling ribbon to it. Tie satin ribbon with tassels around the neck of the balloon. Note: If the lace tassels are too heavy, remove the bottom ones.

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Steps:1. Print the flower template on 8 ½x11-inch white paper; each template will make four flower brooches. Cut a section of the fabric to the size of the paper. Pin printed template to fabric at all corners and along the edges using sewing pins. 2. Carefully cut out each flower shape using fabric shears. Discard paper. 3. Gather three flower cutouts. Fold each flower in half, then in half again to make quarters. 4. Once you have all three folded, layer the three cutouts together and begin stitching together in the center. As the flower cutouts become secure, sew closer to the center to create a full flower shape. 5. Once the flower is complete, simply add a safety pin. Trim any frayed threads.

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©Copyright 2015, Better Homes and Gardens™ Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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FABRIC FLOWERS BROOCH (Continued)

©Copyright 2015, Better Homes and Gardens™ Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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SCORECARD

Round

Round

Round

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2

3

Croquet SCoreCard Winner iS...

Players 1 2 53 4 6 7 98 Total

Round

Round

Round

1

2

3

Croquet SCoreCard Winner iS...

Players 1 2 53 4 6 7 98 Total

©Copyright 2015, Better Homes and Gardens™ Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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SOIREE RECIPES

LEMON TEA CAKES

1 cup granulated sugar6 eggs, slightly beaten1 tablespoon lemon juice2 teaspoons vanilla1 cup all-purpose flour1/2 cup unsalted butter (no substitutes), melted and cooled1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel4-1/2 cups granulated sugar2-1/4 cups water1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar1 tablespoon lemon juice6 cups sifted powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Line the bottom with waxed paper. Set aside.2. Place the 1 cup granulated sugar and the eggs in a 3- to 4-quart heatproof mixing bowl. Place bowl over 1 to 2 inches hot water in a large saucepan (bowl should not touch water). Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes or until egg mixture is lukewarm (105 degrees F to 110 degrees F). Remove bowl from saucepan. Add the 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the vanilla.3. Beat egg mixture with an electric mixer on high speed for 10 minutes. Sift about one-third of the flour over egg mixture. Gently fold in flour. Repeat sifting and folding in one-third of the flour at a time. Gently fold in melted butter and lemon peel. Spread batter into the prepared pan.4. Bake for 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan; peel off paper. Cool completely on rack.5. Combine the 4-½ cups granulated sugar, the water, and cream of tartar in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring mixture to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low. Clip a candy thermometer to side of the saucepan. Cook until thermometer registers 226 degrees F, stirring only when necessary to prevent sticking. Mixture should boil at a moderate, steady rate over

the entire surface (this should take about 15 minutes). Remove saucepan from heat. Cool sugar mixture at room temperature, without stirring, to 110 degrees F (allow about 1 hour). Stir in the 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir in enough powdered sugar to make an icing that is easy to drizzle. If necessary, beat the icing with a rotary beater or a wire whisk to remove any lumps. If the icing gets too thick to drizzle, beat in a few drops hot water.6. Using a serrated knife, trim sides and top of cake to make the edges smooth and straight. Cut cake into 1-½-inch squares, diamonds, triangles, and/or circles. Brush off crumbs. Place cake pieces on wire racks with waxed paper underneath.

7. Insert a 2- or 3-prong, long-handle fork into the side of one cake piece. Holding the cake over the saucepan of icing, spoon on enough icing to cover sides and top. Place frosted cake piece back on the wire rack, making sure it doesn’t touch other cake pieces. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Let cakes dry for 15 minutes. Repeat with a second layer of icing, except set cake pieces on top of the fork prongs (do not spear them). Repeat with a third layer of icing. If necessary, reuse the icing that has dripped onto the waxed paper, straining to remove crumbs. Tint any remaining icing with food coloring as desired and pipe or drizzle on top of cakes. Makes about 48 cakes.

Camille’s Styling Tips: Adding a small garnish, such as an edible pansy flower, is the perfect touch of detail. Be sure to use organic edible flowers found at the farmers market or in salad mixes to avoid any harmful pesticides. Small sprinkles, candy pearls, or other purchased cake decor make great toppers as well. Since these little desserts need a little boost in height, display on tiered cake stands. A collection of glass or vintage cake stands surely does the trick. Stack from largest to smallest and arrange the tea cakes around the tiers. Use a decorative teacup of flowers near the display and the tea cakes will look even sweeter.

©Copyright 2015, Better Homes and Gardens™ Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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SOIREE RECIPES

PETAL TEA SANDWICHES

1 ounce cream cheese2 tablespoons Signet marigold leaves1 tablespoon Signet marigold petals2 tablespoons snipped fresh chivesThinly sliced firm-texture white, wheat, or rye bread, toastedSignet marigold flowers (optional)Cucumber and/or radish slices (optional)Watercress (optional)

1. Let cream cheese stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a bowl combine Signet marigold leaves and petals; use kitchen scissors to coarsely snip. Stir in chives. Spread chive mixture on plastic wrap or waxed paper. Shape cream cheese into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Roll cheese log over chive mixture to evenly coat, pressing slightly so mixture adheres. Wrap log in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3 to 24 hours (or freeze for up to 1 hour).2. To serve, cut bread into shapes using 2-inch round cookie cutters. Slice cheese log into thin rounds; place rounds between bread shapes. If desired, top with whole Signet marigold flowers, cucumber, and/or radish slices, and watercress. Makes 38 sandwiches.

PEACH-MINT GREEN TEA

2 cups cold water5 green tea bags1 12-ounce can peach nectar1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, slightly crushed3 tablespoons sugar 1. Bring the water just to boiling in a large saucepan. Remove from heat; add tea bags. Steep, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove and discard bags. Stir in nectar, mint, and sugar. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours. Strain tea mixture; serve over ice. Makes 5 servings.

Camille’s Styling Tips: For presentation, serve in a glass dispenser with a self-serve spout. Guests will be able to serve themselves. Place floral tea towels or dish towels underneath the spigots to catch any spills. For pretty presentation, freeze berries and mint in ice cube trays.

Camille’s Styling Tips: Add wonderful character to the party table! The petal-shape sandwiches look even better with a few flower petals sprinkled on top. Most edible flowers, including marigolds and pansies, can be found at the farmers market. Fill the table with fresh flowers to match. Use a single type of flower in a variety of colors, such as ranunculus, dahlias, or peonies. Pick a color palette to reflect your summer soiree mood—for example, oranges, pinks, and corals. Give the flower arrangements a fresh-from-the-garden look by staggering the flower stems at different heights. To soften the color palette, add a few bouquets using only white flowers.