I have something that I’ve been dying to share with you for 8 months. Last August I had the pleasure of putting together a vintage Summer table setting for Style at Home. Fast forward to the May issue and voila!

Because of our weather here in Canada, it’s not uncommon to shoot seasonal outdoor stories a whole year in advance. Good luck trying to find Christmas props or a snow covered front porch in the middle of July. Or in this case, a beautiful summer evening in January. How awesome is it that I get to be in the same issue as Jillian Harris and her beautiful outdoor space? Turn to page 92 to find this 3 page story featuring my vintage Summer table setting and tips for hosting a great summer dinner party. The art direction and styling is by yours truly and the photography by the talented Maya Visnyei.

It snowed here yesterday (in April!!) so seeing this summer packed issue is giving me major craving for summer to just get here already. Put on your fave pair of summer wedges and pour yourself a glass of white wine and enjoy some more photos and behind the scene shots of this perfect vintage Summer table setting.

If you follow this blog you won’t be surprised to know that the only props I had to source for this setting were the fresh flowers. Every single thing you see is part of my own collection that I’ve picked up over the years at thrift stores and flea markets.

The doily table runner was a DIY project from last year made with thrift shop doilies. Sorry for the bad iPhone panoramic photo but I wanted you to see this baby in all its glory.

I used succulents from my own overgrown plant box (not shown) and mismatched thrifted tea cups to make sweet take away gifts for my guests and also doubled as place settings.

The centerpiece was made up of a variety of vintage tins, candle holders, jars and glasses and filled with a random selection of florals. People often ask me how I know what flowers will go together and I know it’s crappy answer but I just kinda know when I see them at the flower shop. My tip for a colourful mix like this one is to use a variety of shapes, textures and colors and don’t forget about the greenery.

You can also do different themes like monochromatic colors, same flower type but in different colors, all different types of greenery (budget friendly!), light pastels, dark and dramatic, etc. I decided to go with bold and cheerful. And don’t over-think the arranging. Flowers are so gorgeous that it’s kinda hard for them to look bad. I usually just stick them in the vases without thinking much then do a few adjustments after here and there.

Here’s a wide shot of the patio just to give you an idea of the full vintage Summer table setting and the lights & lanterns that you don’t see in the magazine. Living so close to Chinatown is kinda awesome and a stylists dream. I found the paper lanterns for $3 each and made the light canopy using super tall bamboo sticks that I fastened to my patio. The lights are from Target and the gold circle garland is from minted. The table and chairs are from last season at Ikea.

A picture of Maya taking a picture…and…..the huge crane that will soon be a condo obstructing my view.

And that’s a wrap! The beautiful sunset that I’m lucky enough to see from my patio in the summer. This is when you light the candles and the real dinner party fun begins. In the winter, the patio can get a little cold but I’ve just bought an electric lamp so that I can still enjoy the great outdoors. Of course, it’s best to sit outside in the hot summer weather but I also love getting cozy with some blankets on a cold December night!

What are some of your summer party ‘must-haves’ or hosting tips? Maybe if we all think warm summer thoughts the cold weather will go away.