Get ready for summer with these precious drink kits! Keep the bugs from sharing your sips with the pretty lid inserts, ready to go with a hole to insert the colorful, retro striped straws. These drink kits are perfect for outdoor parties and gatherings all summer long! They come with colorful lid inserts, striped paper straws, and a fun straw embellishment for each! Available in six color collections, each with a unique style.

Garden Party Drink Kit…

Just add jars of tea or lemonade!

We’re daydreaming today of warm summer afternoons, listening to the laughter of the neighborhood children, bikers peddling past, as we sit sipping iced tea on the porch. We have about eighteen inches of snow in the front yard today, yes in April, but it’s never too early to gather some great summer recipes! Here come three sensational iced tea recipes. Stash these beauties away, or give them a taste test now, in sweet anticipation of hot summer days. You don’t even have to choose your favorite. Set a stunning iced tea bar, mix and match those ingredients, and invite some friends!

Raspberry Iced Tea

Pretty as can be, sweet raspberries transform your tea into a summertime treat. Get this gorgeous recipe from MyFoodBook.com.

Mint Iced Tea

Mint tea is a classic, cool and refreshing summer flavor. Grab this mint iced tea recipe with a hearty tea flavor from myrecipes.com.

Spiked Strawberry Iced Tea

Or, go for the gusto with this adults-only, simply lovely Strawberry Iced Tea from MintedMag.com…

For crystal clear iced tea, be sure to start with good water, and let the tea cool slowly to room temperature before chilling it.

Peaches, berries, citrus… you can’t go wrong. Pick your favorite fruits, add in some fresh herbs, and be sure you have plenty of ice!

The daffodils have peeked through the surface, and spring is just around the corner. This “Garden Party” complete party kit from the Confetti Couture Boutique will welcome spring to your backyard and make your garden party look like an event planner coached you through every step. It comes with a full sized bunting, a mini bunting, a cupcake kit, a drink kit, a cake pops kit, glassine treat bags with coordinating closures, and tin tie bags with matching tag and pretty pom-poms. All perfectly coordinated and styled for a party of twelve.

Garden Party Decorations

Colorful fabric bunting brings big party color. Matching mini bunting looks so sweet on the cake plate, serving tray, or as front door décor.

Garden Party Treats

Hand painted wraps and earthy wooden sticks bring life to these sweet garden party treats.

Gumballs in a rustic basket add to the garden party fun! We found these darling ceramic mushrooms, and tucked them into the basket with our gumballs.

A garden party isn’t complete without these adorable cups of garden veggies with yummy ranch dip at the bottom of each cup.

This party kit comes with these sweet drink cup embellishments, bringing the idea of mason jars as drinking glasses to new heights!

Garden Party Activities

We filled more cupcake wrappers with a fuzzy buggy craft…

Get the tutorial for this garden party activity that doubles as a small party favor, perfect for both boys and girls.

Garden Party Favors

The glassine treat bags from this garden party kit come with sweet toppers and twine that will transform a humble packet of seeds into a precious invitation or a place card for the party table!

Kid sized gardening tools are easy to find, and make for a great party activity. Give the kids some plants, potting soil, and small pots. The potted plants and gardening tools make great party favors, too. It definitely beats a bag of cheap plastic toys that’ll land in the trash can in a matter of minutes!

For loads of garden party ideas, visit our garden party board on Pinterest!

Have you noticed a trend in our blog posts lately? Yes, we are gearing up for summer with the frozen treats. Today’s frozen goody is a homemade lemon-lime popsicle. We created them with a standard popsicle mold, but the problem always arises that your popsicle mold makes four popsicles, and there are five kiddos in the back yard.

How to make a stock pile of homemade popsicles

What to do? We use these preciously retro rock candy sticks instead of the plastic sticks that come with the popsicle mold. We pushed the stick through the lemon and lime slices first and then inserted them into the mold. Fill each cavity of the popsicle mold with lemonade or limeade, and secure the sticks in an upright position using foil.

These homemade lemon-lime popsicles are equally delicious without the fruit slices. We use the fruit to make them pretty, but it is certainly not required. If you omit the fruit slices, just fill the cavities of the mold with lemonade, and simply cover the entire mold with foil. Push two rock candy sticks through the foil into each cavity, and freeze.

When the pops are frozen, remove them and immediately return your homemade popsicles to the freezer. Now, your mold is empty, and ready to refill. Repeat the steps until you have enough to feed the army of kids in your yard this summer!

This luscious, frosty pick-me-up is a splendidly sweet summer treat.

Here’s how to make your own Caramel Latte Popsicles…

Brewed coffee (leftover from your morning pot of joe is perfect!)
Cream and caramel syrup to taste

Of course, you can make whatever flavor is your personal favorite by substituting any syrup you like. Just mix the ingredients and pour them into mini glasses, filling each glass two-thirds full.

Cover each mini glass with foil and poke a hole in the center of each. Slip the familiar and fun retro striped straws into each glass and stash them in the freezer for a few hours. When the mixture is frozen, add a splash of half and half to each glass and place them back in the freezer until they are completely frozen. Be sure to leave a little room at the top, as they’ll expand as they freeze.

These sweet latte pops add an elegant element of the unexpected to a summer bridal shower or 40th birthday party. Or, just give yourself an extra boost on a hot summer afternoon. Pull out the Slip-and-Slide for the kiddos, and settle in with a caramel latte popsicle while the kids enjoy the backyard thrills and chills.

We’re in love with the idea of serving S’mores as dessert, and each guest gets the thrill of roasting their own marshmallow… inside or out. No fire pit needed. We’ve been seeing marshmallow roasting happening tabletop as the S’mores craze takes the nation by storm. Love it!

We’re doing our own version of this classic DIY dessert. We’ve used the Cherry Red, White, and Blue cupcake kit to hold the ingredients. We tucked a couple of graham crackers, a luscious chunk of chocolate, and two delicate marshmallows into each baking liner. The denim cupcake wrapper from the cupcake kit dresses the dessert and makes a statement on the plate. We pushed the embellished stick from the cupcake kit into the marshmallows. Each guest gets a soy candle to roast their marshmallow to a gooey, golden goodness.

You can go traditional, or spice it up with different flavors of marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers.

I’m quite certain that dessert can’t get much easier than this! Happy hostess, happy guests.

Yellow and gray is a favorite this year; cheerful and fun, but luxurious and polished. We added touches of gold and black to the Yellow and Gray Party Style Kit for some extra elegance. This is such a versatile look, and can go from a morning brunch to a baby shower, but equally perfect as a 40th birthday party or wedding.

Bumblebee tea party or shower

Dress it down a bit and create a playful bumblebee baby shower or little girl’s tea party with this kit.

Let the bright yellows take center stage. Just add some whimsical bumblebees to the party table and décor, and use the beautifully coordinated kit to make it stress free. Pretty favor bags, sweet buntings and all the items you need to create a gorgeously coordinated desserts and drinks display are included in this fun, new kit.

Yellow and Gray Wedding

Dress it up for a wedding or wedding shower. Just enough of the bright yellow gives this collection of elegant neutrals a burst of cheerfulness. Effortlessly coordinate your entire wedding reception with this modern and playful collection.

A whimsical party, or elegant evening… yellow and gray is perfection!

Using Rustic Americana Dessert Skirtz red, white and blue cupcake wrappers as an inspiration for our design, we love this Rusticly Chic Americana Table.

Using a classic red and white checker for the table top brightens the space. Your Dessert Skirtz will do the heavy lifting as far as decorating goes, just by using them to make individual servings of side dishes and a cupcake tower for dessert.

Use this list of Labor Day Party decorating ideas to put the finishing touches on your décor.

• String lights from the limbs of trees in your yard to carry the party into the evening.
• Use Dessert Skirtz as tea light holders and scatter them throughout the party spaces
• Create a dessert table with country elegance by filling your red, white and blue cupcake wrappers with various cupcake flavors and fresh cherries. Simply beautiful.

• Use bandanas for napkins, and tie each into a utensil bundle with raffia. This makes it easy for you guests to navigate the buffet line.

• Use jelly jars for drinking glasses for a touch of nostalgia.

This is such an easy and relaxed party to host. Inexpensive and fun, share a few laughs with your friends and family before the fray of responsibilities take hold as the summer comes to an end.

Labor Day is around the corner, and of course the Party Divas are here to give you a little advice. Just follow this simple party plan for a relaxed and spirited Labor Day celebration to bring this summer to a close with style.

Burger Bar—Have your guests build their own burgers by setting out creative toppings and some grilled meats. Here are some suggestions for the buffet table…

• Grilled burgers
• Grilled chicken breast halves
• Grilled salmon fillets
• Lettuce
• Tomato slices
• Red onion slices
• Pickles
• Crispy fried onions
• Jalapenos
• Grilled mushroom, sweet peppers, and onions
• Caramelized onions
• Avocado
• Fresh herbs
• Mayo… dress it up for the salmon with lemon and herbs
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• BBQ sauce
• Variety of cheeses—Cheddar, bleu, pepper jack, havarti
• Variety of breads—wheat buns , Hawaiian Rolls, flat bread

Veggie cups, chips and watermelon wedges are easy, traditional summer side items that will please your crowd. They display beautifully in Dessert Skirz for the perfect individual servings.

Make simple, crisp wine coolers with red or white wine, lemon lime soda and your favorite fresh summer fruit. For the kids, mix the lemon lime soda with pomegranate juice and a few fresh berries.

For dessert? Cupcakes, of course.

Check back In The Dressing Room tomorrow for easy DIY décor ideas using your extra Dessert Skirtz!

Music is a must. Whether it’s your favorites list or a live band, find some tunes to set the mood for the party. It’s best to go for music that would please the masses. Keep in mind that young children will likely be in attendance.

Chances are good that several of your neighbors have a talent. And, while a talent show could be exciting, you could just ask one or two with a special talent to show off for a while. You may be living amongst musicians, dancers, clowns or magicians. Just ask, most will be obliged to entertain for a portion of the evening.

If you have teenagers in the neighborhood, see if someone knows a local mascot that would be willing to make a visit. The photo above is a "Safety Otter" and part of the fire department.

Another option is to request that neighbors pitch in funds for the entertainment. Then hire a band, rent an inflatable bounce house or slide, or other entertainment depending on your crowd.

Ask neighbors to bring outdoor games and toys. A volleyball net and ball, croquet or bocce ball, or even a ping pong table can provide hours of entertainment for all ages. Enlist some of the neghborhood tweens to do face painting. Simple entertainment is often times the best.

Gather your courage and get planning your neighborhood’s annual block party!

Burgers and hot dogs are standard block party fare that will always be an option, but if you want to stray from the usual, here are a few ideas to get you started. You will need to secure several grills from neighbors ahead of time and set up a few food prep tables and a cooking area.

Grilled pizzas— Put some balls of dough and interesting, as well as the ordinary, pizza toppings out on the buffet table and allow guests to customize their own pizza to share with their family. Chances are you can find neighbors with gardens, or some that will bring items from the farmers market for a buffet of fresh summer flavors. Recipes are easy to find on gooogle...here is a fun one from Bobby Flay.

Fresh summer salads and wraps— Grilled meats can be cut into strips, which is a budget friendly way to go. Serve alongside fresh summer greens, fruits and vegetables. Nuts, seeds, and croutons make nice accoutrements for your salad bar. For those looking for a heartier meal, flat breads or tortilla wraps can be offered as well.

Hobo packets— Allow each guest to create their own packet by offering potatoes, sweet corn on the cob cut into rounds, various cut veggies and herbs, along with shrimp, sliced sausages and thinly sliced chicken. Offer spices, salt, pepper, soy sauce and broth. Have squares of foil in a couple of stacks for your guests to fill and fold before grilling. This may be a new experience for many, so placing instructions or easy recipes to follow would be helpful. Shrimp Boil Hobo Packs from Food & Wine are a summer staple around here.

Having guests assemble their own food is great because they are sure to like it, and the work load for those preparing the food is less. Just be sure to have plenty of grill space, icy cold coolers and table space for preparing the food.

Create a beverage station. Offer sodas, lemonade, and adult beverages if you choose. Wagons of ice are a great way to display drinks. Summer sangria is a fun and affordable adult beverage that is a snap to make for a crowd.

A dessert table can be pulled together with a collection of potluck desserts. Use all white platters and Desset Skirtz to make even the most eclectic selection of desserts into a stunningly appetizing display.

Making the effort to create a beautiful event will turn an ordinary gathering into a special block party that all the neighbors will look forward to attending.

Summer block parties are casual, relaxed affairs, but a theme to pull it all together and some simple décor will make it so much more special. We love the idea of a cherry theme for summer. Using inspiration from our Cherries Jubilee Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers, a “Cherry Lane” block party or “Celebrating Summer Fruits” is a great place to start. The crisp white and summery cherry design is cheerful with a hint of nostalgia.

Find a nice shady cul de sac in your neighborhood if you can. Tents for shade can be rented if that is within your budget and deemed necessary for comfort. Often, attending neighbors are happy to share their yards and property for the event.

Table coverings as simple as an inexpensive bolt of fabric make a great start to decorating. Many people will lend their folding tables, which can simply be covered with a red checkered fabric or a crisp white. Ask for everyone to bring their own seating if it’s not within your budget to rent.

Centerpieces for your block party can be as easy as some empty tin cans, label removed, and embellished with a simple tie of ric-rac or ribbon. Blooms and greenery from your neighborhood yards will make them lovely.

Be sure to allow for a food preparation area, buffet space, drink station and dessert table. Table signs are a pretty and helpful option if you have the time and resources to make them.

A gorgeous dessert buffet is simple. Just ask for donations of individually sized baked goodies from your neighbors. We love cupcakes, mini pies, cupcake brownies and cake pops! Create heights and levels on your dessert table. Choosing eclectic platters all in white is an easy way to make a classy display. Use your Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers to dress up the potluck desserts and place them on your table. Store the extra desserts in a safe place so you can replenish the table as needed and keep it looking fresh. Sweet as pie!

A drink station for your block party is so simple to create by just using some wagons loaded with ice and bottled drinks. You can use coolers and drink tubs in the wagons if you choose. The wagons lend to the nostalgic mood and make it easy to transport the beverages.

Bring in pretty lighting for an evening block party. Stringing white lights through the tree limbs is a simply elegant way to bring some light and a touch of sparkle to the party.

Simply chic and rustic is an affordable look - easy and perfect for a casual summer gathering.

You will need to start by choosing a date, time and location in your neighborhood for your block party. An open space or cul de sac is perfect, but if that isn’t available in your neighborhood, often a street can be used for a limited time with permission from the proper authorities.

Next, decide on a menu and entertainment. We have ideas and suggestions for you in the upcoming days here in The Dressing Room. We recommend starting with a theme to get your creative juices flowing that will bring a cohesive feel to your event. Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers are a great place to find inspiration, from sweet summer cherries to a tropical flare. Find your favorite look and be inspired.

A block party is a large affair with lots of invites, but also comes with a lot of available helping hands. People are usually happy to offer their time, resources and use of various items if you just ask. Let them know exactly what you need and ask for help. Send out the invitations for your summer block party with requests for volunteers and the items you need.

You will need help with preparations and cooking, setting up and cleaning up. You may find that you have neighbors with a talent for entertainment. Musicians, dancers, magicians, who knows! Just ask.

Here’s what to include on your invitations:

• Date and time
• Location
• Request for food or funds
• Request for entertainers
• Request for seating, tables, or other items for serving or comfort
• Request for outdoor games
• Ask for a RSVP by a particular date
• Ask or volunteers to help with planning and preparations, set up and clean up

Getting your requests out early will help others to help you. Assign the roles and take advantage of all the help you can get. After your neighborhood has gathered for a few of these events, they will know what to expect and how to pitch in. It gets easier with practice!

How many of your neighbors do you really know? The peace of mind that comes with knowing you have friends surrounding you at home means not worrying when you leave town or the husband is away. Others look out for you and your home when you build those relationships, and great friendships are just a stone’s throw away.

Organizing a block party is a great way to bring the neighborhood together, and meet those busy neighbors. It may seem like a daunting task to entertain so many people, but with a plan and lots of helping hands it's well worth it. You can always solicit help from the neighbors you are acquainted with and ask for help from other neighbors on the invitation you send to them.

As for the expense, it can be handled in a couple of ways. You could ask for each family to pay a particular amount for each person that will attend the gathering. This amount will depend on what you decide to do and how much your neighbors are willing to give. Then you make all of the purchases and arrangements. This method requires considerable effort from you, unless you have the funds for catering or the helping hands that are necessary to get the preparations done.

Alternatively, you can organize a potluck. Ask each family attending the block party to bring something that is needed. You will need to be organized with what you ask each family to bring. Have a list and quantities needed from each family in advance. Some might bring meats, others veggies, and so on. Have them cut and prepare the items in advance of the party.

Neighbors can help with tables and chairs, games and entertainment, cooking and prep work.

We have a week of block party ideas for you and suggestions on how to organize a great event that your neighbors will be thrilled about. Maybe it will become an annual event in your neighborhood.

Sundae Bars are the perfect ending to a summer meal, or can become a simple party all on its own. Fun enough for children, yet elegant enough for an adult gathering, ice cream is the ultimate in ease for dessert. Scoop the ice cream ahead of time and place the cups in the freezer so they will be ready when you are. Use Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers to add special flare to this simple dessert. Serve toppings alongside the plain ice cream cups and let your guests customize their own sundae.

Ice cream in clear plastic cups skirted with Dessert Skirtz cupcake wrappers

Ice Cream Sundae Buffet topping ideas

Whether it’s a last minute dessert or a party – I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.