Today Catherine has invited me over to The Shiny Pebble for a smashing summer soiree -- and I'd love for the rest of you to join me over there for the festivities. In honor of the occasion, I thought I'd throw together a bit of a pre-party before Catherine's formal event. To celebrate the onset of summer, I'll be throwing Palm Springs-inspired outdoor party (preferably by a beautiful pool).
So I do hope you'll drop by before the big event and join me for a bit of the best of Palm Springs, inspired by a few of my favorite designers:
Trina Turk {and her fabulous sense of style}
So let's get this party started, shall we?
Let's start with the (not-so-basic) basics, shall we? For the ultimate in poolside lounging, we'll forgo awkward outdoor chairs for the types of pieces you can really sink right into -- and you can't get much better than this comfy and modern sectional from West Elm and several canopy beds (yes, beds! there's just something so incredibly indulgent and sensual about using a bed as seating, don't you think?). Plenty of free standing white umbrellas will keep us shaded from the harsh desert sun. We'll continue the clean and modern look with tall white planters full of native grasses scattered around the pool. At night, when the desert breezes drop the temperature, we'll stay pleasantly warm with this ethanol-fueled fire pit, the dark boxy shape of which echoes the shapes of the sectional and bed rather perfectly. For pops of color, why not a few of these lovely turquoise and lime capiz garden stools from Pier1? These stools can perform double duty as tables or extra seating and are easily movable around the yard.
And now for the real fun: the decorations and accessories! I'd like to keep the poppy colors going with plenty of Trina Turk's gorgeous outdoor pillows in an array of sherbet-y, sunshine-y hues. We'll pick up those same colors again with Jonathan Adler's paper lanterns, which will look good day or night and bring a wonderful touch of pattern to the scene. Of course, we'll be wheeling out the bar for plenty of pool side refreshments (including pitchers full of our signature drink, white sangria) to be served in colorful acrylic glassware and crisp cocktail napkins. (Even when entertaining outdoors, I love to use real cocktail napkins -- it's just so much more appealing than paper.) We'll keep away an uninvited guests with citronella candles, cleverly disguised as paper lanterns.
The dress code is Palm Springs casual. As for me, I'll be decked out in these classic, comfortable -- and colorful! -- pieces (from left): J.Crew Marin dress ($128); dv by Dolce Vita "Owen" sandal ($24.90 at Nordstrom); Roberta Roller Rabbit big cata yellow beach hat ($50); Kate Spade Pitrizzia Dot Louis bag ($295); Ray Ban "New Wayfarers" ($95 at Bluefly.com); Casseterite Earrings ($158 at Anthropologie); and La Blanca by Rod Beattie bandeau swimsuit ($109 at Nordstrom).
