Autumn Entertaining
Autumn in Phoenix is a time to reconnect. Everyone scatters to their cooler locations during our hot summers, but when the temperatures begin to fall, the sidewalks roll out and the town becomes lively again.
We had missed seeing many of our friends the last few months and decided to have a gathering to celebrate friendships and good health.
I have always believed that the first hour of any event is an indicator of the success or failure of said event. In order to make this extra special, a fall theme was in order.
For the cocktail hour, tailgating came to mind. The front of our home faces east, and at 5:30 p.m. it’s the ideal time to hang out on the front terrace.
Using our vintage 1974 Triumph TR6, the trunk became the basis for the cocktail distribution. I made the banner from old scraps of decorative paper, carefully selecting those patterns that look most like fall.
Since some of our friends drink and others don’t, we always offer both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The non-alcoholic options were apple cider and boxed water. The boxed water is my attempt to cut down on plastic bottled water and can be ordered online at https://boxedwaterisbetter.com.
A deep copper tub is tucked to the right of the TR6’s trunk and houses both red and white wine. My cocktail of the evening was a Clementine Thyme Margarita. The recipe from Hola Jalapeno calls for tangerines but they are not in season yet so I substituted Cuties for the juice. Here is the link to recipe.
The porch and front entrance were colorfully appointed for the season.
After securing their drinks, the guests lingered on the front porch with simple appetizers. A dear friend of mine, Joe Pepe is a fabulous woodworker. I was so delighted and surprised when he sent me this charcuterie board. This is the first time I have used it! To see his amazing creations click here.
Using maple leaf cookie cutters, the cheese shapes add a bit of fun to the fall theme.
This beautifully grained board is 29″ long and 9″ wide ~~the perfect size for entertaining!
In addition to the charcuterie board, I made a Maryland crab dip that was warm and bubbling out of the oven, served with Stacey’s pita chips. Click here for the recipe.
The weather was pleasant and it was a delightful evening under a full moon. Dinner followed on the back porch but that will be a separate post! Looking forward to reconnecting with all of you this fall!
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What a lovely idea for gathering friends together! Your tailgate display is perfect! Your entry is so welcoming and festive, perfect for fall!!
Thank you, Chloe! So happy I attended KariAnne’s seminar and had the chance to meet you. I am now home after traveling the last 10 days and look forward to reviewing your blog.
Hopefully I will be able to learn and grow as a result.
Oh, do I just love a themed gathering! The beverages served out of the trunk of your vintage 1974 Triumph TR6 is just such a stunning idea. I absolutely love a themed party and your attention to detail is just so satisfying!
I am definitely going to take your idea of using a leaf shaped cookie cutter to cut the cheese next time I do a fall themed party. Also, I like the car trunk idea! My dad is a car collector and he always has some vintage car he’s fixing up…I’ll just have to borrow one of his…
You’re such a wonderful host! I love when hosts put effort into the party! Thanks so much for sharing!
Gabor, thank you for you kind comments. Really, almost any car would do! It would be fun out of the back of a pick up truck or SUV. Making it festive is the key. I have several different themed cookies cutters and it’s an easy way to make the cheese look extra special. Thank you for visiting my site! You are the best!
Everything is perfect as always! You are so creative, Mary.
Well, I learned from one of the best~you!!!!
Mary you are soooo amazing —- I missed seeing you at the cabin
Mary you are soooo amazing —- I missed seeing you at the cabin
Mary-this is so charming, i love the idea of serving cocktails out of the trunk of your vintage car. So fun and unexpected-great idea!!
I think any car could be made festive!! A pick up truck or SUV would be fun too! I don’t drive this car enough so I was happy to use it as a bar!
Absolutely beautiful spread and so creative…Ms. Martha Mary Crozier Stewart! Reminds me of a fabulous First Thanksgiving meal that I got to experience in you backyard, some 11 years ago. Can’t wait to see your dinner menu!
Hugs!