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July 9, 2015

Backyard Bonfire

There's something about backyard bonfires that brings a smile to my face. Actually, bonfires anywhere speak sweet words to my soul. I just love them! The smell. The sound of wood crackling. Making s'mores and nestling close to those dear to you. All of these things are simply wonderful. I've already been thinking about the day that Will and I buy a house and can make a bonfire of our own in our backyard and have all of our friends over on a regular occasion to enjoy it with us. I love entertaining and haven't always had the right amount of space to be able to do so, but when Paperless Post reached out to me about creating a summertime entertaining inspiration post, I knew the task would be right up my alley since I've already been dreaming up the perfect backyard bonfire. Here's what I would say you need to create just that:

1. First you'll need to round up some chairs. They can be chairs of any kind but preferably the kind that has a back to them so your able to sit and relax without your back starting to ache. If you don't have the money to invest or space to store a bunch of chairs, you can ask your guest to bring their own but it's really not too expensive to snag a couple of these plastic chairs or these camping chairs. You are able to fold both types, and while your at it, pick up some fluffy pillows. You can't go wrong with extra layers of comfort.
Bohemian backyard baby shower by Sunshine Charlie | 100 Layer Cakelet
2. After you've secured a handful of seats, I would invest in outdoor lighting. Cafe lighting or market lights please! That will always be my first choice. They give off just the right amount of light, set the mood and remind me of Paris (even though I've never been). If those aren't your style, there are a number of other options to choose from, along with in-ground lighting if it's really hard to see the ground when it gets dark outside.
Backyard Bonfire
3. We can't forget about blankets to snuggle up with! Temperatures always seem to drop as soon as the sun goes down, so it's a good idea to have blankets in tow that will help you to stay warm and cozy throughout the whole night.
campfire, benches, chairs and blankets http://www.100layercake.com/blog/2012/02/08/a-bleubird-vintage-wedding-james-aubrey-part-2/
4. When have you every gone to a gathering of any sort where there's no food? I hope you haven't been to many and you sure wouldn't come to a gathering of ours without a few dishes and snacks for you to munch on! At any bonfire in my opinion, there should always be s'mores and other "campfire food"like mini bowls of soup, chili, trail mix and candy bars to satisfy your taste buds as you enjoy the night socializing. It's also wise to have a few refreshments to go along with the food. These could be anything from hot chocolate, to apple cider, sweet tea, flavored water or of course beer and bottles of wine too.

5. Depending on the time of year, the sun may set earlier in the evening or later in the day so it's nice to have a few lawn games to help pass the time before it gets dark. Some of my favorite games are ring toss and cornhole. And an old favorite nighttime game of mine is flashlight tag!
Ring Toss Kids Game: Painted root beer bottles, distressed and stenciled crate and fabric wrapped embroidery hoops.
6. You might think that is pretty much all that you would need to enjoy a backyard bonfire but I've learned from experience that it's not. Something handy to have is bug spray or Citronella Filled Candles to keep the pesky bugs away. There's nothing worse then waking up the next morning covered in mosquito bites.

7. And lastly, instead of just making phone calls to spread the word about your backyard bonfire, why not go the extra mile to make the gathering even more special by sending out invitations? Paperless Post has both paper and online options and not all of them cost money! I used Paperless Post to send out my Bachelorette Beach Getaway invitations and they cost me all of ZERO dollars. A few other free options that I think are adorable include this, this, this, and this one.

Photo Sources: Circle of Chairs via 100 Layer Cake-let // Campfire by Nathan Abplanalp Photography via Style Me Pretty // Vintage setting by Brook Schwab Photographer via 100 Layer Cake // S'mores via Domestic Fashionista // Ring Toss via Two Shades of Pink Blog

This post is sponsored by Paperless Post.
No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

2 comments :

  1. There's not much better than a bonfire :) Love conversation by the fire and yummy s'mores!
    Kelsey
    www.thepeacockroost.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for writing this post! Loved reading it :)
    Stylephotos

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I will usually respond back to you via email (not here on the blog)...It's easier for me that way and hopefully it sparks a conversation for us! It makes me giddy that you're here and took the time to leave me a comment :)

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