It doesn't take much

One of the things I love about summer is that it doesn't take much to create something beautiful. This is true most of the year, but in this northern climate we so appreciate our chances to spend time outside and to eat good fresh food. The grass is green, the leaves are fluttering on the trees, flowers are blooming. We hardly need more than that.

We have hosted family and friends several times this summer and have had the luck of making our backyard into a beautiful spot for dinner. The outdoor space is nothing special, just a patio of gray concrete surrounded by a little bit of green lawn where I often see rabbits grazing. When we grill we have gotten in the habit of setting up a folding table and bringing out our five chairs (or fewer if we don't need them). I throw a table cloth on before we set out our colorful plates and napkins. We eat dinner only a few yards from our kitchen, but somehow going to this little bit of trouble makes sitting outside feel even more special.





I love our festive summer table even though it is far from perfect or pinterest-worthy. Perhaps it is not blog-worthy either, but I wanted to share in hopes that you might also find (or create) a beautiful summer space for yourself. And I want to remember (in all seasons) that it only takes a little something extra to make a space, a meal, or a day more wonderful.

When we get into the double digit days of August it might feel like summer is waning, but I assure you there is still plenty left. We haven't done everything on our summer list yet, but there is still time for meals outside, (more) ice cream, day trips, fresh tomatoes and everything else you dream of this time of year. You just have to make it happen.