Kindly With K

Travel Dreams: London

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to travel to the UK and spend time in London. I have a fascination with everything British and as much as I don't want to admit it, I love watching British TV. My friends sometimes even joke with me that I have a British accent! My love for London even goes as far as me applying for jobs in the UK when I was right out of college. I don't know if it's the Royals or the charming buildings, to me London just seems like a magical place!

One of my good friends and I actually plan to take a trip overseas once we are both settled into our jobs and our first stop is going to be London. So until that day comes, I have put together my perfect travel itinerary for a stay in London!

The May Fair London

Lowry & Baker

202 London

The Punchbowl

The Sea Shell of Lisson Grove

Randall & Aubin

Harrods

Oxford Street

Bond Street

Camden Market

Tower Bridge

Buckingham Palace

Big Ben & The Palace of Westminster

London Eye

Hyde Park

Have you ever been to London? What are some of the best sights to see?

"Great art is as irrational as great music. It is mad with its own loveliness." - George Jean Nathan

LBD | Little Blue Dress

With all the talk of a summer dinner party here on the blog this week, I thought I would share what to wear when you get invited to one. Usually the LBD is the little black dress, but this summer it is the "Little Blue Dress." Blue is the must-have color for the summer and since it's my favorite color I can't wait to dress it up! Here are some of my favorite budget buy little blue dresses.

ASOS Curve | Skater Dress with Button Yoke Detail

H&M | Wrap-front Crêpe Dress

Missguided | Chiffon Pleated Swing Dress

Topshop | Mid-Stone Denim Dress by Boutique

ZARA | Combined Dress

Will you be picking up a little blue dress for your summer gatherings?

"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality." - Walt Disney

Friday Favorites

TGIF! I hope everyone enjoyed this weeks posts about planning a summer dinner party! Have a great weekend and don't forget to be kind.

10 Hidden Sights in London, England. (theeverygirl.com)
From the Desk: My Future PR Self. (prblonde.com)
My DIY | Rotary Phone Succulent Planter. (ispydiy.com)
5 Tips for Last Minute Travel. (hellofashionblog.com)
Summer Holiday Beach Reads. (the-frugality.com)

"No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings." - William Blake

A Fun, Fabulous Summer Dinner Party | Menu

Time to get down to business. We have our decor set, we know what music will be playing and what drinks will be served, now it is time to create the menu for our fun, fabulous summer dinner party! The menu for a dinner party can vary significantly depending on the overall theme of your evening. Some people might choose to do a BBQ menu, while others will might want a more Mediterranean-style menu. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing the right foods to serve. One thing to remember though is to always be courteous to your guests dietary and food restrictions. Be accommodating.

I have chosen to put together a very summery in nature menu. For me and my dinner guests, this would make the perfect summer dinner party menu!

Starters

Mozzarella & Basil Strawberry Crostini

Grated Carrot Salad With Yogurt Dressing

Main Meal

Grilled Summer Salad with Corn, Peppers and Chili-Lime Dressing via Cookie + Kate

Parmesan Zucchini + Corn via Damn Delicious

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken via Real Housemoms

Vegetarian Option - Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa via The Cookie Rookie

Dessert

Rustic Strawberry Peach Tart via Sally's Baking Addiction

What will be on your summer dinner party menu? I want to see pics of your parties...send them to me via email (kindlywithk@gmail.com) or share them with me on social media (@KindlyWithK)!

"No one has ever loved anyone the way everyone wants to be loved." - Mignon McLaughlin

A Fun, Fabulous Summer Dinner Party | Drinks

Now that we've gone over decor and music it is time to talk about everyone's favorite...drinks! Depending on the feel of how you want your evening will depend on what types of drinks to select. I always suggest going with a simple bar menu. Whenever I have events or parties I always stick to beer, wine, a nonalcoholic beverage and a specialty cocktail. This makes planning easier and this way you are not spending your whole budget on the alcohol.

I've selected three specialty cocktails that are perfect for your summer dinner party!

Sweet Tea Sangria {w/fresh peaches and raspberries} via The Wicked Noodle

Skinny Blackberry Margarita via Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts

Strawberry-Basil Bourbon Lemonade via Country Living

What crafty cocktails will you be serving up this summer?

"To live is like to love - all reason is against it, and all healthy instinct for it." - Samuel Butler

A Fun, Fabulous Summer Dinner Party | Music

Yesterday was all about decor and today it's all about the music! Having the perfect playlist is the best way to create your own ambiance throughout the evening. Now you have two options when it comes to creating the music for your evening. You can either stream music from a certain station on Pandora or iTunes or you can create your own playlist of your favorite tunes. Make sure that you keep the songs subtle and relaxing. You don't want any overbearing rap or pop songs on your playlist while you are trying to enjoy your company.

Now lucky for us, Tori over at Thoughtfully Simple has created the perfect dinner party music playlist. This is just the right mix of tunes. You can listen to her Summertime Simplicity playlist on Spotify here.

via Thoughtfully Simple

What tunes will you be adding to your summer dinner party playlist?

"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced." - Soren Kierkegaard

A Fun, Fabulous Summer Dinner Party | Decor

With the official first day of summer less than two weeks away, what better way to celebrate than a fun, fabulous dinner party. All this week I am going to be sharing inspiration for what makes a perfect summer dinner party in my mind. I will be talking decor, music and what to serve.

To start us off we first need to nail down the decor for the evening. When planning a party I always start with a color scheme that I like and then base everything else off of that. Since it is summer, I would go for one or two base colors and add an accent color to keep everything very light and airy. Next you need to decide on tablescapes. My favorite for summer dinner parties are long rectangular tables with a runner down the center. Even though your party is in the evening, having one long table gives off the family picnic vibe which I love! The last decision when it comes to decor is flowers. Keeping your color scheme in mind, I like to use my flowers as the accent color. This adds a pop to the party.

I have pulled some of my favorite decor inspiration to share with you and hopefully inspire you to throw a fun, fabulous summer dinner party for you friends and family!