Innehållsförteckning för Celebrations 2018 från Southern Lady

Southerners are always up for a good party. We’ll jump at the chance to throw a get-together for any reason—or for no reason at all. Our love of entertaining is rooted in our deep attachment to home, where we open the door and welcome someone inside to share a little of our heart. Whether it’s asking a neighbor over for coffee or inviting scores of guests to join in a blowout bash, the message of hospitality and genuine delight in their company remains the same. Our first-ever Southern Lady Celebrations special issue brings you page after page of festive ideas to mark occasions large and small. Some pay tribute to Southern traditions, like an alfresco luncheon themed around the annual Masters Tournament (page 9). Others capture the joys of everyday…

LOVELY SURROUNDS With a sky painted blue and spring unfurling all around, Mother Nature has done most of the decorating for you. All you need to do is supply a table laden with pretty things. Make the day feel extra special with a pristine white tablecloth and a stunning arrangement of peonies, Lenten roses, and lilac. Then bring out your favorite china and stemware to complement a menu perfectly suited to this splendid occasion. Lemon Cucumber Tea MAKES ABOUT 1 GALLON 3 quarts cold water, divided 3 family-size tea bags Lemon Cucumber Simple Syrup (recipe follows) 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Garnish: lemon slices, cucumber slices 1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 quart water to a boil; remove from heat. Add tea bags; cover, and steep for 5 minutes.…

LUNCH ON THE LINKS Choose tableware in verdant shades to echo both the signature green of the Masters’ logo and the rolling expanse of Augusta National’s course. Gently scalloped salad plates and chargers complement crisp striped napkins; emerald-tinted tumblers are just waiting to be filled with a classic Arnold Palmer beverage. For a festive take on place cards, pen each guest’s name on a golf ball, then affix to a tee and nestle in a glass dish filled with sand. Enhance the ambience with a few golf-themed mementoes scattered about, such as bags filled with vintage clubs and baskets of balls. Arnold Palmer MAKES ABOUT 1 GALLON 3 quarts cold water, divided 3 family-size tea bags 1½ cups sugar 1 (12-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed Garnish: fresh lemon slices…

EVERYTHING IS ROSY A longstanding symbol of love and beauty, roses shape the inspiration for this jubilant occasion. The petals lend their delicate blush to heirloom china and painted stemware, while dishes like Smoked Salmon Canapés and Rose Water Iced Tea carry the motif throughout the meal. Assorted dinnerware patterns layer seamlessly, thanks to the unifying buds on each. Add linens in shades of blue for a lovely contrast to the soft pink blossoms and rich green landscape—perhaps including a few sentimental favorites passed down through the generations. “GRATITUDE IS THE FAIREST BLOSSOM WHICH SPRINGS FROM THE SOUL.”—HENRY WARD BEECHER Mint-Lime Fruit Salad MAKES APPROXIMATELY 10 SERVINGS 1 small seedless watermelon, rind removed, cut into triangles 2 mangoes, peeled, cubed 2 nectarines, thinly sliced 2 cups cherries, halved, pitted 1…

DAINTIEST OF DETAILS Showcase a more demure side of the season with a refined mix of patterns and materials that creates a classy yet comfortable ambience, perfect for a close circle of companions. A variety of creamy white pumpkins and blooms set a serene scene and make way for a subdued palette of soft blues, rich browns, and warm golden hues, fitting for a feminine setting. Present a menu composed of light and fresh fare with each dish highlighting distinctly autumnal ingredients, from pumpkin soup to a plum-studded salad and Chicken with Mustard-Fig Cream Sauce. Plum Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette MAKES 6 SERVINGS 6 cups mixed lettuces 4 black plums, pitted and thinly sliced 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled ½ cup sliced almonds Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe follows)…

BASK IN TRADITION Formal sophistication marks this majestic display. Arrange the presentation with your finest holiday china—rich red and shimmering gold paired with sparkling silver suit the occasion. Continue the scheme with an artful compilation of seasonal details, from gleaming trees and reindeer to velvet ribbon and vessels filled with cranberries. The luxe embellishments shine as brightly as the joy that flows from the heart of the table to the surrounding spaces where family and friends will gather. Clementine and Fennel Salad with Tarragon Clementine Vinaigrette MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS 1 (16-ounce) bag fresh spring mix lettuces 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced 6 clementines, sectioned 2 cups toasted pecan halves Tarragon Clementine Vinaigrette (recipe follows) 1. In a large bowl, toss together lettuces, fennel, clementines, and pecans. Add desired…

SOMETHING BLUE Treat the happy couple to a fête that exudes the simple beauty of a love truly meant to be. Craft a sense of casual elegance using basic dishware and airy linen fabrics in white and blue to highlight the occasion. For no-fuss flowers, mix azaleas and other garden cuttings with pretty store-bought blooms in clusters of glass bottles. Individual fruit cups and a colorful take on shrimp and grits add to the light, refreshing feel of the day, while a signature Champagne cocktail and an Iced Tea Bar lend notes of festivity. Springtime Fruit Salad MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS 6 cups balled honeydew (about 1 large honeydew) 6 grapefruits, sectioned 3 navel oranges, sectioned 1 pint blueberries 6 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1. In…

CINEMA INSPIRED Roll out the red carpet to welcome a parade of special guests—Oscar night has arrived! Set a celebratory mood with a crisp black-and-white color scheme that evokes the golden age of cinema, as well as shimmering gilt notes in tribute to those iconic statuettes. A luxurious bouquet of white roses, anemones, and tulips, plus a handful of vintage film reels sprinkled about, lends a dash of drama. Popcorn, the most classic of theater snacks, tops a silken soup that pairs beautifully with peach-and-raspberry-kissed Prosecco. For the main course, what could be more on point than steak Oscar, crowned with a duo of dill-flecked crab cakes and roasted shrimp? And as the onscreen ceremony builds to its crescendo, a luscious chocolate tart—decked out with a billow of torched meringue…