A DIY Tropical Summer Fiesta in 4 Easy Steps

A few weeks ago, we hosted a fun tropical summer fiesta in honor of Cinco de Mayo, and it made me realize what a fun theme it would be for any summer party! The bright colors, pineapple margs, and yummy nacho bar all came together for an evening of early summer fun. If you’re looking for some tips on throwing a fiesta of your own this season, I’ve outlined a four easy ways  below to help you do it yourself!

DIY Tropical Summer Fiesta | The ELL Blog

DIY Tropical Summer Fiesta | The ELL Blog

DIY Tropical Summer Fiesta | The ELL Blog

DIY Tropical Summer Fiesta | The ELL Blog

DIY Tropical Summer Fiesta | The ELL Blog

• Bring the color: For our party, I wanted to go with colors that were a little more unique than a typical Cinco de Mayo party. I was inspired by a pack of colorful banners I found at Target, and decided to ground everything with a vintage pink Mexican blanket I’d picked up at the flea market. Next, I added slight levels to the table with an overturned bowl and cake stand to add dimension. I finished it off with a few different tropical elements from around the apartment, like a ceramic pineapple, brass candlesticks, a vintage New Mexico tray, and a few piñatas!

Incorporate fresh elements: I also wanted to bring some fun tropical elements to the table, and florals + fresh fruit did just the trick. The floral arrangement was actually created from several of Trader Joe’s small wildflower bunches, which even came with pincushion proteas. The entire bouquet cost less than $7! I also tucked a fresh pineapple, coconut, and limes amongst the table decor, too.

Setup a margarita station: A tropical summer fiesta wouldn’t be complete without a pitcher of homemade margaritas! To add a tropical twist, we made them with pineapple juice, and were even able to repurpose our signature cocktail sign from our wedding (pineapple margaritas were on the menu!) Elliot squeezed over 50 limes to make the pitcher of fresh margs, and it was soo worth it. We used this recipe, and just added in a bit of pineapple juice at the end. The margarita bar also had stir sticks, straws, and lime wedges so guests could dress up their glasses. We also had a bucket of Mexican beers on hand for those less partial to margs 🙂

Create a build-your-own nacho bar:I love a themed party because it means getting to come up with a creative menu. Obviously chips and dips were a must, and our lovely friends each brought their favs to contribute to the afternoon! We had fresh shrimp ceviche, guacamole, jalapeño garlic dip, and, of course, lots of salsa. As for the main event, we thought a nacho bar would be a fun concept since everyone could build their own plate. We made some overnight barbacoa in the crockpot + some homemade queso, and then set out a bunch of other fresh toppings. My favorites to set out include:

  • Fresh tomatoes
  • Green onions
  • Diced red onions
  • Sour cream
  • Salsa
  • Jalapeños
  • Corn
  • Black beans

So there you have it – just add some music and a few friends, and you’ve got yourself a tropical summer fiesta! Hope you find some time this summer to celebrate the warm weather with a marg in hand.

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day | The ELL Blog

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day | The ELL Blog

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day | The ELL Blog

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day | The ELL Blog

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day | The ELL Blog

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day | The ELL Blog

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day | The ELL Blog

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day | The ELL Blog

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day | The ELL Blog

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day | The ELL Blog

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day | The ELL Blog

5 Summer Pool Essentials for the Ultimate Pool Day | The ELL Blog

In the summer time, I’m somewhat obsessed with going to the pool. Any day the sun is out, I want to be laying out in the sunshine, sipping on a cocktail and reading a good book. Throw in some cute pool accessories, and my day is made. To help you experience ultimate pool day, I’ve put together five of my 5 summer pool essentials below!

• Drink floaties: Why hold your own drink when it can float in the pool?! Drink floaties may be some of my favorite pool day accessories since they are so simple to inflate and super fun to use. ban.do now makes their own line of mini floaties, and they come in either round pink +yellow stripes or bright red hearts. And if you’re going to have a drink by the pool, you should probably be sipping out of a pink party straw, too.

• Canned rosé: Judging by the number of canned wines that are popping up in stores, I think it’s safe to say I’m not the only one that thinks portable rosé is a summer pool essential. Winc is currently selling these adorable Ruza rosé cans for the summer, and I think they make for the perfect poolside beverage. If you’re in the mood for a cocktail instead, my Tropical Guava Rum Punch recipe is pretty and pink, too.

• Fresh snacks: Snacks are definitely a pool necessity, and they’re even better when they’re colorful! A plate of fresh tropical fruit pairs perfectly with a can of fizzy rosé and leaves you feeling hydrated, which is a plus. Strawberry papayas are my new fav, too since they are small and such a vibrant color inside.

• A good book: One of the best ways to pass the time in the sun is with a good book in hand. Some of my favorites I’ve read recently include Sweetbitter, The Regulars,  A Game for All the Family, and The Girls.

• A killer playlist: I’m not sure about you, but having music by the pool makes me feel like I’m on vacation. I personally love my Bose Soundlink bluetooth speaker since it’s portable and has a concentrated enough volume so it doesn’t disturb other people nearby. Bob Marley or a Chainsmokers Spotify station has definitely been the go-to playlists for the weekends lately!

Hope you enjoyed these fun pool day tips! + thanks to ban.do for the fun pool day goodies! 

Sunday Florals

Sunday Florals | The ELL Blog

Sunday Florals | The ELL Blog

Sunday Florals | The ELL Blog

Sunday Florals | The ELL Blog

Sunday Florals | The ELL Blog

Sunday Florals | The ELL Blog

Sunday Florals | The ELL Blog

Sunday Florals | The ELL Blog

Sunday Florals | The ELL Blog

Sunday Florals | The ELL Blog

Sunday Florals | The ELL Blog

This is definitely one of my favorite dresses in my closet. It has florals and is feminine and flowy, which makes it easy and oh so fun to wear (and it happens to be Free People, my all time fav). I adore the back cut out too. I first saw it when I was visiting SLO and wine tasting with some friends, and a girl walked into the winery wearing it. We immediately asked where she had gotten it, and within the week two of us ordered it!

Recently, it’s been so cloudy and rainy down here in San Diego, which can be hard to handle when you’re used to 75 degrees every day! When we were taking these pictures, the sun came out for just a bit, which was such a gift. I am definitely looking forward to the sunshine and warmth of summer right about now!

xx

Sweet Peas

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset[Dress: Free People // Slip: Free People // Booties: Sam Edelman]

Finding new colored walls is beginning to become one of my favorite things.  This particular purple beauty was smack in the middle of Hillcrest, just a few blocks down from the BEST brunch place, 100 Wines. Not only is it the cutest and hippest spot, but on Sunday mornings  you can order mimosas for $1!! And this girl loves her weekend mimosas, especially when they come with carafes of all different juices. I can’t wait for the weekend already.

Since we had just stopped at the Hillcrest Farmers Market and picked out these sweet peas, this wall seemed to go perfectly with my new little blooms. Although I’ve had this Free People dress for awhile, I always had trouble wearing it since it was see-through in certain lights (not a good thing). I realized I could pair it with my Free People slip, though, and the little bit of ruffle that showed at the bottom was just darling.

xx

Island Paradise

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Who knew that an hour boat ride could take you away to such a gorgeous island paradise? After 23 years of living in Southern California, I finally made it over to little Catalina this weekend for my mom’s birthday celebration. We had so much fun exploring the quaint town and laying in the sunshine. Floating in the ocean with a mojito in hand sounds too good to be true (but it  definitely happened).

Elliot & I also had some fun working on some styled shots for a collab with The Printed Palette (see here for more about this lovely SD company). How fun are these shirts?! They were perfect for the beach and wandering around Catalina. I still can’t even pick a favorite! If you love fun graphics, make sure to head over to their website to see more of their lovely goods. More to come soon on a little home decor collab I did with them as well!