Soon, Gentle Readers, we will be eating outside because we WANT to, not because it’s the only way we can see our friends safely. Isn’t that exciting?!
There’s so much fantastic unbreakable dishware out there, and you should feel free to get some if you want.
BUT I’d like to make the case for bringing your inside dishes — and linens, and glasses — outside.
Why not?
That’s the case. The whole case.
I know ceramic dishes and glass glasses can break if they fall onto a flagstone patio or concrete porch. (They have a fighting chance if they hit grass or a wooden deck, though.) I think it’s worth the risk. It’s so much more special to use a linen tablecloth outside instead of polyester or plastic-coated, don’t you think?
To clarify: I am NOT suggesting you use the dishes, linens, and glasses you’re SO SICK OF after eating at home nonstop for 13 months. No, you deserve a little treat, I think.
Here are some pretty, fresh, colorful, whimsical suggestions for brightening up your first dinner party of the year, outside.
Nice heavy glasses are less likely to be knocked over by the wind:
But levity is important too:
And finally, have some fun with your flatware. Great outside now, great inside later.
Rummage through your drawers for napkins you forgot you have, dust off your wedding Waterford, or treat yourself to something from this post. But remember that your first VOLUNTARY dinner outside marks the beginning of the end of the pandemic. Celebrate accordingly.
Don’t miss my recent round-up of amazing outdoor fabrics!
Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, DC, with satellite offices in St. Michaels, Maryland and in Middlebury, Vermont. Annie’s design work and insights have appeared in numerous local and national publications, including HGTV Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Washingtonian Magazine.