Indoor Meadow Party

So, in the deepest, darkest depths of winter, I decided to turn my dining room into a summertime meadow and invite people over for an "outdoor" BBQ.

I served grilled hot dogs and hamburgers (in wicker baskets I got from the party store - they also have the red & yellow squeeze bottles for mustard and ketchup), vodka lemonade, frozen pina coladas and margaritas, coleslaw and potato salad, fried chicken marinated in buttermilk, and all of the traditional sides you would have at a picnic.

I got a ton of decorations from this website (their name doesn't lie):  Party Cheap Superstore

I laid a checkered tablecloth and blankets out on the floor, and set out all the summertime props I could find (sand buckets, beach balls, sunglasses, an inflatable pool raft, picnic basket, sunscreen, etc).  I gave out squirt guns and bubbles and other toys, and laid some plastic ants and caterpillars around.

My friend Kara's two boys are quite young.  The older one, Jake, took the sunscreen very seriously and kept asking the other guests if they would put some on.... to avoid a sunburn.  The sun was quite bright that day, and the bumblebees were extremely large, possibly due to the hot climate.

I suggested that people dress in their summer clothes (underneath their jackets, of course!), which gave it a more realistic feel.

It took forever to tape all that fake grass down around the corners of the room!  But it actually looked quite realistic in person, so it was a nice touch.

This is a fun party to have during cold weather to escape the doldrums of the winter.  The kids especially had a great time, as you can see from the photos!