The Sunny Side Up Blog

  • Home
  • About Me
    • Contact
    • Disclosure
  • Home Tour
  • Home Sources
    • Entry
    • Living Room
    • Kitchen
    • Family Room
    • Dining Room
    • Bedrooms
    • Bathrooms
    • Office
    • Mudroom
    • Laundry Rooms
    • Playroom
    • Hallways
    • Yard
  • Categories
    • Home Decor
    • Organization
    • Fashion
    • Favorite Things
    • Family
    • holidays
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Christmas
      • Valentines Day
  • Serena & Lily Favorites!

July 25, 2016

A summer party

flamingo

{Umbrellas/Pillows/Towels/Flamingo}

Last Saturday we hosted a summer party for my husband’s firm.  I have to admit.  I was a little nervous.  I host summer parties at my house all the time of course, but they usually include pizza, popsicles and large groups of guests who range between 5 and 12 years old.  Guests who sometimes fight over our flamingo floaty.

Nobody fought over our flamingo floaty at this party.  :)

I took the picture above right before everyone started to arrive.
summer-entertaining
Before long the music was playing, people were mingling and I felt like I could finally relax after several days of getting the house and yard ready.
coastal-craftsman-home-sunny-side-up
pottery-barn-outdoor-umbrellas
bbq
I know you’re all wondering if I whipped up a mad batch of my famous grilled cheese sandwiches or banana bread muffins to serve our guests, but no.  The firm had the party catered so this guy did all of the cooking.  (My husband’s associates know me well.) ;)  I have to say that the food was amazing.  The best BBQ and he cooked everything in this cool wagon grill in front of our house.

The two of us became good buddies and I told him that maybe next time I’d join him and teach him a few of my tricks.
summer-entertaining-2
My husband works with a lot of amazing people, many who have become good friends over the years.  It was so fun catching up with them all and meeting new summer associates.
entertaining-area
coastal-craftsman-house
For two days straight before the party I was cleaning the inside of our house like a mad woman.  My husband kept giving me a hard time.  “What are you doing!?  The party is outside and so is a bathroom.. nobody will even come in the house.”  
craftsman-coastal-backyard
The first group of people came through our side gates to the backyard, said hi and then asked if they could take a tour of the house. I smiled and shot my husband a look he knows all too well…

“Do you want to tell me I’m always right now.. or later?”  

I was giving house tours for most of the night.  I knew people would want to see the house because when I go to a party in a fairly new or renovated home (or really any home for that matter!) I always want to see the house too!  I get it.  Why my husband doesn’t get it is beyond me.  But needless to say, I was glad I cleaned like a mad woman for two days.  Closets and all!  And I’m always right.

He chose to tell me later. ;)
in-ground-trampoline-2
I told my girls that I’d pay them some babysitting money if they could keep Kole upstairs and entertained for a few hours.  They did a great job, but the party lasted longer than we thought it would, so after a while they all three migrated outside and joined the fun.
in-ground-trampoline-4
El made a few friends quickly.
in-ground-trampoline-3
And showed them some of her best tricks.
in-ground-trampoline-5
in-ground-trampoline-6
inground-trampoline
Then everyone tried to copy her and that was a good time.  We only ended up with one bloody nose so I’d call it a successful afternoon spent on the trampoline.  ;)
in-ground-trampoline-7
One by one our guests started to hug us good-bye and leave.  I was sad to see everyone go!  It really was such a fun party.
backyard-party
It was about the time Kole usually goes to bed and he was loving that mom was pre-occupied and not noticing that little fact.  He and El jumped in the water, turned on the pool lights and enjoyed a night swim while we were cleaning up.
pool-lights
night-pool-lights-2
Clean-up took a while and it was dark before we finally made it inside and got the kids to bed.

Kenny and I sat down on the couch and he was asleep within 5 minutes.  All that socializing just wore him right out.  I watched TV for an hour enjoying a quiet, clean house but woke up the next morning with a headache, sore throat and a scratchy voice.

Guess all that cleaning and house touring wore me right out. :)

Aside from tired, we felt so grateful the next day.  Really grateful for good friends and fun summer memories made in our home.

Grateful tired.

It’s the best kind of tired there is.

:)

Author Signature

Free printable of the paint colors throughout my home!

Enter your name and email address to get instant access to my paint colors along with other free organizing printables. More will be coming soon!

Exclusive to subscribers!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

Filed Under: Home Decor Tagged With: backyard decor, poolside, summer entertaining, summer party

Previous
Next

Comments

  1. Angela says

    July 26, 2016 at 2:10 am

    I love that you share your home with people. I feel like if you are blessed with things, you need to share your blessings. You do that well! Your back yard is gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:13 am

      Thank you sweet Angela! I feel the same way. Such a kind thing to say. And congrats on the move! We got your cute card in the mail. :) xo

      Reply
  2. Karen says

    July 26, 2016 at 3:19 am

    Such a beautiful home inside and out! :)

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:12 am

      Thank you so much Karen! So kind of you! xo

      Reply
  3. Jeanne says

    July 26, 2016 at 3:32 am

    Now that looked like a very cool party! I can well imagine you working your buns off to get everything just right. You have such a lovely space to have a party, too. Yep, you were smart to clean the inside. I’ll bet all your readers get it, too. Maybe your hunny will remember from here on out. Your daughter is exceptionally limber, it looks like. Wowza! And those pool lights are awesome. I hope you didn’t get sick after all this! Thanks so much for sharing. It looks like a complete success! Well done! Hugs!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:15 am

      Thank you Jeanne! You really are the sweetest. I’m feeling much better today! I think I just needed a couple of days to recover. ;) Wish you lived closer! I’d have you and your sweet kids over to swim in a heartbeat. xo

      Reply
  4. Cathy Economon says

    July 26, 2016 at 4:55 am

    I just wanted to say how much I enjoy reading your blog. You have such a cute way of expressing yourself, and you never take yourself too seriously! It’s always such a treat to wake up to a post! Also, your home is absolutely beautiful! (And your family darling) :)

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:16 am

      Cathy! What a sweet comment. Thank you so much! It means so much to me that you feel that way. Really.. it does. Your kind words just completely made my day! xo

      Reply
  5. Kaitlin says

    July 26, 2016 at 4:58 am

    Looks like a fun party! Hope you were joking about the bloody nose…ouch! Also – You have an outdoor bathroom you haven’t shown us?!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:11 am

      Thanks Kaitlin! I wish I was joking! Not too much blood but at one point we had about 10 adults jumping on the trampoline and one walked away with a hurt nose. :( And yes! I should take pics of that bathroom.. good idea! It’s not much. Just a small pool bath we put in so kids don’t run through the house soaking wet when they need to go! :) xo

      Reply
  6. Amy K says

    July 26, 2016 at 5:18 am

    Looks like a good time was had by all and what a cute idea for a bbq truck. Making me hungry right now :-)

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:10 am

      Ha! Oh my word Amy.. we are still eating the leftovers! Wish you could come over and have some with me for lunch today! xo

      Reply
  7. Pamela says

    July 26, 2016 at 5:32 am

    What a gorgeous set up for a party!! I LOVE the pool lights. What a beautiful glow they give off. And can I just say El’s trampoline skills are Olympic worthy. WOW!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:08 am

      Thank you Pamela! You are such a sweetheart! I don’t know about Olympic worthy but she is definitely going places with her gymnastic/dance skills. We can’t keep up with her! I’m a proud mom for sure. ;) xo

      Reply
  8. Shmyla says

    July 26, 2016 at 5:39 am

    What a beautiful pool !! It looks amazing at night with pool lights on.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:06 am

      Thank you Shmyla! xo

      Reply
  9. Lindsay says

    July 26, 2016 at 6:09 am

    That looks so fun! You have the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen- just wonderful!!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:05 am

      You are too kind Lindsay! Thank you so much. :) xo

      Reply
  10. Aria says

    July 26, 2016 at 6:49 am

    I love the cool pool colors!!! so fun to have a great party around the pool!! and those husbands never seem to realize that we’re always right!!! lol I laughed really hard when the guy was trying to do the tricks on the trampoline lol I feel the same way at my daughter’s gymnastics class… they should have an adult class and supply lots of advil after :-)

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:00 am

      I know.. right!? That’s how I feel too when I’m trying to do tricks on the trampoline! Ha! :) Thanks Aria! xo

      Reply
  11. Jerusha says

    July 26, 2016 at 6:51 am

    Why the second ring around the trampoline? You have the trampoline, and then grass, and another ring.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 8:59 am

      Our landscaper didn’t want to put grass right next to the trampoline because it’s hard to edge and mow so we put fake grass up next to it. Just easier for maintenance and the kids have a little ring to sit on when they are taking turns on the trampoline. :)

      Reply
      • Joanna says

        July 26, 2016 at 10:00 am

        I was wondering this as well. Good to know. :-)

        Reply
  12. Stacy Connolly says

    July 26, 2016 at 7:23 am

    Looks like a great time had by all. Beautiful home!
    What does your husband do for work?

    Reply
  13. Joanna says

    July 26, 2016 at 9:59 am

    Love it! I can’t wait until we have a nice backyard to entertain in! Love your pool lights! El is such a great dancer/gymnast!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 8:03 pm

      Thank you Joanna! :) xo

      Reply
  14. Josie says

    July 26, 2016 at 11:29 am

    Grateful tired, I like that! Great way to put it! I need to think that next time I throw a birthday party for you one of my kids!
    Of course everyone would want to see your house! I don’t think any one could come to your home and not be dying for a tour!
    Love El meeting the grown ups and showing her moves! Look at her legs! Wow! I’m dying to see her dance, seeing how strong and flexible she’s become!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 8:15 pm

      Oh my word Josie.. birthday parties are a different story.. ha! :) Thank you cutie! Can’t believe you haven’t been to my house yet! We need to get you out of newborn land and down for a visit! ;) xo

      Reply
      • Josie says

        July 27, 2016 at 12:13 am

        I can’t believe I haven’t either! Can you handle us with four kids?! So weird to say I have four!

        Reply
        • Erin says

          July 27, 2016 at 12:00 pm

          Well I hate to say I told you so.. but.. Ha! ;) You are an amazing mom Josie and were meant to have 4! They are lucky kids. :) xo

          Reply
  15. Katie says

    July 26, 2016 at 11:32 am

    Love it!!! What a fantastic term “grateful tired!”

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 8:01 pm

      Thank you Katie! :) xo

      Reply
  16. Lauren says

    July 26, 2016 at 1:34 pm

    I hear ya girlfriend! We hosted about 60 or so for the Baylor Send Off party on Saturday. Whew. Oh, and I cooked too…chips and salsa bar. And, believe you me…I cleaned from top to bottom too. LOL Men?!!!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 7:58 pm

      Lauren! Oh my word… and you cooked!? You are my hero! Bet it was a great time. :)

      Reply
  17. heidi says

    July 26, 2016 at 3:47 pm

    I really laughed.. my husband would have said the exact same thing and I would have done the same as you… men!!
    Looks like an incredible fun time!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 7:57 pm

      Oh my word.. they are clueless aren’t they!? Ha! Thanks Heidi! :) xo

      Reply
  18. Anne says

    July 26, 2016 at 6:09 pm

    Always love seeing your pictures! I’ve been following your blog for so long and I also cannot picture where your pool bathroom is :)
    Looks like a fun party!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 26, 2016 at 7:57 pm

      Thank you so much Anne! Means a lot to me you’ve been reading so long. :) I’ll have to share our pool bathroom soon! xo

      Reply
  19. Debbie says

    July 27, 2016 at 10:08 am

    Erin, I have to say I had to control myself from laughing at a couple of your stories here (because I’m reading this at work). I totally agree with you about cleaning your house before a party and you being always right, because people still may want to see the inside. I wish I could get a tour of your house in person. So gorgeous! I get asked this too whenever there’s new people to come to our home. I also love getting house tours of friends’ homes. I actually miss house hunting because of this fact. Your in-ground trampoline looks so much fun and El is quite the athlete! It seems everyone enjoyed seeing her do her tricks! Funny or not so funny about the bloody nose incident though. Oh, and I love your pool at night! The different colored lights are amazing! You are so blessed! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 27, 2016 at 11:42 am

      You are such a sweetheart Debbie! Thank you! I know.. house touring is so much fun! One of my favorite things to do! I loved house hunting too for that very reason. Thanks for your sweet comment cutie! It made my day. Hope I didn’t get you into trouble at work. ;) xo

      Reply
  20. Shauna says

    July 28, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    You have the absolute best yard and home for a party! Love those pool lights😍 I’m sure your guests were beyond amazed at your beautiful home….pat yourself on the back😉😘
    Xoxo

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 28, 2016 at 7:09 pm

      Oh you are too sweet Shauna! Thank you! Can’t wait to have you come and stay at some point! But first.. next week!! YEA! :) xo

      Reply
  21. Lisa Fleming says

    July 29, 2016 at 5:54 am

    Hi Erin! First of all, your home is beautiful and your backyards is amazing not to mention you are just so darn adorable and real which I love!! I was wondering where your outdoor umbrellas came from. I love that they tilt which is probably necessary for really hot days like I have in Florida! Please share if you can. Thanks so much and keep being you!!
    Lisa

    Reply
    • Erin says

      August 1, 2016 at 12:49 pm

      Lisa! What a sweet thing to say. Thank you! You made my day. :) I got those outdoor umbrellas from Pottery Barn! I linked to the exact ones at the top of the post under that first picture. I agree… love that they tilt! That’s why I chose them. So nice to be able to move them around when the sun moves! Thanks again for your sweet words Lisa! They meant a lot to me. :) xo

      Reply
  22. Vera says

    July 29, 2016 at 10:19 pm

    I love your house and your backyard. We started building our house two weeks ago – I wish I could copy yours. 😍😍 I have been reading your blog for years, but don’t comment much. I enjoy reading it a lot. Sometimes I just wish that all the companies that you mention would also exist in Germany 😉 have a great weekend 🤗

    Reply
    • Erin says

      August 1, 2016 at 12:46 pm

      Thank you so much Vera! It means a lot to me that you have been reading so long! Best of luck with your new house.. so exciting! And so nice to hear from you. :) xo

      Reply
  23. Jenica says

    August 11, 2016 at 10:31 am

    Beautiful home and outdoor space! We are looking into installing an in-ground trampoline and I was hoping you might be able to share any advice you might have? Which trampoline you ended up purchasing and if a landscaper installed it? I’m having such a difficult time trying to get this project off the ground! (so to speak) :)

    Reply
    • Erin says

      August 14, 2016 at 7:58 pm

      Hi Jenica! I’ve been meaning to write a post on that and just keep forgetting! We did have a landscaper install it and it was called the Airmaster. It’s 16 feet.. the biggest one we could find! :) I’ll try to write a post about it soon! I took pics when they were installing it. xo

      Reply
      • Jenica says

        August 15, 2016 at 3:28 am

        Thank you, Erin! I can’t wait to read your trampoline blog!

        Reply
      • Jen says

        September 10, 2016 at 9:42 am

        I’m also interested in the trampoline post. What happens to the water when it rains? How far down did they have to dig?

        Reply
        • Erin says

          September 11, 2016 at 9:54 pm

          Hi Jen! I’ll be writing a post on this soon! :) xo

          Reply
  24. Chelsea says

    April 11, 2017 at 9:09 am

    Wow what a perfect home for a party! Looks like so much fun!! I don’t blame you for spending 2 days cleaning, I would be the same way, you just never know! This may be too personal but do you have a cleaning service come through your house to vacuum/dust/etc.? Or do you do everything yourself? I can barely keep my apartment clean so I wonder how you keep your whole house looking perfect!!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      April 11, 2017 at 5:16 pm

      Hi Chelsea! Thank you so much! I do have cleaners who help! There is no way I could do it all on my own. :) I wrote all about my cleaning routine in this post.. I hope it’s helpful! :) xo

      https://www.thesunnysideupblog.com/2016/07/7-secrets-keep-house-clean-organized/

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to Sunny Side Up where I share my obsession with organization and my love for home decor and fashion! You can read all about me and my blog here.
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

JOIN THE NEWSLETTER

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Visit Pinterest's profile on Pinterest.

Archives

Privacy Policy
INSTAGRAM @erin_sunnysideup
Follow
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Copyright © 2022 · The Sunny Side Up Blog · site design by Your Marketing BFF

Never miss a post! Get Sunny Side Up right in your inbox!
Just leave your name & email address below!
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.