SPRING ENTERTAINING WITH AT HOME STORES

I'm not sure why, but winter has seemed to be especially long, cold, and dreary this year.  I've never been more ready for warmer weather! We enjoy entertaining often, but when it's cold and dark early it's hard to want to do anything but come home and cozy up for the evening, right?  So, with Spring finally right around the corner and a brand new Dining Room, I'm excited to shake off winter and get back to hosting some gatherings.  Today I've partnered with At Home stores to spiff our home up for Spring, throw open the front door and welcome friends over!  (*This post may contain affiliate links, read my full disclosure policy here.)

First, about that front door... it needed a little refresh from the winter grime and lack of anything green.  I want our guests to feel welcome and know that we're glad they're here as soon as they step on the porch!

You might remember these faux olive wreaths that I used in my Christmas tour.  I moved one to the front door and tied on this cute pineapple sign also from At Home.  I was looking for something cute to add to the wreath, and this- the symbol of hospitality- couldn't have been more perfect (and it was already pink!). 

It's still too early here to add my usual front porch ferns and I've been wanting to find a good set of faux topiaries.  These double ball boxwood topiaries are perfect for the porch and add such a happy pop of no maintenance color.  When I shared them on Instagram a follower commented that she's had the same ones for almost a year on her porch in full sun and they still look perfect... yay!! They have a nice, heavy, smaller base but I dropped them in my DIY pots that I've had for several years to add some pattern to the porch.

You all always go crazy for the pink squirrels that I've used in the Fall (also from At Home but spray painted), so I thought my Spring porch needed a fun colorful animal too!  This precious resin bunny got a quick coat of yellow and I think she's pretty happy about it.  :)

Those pink tassels that were officially Christmas ornaments stayed around for Spring, tied on these cheery green lanterns that I picked up from At Home too.  I didn't even have to paint those, they were already green and perfect for me!  A pair of faux candles with timers inside them come on every night for several hours to add a warm glow.

So, with guests properly welcomed at the porch it's time for dinner!  Honestly, I'm usually still scrambling to finish preparing some part of the meal when guests arrive and have found it so helpful to set up a little appetizer station where they can serve themselves a little drink and snack while we visit and I finish up dinner.

At Home has everything you need to set up a beautiful yet simple spread, from the serving pieces to a nice variety of party decorations and paper goods.  I like to use disposable pieces for the appetizers- less to clean up!  I spotted this gingham collection and you know I couldn't resist, and the ruffled plate edges couldn't be cuter!  Did you know that they even have a nice selection of snacks?  I picked up a few things on my way to the checkout that were perfect to add to my appetizer spread. 

"Oh Happy Day..." the perfect sentiment for any occasion.  I love these script cake toppers and I'll definitely be able to use it multiple times.

I love that these serving pieces are so easy to completely disassemble in a matter of seconds and they store very compactly.  I also often get asked about the chinoiserie stands that I use around the house... there's a large one under the fern and you can see a hint of two under the jars on the mantel...  they're from At Home too!  They come in a few sizes and are easy to spray paint if I want to change the color.

It's finally time to eat, and I found some colorful new pieces to fit right with the Dining Room.

Everything on my table is from At Home, except for the green plates, glasses, and flatware that I already had.  I loved adding in this touch of orange!  The geometric plates are actually melamine, so those will be perfect to use outdoors through the Summer as well.  The ribbed edges of the chargers add some nice texture too.

See that little cutie round vintage inspired pillow tucked in the corner?  Since I have my eye on it every time I walk through At Home, I finally decided it had a place with my new chairs.  My teen girl even commented on how much she liked it, quite a compliment from a girl who usually doesn't have much of an opinion about these things!  ;)

Again, I hit the green candleholder jackpot, love the simplicity of these as a centerpiece. I always enjoy walking the whole store looking for things in my colors and style (if you've ever been you know they have something for everyone and every style!) and I came across the blue metal cane patterned lanterns in the Spring outdoor aisles.  Perfect for vases!

I had planned to gather some fresh flowers, but when my friend Marley posted these gorgeous cherry blossom stems that she just found from At Home, I had to check them out!  I missed them in their sea of florals the first time around, but finally found them and think they look very realistic.  Then, I came across some faux lemon tree stems and knew I needed to mix in a few of those too!  Boy, I love fresh flowers, but sometimes it's nice to have something that you don't have to worry about or maintain at all, and these will look pretty on my table all through the season.

I do like a dramatic centerpiece that makes a nice impression, but also keep in mind that guests need to be able to see each other when they're seated, ha!  I always make sure that whatever I use is super easy to set aside quickly when we're ready to eat, but with the lit candles down the center the table still looks pretty.

All ready for visitors... can we start with the cake first?  :)

Have you been to an At Home store?  They aren't set up for e-commerce at this point but do have a great deal of their inventory online to browse.  It's truly a one-stop shop for everything you need to entertain, refresh a room in your house, or get things outside ready for Spring and Summer... their outdoor living department is huge!  

*This post is sponsored by At Home, but I love sharing places with you where I shop anyway!  All selections, designs, words and opinions are mine.  Thanks for supporting Dimples and Tangles sponsors to keep inspiring new content coming! 

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