lunch party in the sun

I had Caitlin, Sarah and her boyfriend Brian over for lunch this afternoon, getting up early in a fit of creativity to sew bunting flags from fabric scraps to decorate the umbrellas on our deck with, and setting the table with mismatched pink, blue and green china and linens. I made rich cream biscuits, lemon curd and strawberry tartlets, and put out olives, cheeses, snap peas, strawberries and tomatoes - easy and delicious. Iced coffee with condensed milk kept us cool and awake in the heat (warm even in the shade of the canvas umbrellas) and Sarah and Brian brought flavored Kombucha as a cocktail substitute. It was lovely to have people over for a little party before everyone goes their separate, far-flung ways for the rest of the summer.

Now I am sitting on the couch beneath the fan, tummy full under my purple print maxi dress, gearing up for the next few days of England prep work. Maintenant, je veux seulement dormir dans le soleil.