Celebrate summer’s finale with a smashing party.
Since it’s almost time to say goodbye to the summer, as the song goes, you might consider blowing away the back-to-school blues by throwing an end-of-summer bash.

A bit of creativity and some strategic planning can make your party stylish, festive and memorable — for you as well as your guests.

“Even if you spend a little bit more to get things taken care of, it’s worth it,” said Libby Pettit, co-owner of byrd + bleecker, an event planning and production company in FortWorth.

Pettit said in addition to making your guests feel comfortable, remember — you’re supposed to have a good time too.

Summer themes The end of summer is the perfect time for a party as many people feel a little melancholy as fall approaches, said one local event planner.

Melinda Massie, owner of Fort Worthbased Melinda Massie Events and Consulting, said that the wistful feeling that often accompanies summer’s end can actually be incorporated into your party’s theme.

“All of those great things when you think of summer, the nostalgia, the lazy days of summer, make a great theme for a party,” said Massie. “If you’ve got a nice lush backyard, you can do it on your own and do it fairly simply.” Massie suggested weaving firefly imagery into a nostalgia-themed soiree.

“I saw some great types of firefly lights at www.zenfireflies.com that alternate lighting up, just like Christmas lights,” she said.

For centerpieces, she suggests lighted jars that look like old Mason jars that you can find at shelleybdecorandmore.blogspot.com. “It’s sort of like when you were a kid and caught fireflies in a jar,” she said.

You can accent the jars with grass, Gerber daises or other flowers.

Massie said that she recommends a later start time, to avoid the later summer heat, and using picnic tables for dining.

“If you use placemats and wrapped silverware, then you don’t have to worry about the wind blowing up a tablecloth,” she said. “Use a cute hair tie for the silverware wraps, then give them as party favors for the women. Or use a woven placemat and accent with dragonfly pins normally used as jewelry.” Strategic use of music will enhance your summer nostalgia theme, according toMassie.

“Play the hit songs of the summers from the high school or college years of your guests,” she said. “People love to be reminded of their youth.”Travel themes Capitalizing on summer travel is itself a potential end-ofsummer party theme, said Pettit.

“One concept I keep coming back to is the idea of ‘what did I do on my summer vacation,’” she said. “It’s always fun to talk about where you went over the summer.” For vacation themes, use vintage maps as placemats, or vintage postcards or luggage tags for place cards, Pettit suggests. Use a steamship or luggage motif on your invitations.

If you want to go potluck, asks guests to bring a dish from where they went that summer, she said.

“Or, center the menu around where you traveled. The host can also ask guests to send a link to their vacation photos and put together a slideshow.” Pettit said other party activities can also incorporate the summer vacation theme.

“Have a wine tasting where each guests brings a wine from the region that they visited,” she said. “People can guess what wine goes with what vacation.” She also suggested a scavenger hunt, with items on the list such as exotic vodkas.

“There are so many cool vodkas from different places around the world.” Venues Your end-of-summer party doesn’t necessarily need to happen at your home, pointed out Julie Eastman, owner of Extraordinary Events & Design in FortWorth.

For example, you could host a party at a local winery.

“A winery party at a local vineyard is unique because you can have a tasting or a full-out catered event inside the winery, and you can go outside after the sun sets,” said Eastman.

Barn parties are another option, where you can be outdoors but have some covering, she said.

“You can string lights and dance under the stars.” Another party concept that can be executed away from home involves a twist on the progressive dinner party.

Summer send-off “Several new restaurants opened in Fort Worth this summer,” said Pettit. “I think it would be fun to put a group together to check out what opened up while you were traveling.” The party could caravan to one venue for salad, another for dinner and so on, she said.

Eats and drinks If you’re throwing a nostalgia-themed party, Massie suggested serving a menu of summer-themed foods with a gourmet twist.

For example, she recommends Texas Caviar, a version of black-eyed pea salad that can be eaten with tortilla chips, or hummus with black-eyed peas.

Another option is an upscale burger bar, with sirloin, lamb or eggplant for vegetarians, along with different toppings such as aged cheddar, goat cheese, spinach, bleu cheese or avocado.

“That way everyone can create their own and it’s something a little bit Unexpected,” she said.

For sides, she suggests new takes on old favorites, such as grilled corn rubbed with lime and chili powder or a watermelon salad.

Aimee Deputy, senior manager for marketing and communications at CentralMarket, said the chain offers a wealth of menu items and recipes ideal for an end-of-summer gathering.

For an cool summer entree, she suggests a light salad, dressed with champagne vinaigrette.

And try a tasty finger food to go along with it —tall glasses or bowls filled with pommes frites, which are thin and crispy fries, and make several dipping sauces.

“Or you can buy dips from the Central Market bulk bar: Love Dip, creamy Dijon, or let us help you make a spicy mayo,” Deputy said.

For a festive summer beverage, she recommended Lorina Pink Lemonade in the old-fashioned bottles.

“Wrap them in summery, colorful paper to dress up the table.” Massie’s summer drink picks include pineapple limeade and white grape juice with ginger ale. She also recommends a jalapeno cucumber mint margarita, a drink recipe you can find at www.tracyladolcevita.blogspot.com. And for a great gourmet summer dessert, she suggested grilled peaches served with a sweet tea-and-vodka whipped cream.

Another nostalgic choice for desserts is gourmet cupcakes.

The Cupcake Cottage bakes cupcakes for all sorts of celebrations, said Sandra Bradshaw, co-owner of the FortWorth-based bakery.

“Cupcakes topped in white, yellow and light orange butter cream will add a sweet touch to a ‘goodbye summer, hello fall’ party,” said Bradshaw.

Bradshaw said cupcakes are the perfect treat for parties, because they’re easy for guests to carry around while mingling. Just remember to include a place to toss the paper liners.

“Decorative gifts bags placed in various locations can easily serve as the perfect place for liners to be tossed,” she said.

Flower power When it comes to setting the stage for your party, you can have a lot of fun coordinating linens, dinnerware, party favors and table decorations,Especially when you have a theme.

And although there are many creative ways to dress up a summer party table, Deputy has a final piece of advice for hosts and hostesses — you can never go wrong with fresh-cut flowers.

“Roses are in long supply this summer, so great deals can be had,” said Deputy. “Decorate all sizes of vases with roses in bloom.”TIPS FOR THE PERFECT PARTY:  If you’re going paperless, consider some stylish e-sources: www.paperlesspost.com or www.iomoi.com.  When shopping for party decorations and favors — think outside the box: visit another area of the store and see what you can repurpose toward your theme. Check out the children’s area, or the bridal section.

 Simple is best: select three or four items to use as centerpieces and use them repeatedly throughout your venue.

 Prepare what you can the day before: cold appetizers, marinating meats, even set the table.

 Remember that wine and beer usually require three hours to chill.

 Set up multiple areas where guests can refill their own drinks.

This will relieve your burden and allow guests to mingle while prepping drinks.

 If you are throwing a cocktail party, make sure you offer plenty of snack items so that guests aren’t drinking on an empty stomach.

 Texas weather is unpredictable. Make sure you have a backup plan if you’re going to host an outdoor party.

 Be sure have citronella candles and fans, to keep bugs and heat at bay.

 Hire an event planner: specialists can help you develop themes, décor and invitations, as well as manage your day so that you are free to relax and enjoy your party.