Every summer, my family gathers 'round for a big seafood dinner at my parents' house on Smith Mountain Lake. We sit on the deck and drink wine and eat with our hands and watch the sun set. It's really good. I am so excited to be moving closer to home and making things like this just a quick three hour drive away.

The last time I was in Roanoke, I gathered my family and invited a couple of friends to come over for our annual seafood boil. It was a lovely evening and we all had a great time. I served La Crema Chardonnay--everyone's favorite--and we drank and ate and just enjoyed each other's company.

I was kind of surprised at how beautiful a table set with paper and covered with seafood ended up being, so I thought I'd share a few tips for throwing a great, shabby-chic seafood boil party:

• Use brown paper or newspaper as a table cloth--it looks festive and is super functional, since you'll be throwing it away after dinner. I cut up some brown grocery bags and topped it with a few sheets of newspaper. I think the combination looks really nice!
• White plates, crab claw crackers, and a couple rolls of paper towels are really all you need--unless you're serving a vegetable as well (we had steamed broccoli), you don't even need forks!
• Use a citronella candle to ward off mosquitos, and use some matching tea lights to fancy up the table a bit more if you wish.
• Finally, a simple vase of flowers (I cut some roses from our neighbor's yard...it's kind of an inside joke we have going) adds an extra pop of color to really make the table look put together.

One of my favorite things I've come to realize from working with La Crema over the past four months is this: details can often be really special, and nothing is so small that it isn't worth celebrating. Summer, friends, family, wine, and really huge shrimp all make life a little brighter. So get together with people you love and, for any or no reason at all, enjoy a fantastic meal together. Cheers!

This post is sponsored by La Crema. Thank you for your support as I continue to work with brands. Make sure to visit the La Crema Blog for the seafood boil recipe!

Photos by the lovely Sarah of Photo + Love.

Summer has most definitely come to Minneapolis, and I can't think of a better way to spend a warm afternoon than outside with snacks and a refreshing drink. So when I was asked if I wanted to try Jose Cuervo's new Iced Teagarita, which is basically an iced tea spiked with a margarita, I was like, well--yeah, I do. Not only did they send me the bottle, but they included a couple of sweet mason jars, striped paper straws (which I love more than is necessary), and some cute summery coasters. I am now ready for a party!

I wasn't super sure what to expect from the Teagarita, since I don't really care for super-sweet drinks, but I do love interesting flavor combinations, so I was excited to give it a try. As it turns out, the result of a classic lime margarita with tequila, blended with orange liqueur, and topped off with iced tea is really refreshing and delicious.

Teagarita launched in May and is gaining wider distribution as summer goes on, so if you haven't seen it around yet, you will soon! Visit Jose Cuervo on Facebook right here.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

I'm not sure if you guys caught on yet or not, but Rob and I kind of love Minneapolis, especially in the summer. Lately, we've been spending a lot of time at the Stone Arch Bridge, one of my favorite spots in the city, mostly because of the fantastic view it offers.

The other day, we met up with Brooke of Brooke Alexandra Photography (who is one of the sweetest people ever) to snap a few photos, because I know you guys aren't sick of seeing pictures of me and Rob together yet, are you? (That was a joke...kind of. But just in case, I made sure to leave the white dress at home.)

While the city itself is fantastic as always, we've also been spending a lot of time at home, in the park across the street, on our patio, or upstairs on the roof to watch the sunset with a couple glasses of wine. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite ways to unwind after a long week.

How do you like to spend your summer evenings? Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

This post is sponsored by La Crema. Thank you for your support as I continue to work with brands. For a few tips for packing a great summer picnic, take a look at my post here, on The La Crema blog.