When July rolls around we’re ready to embrace the summer blues—and by blues we don’t mean our mood! July is bright blue skies, beautiful blue hydrangeas, juicy blueberries, and clear blue waters. We’d say a blue moon too, but the next one looks to be arriving in August… Oh well, it’s good to remind ourselves that from the start, partager la joie has always been about sharing the joy, not feeling disappointed when things don’t line up in total perfection. This is the vibe that inspires us when we incorporate a blue and white theme in many of our July design styles—from table settings to fashion and epicure. We are singing the blues—crisp, cool, and quintessentially summer. Hello, July!
July Gatherings
Though we love to host large celebratory events, one of the small silver linings of the past year that we really came to appreciate is the art of planning small, low-stress gatherings that foster meaningful conversation and connection. July offers plenty of opportunities for celebrations both elaborate and simple, extravagant and intimate, so now that we’re at the height of summer, let’s add some summer spontaneity and share some summer joy with friends and family.
Independence Day
Celebrate the 4th of July with a red, white, and blue-themed sunset cocktail party or a garden barbecue featuring loads of grilled seasonal veggies! Our summer roasted corn soup paired with blueberry cobbler are easy ways to please a crowd and can be assembled ahead of time, leaving you free to enjoy socializing with your guests. As long as your home is NOT located in an area where fire risk is an issue, get some sparklers and simple fireworks for the kids! Or simply sit back and enjoy your municipality’s fireworks display. Alternately, plan a daytime celebration: a beach picnic or a visit to a historic site to commemorate our heritage. (Needless to say, all of the above activities can be a joyous outing anytime in July…)
Outdoor Pizza Making
Gather the family and plan a pizza party. Everybody loves pizza, but preparing, cooking and enjoying it under the stars makes it an extra special event. We’ve highlighted a fresh tomato pizza with basil and mozzarella in our epicure, and our grilled summer veggies make outstanding pizza toppings, too. As a good way to get children and teenagers thinking about eating choices that are healthy for them and the planet, put each family member in charge of choosing and preparing a few toppings, with a challenge that at least one be something fresh and seasonal. Getting everyone involved in the process is a sure-fire way to share laughs and enjoy a delightful evening!
Ice Cream Social
This summer we’re craving social gatherings as much as refreshing treats, so let’s bring this sweet, old-fashioned get-together back into style! If you create a make-your-own sundae ice cream bar at home, be sure to try our waffle cone recipe or make your own ice cream sandwiches with our decadent sea salt chocolate chip cookies and a scoop of your favorite flavor for filling. Organizing a group outing for ice cream or gelato is also a great way to bring people together and support a local business. For a well-rounded day out, make the ice cream stop the sweet reward at the end of a hike or a swim!
Prioritize Fun Family Time
School’s out, so make the most of the long days together and set sail, play a round of golf or tennis, spend an afternoon at the beach, take a bike ride or a hike, and organize some lawn games. Whether it’s roasting marshmallows, splashing in the pool, or a patio barbecue or outdoor pizza party—take advantage of every opportunity July offers to enjoy outdoor summer fun with your family.
Design Notes
Pick your flower power: At partager la joie it’s hydrangeas, hydrangeas, hydrangeas! These blue bombshells are our bloom of choice when we think of July’s heatwaves and buoyant celebrations. They are stunning as part of a patriotic theme arrangement, but they also pair well with yellow sunflowers for a rustic farm-to-table dinner. Team them up with fragrant lavender in your indoor bouquets. But don’t stop there — if you love flowers, this is your season of joy, with so many bright blooms to choose from for your beautiful table arrangements, including dahlias, delphinium, and daylilies.
Set the table: Think simple and seasonal with your table design. You know we love our neutrals but blue and white makes a fabulous July-inspired styled summer table. Rustic elements like mason jars for glasses or woven accents also add a carefree summer touch to table and home decor. With Independence Day on the horizon, it’s time to show a patriotic flair with blue and white dish towels or checkered napkins, red tin plates, and mini-flags. (Maybe you’ve still got some style elements leftover from Flag Day to recycle or upcycle as a thoughtful gesture toward sustainable entertaining!)
Looking for design ideas? Find out more about our unique virtual Inspiration Workshops here
Display seasonal fruits and vegetables. We love to serve watermelon and cherries this month—refreshing and in season, they can be the red in your red, white, and blue and they pair well with any barbecue. Or make it a flag with our Watermelon, Blueberry and Feta Salad! Add nasturtiums to your salads for their color bursts and slightly spicy notes, and sprinkle fresh lavender buds in your lemonade pitcher. Craft your cocktails with a blueberry simple syrup, which is so easy to make and evokes a classic summer vibe.
Organize your outdoor tableware: picnic basket, lanterns, sticks for marshmallow roasting, extra candles, bug repellant, and a beach bag with fouta towels, refillable water bottles, and sunscreen so you’re ready at a moment's notice for whatever kind of fun summer has in store for you and yours.
July Finds We’re Excited About
Now that travel is back on our agenda, our organic cotton travel set is making a debut, featuring a travel blanket and eye mask in a handy pouch for slipping into your carry-on. To welcome a new addition, we have adorable white cotton baby blanket gift sets. Our woven candle holders, planters and vases are a super stylish way to add a little summer to your outdoor table. Light and airy scented candles and roll-on fragrances round out our stocked wellness collection. Beautiful summer dresses, slides, organic cotton scarves, and accessories are new in our chic style section. Come take a look around! Shop partager la joie
Epicure
This month we’d like to put special emphasis on supporting local farmers and eating seasonal fruits and veggies. Local economies everywhere are in recovery mode these days, and we can all be a positive force by taking care about where we choose to be patrons. Aside from being simply delicious, making a commitment to eat fresh, local, and minimally processed foods is great for teaching children cooking skills and helps to facilitate healthy eating habits with benefits that will last a lifetime.
Try an experiment in July: at least once a day, set out a platter of crudités, or cut raw vegetables, packed with vitamins and fiber and ready for snacking: carrots, peppers, cucumbers, fennel, celery, sweet peas, cherry tomatoes… Munching on crunchy, sweet crudités is awfully addictive, even without the rich and unnecessary dipping sauces we often serve with them. Watch in wonder as you and your family form positive new snacking habits. Getting your family involved in creative food preparation and trying new recipes together, with seasonal ingredients like the ones we’ve highlighted in this month’s recipes, instills a sense of pride—along with the clear nutritional benefits (it’s a win-win!).
Visit our epicure page to make our July favorites:
Watermelon, Blueberry and Feta Flag Salad
Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella Pizza
Allez les Bleus!
That’s what they say in France to cheer on the national soccer team, but we like to think of it as our July mantra. Make the most of these long, blue days and short balmy nights, and enjoy that carefree summer feeling! This July in particular is our opportunity to gather, relish togetherness, make joyful memories, connect, and just be with the ones we love. Ride that summer wave, relax, and enjoy all those special moments with loved ones. You deserve it. Even the simplest moments of joy can become sweet memories for a lifetime when you share them with the family and friends who matter most.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
