It’s that time of year when we all become a bit more Irish…St. Paddy’s Day! I love the enthusiasm at all the Irish pubs with their green beer. And I don’t mind and even enjoy donning my green. But I must come clean in saying, I’m not a big fan of the ole customary corned beef and cabbage. Gasp!
As a kiddo, my mom would so sweetly cook it for our family and the smell of the house alone would lose me. So, this year as I gathered some of my peeps, I decided to give myself permission to go a different direction. St. Patrick’s Day with a Twist. I told them to sport their green attire, but instead of green beer and traditional Irish cuisine, Shamrockaritas (AKA margaritas) and Mexican faire would be served!
We’d just come off National Margarita Day (which in my book, really every day is Margarita Day LOL), so it seemed perfect to just ride the vibe and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a la Mexican panache!
The St. Patrick’s Day ambiance was still my focus, and light-heart and FUN was the goal. This is how I went about setting the table decor:
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Table Decor:
Linens:
- I grounded the table with a white textured tablecloth. My tablecloth is actually part of some linens my mom bought years ago in Turkey, and I love the thick texture it has. I found this one by Martha Stewart that has some pattern to it.
- Table runner that is REVERSIBLE for St. Patrick’s Day & Valentine’s. I have to say I bought this one on a leap of faith and it did not disappoint. It is really well made and get ready to see it next year when I use it for my Valentine’s Day table. So cute and who doesn’t LOVE a 2-fer?!
- Kelly Green Linen Napkins – I’ve purchased this brand previously and they have washed and held up really well.
Tableware:
- I used my gold chargers to anchor and to add a little bling to the table.
- My everyday white Strawberry & Vine Wedgewood plates were just the ticket. White dishes are a great staple that go with everything.
- I found this gold silverware at Home Goods. (Such a dangerous place for me to go as I find all kinds of things I didn’t know I needed and had to have! lol) But these are pretty darn close! Love the weight of them and the color worked nicely with my theme.
Centerpieces:
- Brushed gold vases purchased years ago at Target that are no longer available (very close to these) were used for the floral arrangements.
- Flowers used within the bouquets were: Mums, Veronica, Yellow Spray Roses, White Filler, Eucalyptus, Bells of Ireland (how perfect is that?!) and Ranunculus.
- I added in some Shamrocks-on-a-Stick found at Dollar Tree. (I saw these on Amazon, but honestly the reviews weren’t that great.)
To see my Easy Peezy Guide to making Floral Arrangements out of Market Flowers, click HERE!
Additional St. Paddy’s Decor:
- Votive candles in green and gold down the table runner. These votives were purchased for one of my Favorite Things Parties, and I have used them for so many occasions!
- From my own stash from past years, I added some multi-colored felt shamrocks throughout the tablescape.
- I added plastic gold coins I purchased at Dollar Tree. (I did find this packet that has coins AND confetti that would be really cute, too).
- Shamrock tinsel garland was also added down the center of the table.
Check out last years’ St. Patrick’s Day Tablescape HERE!
Favors:
Always one to give my guests a little something for the road…and BONUS: It adds some FUN and pizzazz to each place setting to finish the table.
- Mini cauldrons were used for each guests “pot of gold”.
- Gold foil wrapped Rolos candy that are just right for their gold ‘treasure’
- Gold foil shreds to as filler to complete the favors
For a Little Extra Bling:
For some additional decoration to make the dining room festive (that apparently I did not get a picture of!):
- I hung fairy lights along the wall next to the dining table.
- Reused the felt Shamrock Garland from last year
- Shamrock tinsel garland was also added.
- With a final touch, good old-fashioned mylar balloons to tie it together!
Kitchen Set Up:
Shamrock-arita Station:
Everything they needed to make their Shamrockaritas were ready to rock-n-roll for my guests:
- Glassware set up and easy to grab
- Colored salt for the rim
- Margaritas (pre-mixed) and poured into glass bottles for ease
- Sliced limes
- Ice bucket full of ice with tongs
- Cocktail napkins
I had a second beverage station with wine, sodas and water…just in case Shamrockaritas were not their “thing”…but there were few takers. Everyone was Shamrockarita-ing it! 🙂
**Note: So, I made the error of using green gel food coloring instead of the drops as it was all I had in the cupboard. Apparently I was a little too agressive in the amount of green I used and the first one to take a sip of their darling cocktail ended up with green lips and teeth. (Don’t worry, it quickly washed away…and honestly, it was hysterical! & my sweet friend was a good sport.)
However…highly recommend using just a few drops of food coloring to tint your salt. The night before, mix approximately ¼ C salt to 2-4 drops of green food coloring and stir. It will dry lighter. Another option is to use green edible glitter.
Yummy Food:
Simple…I ordered from a local Mexican restaurant!
Appetizers: Salsa and chips as well as my homemade guacamole.
Dinner: I set up a taco station along with enchiladas, rice and beans. Plus a girlfriend kindly brought a yummy Mexican Caesar Salad…and voila! Done.
Dessert: Tres Leches cake provided by one of my amazing guests!
Shamrockarita!!
This was such FUN theme…it just lent itself to a very chill and simple evening and lots of laughter!
I hosted this gathering mid-week. Since I work full-time I was able to pre-plan and organize & decorate ahead of time. Then I was able to swing by and pick up the food just before the guests arrived.
PLUS…Getting people mixing their own drinks and building their tacos…took the burden off of me and it was perfect for keeping people moving around and chit chatting. Just loved it! 5 stars…definitely recommend! 😉
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Love the details!! And the idea of ordering pickup! Definitely doable midweek.
Right?! I think we forget we DON’T have to do it all. Thanks for checkin’ in 🙂
Thanks for the tip on drops instead of gel😂
Hard lesson…but yes, great tip! 😉
Love it! Doing a St. Pattys dinner next weekend. Your adorable ideas are an inspiration!
Oh that’s amazing! Have a fantastic time…and send pix! 🙂