We’ve been slowly been upgrading our patio this summer so that we can enjoy more dinners outside, so I used Father’s Day this year as an excuse to stock up on a few fun (and super inexpensive!) outdoor dining accessories and throw my husband a simple dinner party with all of his favorites.

I built the patio table last year form these plans and went for more of a modern look by mixing Glossy Black legs w/a Sunbleached wood top, and grabbed these outdoor chairs from Target (which I can’t say enough good things about!  Those cushions are super thick and they dry super fast).  Over Memorial day I picked this amazing outdoor rug from Rugs USA to bring in a bold pattern.  Our umbrella has touches of blue/orange, which is basically my favorite color combo, and I think it works perfectly for a more masculine table so I used that as a jumping off point when shopping for outdoor supplies.

Between IKEA and Target I was able to find some very affordable outdoor chargers, plates, trays, cups, and even a great pitcher with a built in chiller.  They’re simple enough that I can use them in any number of table settings and easily bring in other colors.  (Fun note – I did not buy that bag, it was actually my mom’s present to my husband that just happened to match the table perfectly.  I accidentally bought a Happy Birthday bag that I didn’t bother to read until I got home!)

I had a hard time finding an outdoor table runner that I liked, but while I was at Five Below picking up summer stuff for the kids I spotted some $5 rugs that I thought could work.  I ended up cutting it in half which worked out pretty well.  For the napkins, I picked up a pack of kitchen towels from IKEA and cut them in half too.  Using some twine and chalkboard tags I already had I tried to mimic the look of a tie at each setting.   I basically have to restrain myself from covering in blue/white stripes and plaid so I know I’ll get a lot of use out of these guys.  To add a little touch of green I just stole the succulents from my morning room (which are still going strong from my Easter table!)

I filled the rest of the table with some of the guest of honor’s favorite things – Victory Beer, deviled eggs, guacamole/chips, and popcorn – of and of course a few footballs.

For Father’s day dinner, I always cook my husband his favorite meal – braised lamb tacos.  It’s something that I can put in the oven and let cook for a long time while the house fills with the most incredible aroma!  On the side I cooked up some black beans with a few jalapenos, and some Mexican Rice (I am really digging the recipe from the Magnolia Cookbook and have made it several times already).

My husband isn’t the biggest dessert guy, but one of his favorite recipes is this Chocolate Banana Carmel Ice Cream Pie.  It takes a while to make so I start it the day before – but it is so worth it!

I’ll be adding all of these recipes to my Recipe page so if you’re looking for a great summer meal that’s a little different than your usual BBQ be sure to give them a try!