This month’s entertaining feature is a party that’s perfect for any time of year. It’s always Fiesta time in my opinion and never too early for a Margarita, right?

So how did I take my back patio from ordinary to Mexican-inspired chic for this festive event? With a little Mexican hat dance, I guess.  Sombrero’s are a great place to start for any party that’s theme is south of the border. I tied them on chair backs to make my regular furniture fabulous!

Colorful pillows add zing all around my event. And don’t be afraid to mix your stripes, the more layered the patterns, the more charm your party will have. I mixed a variety of striped serapes with pillows of all sorts for a truly eclectic Mexican decor.

What are the 3 most import words in Fiesta decor? Color! Color! Color! We even offered our guests color in their Mexican soda pops.

Underneath all the festive additions is my teak furniture and striped Sunbrella fabrics. And I often say start with what you’ve got, so once I added in a few festive touches, my normal patio decor is suddenly Muy Bueno!!

You don’t always have to go to authentic Mexican sources to find great Fiesta decor. Although many of these festive elements were found that way, often the perfect pieces are right under your nose in sources you visit every day.  Take these adorable color-blocked Dransfield and Ross pillows.  Could they be more perfect for the theme? I layered in several of Dransfield’s patterns to keep with my “collected” look.

And to make things  more fun and quirky, we created a little homage to the famous Latino Holiday El Dia de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead” by creating a shrine of sorts to famous Latinos.  Candles, roses, crosses and a skull or two gave this area perfect touch.

And my little Spanish-speaking senorita helped with the finishing details in her perfectly coordinated pink Mexican dress!

We even had Senor Fairley tending the bar.  So no one went without a freshly made Margarita for long.

The menu was filled with Fajitas, Queso and other spicy fare. But it was the homemade Guacamole that got the best reviews.

Gerbers and tulips paired perfectly for the table, while these great bottle lanterns and paper flowers finished off the umbrella with style.

Want to make your own paper flowers? Watch this great video for a step-by-step tutorial.

With these entertaining ideas and a few of your own, you can have a chic and successful Fiesta in your backyard.

Adios Amigos! I’m off for a Margarita because we all know,  ”it’s five o’clock somewhere!”