Summertime parties have always been a favorite of mine. Growing up, there were a lot of warm weather birthdays in my family, so there were plenty of outdoor events where cake and rapidly melting ice cream ruled, and the world’s biggest problem seemed to be who got to lick frosting off the candles after the big blowout. The preparation ahead of the party was as just fun as the party itself. A pretty tablecloth fluttering in the breeze, bright napkins, icy cold lemonade and crepe paper hats – everything was homemade; of course.