Are you a The Summer I Turned Pretty fan? Are you stoked for the finale?! Well, if you are, I think you should throw a little finale party. Susannah would want you to, wouldn’t she?
I threw a super last-minute TSITP hype party last week, and I made it quick and easy enough for you to do easily, too. We’re keeping it simple:
Food
Drinks
Coastal decor
Streaming TSITP, obviously
If you’re more of a visual person, check out our video from the party:
Food
There are a few categories to work with here, and I included all three in my party. Feel free to mix and match however feels right for you.
You can customize and download the food tents here.
I put in one giant order at Walmart (And as much as I’d love to say this is sponsored by them, it’s sadly not!), had it delivered shortly after, and boom—done. I included links to everything so you could do the same and keep it easy, easy.
(Some of the product links I share are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. It's one of the ways I help support the work that goes into creating 40 Aprons!)
Here’s what we’ve got:
Show-Specific Foods
The themed foods are always so fun, and I wasn’t skipping them for this party for sure. They eat a lot in TSITP, so I had loads of choices, but I pulled a few classics that were as easy to make as they were to recognize.
Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, and Junior Mints: Classic TV-watching snacks that had big moments in the show. I put out “Team Jeremiah” food tents for the Swedish Fish, and “Team Conrad” versions for the Sour Patch Kids
Streusel muffins: aka “The Good Muffins”
Tomato bisque in little cups with strips of grilled cheese on top: A nod to Belly’s famous order at the restaurant when everyone else is ordering like, the Wagyu. Grilled cheese for joy.
Coastal, Cousins-Inspired Foods
No TSITP party would be complete without Cousins Beach-inspired coastal classics! I decided to put together large grazing board full of New England foods, shared with a little touch from France. I kept it really basic but fun:
Fish dip and saltines
Crab cakes with lemon-dill aioli
Lobster rolls, with croissants instead of buns (French touch!)
Clam chowder “shooters” with oyster crackers on top
French Foods
Hello, Paris?! I’m always up for French food, and I wanted to incorporate a few as a nod to Belly’s time there, as well as the set of the finale! I made a giant grazing board that was split between New-England beachy classics and traditional French snacks. Here’s what I included:
Brie (slathered with peach preserves, of course!)
Raspberries
Other French cookies
I actually had a ton of this on hand, since I’m a Francophile through and through, but you can include whatever’s available and accessible.
Drinks
I combined show-specific drinks (Koolaid margaritas!) with vibe-y drinks to honor both Cousins and France.
Pomegranate Kool-Aid Margaritas: A classic from the show, and super easy to make. Try this recipe! You’ll need pomegranate juice and liquid cherry Kool-Aid, which is key to a bright color and WAY easier than dealing with powdered mix.
Belly-nis: My twist on a Bellini, which has peaches and French champagne. It felt like a total must. You’ll need peach purée or peach nectar and, OK, let’s not use the French champagne actually? Maybe some cheap prosecco. Carry on.
Iced tea bar: A coastal option to fit the ambience, I poured a ton of Milo’s Unsweetened Iced Tea in a coastal-ish beverage dispenser and offered sweeteners, sliced lemons, sliced peaches, raspberries, and fresh mint alongside it.
Decor
I went deep in our attic and pulled out allllllll the coastal decor. We used:
my beloved wood letter board with “Team Jeremiah or Team Conrad” on it,
some coastal fish decor that we typically display in spring and summer,
faux hydrangeas to honor the beach house,
muted blue linens from some kid party past,
peaches! In skinny vases, to honor “the peach scene,”
all the shells and starfish I could find from a Little Mermaid party, and
“fish nets” from the same party
My friend hand-painted the “Welcome to Cousins Beach” sign on cardboard, and I could not get over the cuteness. Those two things together? Instant TSITP mood, and it was all we needed.
What We Wore
I asked my friends to wear their best coastal chic, which inevitably led to everyone wearing their finest Hill House dresses. So comfy, especially if a party is all about eating a lot and then rotting on a couch.
OK, so what are you hoping for in the finale?! We’re all Team Conrad… right? Tell me more!!
A quick note about links:
Some of the product links I share are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. It's one of the ways I help support the work that goes into creating 40 Aprons!