Thank you to World Market for sponsoring this post and thank you to all of your that support the brands that help make Living with Landyn possible. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

There is nothing better than having a good group of girlfriends. Girls you can laugh with and be yourself around. I love my husband and my kids, but there is just something about girlfriends that makes life easier.

Any opportunity I get to have some of my girlfriends over, even if it is just a small get together with cheese and crackers or a quick call asking them to come over real quick because I need someone to talk to. I love finding opportunities to celebrate my girlfriends and what they mean to me. I decided that I wanted to have some girls over and rather than doing a large dinner or just a small snack, I thought of having a lot of appetizers and some drinks! It turned out to be a great time and want to show you all how I changed my empty back patio into a gorgeous space for parties, relaxation and just living.

I had been wanting to do something with my outdoor patio for years. It is partially shaded and the perfect place to be outside in the evening, but we never put any furniture out there since we moved in. I guess I never found anything that I really liked for the space. But when I looked online at World Market, I found some outdoor furniture that I absolutely loved. It looks like something from a high-end furniture store but obviously for a fraction of the price! Even though they are a steal, they are extremely well built. Trust me, I had to go into my local World Market on Charlotte Pike to check it out, and as soon as I saw it in person, I was sold. It is gorgeous and spoke right to my clean aesthetic and since it is all neutral colors, you can add whatever accent colors you like. For me it was black and white but I could have thrown a fuchsia pillow on there and loved it. It is such a versatile set that you could put the furniture in any backyard and it would seamlessly fit.

I added some pieces and chairs that bring in some modern accessories. It was so easy to match and look so pretty all together. Everything was quickly delivered and I now love sitting outside in the mornings to drink my coffee and enjoy the calm of the start of the day.

margarita mix | pig grill | palm leaf | drink dispenser

I had already been thinking of having some of my girlfriends over to see my new outdoor furniture, and I knew I wanted to make something Mexican. Mexican is my favorite food in the world. I could eat guacamole by the spoonful if it were socially acceptable to do so. It is just an easy cuisine to whip up and there is something for everyone. Plus I love tequila so margs are always a must.

Of course when I went into my World Market store to look at the furniture, I had to take a look around. World Market changes their inventory so frequently that I am always pleasantly surprised when I go in. plus who doesn't love walking out what a cart full of goodies? If I ever have time to kill or just want to go look around, World Market is the place.

One of the things that make shopping at World Market so easy is that they categorize the displays seasonally, so it is easy to look and find inspiration for each season. I found drink mixes, cocktail napkins and little plates and I immediately got inspired. I grabbed some margarita mix and some tortilla chips, if you saw my Instagram story when I was there, I talked about how I wanted a tray to place cut citrus fruits on it as my main centerpiece. You guys, the ideas were just flowing that day! I could just see the pretty grapefruit peach color with the yellows and oranges. Then I found Jalapeno sauces and this adorable Pig grill! How cute and interactive is that?! After just seeing the grill I knew that shrimp kabobs would be the perfect thing to quickly cook while we are eating and drinking! I got this yummy habanero mango sauce to marinate the shrimp in which gave them incredible flavor.

I love a charcuterie board. It gives guest options, none of the food on it is too heavy and it just looks beautiful. I grabbed some Spanish olives, nuts and cheeses. World Market has some of the best seasoned cashews and pepitas, so I tossed them together as a little snack mix. There are no rules to this thing! Sometimes you just gotta follow your tastebuds.

| bamboo picks | table runner | candle holders

Right after I saw the margarita mix, my eyes fell on these gorgeous bubble blown glass margarita pitcher and glasses. They are the prettiest things I have ever seen. They usually always have the glasses with the blue rim, which is super cute, but the white was so me that I just had to get it in my cart.

When I decided on the black and white theme for the throw pillows, everything else just seemed to come together! I looked up and these plates that would match perfectly were sitting right there! I mean it was all just meant to be! It all went so well together and it was so easy to put together. I am a creative person, but even if you aren't, World Market just makes it feel like everything is right at your fingertips and right in the same area together for all your decorating needs.

I had a such a great time hosting my sweet friends and loved eating great food and the atmosphere was so gorgeous that I almost forgot that we were in MY backyard! I am so satisfied with my World Market patio and I cant wait to keep adding and decorating as the seasons change!

MY FURNITURE

MY PARTY SUPPLIES

MEXICAN street CORN COUSCOUS SALAD

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

- Kosher salt
- 3 ears of corn on the cob, shucked and rinsed
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups sugar snap peas, chopped
- Ground black pepper
- 1 package of Israel couscous, cooked according to directions
- 1/2 cup of crumbled cojita cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 limes

WHAT TO DO

1- Bring large pot of water to a boil

2- Add corn. Turn off the heat and cover for five minutes. Meanwhile, place ice and water in a medium sized bowl.

3- Remove the corn and put into ice baths. Remove one cooled, using the dame pot of water, add snap peas and cook for two minutes.

4- Make another ice bath and repeat for snap peas.

5- Cut corn off the cob. Place in bowl. Chop snap peas and place in bowl.

6- In a small bowl, combine apple cider vinegar, 2 tbs of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, zest of 1 lime and the juice of 2 limes.

7- Toss together couscous, cojits cheese, chili powder cilantro, corn, sugar snap peas and dressing, Garnish with cilantro. May be served at room temperature or chilled.