Host an Anne of Green Gables Picnic

"Oh, Marilla," Anne exclaimed breathlessly, "there's going to be a Sunday-school picnic next week--in Mr. Harmon Andrews's field, right near the lake of Shining Waters. And Mrs. Superintendent Bell and Mrs. Rachel Lynde are going to make ice cream--think of it, Marilla--ice cream! And, oh, Marilla, can I go to it?"

The best part of summertime is picnics, and what could be more fun than an Anne of Green Gables themed picnic, inspired by the most enthusiastic picnic guest herself, Anne Shirley?

In chapter 8 of Anne of Avonlea, Anne decides to celebrate her birthday with a spring picnic, even though her birthday was in March.

"I should have chosen to be born in spring, of course. It must be delightful to come into the world with the mayflowers and violets. You would always feel that you were their foster sister. But since I didn't, the next best thing is to celebrate my birthday in the spring."

Anne invites three friends to join her on a trek into the woods to "spend a golden day making the acquaintance of the spring," exploring beautiful nooks and making friends with the sun, wind and sky.

As per usual, Anne has definite and elaborate ideas about the perfect picnic menu:

"I'm going to have the daintiest things possible. . . things that will match the spring, you understand. . .little jelly tarts and lady fingers, and drop cookies frosted with pink and yellow icing, and buttercup cake. And we must have sandwiches too, though they're not very poetical."

And with that, the gauntlet has been thrown down, and WE shall have the most poetical sandwiches ever to grace a picnic blanket!

PREPARING YOUR PICNIC-SCAPE

But first, let's set the stage. For an enchanted springtime picnic to befit the romantic dreams of our favorite fictional heroine, we'll need to start with a beautiful blanket. Pack a few pastel pillows as well, to make sitting more comfortable and extend the amount of time you want to stay on the ground!

Find or borrow a vintage wicker picnic basket or hamper (which looks like a little suitcase), and pack up your loveliest dishes -- extra points if they're floral or pink. Wrap them for transport in cloth napkins in springtime shades of green, pink and yellow, and don't forget to include silverware tied in bundles for each guest with a silk ribbon.

We shall have the most delicious berry-flavored iced tea at our picnic, along with a lovely pitcher of lemonade, so pack a pretty teacup and saucer for each guest. These can be used to drink either of our beverage selections. It doesn't matter if the cups don't match the dishes, or even each other -- the variety will add to the charm of your "table" setting. If your teacup collection is a little thin, use regular glasses in as old-fashioned a style as you can find. Pink depression glass would be adorable, especially if you can pick some up at your local thrift shop.

You'll need serving dishes for your food and large pitchers for your drinks. If you're hosting this picnic in your backyard, you might like to set up a small table to hold your refreshments... they'll be further from the ants and you won't have to worry about the pitchers falling over on uneven terrain. If you're packing up this picnic to bring to a park, remember that items of this size aren't likely to fit into your sweet little vintage picnic basket, so gather up a few bags to do the job -- in a perfect world, these would be cloth book bags in a floral print, but of course, you can carry your supplies any way you like :)

And speaking of dining al fresco, I have a fun little portable table that I like to bring when we eat at outdoor concerts -- it rolls up when not in use, and it's made of wood so it can be styled to match any type of picnic menu. If you don't have to walk very far, and you have plenty of help carrying your items, you might consider bringing a small table as well, along with a little tablecloth or floral tea towel to cover it.

Just for fun, you can pack a tiny vase or mason jar to fill with flowers and make your picnic spread look "just divine!" as Anne might say. And on a more practical note, don't forget to b