Posted on 07.14.17

Summer is the best time to entertain. Not only are the menus made special by the wealth of farmers markets or the produce from our own backyards, but dinner or a party outdoors lets us take in summer breezes and the relaxing comfort of sinking into a cushion on a wicker chair. Serving your food on a paper plate will do in a pinch, but if you want to make the meal special for family and guests, bring out the melamine plates to get the look of china without the worry of breakage.

Stephany East, owner of The Squirrel’s Nest at 119 E. Patrick St., has a stash of plates, platters and bowls in her shop, ready for your famous homemade potato salad or array of deviled eggs.

The shop also carries a line of ceramic pots and planters, perfect for growing herbs, as well as other items to spruce up your outdoor living space. One section of shelves is devoted to placemats and other tableware with a Maryland blue crab theme.

The Squirrel’s Nest also carries the essentials for a picnic, whether it’s a tote for the food or a colorful blanket that has vinyl on one side to guard against any dew on the grass. How’s that for worry-free summer living?