Designer Marian “Mimi” Meacham of Marian Louise Designs (marianlouisedesigns.com) describes her aesthetic as “styles to inspire everyday life”—an amalgamation of fresh color, soothing prints and classic design that allow your home to become the backdrop for all your fondest memories and happiest moments. And when it comes to entertaining people this fall, after a long hot summer away, she practices what she preaches, layering floral table linens with earthy place mats and getting just as excited about ranunculus as she does children’s birthday parties. Here, we chatted with Meacham about her top tips for celebrating the changing of the seasons.

Meacham loves to weave florals throughout her tablescapes. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAN LOUISE DESIGNS

1. “Since it’s still super hot in Texas in the fall, we keep our parties close to the pool to keep cool. We love to entertain outdoors or poolside in our backyard—my husband is a wonderful griller, and I love to create fresh salads with in-season fruits and veggies, which taste the best from our garden. Another super easy and yummy drink I make for entertaining guests outdoors is a frosé—I blend rosé, ice, frozen strawberries and a splash of agave, served in cute glasses with a mint leaf.”

Polished gold silverware from Blue Pheasant add the perfect finishing touches. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAN LOUISE DESIGNS

2. “I love hosting a small, intimate formal dinner party for a special occasion, using our nice serving pieces, lighting candles and enjoying conversation and good wines. But a bigger bash calls for a themed buffet line and bartender for easy access to everything. I’m obsessing over the Liliana collection of polished gold silverware from Blue Pheasant (bluepheasant.com) right now.”

Woven placemats from Anthropologie. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAN LOUISE DESIGNS

3. “I love to create a look for my parties, whether it’s a construction-themed first birthday party, a girls night in or a Masters-watching brunch. Some of my go-to elements are personalized cups, fresh florals, cute paper plates and napkins or antique napkins, depending on the event, and always a display of colorful apps to start. These woven bamboo place mats from Anthropologie (anthropologie.com) are so chic and an easy way to make your tabletop pop.”

Dinner napkins from Biscuit Homes. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAN LOUISE DESIGNS

4. “I like to replace our bright spring/summer details with moodier colors that speak to the changing season outside. I love incorporating big, beautiful magnolia leaves from our tree in the backyard, and I send the kids outside to find big pine cones to place in bowls for an inexpensive decor detail. The tones in these adorable dinner napkins from Biscuit Home (biscuit-home.com) are so inspiring, I’d like to design a party around just them!”

Garden varieties. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAN LOUISE DESIGNS

5.“My favorite fall flowers to decorate with are magnolia leaves, ranunculus, berries, roses and succulents of all sorts. Personally, I would throw a fiddle leaf tree into every other room in my house, as it grounds the design of a space and adds additional life.”

6.“I get so excited when it comes time to start planning my kiddos’ birthday parties! My kids are still young enough that I can have fun with it and they don’t get embarrassed... yet! We usually pull season-appropriate themes, or if they are super into something, then we will decide on that for the theme. For instance, we’ve had a huge real snow hill for two years straight for my oldest daughter’s December birthday.”