Summer is easily my favorite time of year to host. Holiday hosting is always memorable, but there is an air of stress to it. “Did I grab a gift for so and so?” “Sarah’s mom has the flu, should we check if her daughter is coming? If not, let’s drop off extra food.” “If the party ends at 7, we could pop over to their Favorite Things Party an hour late!” Navigating the schedules and the holiday details almost make it to where you can’t enjoy every single moment. But hosting in the warmer weather brings about a relaxed feel. It’s less Paperless Posts and more, “The kids want to keep playing, why don’t you just stay for dinner!” No after-school activities to compete with on the schedule. You get to lean into the essence of hospitality and focus more on your guests vs. a guest list.

As you look forward to summer, I wanted to share my top 10 Courtly Check pieces for hosting inside the home and out! Notice I didn’t *just* say MacKenzie-Childs’ pieces. While building your MacKenzie-Childs collection, let your tea kettle and canisters speak to your personal style. Mix and match your Sterling Check with Royal Check with Butterfly Garden. Whatever you fancy. But when it comes to hosting, I veer towards the collection that was inspired by the black and white floors of Westminister Abbey. There’s a distinct familiarity with Courtly Check. A guest looks at the cake on their plate and remembers the cake stand their grandmother had or the tea kettle their aunt displays on her stove. The iconic pattern is as limitless as they come. It blends with farmhouse as easily as it blends with modern, transitional, traditional, or eclectic design! There is a MacKenzie-Childs print for everyone, but there is room in every home for Courtly Check.

While I hate to play favorites, here I’m ranking the top 10. I took it a step further to share the top 5 indoor Courtly Check pieces for hosting and the top 5 outdoor ones. If mahjong mornings, book club dinners, supper club, or small group is more your thing, you can peruse the indoor list. If pool parties, grilling out, and summer Fridays are your cup of tea, then skip to the outdoor list. Whatever type of host you are, I hope this list helps you create your next MC wish list! And to help with that, I have a discount code for you.

USE CODE KATEY15 to shop MC- but please note it is ONLY active for the next 48 hours!

GO-TO PIECES FOR INDOOR HOSTING

1. Courtly Check Three-Tier Sweet Stand– Out of anything in my home, this gets the best cost-per-use. It’s a splurge {worth it!} but is reached for every single week. When this comes on the kitchen island Maxi’s immediate response is, “Are we having people over?” From birthday parties to bible study, this sweet stand has displayed food for all those I love. It also is gorgeous to keep out year-round on your counters to display citrus. It’s worth noting, you can go the enamel route to spend a little less, while getting the same beauty and functionality. Even the simplest of cookie recipes look beautiful when layered on plates of Courtly Check.
2. Courtly Check Enamel Beverage Hostess– This was a Barn Sale buy a few years back, and I don’t know how I hosted without it! My mom loves to gift this to shower hostesses, and it’s the piece friends ask to borrow most. Lemon water, sangria, and punch all make more of a decor statement in this drink dispenser. Plus- it allows you to enjoy chatting with guests more, as they can serve themselves.
3. Courtly Check Fluted Cake Stand– I view cake as the jewelry of food, and any prized piece deserves a home in a jewelry box. This cake stand is just that. When my strawberry or carrot cake isn’t resting on the surface, it can house candles. During the holidays, I make it a little tea bar to display an assortment of holiday mugs and teas. In the fall, I love to place MC pumpkins on them! I’ll insert a photo below to share some inspiration!
4. Courtly Check Wine Cooler– This is a purposeful hostess gift {a great pricepoint with the discount} that can always be stored in a bar area. During the holidays, I gift this with a favorite bottle of champagne, wrap the entire thing in cellophane, tie it with a bow, and place an ornament on the ribbon.
5. Large Plate Stand– This is my most recent MacKenzie-Childs addition, and I am obsessed! When I host mahjong nights at my house, I like to do sliders and sandwiches, so my friends can keep one hand on the tiles at all times. I can prep the sandwiches before, keep them wrapped on plates in the fridge, then place them on the stand 5 minutes before they arrive. There’s no fussing with arranging them on a platter or worrying about fridge space with larger serving pieces. The height also balances out flower arrangements or any other decor statements. If this year had a “COF” list like the O-List, this would be on it!

GO-TO PIECES FOR OUTDOOR HOSTING

1. Courtly Check Enamel Triplicity– It was quite difficult to categorize this as indoor vs. outdoor because it is my most used hosting pieces next to the three-tier sweet stand. I add nuts, dips, or crackers and place it on the island, coffee table, or patio table for friends to graze on. But if you like to have a few chips or dips poolside, I figured this had to go in the outdoor category.
2. Courtly Check Large Mesh Dome– My girlfriend Kathleen always uses hers, so I knew I had to grab one. WHAT an absolute necessity in Texas. No bugs in my cake, please. We’ve been grilling out each weekend and when Paul is done with one protein, we just place the dome over the plate and I don’t have to rush to bring out the side dishes. We can enjoy the slow pace of spring evenings. Kathleen also told me a little trick, she said she places them over her citronella candles when not dining, so that they don’t get dirty in the humid summer months.
3. Courtly Check Cheese Course– If you are coming to my house you know you’re going to get champagne and you’re going to get plenty of cheese options. It might be my favorite homemade pimento, cheese straws, or a good old cheese board. But whatever the form, it can easily be served on the Courtly Check Cheese Course. Arrange your platter in the kitchen and with the handle, you can casually carry it from room to room or island to patio.
4. Courtly Check Enamel Pitcher– I’ve had my pitcher for 9 years! It’s a beloved piece because it has so many uses. From pouring drinks to watering flowers to acting as a casual outdoor centerpiece option- it gets plenty of love.
5. Courtly Check Enamel Vase– I use MacKenzie-Childs vases for a variety of purposes. I have them on my coffee bar to house spoons. I store toothbrushes in bathrooms and I serve plasticware for parties! Give me a room and I’ll give you a use for one of their vases. 😉 Because outdoor hosting is a bit more casual in my book, I always use one of these vases so guests can grab their own forks and spoons.

From grilling out to summer birthdays {my two boys!} I hope your home is filled to the BRIM with loved ones and family-loved recipes this summer. As you celebrate the season of relaxed schedules, don’t forget to pull out your Courtly Check. I’d love to know from you, what are your favorite MacKenzie Childs pieces for hosting? Remember code KATEY15 is good for the next 48 hours.