This post is sponsored by Pier 1 Imports, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

As you know we recently just moved into a new house, and one of the things that really drew us to this home was the awesome backyard. This backyard was made for entertaining, this is something that we do quite often and we wanted a space where we could do just that. Plus, when you live in Arizona and the weather is nice pretty much year round you want to take advantage of your outdoor space and make it a place where you want to be.

To give our backyard space a refresh I've teamed up with Pier 1 Imports and their #SummerofEntertaining to make the most of my outdoor space! We started with a pretty basic patio, all that we had already was a patio table we purchased last spring. Other than that, there wasn't any decor, or furniture to make this space pretty. A shopping trip to Pier 1 Imports changed that; for this patio refresh I went with an "Americana" theme, which is pretty fitting for me since I love all things red, white and blue! Have I ever told you once when I was single in my apartment that I had a red, white and blue bathroom? Another story for another day. Moving on. Here's a quick before shot of our patio:

When you think of Americana you might just be thinking "4th of July" and while although that is true it's more of a feeling we're going for here with reds, whites and blues with the mix of galvanized metal pieces added in, and a little hint of stars and stripes.

The plan for this patio was to add some additional seating for lounging and socializing besides just the table seating we have. I wanted the seating to be fun and comfortable. We also wanted to tie in lighting, I love how simple lighting can transform a space. To do this we're adding twinkle lights above the table, and adding plenty of lanterns and candles to the table and patio.

And now for the beautiful after;

I really love this seating area, I can already picture many nights sitting out here with my husband after we put the kiddos to sleep.

Setting a pretty table was easy with the red place mats and acrylic drinking glasses. I added a simple centerpiece of galvanized lanterns and a citronella candle for some added lighting.

I also really love these battery operated indoor/outdoor candles. As you know we live in Arizona and candles melt within five seconds of you being outside without even lighting them. These are a perfect option for us Arizona people. They also come with a remote so you can set a timer for how long you want them to be "lit." Perfect for me because I too often forget about my candles.

Our backyard is in perfect shape just in time for all those Summer parties and gatherings I'm already planning.

Find what speaks to you. See our Outdoor Living collection in stores or at pier1.com/outdoorliving.

Andrea Worley