It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to an end. With struggling to balance the scales between family and work these days, I’m finding myself spending less time simply relaxing with friends. So before Abe and I whisk the kids away on our end of summer vacation, I thought I’d host a little outdoor gathering at my friend Ariel‘s new house. She just recently moved to the neighborhood from Los Angeles, shortly before the birth of her second baby, so the idea was to dress up her stunning backyard for a midweek happy hour with my favorite girls. Pillows, throws and flowers were brought in to warm up the space. Convenience is of the essence, especially after a long work day, so I whipped together an impressive, yet totally easy, cheese and charcuterie platter. And a fireside get together was the perfect occasion for an EDWARDS® Desserts Hershey’s S’mores Créme Pie. A cookie crumb crust is topped with a rich chocolate filling and a fluffy, toasted marshmallow meringue. I love this twist on a classic summer treat – and the fact that it’s so easy to serve! Friends, cheese, wine, pie and a s’mores pie?! It doesn’t get better than that. And what a great reminder to myself to that all it takes is a little effort and few simple elements to make time for connecting with friends. Enjoy the rest of your summer, everyone!

(Photography by Andrea Posadas. Styled by Bianca Sotelo. This post is sponsored by EDWARDS® Desserts. All opinions are my own)