I’m not certain why someone—who loves warm weather as much as I do—moved north once my location was in my control. Still, I love Kansas City, though I’m much happier when the calendar reads “June.” (Perhaps you haven’t noticed, but “spring” in Kansas City is false advertising. April and May are soggy extensions of winter.) As a gift a couple of years ago, my husband gave me a fully stocked picnic basket filled with fine linen napkins, vintage flatware and handblown stemless wine glasses. (Because a wine glass with a stem is a very tricky proposition when you’re sitting in the grass or on a blanket.) Whether you’re dining a deux, or with a group of favorite friends, hosting a picnic creates a certain mood. Your clothes can’t be too fancy, you may be eating with your hands, and it’s important that your wineglass is both full and not too tippy.
Faux bois melamine dinner plate, $8.95, from crateandbarrel.com.
English Sky linen napkins, $12, from JSH Home Essentials in theWestwood Hills Shops.
Poterie Renault soup crock, $28 (small), $32 (large), and escargot dish, $20, from French Market in the Prairie Village Shops.
Handblown Monarch Glass Studio stemless wine glass, $56, from George, in the Crestwood Shops.