Throw a Backyard Summer Camp-Inspired Bash

Part of what made those adventures so irresistible was the way in which they complemented their more urban existence in Santa Monica. “We looked forward to spending our Lake Tahoe vacations immersed in nature,” Kayne recalls—so much so that, decades later, she and her sisters bought the vacation home their parents had owned for more than 22 years. Her reason for the purchase? To give her own kids—9-year-old Tanner, 7-year-old Ripley, and 5-month-old Trooper—the chance to “do the same things I did as a little girl,” she says. “It’s like reliving my childhood.”

Admittedly, hard-core roughing it hasn’t been a priority. “For some reason, we always find a place to stay that has bathrooms,” she says, laughing. But the concept of a summer-camp spin on outdoor entertaining has universal appeal. For this casual afternoon get-together at the lakeside backyard of her youthful campouts, Kayne asked Oakland fiber artist Meghan Shimek to lead a lighthearted session in modern crafting. The rest of the ­elements came together in a loose and playful fashion. This is one party where low-key is the order of the day.