A PATRIOTIC FOURTH of JULY

I LOVE the Fourth of July. Period. End of story, it's the best!

(in my humble opinion)

I think the reason why I LOVE our Independence Day so very much is that it's a carefree, do-it-yourself kind of holiday.  There are no expectations, no gifts, no obligations to meet, no crowds in the stores... it's not terribly commercialized.... and hopefully it won't ever be so.   It's kind of a throwback to simpler times....patriotism, parades, picnics, warm weather, great music and fireworks.  July Fourth is a casual day to spend with whomever you like, friends and family, neighbors...whatever...there are no rules for the Fourth!!   Celebrating our great nation is an honor and remembering how lucky and blessed we are to live in the USA, is reason enough to celebrate everyday. Independence Day is my favorite holiday, always has been...and probably always will be...

A patriotic welcome.

As with most other holidays...I like to decorate... the patriotic and timeless American flag is such an easy and great way to get ready for this holiday in particular.  Gathered as a collection of old antique flags or standing alone in a pot of red geraniums, flags looks fabulous either way!

In the kitchen we have an old hutch that I love to decorate with the seasons.  It gets a full accompaniment of flags, antique postcards and patriotic baubles.

 I pick up antique postcards with strong, bold graphics.... I like to frame them and add them to buffets, and place settings.  I don't mind if the corners are a little dogeared.  Once they are in a matted frame they look fabulous and often the corners are covered by the matte.

 I found this cute little metal calendar at the Country Living Fair one fall not too long ago... it's one of my favorite finds ever...it never goes out of style... it's always up to date....

The tinsel picks in the stripped little pail look like fireworks to me.  They make a great addition to food trays, sandwiches and fizzy drinks this time of year.

For postcards that I don't frame, I use place card holders to display them. General George is in a snowflake holder, but I thought it looked a lot like a star...so it gets double duty at Christmastime and now...Christmas in July...

The kitchen table gets wildflowers in a painted red tin... Please and thank you on the wild flowers...all summer long I adore them and all summer long the varieties change.  No two bouquets are ever alike, and I just love that... gorgeous and not pretentious...an absolute favorite of mine.  I get them from our own yard when I can and other times I pick some up at the farmers market...either way, say YES to the wildflowers.

For the center island in the kitchen, I used a flag panel as a runner.  They are usually where the flags are sold...around July Fourth, flag displays are easy to come by.  My panel was a find on a thrifting excursion... I often find things off-season and store them until the next holiday.  The flag  provides a nice splash of red, white and blue across the butcher block.

For the family room, this flag holder does the trick....it's from a thrift shop (big surprise)... but one could easily be made from wooden finials at the hardware store and a little craft paint.

 For the dining room I put a collection of flags in a basket... it's a charming and a not too fussy display of patriotism...propping the basket of flags on the cake stand keeps the flags out of the way during dinner.

   For the outside, even the birds are patriots at our house...at least for the day.

Wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day from our home to yours. To all our brave Service Men and Women of the past, the present and the future, a grateful thank you.