Happy Birthday America!

{living}&{making}

Yes, I know I'm a bit late posting this, but we didn't actually finish our Independence Day celebrations until Sunday (my husband was working on the 4th so we couldn't have a cookout then and Sunday was the first day ours friends that we had over for it were available) and then yesterday my internet was down so......... anyway......

I did have one really cool project that I was hoping to get done and share with you but that didn't end up happening this year :( so it's on the plans for next year already.  But I did make a couple small things to decorate the table for our cookout. I got the instructions/inspiration for them from Martha Stewart (of course lol) and the instructions for them are here on her website.  I didn't go all out decoration wise, after all it was just meant to be a casual little cookout, but if you know me you know that I LOVE to set a table anytime I have the opportunity, so I did at least do that..........

a close up shot of the Fireworks stamped table runner..... I actually just did it on a (somewhat) square piece of fabric that was leftover from some other project and it could be a small tablecloth on its own but I folded it to use as the table runner.

   

Close up view of the place settings. And no those are not paper plates, they are melamine plates made to look like classic paper plates that I got for a dollar each at (where else?) Target.  They were in the "dollar spot" section (at least I think that's what they call it) at the front of the store.  I love them they are perfect for cookouts and picnics! For this one I paired them with vintage style anniversary Ball mason jars  (The link is for Amazon, but I got mine locally at Wegman's and i'm sure other grocery stores would carry them too) and red napkins and utensils.

   

{menu} Hamburgers and Hotdogs (with fixings), potato chips, deviled eggs, and succotash pasta salad

{dessert} Watermelon Cake - seedless watermelon cut into a cake shape and "frosted" with whipped cream (homemade of course) and topped with blueberries (or any fruit but I was trying to stay with the red, white and blue theme)

I also made a few simple little add-ons for my strings lights for the 4th and left them up for the cookout.  They are made from used plastic water bottles and I found the instructions for them here.... I did do mine a little differently in a couple ways.... the most noticeable was that I didn't use the caps like she did mainly because I wanted to put them on my globe lights so I just pulled the globe off, put the light through the opening and put the globe back on, the way I hung them that worked fine...... I did save the caps though incase I want to do them that way some other time.....

   

And of course I LOVE fireworks {in case you didn't catch a hint with the decorating ;)}so we set a bunch off on the sidewalk in front of our house to finish off the evening.....

And sparklers..... I love sparklers..... these were supposed to make a "B" in the front yard.... but it didn't really work lol, but it still looked cool......