Sometimes I get into a rut and do the same table decorations over and over again. With a few minor changes, you can use many of the same things and mix up the look of your July 4th table. All of these items I have on hand. Since I am proud to be an American, I love the look of red, white and blue and what they represent. July 4th is a time of celebration and the more colorful the table, the better!

Table #1

A few months back I ordered these melamine dishes from Cailini Coastal and I am finding many ways to use them. They work especially well, as they provide the major source of blue to this July 4th themed table. Here is the link to these dishes, however, I just found a very pretty set on Amazon for less cost ($35.47 for a service for 4).

Layering the tablecloth

Whether you choose to use a tablecloth or not, when I do use a cloth I like to layer it. These very affordable Indian block print cloths from Just Darviny is the prettiest shade of blue. For the top layer, I use a white, vintage lace one.

The blue shade in the plate is different from the blue in the tablecloth, so I use the white topper and the white melamine charger (from The Enchanted Home) provide enough distance between the two.

The Centerpiece

A simple blue and white vase with patriotic color flowers fits the bill. In this photo the flowers are faux, however, the closer we get to the holiday, fresh flowers in red, white and blue will be more available. Here is a very pretty vase on Amazon, along with a pre-made bouquet of flowers.

Additional Decor

Do you recall the paper garland I made a year ago? If not, here is the post. I use this garland and drape it around the centerpiece to add more color to the table.

Firecracker Candles

Aren’t these candles cute? The long wick probably isn’t the most practical but it fits with the theme. For safety sake, I place them in a small glass votive. I bought these years ago and cannot seem to find anything similar online. The original manufacturer is TagLtd out of Chicago.

I place several around the table.

Napkins and rings

Vintage lace napkins and a simple red and white striped ribbon, complete the place setting. Lots of good ribbon selections here.

Finishing touches

The wine and water glass are Waterford crystal and the flatware is Wallace Napoleon Bee, a very versatile service.

Table #2

Using the same garland, I hang it above the table. Centerpiece vase and flowers are the same.

Tablecloth

A round, red 60″ checkered cotton table cloth offers a big pop of color. The blue and white star paper placemats from Hester & Cook are versatile as they are used in the paper garland and as an anchor for the place setting.

Glasses and flatware are the same as the other table. Dishes are from Pottery Barn~white with a gold rim. No charger this time as often with a placemat there isn’t enough room for one.

Napkins are from Williams Sonoma and I often use these same napkin for Valenitine’s Day and Christmas. I found these really sweet white and red napkins on Amazon~a set of 12 for $21.99.

A different color ribbon is used for a napkin ring. Great selection of patriotic ribbon here.

Firecracker candles

Using the same firecracker candles, I put them in brass candleholders from West Elm. Again, this is another purchase that has been used over and over again in many of my entertaining tables.

I find it interesting how geometric this table is due to the tablecloth and placemats. It is far more colorful than the first one, but I love how cheerful it is.

Do you have plans to celebrate July 4th? I hope this post inspires you to do something to celebrate the birth of American independence and our nation. There are many ways to stage a table using the same pieces and elements.

It’s affordable to get pieces that you can dress up for any holiday. Using patriotic colors can transcend multiple holidays ~Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. Red can be used for Valentine’s Day and Christmas too.

Happy Tuesday, my friends! Thanks for joining me today.

Happy Saturday and as I write this, it’s hard to believe nearly half of 2022 is over. Since I started grand jury duty, my schedule is non-existent and I can’t really recall what happened to the last 3 weeks in June. I always look forward to writing this post so let’s get started and chat about all good things this week.

A Few Days at our Cabin

Being up in the mountains provides such a wonderful change of scenery. Big storms came in with abundantl rain, which we so desperately need. If you missed my Dinner in the Library tablescape post this week, you can see it here. The Scholarship Dinner raised a significant sum of money for the employees educational needs.

I am already thinking about what table theme I will do next year, so if you have any suggestions or thoughts, please send them my way.

Who needs television when you can watch the local wildlife at work? Very relaxing to sit on the front porch and have our coffee in the morning, while the squirrels and bird entertain us. Like last year, we have another nest of eggs in the flower arrangement by the front door.

A Year Ago

A year ago today, we were in Nantucket. It was our first trip there and we were very lucky to stay with friends who own a gorgeous property with a guest cottage. Since more people are traveling this year, here is my overview of that trip.

I am SO longing for a trip to see water, but nothing planned to date. Are you going somewhere fun this summer?

A Little Garden Excitement

I always leave a few artichokes to flower because they are SO beautiful! The purply-blue spike tops are like a soft brush and fun to touch.

An unknown plant has been growing over the past few weeks. It finally gave me a clue by producing this. So I am guessing spaghetti squash, however, I did not plant any this year. I planted some two years ago but they did not produce so I’m a bit surprised. Ah the unexpected joys of gardening!

The last of the apricots are finally gone! Not a huge crop this year but the few remaining are used in a simple apricot galette made with puff pastry. For some reason I could not download the picture of the galette, but here is an apricot tart with an almond crust I made last year (recipe is here).

Using Healthy Hair and Skin Products

Growing up, our choices for skin care were limited to Ivory soap. Who remembers the Breck girl and Breck shampoo? Now there is a multitude of products to select for your skin and hair. Lynn from Living Large in a Small House writes a detailed post about what you can do to ensure you are choosing the best products that are free of harmful chemicals.

My skin and hair care routines are rather basic, however, I find Lynn’s post very enlightening and something we should share with our children and grandchildren.

See Lynn’s post here. It makes sense to not want to put things like formaldehyde, mercury or some word no one can pronounce on our bodies.

Perfect for Summer

When I saw this recipe, it screams summer to me. Annie from Most Lovely Things shares a S’mores Icebox Cake that you can make ahead and just take out of the freezer. Who doesn’t love s’mores? Anne takes amazing photos and even has a video to show you how to make this delicious dessert. You can see it here! Though I do not know Annie personally, she is very talented and I enjoy her posts from the same Connecticut town in which my sister lives.

Need to Know More about Sunscreen?

Living in a climate where it is sunny over 300 days per year, skin protection and sunscreen are important topics. Carrie Vitt from Deliciously Organic is living proof that what you eat and how you live can be toxic to your health. Changes in her lifestyle have reversed Hashimoto’s disease, chronic migraines, IBS and eczema.

Recently she shares how to choose the right sunscreen for you. Her post is filled with great information as to when you should wear it, too. You can see it here. Spend some time on her website as I know you will enjoy Carrie’s wealth of knowledge on thyroid disease, asthma, headaches, skin issues and more.

Need Dog Help

Lately, our nearly 15 year old Beagle, Sox, wakes up between 3:30 and 5:00 a.m.(every day) and stands in the middle of the room and barks. He sleeps in the family room with his brother, our Akbash, Cooper. Sox is hard of hearing and his sight is diminished. As soon as I (or my husband) enter the room, he stops barking and will go back to sleep. I have gotten into the habit of taking my pillow downstairs with me and will settle in on the sofa for a few more zzzzz.

Does anyone have any great suggestions for how to get our sweet, old Beagle to sleep through the night? Last night we tried Hemp Calming Chews but they did not seem to help. Not sure they work better over time. I love our dogs, but I need my sleep! I am at a loss here so any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Well, that’s a wrap! Thank you so much for joining me and I wish you a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

We love when guests come to visit! After a long journey, I know I want to unpack and settle into a lovely environment. Since we have had many guests recently, here are 10 ways to prepare your home for overnight guests.

1. A Comfortable Bed

Perhaps the thing I miss most when I travel is my bed and pillows. So we try to make the sleeping arrangements at our home as comfortable as possible. If you don’t have a good mattress in your guest quarters, you can affordably add a pillow top. There are so many to choose from depending on how firm or soft you want your bed.

The photo above is my college-daughter’s room. If you would like to see how and why we painted it this luscious shade of orange, click here. While she is away at school, we use this spare bedroom for guests.

2. Scrumptious Linens/Blankets/Pillows

No one likes scratchy old sheets. There are several options based on your budget. Costco carries an 800 thread count hotel linen line that we like. My friend, Andrea, who used to run a bed and breakfast, swears by linen sheets. See her post about why linen sheets are a worthy luxury.

I always wash our sheets and line dry them. The sheets smell SO good and fresh and no dryer or dryer sheet can replicate that.

With so many choices on colors, thread count and patterns, you can make your guest bed look like a 5 star hotel.

Provide an extra blanket or quilt so your guest can regulate how warm (or cool) they want to sleep.

For pillows, I like a choice so we place both a firm and softer pillow on the bed. Since some people may be allergic to feather or down pillows, using a hypoallergenic filler is a safe bet. All our pillows have zippered pillow case protectors beneath the pillow case.

3. Bath and Pool Towels

Before our last group of guests arrived, I did an inventory of our towels. I found a sorry bunch of mismatched, stained, and frayed towels. Since then, many of our old towels are donated to the local dog shelter and new sets of towels are bought. It made me realize that I am fine using an old towel, but do I really want my guests to use a towel that is falling apart?

Also, make sure you have enough towels for the length of their stay, including a face, hand and bath towel. My husband loves the towel sets from My Pillow.com, which are quite affordable.

Since the pool is a big attraction with visitors from colder climates, large pool towels are a must.

4. Beverages and Snacks

Living in a dry climate, keeping hydrated is very important. Bottles of water are available in both the bathroom, bedroom and/or kitchenette. Finding out a guest’s favorite beverage or cocktail, makes one feel welcomed. If you missed the post about the new bar cart in the pool house, click here.

Most people like a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, but are not yet fully dressed or showered. Having a coffee maker and/or tea pot nearby is a bonus. In remodeling the pool house recently, we bought a small Nespresso maker that has a milk steamer attached. With a small beverage refrigerator we can supply milk, cream or Coffee-mate for our guest so they can make their own cup of Joe.

I like to put together a basket of snacks, too with items such as nuts, trail mix, crackers, cheese crisps and those wonderful Biscoff cookies (one of my favorites).

5. A Place to Work

Since many people continue to work while they travel, having a designated place and space to plug in is important. Make sure you have plenty of outlets too. And don’t forget write down your WiFi passwords to your internet.

6. Toiletries

Since airlines only let you travel with small sizes, providing large containers of shampoo, conditioner and body wash is a plus. We also keep a supply of toothbrushes, razors, bandaids, cotton balls and Q-tips in the bathroom. Hand soap and hand cream by the sink ensures your guests can wash their hands frequently.

And no one wants to carry a blow dryer that takes up space in their suitcase so keep an extra one handy. And if your guest is lucky to have their own bathroom, stock it up with toilet paper and Kleenex.

7. A Place for Luggage and Unpacking

When I check into a hotel room, the first thing I do is put my luggage on the luggage rack and unpack those items that need hanging in a closet. If you have room to have your guest put their belongings in a dresser or closet, that is ideal. If not, a luggage rack can serve as open dresser. Here’s an affordable one from Amazon that will fold up nicely.

Make sure you provide extra hangers and make space in your guest room closet.

Another nice touch is providing robes. We have thick Terry cloth ones and lightweight cotton kimonos for guests to choose. Again, unisex white Terry robes are easy to find on Amazon here.

8. A Nightstand and Necessities

On the nightstand, next to the guest bed, a good lamp for reading or providing light to the room is essential. Also provide outlets for your guests to charge their phones (if they want to keep them nearby). We also have a water pitcher and glass available for those thirsty needs at night. Here is a nice bedside carafe and tumbler from Lily’s Home.

9. Some privacy

No one ever wants to feel underfoot while they are guests. No host wants to feel intrusive or hovering to their company. If you can provide a place so you guests can enjoy some privacy that is ideal. Whether it be a balcony, an outdoor terrace or a piece of the yard, giving your guests space is a nice gesture. It certainly doesn’t need to be something extravagant, but an area where they can be alone.

As much as we love company and love visiting friends and family, sometimes you just need some quiet time. Our pool house provides space for our guests to spread out and maintain their privacy.

10. Fresh Flowers, a pretty candle

Who doesn’t love a pretty bouquet of flowers? Bright red tulips look fabulous in this black, white and green bedroom. This is my other daughter’s bedroom, which is now an additional spare guest room. If you want to see the post on how and why we painted this room black, click here.

A beautifully scented candle adds ambiance to a room. My favorite candle is Volcano by Capri Blue (see it here), however, Target also has a nice affordable candle selection too.

As more people are traveling, we hope the number of house guests you have increases. Any extra touch you provide to make your guest’s stay special will be so appreciated.

I hope you enjoy these 10 tips on how to prepare your home for overnight guests. As always, thank you so much for joining me today. I hope you have a spectacular Wednesday.

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

.

It is that time of year to take advantage of the abundance of sweet, fresh and juicy watermelon! On a hot summer’s day, there is nothing more satisfying than biting into a chilled piece of this beautiful fruit. Here are my 5 favorite watermelon recipes for you to try.

Skinny Watermelon Jalapeño Margaritas

As an avid follower of Ambitious Kitchen, Monique’s recipes are made with fresh, healthy ingredients. These Skinny Watermelon Jalapeño Margaritas are naturally sweetened with watermelon juice and a splash of agave. Sliced jalapeños provide a nice kick for a sweet and spicy summer drink.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• Silver tequila
• Fresh lime juice
• Watermelon: pick a nice sweet one
• Agave nectar: Agave helps to sweeten them up a bit, but feel free to omit if you find your watermelon sweet enough. Agave can be found here or in grocery stores
• Jalapeño: A few jalapeño slices adds a bit of spice, but you can adjust and/or omit if you’d like.
• Coarse salt & ice (I like to add Tajin to the rim too)

The instructions allow you to make one drink or a pitcher for 8 servings. See the recipe here.

Cucumber and Watermelon Salad with Hoisin-Lime Dressing

Here are two salads with completely different flavors. This recipe is a Vietnamese-style salad that makes a refreshing accompaniment to any kind of barbecue meat.  Originally, Cucumber and Watermelon Salad with Hoisin-Lime Dressing,  appeared in Bon Appetit in July 2002 in their Flavors of the World article.

By using 7 simple and fresh ingredients, you can make this simple, yet delicious salad.  Start with cubes of watermelon and English cucumbers. A quick dressing of hoisin sauce and lime juice and top with peanuts, fresh mint and cilantro. You can find hoisin sauce here or in the grocery store’s ethnic aisle.

Avocado, Watermelon & Cucumber Salad

This weekend I made this other fresh salad, again sourced from Ambitious Kitchen. Drizzle avocado, watermelon and cucumbers with olive oil and lime juice and sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro. This very refreshing salad could not be easier to make and has amazing flavors and textures.

Isn’t this a visually appealing salad? And it’s healthy too! See recipe here.

Watermelon Gazpacho

My friend, Irma served this at her dinner party and I couldn’t get enough. You can serve this cold soup as a main course or side dish. And this is one recipe that gets even better the next day. See direct link to Taste of Home’s recipe here.

Shrimp, Tomato & Watermelon Salad

I am always looking for dinner salads during the summer months. From the July-August issue of Coastal Living, this “ready in 20 minutes” dinner salad is perfect for as a complete meal. Imagine the combination of fresh large shrimp, vine-ripened tomatoes, sweet watermelon, crisp arugula and a dressing of Dijon mustard, Balsamic vinegar, garlic and spices. See recipe here.

Happy Tuesday and I hope this blog post finds you happy and healthy. We are enjoying all the glorious rain we are getting. A side benefit is the cloudy skies are keeping the heat away ~ it is such joyful weather to be having at the end of July.

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

Sunday is the official first day of summer, but school is out, gardens are growing and the weather here says otherwise. Even though it is a bit too warm to eat outside, that doesn’t stop me from wanting to create a cheerful summer breakfast table.

The Tablecloth

I am so fortunate to have this brightly colored vintage tablecloth from my Aunt Gail’s belongings. Since it didn’t appear to have been laundered for quite some time, I did wash it in cold water on a delicate cycle and then hung it on the line to dry. I love how the fabric matches the foliage! With a quick iron, the table cloth is clean, fresh and ready to go.

Vintage linens can be found in many thrift stores. The patterns and colors are so rich and beautiful. Even though there are many online, I personally like to see them in person so I can handle the fabric and view the colors. And they are so affordable. A few are for sale and can be found in my Store tab above.

The Dishes

Layering dishes gives the table setting some substance and I start with a buttercup yellow charger. These handpainted Italian chargers are from Pier 1 Imports many years ago. You can find similar ones here.

Next, of course is a blue and white plate. These are again, an old purchase from Horchow and each plate is a different pattern. You can find a similar plate from this incredible selection here.

For the smaller plate, I select a pretty gold rimmed clear glass on from Leslie Roy (no longer in business).

The Centerpiece

Since I love my tulipiere, it is the perfect blue and white vessel for the centerpiece. Filled with yellow bells from the yard, it is set off to the side in order to allow visibility between the place settings.

Not familiar with tulipieres? Click here.

I also add some daisies in small glasses for added color.

The Meal

Since this is breakfast, a gorgeous juicy Ruby red grapefruit is a great way to start. The mint garnish adds a bit of contrast.

Fresh lemon slices on the edge of the water goblet add just a bit more yellow to the table. The large size coffee mugs are a gift from my friend, Anne.

My homemade granola is sooooo good and you can find the recipe here. You can make it as is or add other ingredients…but it’s another recipe I can guarantee you will love.

Isn’t this just a summery setting?

Other small items complete the table. The mini pitcher is for milk for the granola and I like to have regular milk and oat or almond milk as alternatives. If you haven’t made your own nut milk (super easy), here is my recipe. And here’s a cute blue and white creamer on Amazon.

The sweet vintage place card holder is a gift from my friend, Janie. I didn’t use a place card as I think it is perfect just as it is.

This table is set in our living room corner near the east and south windows. Perfect light in the morning to have our breakfast and celebrate the summer season.

Do you have breakfast on the run? Often, that is the case with me. It is nice to sit down at a lovely table and actually take the time to enjoy this meal.

Have a wonderful day, my friends!

If you enjoy this post, please feel free to share on Pinterest.

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday #664