The 12th of July

...or, if I had posted this when I intended, the 4th of July!  I thought I'd share our Independence Day decorations in case you're looking for future inspiration.  I actually plan to keep these up for most of the summer since I'm enjoying them so much.  The only money I spent on any of this decor was $2.50 for the little flags (which we intended to take to our local fireworks but forgot at home!).  Other than that, I didn't spend a dime on this project.  I just walked around the house collecting anything that fit the look I was going for.  In this case:  red, white, and blue.

First up, our cookout table setting.  We had a few folks over to eat brats (totally un-American, I know), corn on the cob, and apple pie (definitely American), among other tasty things. 

I've found recently that I prefer a casual table setting (i.e., plates and utensils stacked for people to grab) because anything else feels too stuffy.  After Mr. GI finished our big ol' table, we had a few dinners that I went all out with table settings, chargers, extra plates, you name it.  The men in the group were thoroughly confused about what to do with the extra stuff.  :-)  So for this get-together, I stacked up the plates, wrapped utensil sets with our DIY fabric napkins and twine, and stacked up drink coasters.  The utensils were stuffed in painted soup cans and wrapped with red, white (and silver), and blue ribbon.  Easy, peasy!

The centerpiece was just a placemat, charger, some red tissue paper, and a citronella bucket candle I picked up for cheap at Wal-Mart on clearance last year.  And of course, some wine corks for texture, since we're alcoholics we have those in spades at our house.

And, as with every season, I changed up our living room shelves.

The Georgia-shaped basket was a Christmas gift from Mr. GI's parents a few years ago, and I usually stash it full of stuff on our dining room bookcase. The blue placemats along the back on the third shelf were from Wal-Mart a few years ago for pretty cheap; I just pinned the center one to the wall and stuck the other two behind it.

The Bulldog Red is from a winery close to our hometown, and it was my 21st birthday gift from my mom.

The beautiful blue card of the Shenandoah Valley was also from my mom a few years ago, and I use it to decorate all the time because of those magnificent blues (which shows how well she knows me-- the note inside says that I should use it to decorate...). To bring a little "summer" in, I plopped some sidewalk chalk and drink umbrellas in a blue pot snagged from the $1 bin at Target a few years ago for a bridal shower. 

If you've been reading for a while, you know I love to use books in my decor.  And can you really have a red/white/blue book stack without The Cat in the Hat?  I think not. 

I put a few touches elsewhere in the house, like these candle votives that would also look really summer out on the patio. And the rustic stars fit in just right in the bathroom.

Oh, hey.  There's a photographer behind this blog!  P.S.  Thanks again to my sister for loaning me her big girl camera to play around with.  :-)

 
How did you decorate for the 4th?  Did you watch any fireworks?  I've read a few fireworks how tos since the Fourth that make me want to seek out some more fireworks soon.

For more seasonal shelving goodness, check out the shelves in spring 2012, Christmas 2011, and fall 2011 (plus with a little bunting).