Our All American Soiree

Summertime holidays are super cool! We are ready to BBQ, swim, squint at the sunshine, and watch fireworks in the dark air. We celebrated with family and friends, a little baker's dozen of people, at my parent's home.

A little adorable sign I made with chalk ink
giving directions to all the fun

No event is complete without my all time favorite (besides coke)...IZZE! Sparkling Blueberry was the perfect choice for the 4th.

Custom water bottle labels are super simple but add such a fun effect! I was extra excited to find MANY free printables online this year. (See bottom of post for reference)


I wanted to add some country charm to the festivities mixed with a little retro love.


Colors of course were the RED, WHITE, and BLUE. Fresh flowers are a favorite!



To maintain the retro country look I desired, I used an antique watering pail for the centerpiece. The pinwheels the boys and I made last week were scattered throughout the decor too.

For the napkins, I did a simple roll and cut out festive paper strips to secure around the middle.


I used paper flag printables around the straws for a splash of fun.


For the six kids, I set a little table tailored for young ones. (I love how you can see the GRAND flag waving in the background!)

These stars and stripes paper plates were adorable! I prefer to use plastic or papergoods for children tables.



I set up a little toy box at the end of the table for the kids to play with...red, white, and blue style of course. {wink}

It's always good to pause for a moment and try to see how a holiday looks through little eyes. Kids get so excited to find little special treats just for them! Because of this, I made treat pails for each plate. Every child got a flag (compliments of my mom). I filled it with candy, etc. The pail also served as a napkin and utensil holder.

Another thing that kids delight in is discovering their name! It's a great big world, and the children often get lost in the buzz of adults. The silent recognition of seeing their name assigned to a little spot makes them feel special! Personalization is one of my FAVORITE things!

I made name tags using star marshmallows on a kabob stick.

The Spread
All American Hamburgers
Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad
Homemade Sweet Beans
BBQ Butter Corn on the Cob
Baby BLT stuffed tomatoes
Star Sandwiches
Fresh Berries with Marshmallow Cream Dip

Dish up! Janine, me, and the girls...

Use a cookie cutter to make fun sandwich shapes for kids. This is an easy way to add a special touch.


I make this Red, White, and Blue Potato salad every year for the 4th. It is made with red potatoes and blue cheese.

My mom made delicious BBQ Butter corn on the cob.

Fresh Summer Berries!


Baby BLTS were little cherry tomatoes stuffed and smashed with goodness

The All American Dinner is served...

Look at this adorable decor my Mom had! The candy jar matched the one on the cookbook cover. How cute is that?
We were able to take only a Quick Dip in the pool between a break in the unfortunate weather. And Uncle Kyle gave the kids a ride in the Gator afterward.


We ended the night with the obvious: fireworks!



This is the first year Chris let the boys help with the fireworks. They were in seventh heaven.

My favorite part of the evening was the Retro Ice Cream Sundae bar! A few days before the 4th, I told the boys that I had a special surprise coming to THEM on 4th of July. I told them that the ice cream shop would be come to us....and it did!

(I dipped the cones in chocolate and covered in sprinkles)

Here is a sneak peek...I will share the other photos soon...

Retro Ice Cream Bar

More Ice Cream Bar photos coming soon...
(update: here is the Ice Cream Bar post!)



Nothing beats an All American Holiday.
Enjoy your summertime
in JULY!

credits: a BIG HAPPY THANK YOU to: Tweedled Designs, Martha Stewart, andThe Pink Orange for paper printables

This post is linked to: Centsational Girl, Show and Tell, Big Inspired, Works for Me Wednesday, Show and Share Day, Strut Your Stuff,Today's Creative Blog, Tickled Pink,Weekend Wrap Up, Show off your Stuff, Lovin It, Foodie Friday, Tasty Tuesday, Toot Your Horn Tuesday, Tablescape Thursday, Spotlight Yourself, Inspired Room