Red, White, Blue and Bamboo.

The Fourth of July.

It's all about the Red, White and Blue.

And bamboo.


(Just add blue checked napkins and this combo from February works for July!!)

And it's all about the food and fun.
How fun are these straws?? They would make even a glass of water fun to sip!

(From the Dollar Tree!)

For years we did the Marietta Square Parade, checked out the craft and food booths, went home to cool off in the pool and then to a friends' home in the Marietta Historic District for a cookout and fireworks. The kids were young and ran around and had so much fun. 

As Mollie got older our plans became more flexible. 

We have rented cabins, joined friends at their places, traveled home from Hawaii one year on July 4th and spent one Fourth of July in England.

One of our favorite travel quotes comes from that trip.

We were in a pub in Reading, England waiting for our next train. 

We popped in the pub to have a ploughman's lunch. 

When we went to pay the tab I noticed the date and said, "Oh, it's July 4th!" 

(You lose track of the dates when you travel!)

 The bartender said, "Happy Independence Day!"  

We said thank you 

and then he paused, got  funny look on his face and said, "We lost, you know!!"

We laugh about that all the time.

But, I still miss it when we don't start the  July 4th celebrations with a parade!!

Do you love a parade?

Do you decorate?
This house went all out. 
I'm at the other end of the holiday decorations  spectrum.



And this patriotic little pooch is adorable
( but my two Golden's think July 4th is awful once the fireworks start.)


We do love sparklers though!! 
We always do a few packs of sparklers since they don't make a big, loud noise!


So, however you celebrate - have a safe Fourth of July holiday and maybe have some cake!







#bestuseofsparklers

*all images from google images except the dinner plate and Mollie with sparklers