As we approach the Fourth of July, let us bring on the red, white and blue that is so symbolic of our country and this holiday! There is something so celebratory and meaningful to me about using red, white and blue to decorate for this summer holiday. They certainly did it up on this gorgeous Woodie wagon that we saw at a Fourth of July Parade down at the beach, although this car would be beautiful all by its lonesome with no decor! Never the less, it shines with all of the festive elements added to it.

When thinking of Fourth of July decor, the first thing that comes to mind for many is Betsy Ross’ American Flag. Guided by the grand old flag, you can actually create your whole celebration in the same color scheme, whether or not you use the American flag in your actual decor.

One of my favorite ways to create a theme at a holiday celebration is through the food that I serve. With a Fourth of July celebration gathering, I like to base the menu and thus some of the recipes on ingredients that are in the same color palette as the flag, like this Custard & Berry Tart. So simple to make, yet such a statement dessert.

Or a fresh, seasonal berry pie.

Fresh berries alone make for colorful table decor that is just as tasty as it is pretty and simple! Don’t even get me started on table decor! I LOVE to set a table that speaks to the theme of the event regardless of the meal served… breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between.

Unfortunately, I didn’t snap many photos of this festive Fourth of July brunch I made for my family until after they had dug in! But, once again, I let the berries do the talking along with a very simple menu of blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage patties and a yogurt bar. Then, I elevated the meal and experience to punch up the festivity by adding dishes, florals and linens in the red, white and blue color palette. If you don’t happen to already own china that coordinates with the color scheme you were going for, you can either utilize paper plates in harmony with your color scheme/theme or white dishes and then use table linens, napkins or florals to pop your colors.

 It really is all in the presentation!

It helps that the shutters on our house added to the color palette that I was shooting for!

There isn’t just one way to bring a certain color scheme to life! In this celebratory meal, I brought in the same patriotic, festive coloring but in a more subdued and understated way. I chose vintage blue stripe ticking as my base and added paper swatches of reds and French blues that I had found at my local craft store.

I topped the paper swatches off with vintage silverware

and I topped the table off with a salad nicoise, making for a delicious and pretty presentation… again, elevating the celebration.

It’s truly the simple adornments that can make even a humble whole wheat croissant feel like a more eye catching and important player in the meal.

Whenever I can, I look for simple adornments like those paper pieces that I laid silverware over, colored vintage dish ware and bottles or serving pieces that, when added to a table setting or meal presentation, make it that much more special.

For the past few years, I’ve loved popping by World Market and picking up a few of their French Sodas whose colors and flavors along with beautiful packaging and labels complement nearly any Fourth of July tablescape.

Shop this vignette – Aqua Recycled Jars, Starfish Specimen, Demijohn Glass Bottle and Takara Centerpiece Plate

As you move past the celebrations of the Fourth of July and glide fully into Summer, you can remove the red from the color scheme of your celebrations if you so choose and go with other summer color palettes, like variations of blues, as your design focus for your celebrations. The blues connate a sense of relaxation, either with the bottle of Relax wine…

or without!

In my next blog post I will be sharing ideas for overall summer entertaining, for it is with abandon that we are gathering again in this land of the free and home of the brave!

With love~

xoxo

Meg