Sunday, July 4, 2010

Backyard barbecue with the red, white and blue!

The 4th of July is really a great holiday. I mean, what's not to like? For one thing, it takes place in the summer, so how bad could it ever be, even if it were to rain? But as it happens, this year we've had glorious weather! Here's my tribute to the day, gratefully enjoying some of the blessings of liberty.

This tower of cupcakes represents the combined efforts of my son, John and myself. I mixed the batter and filled the paper cups, he put them in the oven and took them out. I put on the white frosting but John didn't like the job I was doing with the colored gels so he took over the task himself (once an artist . . . ). A few months back we saw similar cupcakes at my brother's house (see posting from February 28, 2010). They were the inspiration for these . . .

The 3-tier stand is such a great multi-tasker; it's so practical!

The new outdoor flatware has been forever nicknamed “The Tornado Flatware” - a reminder of the day I bought it, after spending time in Pottery Barn's basement waiting for a tornado to pass . . .

The jacquard-woven napkins came from The Vermont Country Store catalogue. They are machine washable and iron like a dream . . .

These blue salad plates, with their sandy glaze, puts one in mind of the beach, don't they? I found them at Crate and Barrel . . .

Could these posies be any sweeter? The boxwood came from our bushes which, er, ahem . . . need a trim . . .

And here's the first course: Romaine salad with strawberries, mangoes, walnuts and crumbled blue cheese, tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Happy 4th of July! Be safe! Enjoy your loved ones!

14 comments:

Needles Everywhere said...

What a pretty and inviting table. I have my heart set on some ratan chargers, but haven't been ready tp spring for them up to this point. I get a Vermont Country store catalogue every now and again. I will definitely be looking at it more closely.

Reds said...

You make the most beautiful tables!! And those cupcakes are so pretty and look so tasty!!

Barb said...

Very pretty and festive.

Anita@Theycallmejammi said...

Beautiful table. Love the finish on the blue plates.

Sharon Haynie said...

How fun! Those cupcakes look delicious. I love when we share the places where we pick up things for our tables-thanks for sharing with us today!

Tami said...

The cupcakes are a great centerpiece, on a pretty table.
You asked about the rhubarb punch recipe when you visited my site. If you go to the recipe label it is there, last spring.

Lynn said...

Look great, your tower of cupcakes is very festive!

Donna (Timeless Settings) said...

Such a pretty festive table! The cupcakes look yummy!

Donna

Tricia said...

Your table is just gorgeous! Simple and elegant, yet very festive at the same time! (LOL about shopping Pottery Barn during a tornado!)

Marigene said...

Beautiful table, Maria...the cupcakes look delicious!

craftyles said...

Love the red white and blue. The cupcakes look really good!

Barbara said...

Love this pretty table! I have those blue plates too. I've been eyeing the flatware since it is on sale but I hope a tornado doesn't hit if I decided to purchase! Those cupcakes look soooooo good. I love the name of your blog.

Barbara said...

I meant to ask you yesterday where you got your chargers. I really like them!

Mary said...

You did a very nice job putting everything together, I really like your napkins! Mary