Happy Monday sweet friends! I can hardly believe tomorrow is July 4th. How will you be celebrating our country’s 247th birthday?
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
Galatians 5:13
Will you be celebrating Independence Day by firing up the grill, making a freezer of home-made ice cream, or attending your city’s fireworks show? I think we will be doing all
three!
I love using our flag’s colors, the red, white, and blue for tablesettings, not only for the special holidays, but all summer long!
It is always a celebration when I join my blogging friends Lidy and Mary for Monday Morning Blooms! You will find their links at the bottom of this post along with our special guest!
Today it is our pleasure to welcome Shannon from Belle Bleu Interiors. She is a sweetheart and her home is beautifully decorated and inspired by her love of French interiors!
You will always find me setting tables in the garden during summer months. However, the last few days have been brutally hot and humid. With plenty of water and taking breaks in the Sunshine Cottage, I was able to set the table and photograph! Whew!!
Blooms were cut from my garden and fun patriotic picks were found in my stash of red, white, and blue decor!
Little Lamb hydrangeas, red Crocosmia, and Black-eyed Susan’s were arranged in a favorite blue and white pitcher! It was quick, easy, and fortunately did not require a trip to buy flowers! With no blue hydrangeas to be found, Black-eyed Susan’s were used to bring out the yellow stripe in the tablecloth.
Normally by this time of year I can photograph between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m, as sunlight and shadows are constantly changing. Thankfully, there were also passing clouds that helped with the heat.
An April Cornell ‘Picnic’ table square was chosen from my assortment of linens. I love the seersucker plaid fabric in colors of red, white, and blue, plus yellow and green!
Red placemats with beads add a bit of whimsy and…
…cobalt blue chargers which are extremely heavy…white ‘Trellis’ Mikasa dinner plates…Spode ‘Blue Room’ dinner plates…red AC napkins…thrifted napkin rings…cobalt blue tumblers…and hammered stainless flatware complete each place setting. O’ my, that was a mouthful, I hope you got it all!!
God bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with the light from above
From the mountains to the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home
God bless America, my home sweet home.”
~Irving Berlin
“We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their plough but to secure liberty for their souls.”
~Robert J. McCracken
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
~Ronald Reagan
My Renaissance Man assisted me in decorating the Sunshine Cottage!
For beautiful 4th of July floral and table inspiration, be sure to visit Lidy, Mary, and Shannon!
Lidy ~ French Garden House
Mary ~ Home Is Where The Boat Is
Shannon ~ Belle Bleu Interiors
Thank you for your visit and gracious comments. Wishing you a wonderful and safe Independence Day!
Linking with: Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Imparting Grace,Life and Linda
Good Morning Pam! I love your garden blooms and cheery pop of yellow from your Black Eyed Susan’s to pair with your AC plaid picnic table topper! Your plate layers are so colorful and festive framed by your beaded placemats. I always enjoy having a virtual seat at a table in your garden. . .love seeing the bunting on your Sunshine Cottage as well as your Little Lamb hydrangeas blooming in the background! Our Limelight Hydrangeas are just starting to open up and should be in full bloom in another week or two. It’s oppressively hot and humid here with the heat index in the triple digits. I’m spoiled after our cooler than normal spring temperatures. We will be boating and watching the fireworks on the lake Tuesday night, but otherwise staying indoors to beat the heat. A bowl of homemade ice cream sounds wonderful! As always it’s a treat to share some flower therapy with you. Wishing you a Happy Fourth! ♥
Thank you, Mary. We had storms on Saturday and yesterday. There was a lot of damage in parts of our city. The heat has been horrendous. Hope you have a great 4th!
Pam, Happy Fourth of July! Every photo is lovely! You have done so many beautiful patriotic posts. How could you do another different one but you have!!!
I especially like the shot of your table with the Sunshine cottage shining in patriotic bunting and pretty red, white,and blue behind your table.
Love your flowers from your garden. I have lots of Crocosmia popping up everywhere but have never had blooms. It requires lots of light to bloom. I like the addition of the Black Eyed Susans and cute patriotic picks. I also like your blue and white vase. I don’t remember it. All looks so nice with the AC cloths and lovely choices of dishes, glassware, and whimsical placemats and cute straws.
Enjoy all the festivities celebrating our great country! God Bless America!
Thank you, Bonnie. I am now out of any more patriotic ideas for tables. I hope you and Mike have a wonderful 4th!
As ever – Spectacular !!! The Sunshine Cottage is a vision of patriotic spirit and
that table setting just beckons Independence Day celebration. Thank you for the Irving Berlin and Ronald Reagan sentiments ..echoing what always helped to remind us to be grateful for the “land of the free and home of the brave”.
God bless America and those steadfast in that belief….
Thank you, Mary! Yes, God bless America 🇺🇸♥️🤍💙🇺🇸
I would happily put a ban on all fireworks except for organized fireworks shows. Even those freak out the animals but they are short term and run by people who know when and how to run them. After this past weekend’s fire wake-up call here at the lake, I’m more for that than ever. That said, your table is lovely. Not surprisingly, July 4 is my least favorite holiday of the year — my perfect celebration for it is to just chill out, hold my breath and wait till it’s over. But, at your gorgeous table I might get more in the mood!
Wishing you a quiet and peaceful July 4th, Jeanie!
Pride of country must be a most important part of our citizenship. Many young men lost their lives to give us the freedom to celebrate July 4th. I love the quote from Ronald Reagan. It reminds me of a quote from Billy Graham, that it only takes one generation for us to begin to lose our faith in God. Thank you for showing us your love of God and country in such a beautiful way. The picture with the cottage dressed to the hilt in the background is my favorite. Happy Independence Day 🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷
Thank you, Alice. Yes, lives have been given so we can enjoy freedom. Happy Independence Day 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Pam, Your alfresco table is so festive. I love your tablecloth and linens. Seersucker is a favorite fabric for the summer. Your blooms are beautiful. The plate stack, drink glasses and napkin rings are so pretty. Hope you and your family have a wonderful 4th. Stay cool. Clara ❤️🇺🇸
Your comments are always so sweet, Clara! Stay cool, also 🇺🇸♥️🤍💙🇺🇸
Beautiful. Happy 4th to you and your sweet family. Hugs. Kris
Thanks so much, Kris ♥️🤍💙🇺🇸
Pam what a delightful table outside the Sunshine Cottage. I love the table but your background is spectacular. The bunting and hydrangeas blooming abundantly along with your other plants set the scene for a wonderful 4th of July celebration. We will be having home made ice cream and chocolate cake as it would not be the 4th without it for us. So we will lift a spoon of ice cream and look to the north and celebrate with our dear friends the celebration of the birth of our wonderful God based country; being thankful that our forefathers recognized everything is Under God. Have a great 4th Hugs and Blessings
Thank you, Kari. Chocolate cake sounds perfect with the home made ice cream! Hugs and blessings 🇺🇸♥️🤍💙🇺🇸
I love this Pam, the centerpiece looks like fireworks display in the sky on the 4th of July! The black eyed Susans look like fireworks bursting, so cute! I love how you tied other colors in with those adorable beaded place mats and the plaid table topper. You are a very loyal tablescaper setting a table outside in the heat we’ve been having, but it was well worth your efforts! The bunting on the Sunshine Cottage looks so festive. We will be having ribs and corn on the cob and watching the fireworks display over Perdido Pass from our deck. It’s been unseasonally hot on the coast too, but the breezes come up in the afternoon and cool things off a little. Home made ice cream sounds like the perfect way to cool down! Enjoy your day of celebration!
Jenna
Thank you, Jenna. Ribs and corn on the cob sounds perfect!
I love the casual flair of tablescaping by the Sunshine Cottage! That evening sunshine cast on this patriotic table is glorious! I spotted my first hummingbird of the season on my crocosmia today, little pleasures…..
Thank you, Rita! Crocosmia is a magnet for hummingbirds. They loved my glads when they were in bloom.
Oh Pam, what a gorgeous patriotic setting! All of that glorious red, white, and blue makes my heart sing! Your flowers are beautiful in the blue and white pitcher. I love the seersucker AC tablecloth. It is so pretty with your lovely plate stack. Sunshine Cottage looks quite beautiful decked out for the Fourth of July. She provides quite a breathtaking backdrop for your festive table. I can so relate to the extreme heat and having to take breaks in between taking photographs. Summertime has definitely arrived! I want to thank you for inviting me to join today as a guest bloomer. It is always a delight and honor to join such dear and talented friends. Wishing you and yours a happy and safe Fourth of July, sweet friend!
Shannon, you are so sweet! Wishing you and your precious family a wonderful Independence Day!
Pam, I love your garden flowers with a little jolt of yellow from your Black Eyed Susans, a perfect combination with all your red, white and blue! Your beaded placemats are so fun, a wonderful under-layer for your pretty plates. It’s such a joy to join you in our floral party on the first Monday of every month. How festive the bunting on your Sunshine Cottage looks, I am sure your little people will enjoy that so much. Hope you can stay somewhat cool as I know the heat in your part of the world is oppressive right now. We’re going to our Main Street parade {first time since the girls grew up!} and then hosting a casual BBQ in the back garden. Wishing you and yours a happy Independence Day, dear friend. xo Lidy
Thank you so much, Lidy! I hope you have a wonderful BBQ and a fun day celebrating our country’s birthday!
Pam, The Independence Day tablescapes you have created this year are glorious and rich in all the right colors! And I am partial to the red placemats with beads! Very merry for the 4th of July!
Mary, you are so sweet. I love color, as you have probably guessed. Enjoy celebrating our country’s birthday!
Pam, as always your garden setting delights and inspires. I so want to set a table on the terrace, but just too hot this summer. Like you, my summer colors on repeat Memorial Day to Labor Day. I happily celebrate the red, white, and blue all summer! Your flowers fresh cut from your garden set the stage for that pretty plaid linen. Love the layers atop for your plate stacks. I’ve placemats like yours with the little beads. Mine are in a variety of colors. Such happy little mats!
Happy 4th of July to you and your guy! Enjoy the grilled delights, homemade ice cream, and the local fireworks.
Sarah, thank you for your sweet comments. I hope you have a lovely day and stay cool and inside!
Just Beautiful! Love the quotes for FREEDOM.
Thank you, Nancy!
Pam, this is such a beautiful table you have set for MMB and for your Independence day tomorrow! That AC tablecloth is so pretty and I love that it’s seersucker (a well-remembered favorite fabric from the past). The plate stack is perfection with those red beaded placemats, Mikasa and Spode dinner plates, all topped off with the pretty AC red napkins. The cobalt chargers and glasses are gorgeous. Your blue and white pitcher is lovely filled with the hydrangeas, crocosmia, and black-eyed Susans, and the patriotic picks are perfection. I’m sorry about the heat and I hope you and your family have a wonderful July 4th! The homemade ice cream sounds heavenly.
Thanks so much, Kim. I appreciate all of your sweet visits and comments. The heat has been intense and I walk and work in the garden in the early hours of the day.
Good Morning Pam! Your patriotic table with the gorgeous plate stack and the AC seersucker tablecloth, along with your garden flowers, is yet another beautiful one! You simply amaze me.
The Sunshine Cottage picture with the bunting is quite stunning. How fun for you and your family to get to look at your sweet Sunshine Cottage every day!
Your quotes remind us of our love for our country! Thank you!
We celebrated with family a few days ago and friends last night at our town fireworks display! Today on lakeside, there will be swim races, a bike parade, and an ice cream social.
Happy Independence Day to you and yours! 🩷🤍💙
As always, I appreciate your visits and comments. I am blessed to have you as a blogging friend!
I am also blessed because of your friendship. One day we will meet! ☺️
Yes, we must!
Pam, what a beautiful patriotic table. Love the AC cloth, your plate stack, arrangement from your own garden and the backdrop is gorgeous. Love everything about it. Bob and I spent last week in Williamsburg. A real treat near independence day.
Thank you, Dianne. How fun to visit Williamsburg near Independence Day. It has been years since we have been to Williamsburg!
Love your pretty red/white/blue table set with gorgeous flowers! Have to admit I’m a bit jealous — my garden has been ransacked by deer and rabbits. The deer, usually in groups of 3-5, some with fawns, stand brazenly in my yard in the middle of the day not 10 feet from me and proceed to snack to their heart’s content. Even barking Labs don’t faze them.
Thank you, Sandra. I am so sorry about the deer. We are battling Japanese beetles this year. We have also had years that rabbits caused problems. Happy Sunday to you!
how lovely, how welcoming … and how dedicated you are, venturing out in the heat, dear one. we had friends in for July 4th … my husband grilled chicken in torrential downpours and 10 of us crammed around the table he made from Canadian barn wood all those years ago. no decor, but lots of laughter and good conversation … and a beautiful berry-flag-topping on dessert that a guest brought.
Thank you, Linda! Sitting around a table with family, friends, conversation, and laughter is the best decor!
Your pretty table with the Sunshine Cottage dressed in bunting is perfect for the 4th.
Thank you, Karen! wishing you a great week.
Pam
The Ronald Reagan quote hits closer and closer to home, as we watch so many of our freedoms slipping away right in front of our eyes. It is heartbreaking. I hope y’all had a wonderful 4th, filled with God’s blessings.
Thank you, Cheryl. I hope you and yours are doing well!