{whatever wednesday} Independence Day

Independence Day.  A day for cookouts, friends, family, and the big event: FIREWORKS.  Whether you're heading to a party, hosting a party, or just want to do a little something patriotic to celebrate America the beautiful, here's some food, decor ideas and other 4th of July inspiration to get those creative juices flowing.  Do you have any 4th of July traditions?  Have a Fabulous Fourth!

Start with Flag Foods

Create a flag with blueberrys and sliced bananas and strawberries.

 Or opt for white chocolate colored pretzels instead of the bananas.

Another idea that would be cute is to dye a fruit dip blue and place that in a square container instead of the blueberries :)

 {Easy Sugar Cookie Flag}

{Patriotic Taco Salad}

{24 Festive Recipes for Fourth of July from Shape}

{15 Fantastic Works of Hot Dog Perfection}

Say so long to the ketchup and mustard.  Get creative and dress those dogs up with tastier toppings, such as grilled pineapple or mac and cheese.

 

 

{Firecracker Funfetti Cupcakes with Pop Rocks Centers}

Cheers to Lady Liberty!

{4th of July Cocktail Recipes}

{Watermelon Blueberry Mojito}

 

 

{Patriotic Margaritas}

Decorate in Red, White, and Blue

{Vintage Americana Canteen}

 

 

{Coke Crates and Carnations}

 

 

{Vintage Ribbon Flag}

{Red, White, and Blue Windcatcher}

{4th of July Clothespin Wreath}

{DIY American Flag Picnic Blanket}

Fashionable Fourth Outfit Inspo

For more outfit inspo, go here:

Stars, Stripes, and Sparklers: 4th of July Fashion

DIY: Flag Shorts

The inspiration:  Cute festive 4th of July Americana shorts to wear all summer (with full intention of wearing with tights and sweaters in cooler weather).

The supplies:
Denim shorts or a pair of jeans to cut in to shorts
(I used a 90's style Old Navy pair that I thrifted for a whopping $3)
Masking tape
Star stencils
Acrylic paint (red and white)
Paint sponges and a thin paint brush for bloopers

Step one:  Tape off your stripes and paint red

Step two:  Lay the stencil as flat as possible and gently sponge the white paint in on the stencil.  This can be a little tricky because the smallest move can make a star look like a blob.  We taped our stencil, allowed for some drying time, and wiped the stencil off before moving to the next.  I would recommend having a fine tip paint brush on hand to touch up if there happen to be any bloopers.

Step three:  Once the front is dry, flip them over and do the same on the back pockets. (optional)

Step four: When completely dry (we waited until the next day), wash them in cold water and VIOLA!  You have your custom flag shorts fashioned and ready to be rocked.

Modeling my 4th of July party look.                  

Oh, Hey!  There's me just jaunting around Coronado Island in my flag shorts, sipping on a Red Bull, cheesing in front of the Dragon Tree from Some Like it Hot.

Photo Credits:  Free People, We Heart It