A Sparkling Fourth

This is Aunt Judy's new tablecloth.

She needed one.  Why did she need one?  Well...let me tell you.  My birthday was a few weeks ago, and my sister-in-law, Judy, kindly invited us over for dinner.  My husband offered to bake a birthday cake.  It was a banana cake.  Seeing as this was a rather "milestone" birthday, Mike felt that candles would just not do.  He wanted sparklers.  Not just regular old sparklers.  He wanted BIG ones.  And so my banana birthday cake had great big sparkly sparklers.  Boy, did they sparkle.  Sparks were flying ALL over the place...really lit up the room.  Soon, Judy's lime green placemats were on fire...burned right through, in fact, also burning through her blue tablecloth down to the table.  A few even flew far enough to singe her floor! Luckily, Judy is a good sport...she was even happy to have my fiasco birthday party be the inspiration for this Fourth of July tablescape.  So this is Aunt Judy's new blue tablecloth from Crate & Barrel.  I think she likes it even better than her old one (phew). She also needed some new placemats,

and I found these fun and festive bright red ones at Marshall's.  The cute cutouts are a nice detail.  I've chosen my blue dotted plates from West Elm.

I think they look perfect.  I've tucked the flatware into these very vintage red and white linen dishtowels 

...just tied it all up with a piece of rafia.  A nice cold beer will taste oh-so-good sipped from these Direction pilsners from Crate & Barrel.

Mine are over 20 years old, but the Crate still sells these!  A spray of sequins make these simple white mums just a little more festive.

I just love how simple little tea lights add so much atmosphere to any outdoor table setting.

Found these really darling red, white and blue straw stars at Pier 1 to scatter around the table. 

I added some little glass stars, also, for a bit of sparkle.

Speaking of sparkle, I've provided my guests with a little bucket Fourth of July fun...some regular sized sparklers....and a darling little pinwheel too!

Please, please, move away from the table and take your fireworks elsewhere!!  Thank you again to Judy for a lovely birthday party and a kind heart.  P.S.  Mike will repair your floor really soon.