a fun 4th of july tablescape

What better reason than the 4th of July to go all out with the red, white and blue décor? 

I started working on this tablescape about a week ago, trying to get just the right combination of plates and colors established before I set the rest of the table.  

The inspiration for this table setting was using red and blue transferware in an interesting combination, but for an extra patriotic twist, I decided to use vintage souvenir state plates for fun!

  

Of course, they’re called “state plates” but many just depict cities. For the sake for this theme, I was lucky to have some states and cities represented that play an important part of our American history!

New York, San Francisco, Williamsburg, Chicago and Philadelphia are all included in the mix. The sixth plate from Lake George, New York is an unusual one that I added for sentimental reasons.  

I visited Lake George a few times while I was growing up in the Hudson River Valley. This plate is actually displayed on my wall the rest of the year, but I temporarily took it down for this table.

You may already know, I love a good theme, and in this instance, like in many, I incorporate several themes into one.

Since I live in Newport Beach, I thought it would be fun to add coastal twist to this patriotic table.

Placemats trimmed out with tiny seashells are the perfect contrast to the vintage plates and antique pine table.

And starfish are the PERFECT 4th of July accent and they play perfectly against the blue and white stripes of the table runner. It’s so reminiscent of the American flag, but in a fun, quirky sort of way.

Fallen red petals from the geraniums adds color!

Here’s an up close and personal look at the many layers and textures of this tablescape.

For the flowers, I was fortunate enough to have the blue and white hydrangeas in the garden. I recently planted these and a few others that were left from my photo shoot with Cottages & Bungalows.

The red ivy geraniums have been growing out by my pool for over twenty years, and proved to be the perfect color to add to the mix.

Well, now we’re ready for our small gathering on the 4th. I’m not sure what’s on the menu yet except I know we must include burgers, hot dogs and watermelon!

What do you suggest as a side dish?

Wishing you a safe Independence Day!

ciao! fabiana

easy to make treats for 4th of july

Just sharing a few fun and easy ways to create a memorable patriotic dessert for friends and family. The first is an embellished ice cream sandwich that is taken to the next level of yum with the addition of white chocolate and red, white and blue sprinkles.

Patriotic Double Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups white baking morsels

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

6 Kroger® Big Wheels Vividly Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches

Cooking spray

Parchment paper

Red, white and blue sugar sprinkles

Directions

-In saucepan over medium heat, add morsels and heavy cream. Heat and mix until white ganache forms.

-Dip each sandwich ice cream cookie halfway into ganache. Place on slightly greased parchment paper.

-In bowl, roll sandwich cookies over sprinkles to cover. Place in freezer until completely frozen and ready to serve.

Serves: 6

Recipe courtesy of Kroeger

If you don’t have much time or prefer a little patriotic cupcake, dress up homemade or store-bought cupcakes with these adorable 4th of July toppers and muffin-tin liners.  I like these... 

and these. With these adorable embellishments,

you'll save time and create the cutest dessert!

ciao! fabiana

serena & lily summer essentials and sale

You know I’m a HUGE fan of Serena & Lily, and I just wanted to let you know that starting today they’re having their big summer sale through July 8.

That means 20% off virtually everything on their website and in stores, and if you get a chance to visit one of their stores, you’re in for a real treat!

You can check out my visits to the Newport Beach shop and the Pacific Palisades shop, which is my favorite!

The South Seas Side Cart is the best entertaining accessory of the summer, but also take a look beyond that, at the Gingham Napkins. 

Here they are paired with these little beauties, the Round Rattan Placemats. You can really see the detail of these fun napkins with their dainty beaded edging. I love these so much that they've been making the tablescape round in my home all year long!

Not only are the obviously perfect for summer, but they also transcend perfectly to other times of the year like Christmas and Valentine's Day!

  

And, here are my picks for the Serena & Lily summer style sale that includes some of my all-time favorite S&L items. The promo code to use is GOCOASTAL.

Product Links:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,

9, 10, 11, 12, 13

This white Montecito Pillow is actually an outdoor pillow, but it’s so pretty that I’ve had it in my family room on the Mattituck Chairs for about three years now.

They have so many beautiful pillow styles!

These are a few blue ones that I love in my family room.

To shop this look, just click HERE.

No one does natural textures quite like Serena & Lily. These textures instantly add that coastal inspired look we love in our décor! 

Now's a great time to pick up those pieces you've been eyeing since Serena & Lily is offering 20% virtually everything off with code GOCOASTAL. This Summer Style Event starts July 2 and runs through July 8, 2019.

Let me know if you have any Serena & Lily pieces you love!

ciao! fabiana


P.S. I'll be back tomorrow with the final reveal
of my patriotic 4th of July tablescape!

I hope you'll check back with me!

The opinions expressed in this post are truly my own.

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4th of july decor and beautiful gifts

July is finally here, and that means the 4^th is literally around the corner, so let’s talk about red, white and blue table décor! And while we’re at it, I have a couple of my favorite recipes that I recently made to share with you again.

 

Isn’t the American Flag Banner cute? I used it here as a backdrop for this gorgeous Sailboat Topped Decanter, but I plan on taking this outside to my front porch later today for a touch of patriotic curb appeal.

It's also right at home indoors or in the backyard as an easy way to add a festive touch to the weekend barbecues and cookouts.

 

I found a big set of these funny little piggy napkin rings last week and thought they deserved some farmhouse style to make them feel right at home, and nothing does that better than gingham. 

Big, bold gingham is perfect for that nostalgic look that I love so much.

 

Here's another recent table I styled using coordinating blue stripes and red checks by Solino Home for a fun patriotic look.

I love these new Nautilus Double Old-Fashion Glasses I recently got, and although they’re so luxurious for imbibing your favorite elixir this summer, I think they would also be fabulous as votive candle holders… stay tuned!

 

When I think of Clam Bake, I also associate it with summers spent in Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, so of course lots of red, white and blue accents come to mind!

My favorite recipe includes clams, shrimp, potatoes and corn on the cob. I love how the top of this stoneware tureen features so many quintessential creatures and seashells.

 

This is what a yummy Italian dinner looks like on a glorious summer evening. These two serving pieces from Arthur Court Designs, and I'm totally obsessed! 

 

They're most definitely my "Summer Entertaining Essentials" Recipe for the Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, check out my recipe here.

 

In addition to the Chicken & Penne dish, I also prepared a little antipasto of Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, Marinated Mini Mozzarella, and Marinated Olives, served with Italian breadsticks.

 

Can we talk about this gorgeous 3-Bowl Clam Server? Isn’t it so cute for summer? This is one of three beautiful coastal themed items I recently got from Arthur Court.

The warmer summer weather calls for something cool and refreshing to eat, that’s why I love indulging in fresh veggies and salads this time of year. Last weekend I put together a large platter of veggies on my new Arthur Court Chip and Dip Platter.  

It’s called the "Oyster with Pearl" Chip and Dip, not only is it perfect for chips and salsa, but it’s also just stunning as a crudité server. And it's large. These are full sized carrots pictured.

I simply choose some of my favorite veggies, scrubbed them really well, and arranged them by variety on the chip and dip bowl. The smaller “pearl” bowl is just the right size for holding my favorite Ranch Dip.

Check out my favorite homemade version of this delicious and luxuriously cool Ranch Dressing recipe here, and it just so happens to be paleo.

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

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hosting a 4th of July brunch

 

July 4th is almost here! Today’s creative combo is Red, White & True Blue featuring two vintage-inspired patterns: Buffalo Check and Capri Stripe!

 

Why be all matchy-matchy, when you can create your own unique look?

Here I combined two classics from for a fun nod to patriotic décor  using coordinating blue stripes and red checks by Solino Home.

The tablecloth in the Capri Stripe pattern, coordinates so well with so many different napkin styles from the Solino Home collection, but especially love it with the bold red check.

Texture is brought in with raffia placemats and my new napkin rings. This pretty bamboo flatware is my “go-to” for so many of my tablescapes. It adds an elegant but casual note to any table.

Yummy croissants and ripe, red strawberries are welcome addition to this table and make it an official "brunch" setting!

Singular Shasta Daisies stand watch over the center of the table in individual vintage glass bottles.

 

What better reason than the 4th of July to go all out with the red, white and blue décor? I get so inspired just by the stars and stripes flying proudly on so many beautiful homes in our neighborhood.

 

Remember to "Making it nice" for Independence Day! It's so fun to pull out the red, white, and navy and set a beautiful table or two for this long holiday weekend.

Shopping info:

Capri Stripe Tablecloth

Red Check Napkins

Raffia Placemats

White Farmhouse Plates

Rattan Napkin Rings

Bamboo Flatware

 

One tip is to start with an inspiration piece and then lay the foundation with a pretty runner or tablecloth. It’s as easy as pie! And speaking of pie, I’m off to make our favorite Apple Crumble pie.

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.