Patriotic Preparations

Those of you who go waaaaaaaaaaay back with me may remember that even in the cramped college dorm rooms I loved to decorate for the holidays. So much so, in fact, that my friend Fred Rose labeled me "the Hallmark Queen." (I´m also really good about sending greeting cards for holidays and special events.)

So in that vein, I include here today some shots of our house, all decked out for the 4th and the visit from the in-laws.

The welcome wreath:

Flag pillows, both from Kohl´s. I´m particularly fond of the one in the hideous brown chair. You will notice that it is "anatomically" correct, sporting 50 stars and 13 stripes:
A not-so-faithful representation of Old Glory, hung over the prominently-placed wedding photos with my groom and his people:

A star-themed table complete with starlight mints:

More candy dishes and treats (we had so many other sweets while the in-laws were here that we didn´t even touch the patriotic chocolates --red chocolate-covered cherries, white chocolate-covered almonds, and blue chocolate-covered blueberries-- that my parents sent us in the flag tin below):

Even my houseplants got some special attention with their own bling:

And, last...the tablescape for our Fourth of July breakfast (I included the links to the recipes in the posting with last week´s menus). Notice the red-white-and-blue theme carried over into the fruit cup:

Stay tuned for a future posting which will include photos of us with the in-laws. And, yes, everyone will be clad in patriotic attire, of course. Don´t miss it!