RED, WHITE

July 4th is a favorite American holiday, its the USA's birthday! Americans celebrate with fireworks & back yard bbq's. Flags fly everywhere! Memorial Day in May, and Labor day in early September, and elections are also good times to have a patriotic party!

July 4th Patriotic Centerpieces and Tables

Martha Stewart on Displaying Flags
Martha's site has lovely ideas for patriotic partys.

Fourth of July - history, crafts & themes

The stores are full of red white & white foods for the 4th of July. Even tortilla chips are available in holiday colors! Purchasing red white & blue party ware is easy, and its available all year, it generally isn't necessary to buy expensive holiday party ware, when cups and plates already come in these colors.

Tons of Patriotic and Holiday items at joann.com!

Fresh flowers are lovely at any party, finding truly-blue flowers can be a challenge. Buy red & white flowers and use blue ribbons and sparkly blue "pick" decorations for your patriotic floral display...

American Pride Items by ShindigZ.com
Patriotic Items by ShindigZ.com

It's Time For Flag Waving, Backyard Picnics and
Mom's Apple Pie! - Home Cooking at BellaOnline

Patriotic Craft Ideas

Abigail's July Fourth Picnic Recipes & More

July 4th Patriotic Centerpieces and Tables

Stars & Stripes Cake
a super idea from Betty Crocker!

Red, White and Blueberry Shortcakes
from Pillsbury
Traditional biscuit-based strawberry shortcake
gets a patriotic twist with the addition of blueberries.

1 (16.3-oz.) can Pillsbury® Grands!® Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
4 to 5 tablespoons sugar
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 pint (2 cups) strawberries, sliced
1 pint (2 cups) blueberries

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Dip top and sides only of each biscuit in margarine, then in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F. for 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly.
2. In small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until stiff peaks form.
3. To serve, split biscuits; place on 8 dessert plates. Layer biscuit with strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream. Store fruit and whipped cream in refrigerator.
Prep Time: 40 min Makes: 8 servings

PlumParty is more than a party supplies online catalog. It’s a great source of inspiration, a home site for entertaining, a truly user-friendly place for learning and perfecting "the art of celebration." Actual products may vary - Visit website for current selection.

Flag Personalized Pencils	Americana Heart Diecut Sheeted Address Labels	Eagle Sheeted Address Labels

Fireworks

Fun clickable Virtual Fireworks

American Fireworks News

National Council on Fireworks Safety

Wholesale fireworks

Howstuffworks: "How Fireworks Work"

Quick, Easy and Low Cost Fourth of July Decorating
By Kathleen Wilson

There was a day in our history when people actually spent time on Fourth of July decorations. They were homemade but sincere, and represented deep patriotism. I think that patriotism still exists today, and we can celebrate with Fourth of July decorations that are easy to put together and low cost. Here are some excellent ideas to get you started.

*Pick up some red, white and blue bandannas and wrap them around your existing throw pillows, then knot in the back. You can use this indoors, or on the porch or deck.

*Use red, white and blue ribbon from the dollar shop to tie up your napkins, wrap around your door wreath or create streamers of ribbon from the back of each chair.

*Print out American flags from the internet, and use them to cover the inside of a window. Be sure to face the flags to the outside, and fit them up edge to edge. The result is a patchwork of American flags shown from your front windows which is quite eye catching. One place to print out free flags online is http://www.printourflag.com/

*Buy red, white and blue craft foam from the craft store. Cut them into star shapes of three different sizes. Layer the different sized shapes onto each other and glue together. Tie the stars from porch overhangs, trees and mailboxes to let your Fourth of July decorations spread patriotic cheer! The kids will love to help with this!

*String white holiday lights through trees to create fireworks appeal! Drape them from porch rafters as well, or wrap around deck railing.

*Cover coffee cans, boxes or other containers with patriotic paper, and use to hold utensils, napkins, or condiment bottles.

Use your imagination, and make your Fourth of July decorations the most memorable yet!

Want free home decorating ideas? Kathy Wilson is an author, home decorating columnist for LifetimeTv.com, and editor of several popular home and garden websites. For hundreds of free do it yourself home and garden ideas, please visit her websites now at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com and http://www.DecoratingYourSmallSpace.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathleen_Wilson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Quick,-Easy-and-Low-Cost-Fourth-of-July-Decorating&id=1288678

Election Night Party Ideas
By Shannon L Weidemann

There is always an election on the 1st Tuesday in November in the United States. They can just be for local elections or it can be a national election. Voting is very patriotic and it is always a great reason to throw a party. Whether you are thanking loyal supporters or want to get together with family and friends to watch the returns come in, here are some Election Night Party ideas for you.

Red, white and blue are definitely the theme colors to go with for this party. Decorate your party area with balloons, streamers, election campaign signs, and American flags. Visit your local florist to get flowers in red, white, and blue to make centerpieces for the tables.

While waiting on the election results, it is a good idea to have some activities to keep your guests entertained. Create a trivia game based on the candidates, US Election history, and the Constitution. Play an ice breaking game by pinning the names of historical and political figures onto each of the guests' backs. They must ask questions of the other guests to figure out who they are.

Serve your guests an all American classic meal such as fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob. Top it all off with an ice cream sundae bar for dessert.

Have a television tuned into a local station to watch the results come in live. It can be fun to run a straw poll to help predict who is going to win the election.

Your guests are sure to have a wonderful time at this Election Night Party.

Receive more Election Night Party Ideas by visiting http://www.partyelf.com  Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shannon_L_Weidemann http://EzineArticles.com/?Election-Night-Party-Ideas&id=3096988

an example of a recent conversation in my #holidaze chat room
• [21:44] <melanie_warn> what food reminds you of summer?
• [21:44] <sleepy_stitchal> watermelon!
• [21:45] <sleepy_stitchal> hot dogs!
• [21:45] <Your_Pal_ed> iced tea
• [21:45] <sleepy_stitchal> marshmallows!
• [21:45] <melanie_warn> toasted?
• [21:45] <Your_Pal_Ed> koolaid
• [21:45] <Your_Pal_Ed> ice cream
• [21:46] <sleepy_stitchal> hamburgers!
• [21:46] <melanie_warn> corn on the cob...
• [21:46] <Your_Pal_Ed> lemonaid
• [21:46] <sleepy_stitchal> s'mores
• [21:46] <melanie_warn> yum
• [21:46] <Your_Pal_Ed> picnic baskets, and fried chicken, and watermelon, of course
• [21:46] <sleepy_stitchal> fried chicken at picnics
• [21:46] <sleepy_stitchal> jello
• [21:47] <melanie_warn> jello cake?
• [21:47] <sleepy_stitchal> uhhhh
• [21:47] <sleepy_stitchal> what is that?
• [21:47] <melanie_warn> bake cake in a casserole pan, cool and leave in pan, poke holes with a fork, pour over with thickened jello, refrigerate till its ready...
• [21:47] <sleepy_stitchal> oh weird
• [21:47] <melanie_warn> top with whipped cream
• [21:47] <sleepy_stitchal> sounds kinda cool
• [21:48] <melanie_warn> its SO good
• [21:48] <Your_Pal_Ed> pizza is good summer food, too
• [21:48] <melanie_warn> silly ed :)

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Nancy's Holiday Pages
Party Ideas, Recipes, Decorations & Crafts for Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Valentines Day

Artistic thanks to
Mountain Breeze