Happy Independence Day 2016!

I am looking forward to the long July 4th weekend coming up and I have already decorated!

I love using my Royal Staffordshire American Heritage china for Independence Day! Here I have the Bread and Butter Plate which depicts the Boston Tea Party layered on top of a Spode Pink Tower Dinner Plate.

I am using placemats that look like the original American flag, gold chargers, and napkins.

For my centerpiece, I have placed a lantern on a small cake stand. The lantern reminds me of Paul Revere's signal lantern: one if by land, two if by sea! On top of the lantern is a Continental soldier.

I put fireworky - sparklers and an American flag in two Moravian star candleholders.

We put two buntings up on our porch. I could use about 50 more to go around all sides of this wraparound porch, but this will have to do for now! 

When you walk into the foyer, Uncle Sam has taken off his hat!

And there's so good and appropriate reading material in the parlor!

I love the Signers of the Declaration of Independence plate. A close up of it was featured on my Instagram account (@carolinajewel) earlier this week.

Also in the Parlor is my tea table featuring a tea party with Betsy Ross. I shared this table a few weeks ago. (LINK HERE). The good news is that I just found a new creamer and sugar bowl in the Royal Stafforshire American Heritage pattern!  The sugar bowl has Betsy Ross and George Washington and the cream pitcher has Paul Revere.

I have more Royal Staffordshire in the kitchen!

The plate on the left is the Spirit of "76 in the American Heritage pattern and the platter with George Washington Crossing the Delaware is Liberty Blue American Colonial Scenes on Stafforshire. The plate on the right is Wedgewood and shows Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home.

Close ups of all below!

And in the Butler's Pantry I have a plate depicting Independence Hall in Philadelpia.

I hope you will all have a happy and safe Independence Day with family and friends! I will be sharing this with Between Naps on the Porch.

International Picnic Day!

Sometime's my "table" doesn't have to be a table! This morning is beautiful, cooler than the last few days and gorgeous sunshine. Then I read that it was International Picnic Day! I hadn't even had breakfast yet, but I threw together a "picnic" in my front yard just for the occasion!

My tablecloth is from the Vermont Country Store and I bought it back in 1980 or 1981, for picnics and Italian dinners. (I've always loved a theme!) My husband and I bought this picnic basket shortly  after we got married in 1982. Both of these purchases have been used a lot and still look and work great!

I have started trying to remember to watermark my photos since I found pictures of my house on Pinterest claimed by other people. Sad when others try and steal your pictures!

Have a very happy Picnic Day and Father's Day tomorrow!

I will be sharing this with Between Naps on the Porch.

Happy Flag Day with Betsy Ross!

Today is Flag Day and a great time to have a tea party with the famed flag maker, Betsy Ross! Of course, being a good patriot, Betsy prefers Liberty Tea, and herbal blend, since the tax on proper tea was one of the triggers for independence. 

On my tea table, I have my vintage Madame Alexander Betsy Ross doll dressed in Red, White, and Blue and holding a scrap of red and white striped fabric. She is surrounded by a porcelain box in the shape of flag she and George Washington are said to have created and a porcelain box Liberty Bell.

I have my Spode Pink Tower tea pot ready for the Liberty Tea with a Spode Blue Italian Sugar Bowl and a Spode Blue Room creamer. The tea cups are Royal Staffordshire American Heritage and show George Washington at Mount Vernon.

I added some flag pennants and some flag-inspired napkins with gold napkin rings to complete the table.

Happy Flag Day!!!

I will be sharing this with Between Naps on the Porch.