Star Spangled Seashore Celebration

When summertime rolls around, we love to bring the beach and seashore into the decor -- so for our Fourth of July theme, we went with a 'Star Spangled Seashore'!

Sometimes it's hard to part with a particular decor or theme and this year we really did not want to take down our cool summertime Oysters and Pearls: Seashore Celebration. 

We couldn't skip the fireworks and the Red White and Blue though, so we created a sort of patriotic seashore fusion.

Though there are quite a few similarities between this theme and the last, we don't mind because we are using many of our most favorite things.

Making their return are the silver charger plates and matching silver nut dishes in both baroque and seashell shapes. Also the pearls, fishing nets, lantern and seashells are back. 

New to the table is a gorgeous navy blue blanket being used as a tablecloth topper. Also new to the table are some lovely red salad plates and some Navy blue napkins.

We've got our patriotic red white and blue 'fire'Cracker Jacks ready as a nostalgic summertime treat. We added red white and blue striped ribbon just to make them extra special. 

With a name tag or note attached to the ribbon they would make an awesome place card or party favor as well.

We've also got our Pop Rocks, because they are like having a fireworks show in your mouth!

The sideboard is all gussied up with red white and blue bunting and other patriotic  themed items. 

We found these sparkly balloon weights from Dollar Tree. They certainly are not a statement of understated elegance, and they may be a bit gaudy, but they feel like a fireworks launch! 

If you can't add a little over-the-top sparkly glitz and glam for the 4th of July, when can you?



We'll be adding some of our favorite patriotic recipes and entertaining ideas soon -- until then, here are some pictures from last year's 4th of July celebration, and a few more from this year.

Seashore Tablescape - Oysters and Pearls

Oysters and Pearls : A Seashore Tablescape for Summer.

It's not quite summer yet but most people see Memorial Day Weekend as the official start of summer fun and festivities. 

So after a quick change from the red white and blue (that will all come back with extra sparkle for July 4th) we converted into a nice beachy summer at the seashore look.

Oyster shells and pearls are the theme this time and they are a perfect combo because pearls come from oysters! 

We grabbed the pearl garlands from our Christmas decorations, and we have lots of collected sea shells from every time we ever get near a seashore. These Oyster shells were collected in Greenport New York.

We found lovely Caribbean sea blue bottles at Dollar Tree and got incredibly lucky when we found awesome matching salad plates at Savers. Together they give the table a fresh pop of color and the blue is so refreshing and serene.

We paired the Caribbean Blue glass accents with our white china and silver chargers.  

The centerpiece is a lantern that is not necessarily beachy, but it is reminiscent of the top of a lighthouse, so it works! It's raised up a level on a silver tray resting on a glass block and surrounded by fish netting, pearls, shells and little glass balls that look like bubbles!

We finished off the look with some fishing net, shells and various trinkets and baubles that fit the summer at the seashore theme.

We still need some more fishing nets and accessories to complete the look on the sideboard -- it's looking a bit sparse, so we'll update when that gets it's finishing touches.

This may be my new favorite tablescape -- not looking forward to ever changing this one!  It's time to celebrate - Summer is here! It's Beachy Keen!