Fourth of July Cookout

Hey Friends! With the Fourth of July right around the corner, I wanted to put together a little post for hosting a cookout! If you're anything like me, I love having people over especially when it's a "theme" or holiday! I love being able to transform our little space into something fun and festive! We are going down to a beach condo this year for the 4th, it's been tradition since I was a baby, however, I did want to set up my own porch just to give you a little inspo if you're in a rut, but having friends and family over for the holiday! I went through all of my cabinets and mostly worked with what I already had, but I did pick a few things up from Target and nothing was over $10 so.... super doable and very affordable, yet I thought it came out cute! Keep on reading below for a few tips I have for throwing a fun get together!

(Make sure ALL of your guests are comfortable and have a drink in hand :) )

My mom is one of the best hostess' I know- every party she throws everything always seems to go seamless and everyone there is nothing short of happy. I've definitely tried to take some of the lessons my mom has taught me over the years and apply them to my adult life when entertaining family and friends. Always offer your guests a beverage when they arrive- they will feel much more comfortable with a drink in hand, always be the very last to eat- make sure everyone has enough food or needs anything before serving yourself, and keep the flow going all night long. You are the one in control of making sure everyone is having a wonderful time, keep the conversation moving, the music playing, and keep tabs on your guests to see if they need another drink. If you portray this role well, you will definitely be the hostess with the mostess! 

White Plates | Blue Serving Plate | White Serving Plates | Small Blue Plates 

Ahh the food! Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays for the sake of the good bbq food! We always have a shrimp boil at the beach for the 4th, my dad steams shrimp, potatoes, corn, sausage etc and dumps it right onto the table when it's done cooking (soo good!) However, I am such a hamburger/hotdog girl. I love a classic cookout and I love a good burger :) Some of the items above we're so easy to make- I sliced bananas and strawberries and stuck them through a few skewers along with a few blueberries to make an American flag! Literally so easy! I really wanted some American themed cupcakes, however they were sold out by the time I got there so, I just bought some plain cupcakes and sprinkled some red white and blue sprinkles! Again, incredibly quick and easy! P.S. don't forget the watermelon! I saw a recipe the other day where you drizzle dark chocolate and sprinkle sea salt onto watermelon slices...yeah, might have to try that...  On the other hand, see below for my moms famous July 4th Fruit Fluff recipe! She makes it every year and it's to die for (I wish I had a picture! I'll be sure to capture it on snapchat this year- maybe I'll even show you how to make it!...it's embarrassingly easy but oh so good!)

White Plates | Blue Saucers | Drink Dispenser | Drink Stand | Straws | Couch | Ottoman | Table | String Lights | Similar Lantern 

Decorations set the scene! You want your friends and family to walk in and feel like they are celebrating somewhere special- not just your backyard! We strung THESE lights a few months back and it was one of the best decisions ever! It makes the patio so dreamy at night! We also love THIS couch and OTTOMAN! It's a great place for guests to sit and relax! I decided to see what I had in my cabinets to decorate for this cookout and found that my white plates and blue saucers worked perfectly! A centerpiece was very easy to create as well! I bought a few fresh flowers from my grocery store arranged them how I like and stuck an American flag right in the center and voila! a centerpiece! The little things make all the difference! I sliced a few lemons and dropped a few blueberries into the drink dispenser and turned plain ole water into something pretty! If you think about the little things when decorating- the big picture will turn out just how you like!

Thanks so much for checking this post out today and I hope it gave you a little inspiration if you were in need of it! I know I like looking at how others lay things out when I'm lacking creativity and I go from there to make it my own, so if this was able to help you in any way then I am happy! Hope everyone has something fun planned for the Fourth! P.S. you can shop my outfit in the widgets below (my shorts are $13! ) Also, if you missed it, make sure to check out Monday's post on what to wear for the holiday!

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