Hostess with the Mostess™

What are you guys planning to serve on the 4th? These ideas from Everyday with Rachael Ray are looking pretty tasty to me! {clockwise form left} Mango-Ginger Mocktails, Balsamic Potato and Green Bean Salad, Berry Cakes with Cinnamon Whippped Cream (yum!), Grilled Corn with Parmesean Butter (double yum!).

And if you’re on the lookout for some "patriotic" cocktails, I featured a few ideas (pictured below) on GlamDish today…click here for the details.

Berries are an easy way to give sweets a patriotic feel! Case in point - festive treats from Martha Stewart’s Red, White, & Blue Desserts gallery…

• Red, White, & Blue Parfaits
• Red, White, & Blueberry Trifle (This dessert looks so pretty - and store-bought pound cake cuts down your prep time!)
• Flag Cupcakes (Try substituting small blueberries for the piped "stars" to make the flag decoration even easier.)
• Summer Shortcake

Today on Simply Stated: Celebrations - cool summer sales & beach-themed entertaining finds from Pottery Barn & Crate&Barrel.

Vons.com has some great July 4th cocktail (or mocktail) inspiration. I’m especially loving these watermelon stars - simple idea, but super cute!

For an unique signature drink idea, check out these Blueberry Limoncellos garnished with a blueberry skewer (or alternate blueberries & raspberries for a patriotic feel), or - even easier - try using frozen grapes in place of traditional ice cubes to add some color to clear sodas & cocktails.

While visiting LotusHaus the other day, I stumbled on this wonderfully creative, downloadable "Save the Date Birdie " created by designer Carlene Concepcion , which she created for her upcoming wedding this September. Talk about imagination!  Speaking of which…can you imagine how creative the actual wedding will be?!

Martha Stewart has tons of great inspiration for 4th of July crafts (of course!) - but these adorable drink parasols look particularly fun! Learn how to make them here .

Social Couture has a fun Patriotic Party that’s perfect for making decorating & table settings super easy if you’re playing hostess for the 4th! The full Patriotic set comes complete with eco-friendly bamboo tableware, a sparkly red table runner, USA flags, white metal pails, super-cute striped grosgrain napkin rings, and more…or you can buy just the things you need a la carte!

*Get 10% off any Social Couture order with promo code "HWTM "!

decor8 just wrapped up a super inspiring mood board contest sponsored by fabulous textile designer Amy Butler, and it’s definitely worth checking out - but a word of warning: be prepared to get stuck to the screen for quite a while!

The winners were announced today, but all of the finalists were honestly amazing - there are so many creative people out there! 3 of my personal favorites are pictured here…{click on the images to view larger}

Pictured above: fun & fabulous Hostess Haven kitchen by Jeanee L. Wallace

Pictured below: vintage-chic Midwest Modern dining room by Suzy Lorenzen

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This fabulous "Sweet" Lingerie Bridal Shower hosted by photographer Melissa Rodriguez and friends looks so lovely & serene. They did a great job of creating a clean, contemporary feel with light pinks, blue, chocolate, and white. Read on for details of the gorgeous invitations, party decor, a creative desserts & treats buffet, simple-chic flowers and seriously adorable handmade party favors!

Serving desserts & treats on all-white platters like the girls did for the fondue bar really makes the colors and presentation of the food stand out, in addition to bringing a clean, modern feel to the buffet. And a chocolate fountain always creates the feel of a special occasion… Read more →

Today’s featured "real party" is ridiculously cute! This contemporary Garden Party theme was created to celebrate the first birthday of Mark & Mandy’s adorable daughter, Elsie - but the look would also translate beautifully into a bridal shower, baby shower, or birthday for older girls as well…

From the get-go, Mandy paid attention to all those little details. How cute are the invitations pictured above?! That’s the birthday girl featured on the invite, wearing one of the flower headbands that were the inspiration for the entire party.

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