This Friday is Independence Day, and for several reasons, this year’s holiday is more exciting to me than previous years. First of all, it falls on a Friday, which means I have a three-day weekend. Second, Marley is with me this year and she doesn’t have a broken foot. (Last summer was rough!) And third, we have a brand spankin’ new deck to party on with our friends! WOOT WOOT! 
Mark and I have been busting our butts getting the deck and the basement ready for our guests. Mark has been working, working, working on that deck, and I have been cleaning like a mad woman, and it’s finally starting to come together. We’re having a big cookout on Saturday to celebrate both our new deck and Independence Day, so today I thought I’d share some 4th of July Party Inspiration to get you in the mood!
The Food
We’re taking a simple cookout and making it extra special with a Burger Bar!
I made this menu using Picmonkey, and I’ll be attaching it to a clipboard and hanging it above our food table. We’re going to grill burgers and hot dogs, then line up the toppings bar-style for people to create their own unique fabulousness. Yum! One of my best friends is an amazing baker, and she is going to bring Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes! YUM!!!
Last week during a lunch hour stroll through Marshall’s, I was lucky enough to stumble upon this gorgeous galvanized tub with a turquoise bottom, and for only $25, I had to bring it home with me. This will be perfect to keep our bottled water chilled during the cookout!
The Decorations
We’re keeping the decor simple but festive this year. I’m pulling out one of my favorite wreaths that I made a couple years ago:
Marley and I got a little crafty and painted these mason jars like a flag to hold our plastic forks, spoons, and knives.
Using the same star we cut from a sponge to decorate our mason jar, I added stars to plastic tablecloths, too!
I also found these cute paper lanterns that light up at the Dollar Tree when I went in to snag the tablecloths. I couldn’t resist!
The Festivities
What’s a 4th of July party with sparklers, am I right?! When the lights go down, we’ll give the fireflies a run for their money with sparklers for the kids!
To keep the crowd entertained, we’re also going to have a game of Horse Shoes set up, and a game of Corn Hole!
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I am so excited to host our first ever party on our deck! I’m sure it’s going to be the first of many for years to come. I’ll be sure to share all the details with you next week right here on the blog! In the mean time, why don’t you tell me…
What are your plans for the 4th of July weekend?
