Happy Monday Morning Blooms, dear readers, and three cheers for the red, white and blue! Tomorrow marks a most special holiday in our country…America’s birthday. It is a day that we gather with family and friends and celebrate all of the freedoms that we have been granted as American citizens. I am so thrilled to be joining my very talented flower loving friends for a special patriotic Monday Morning Blooms.
On the first Monday of each month, my friends Pam at Everyday Living, Mary at Home is Where the Boat Is, and Lidy at French Garden House share their gorgeous floral creations. I am always excited when they invite me to join them as a guest bloomer. You will find the links to their beautiful patriotic arrangements at the end of this post.
“It will be celebrated…with pomp and parade…bonfires and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other.”-John Adams
To celebrate America’s birthday, a table set outdoors among God’s beautiful handiwork seemed fitting.
A bouquet of red and white roses accented with American flags and placed in a Spode Blue Italian pitcher serves as my patriotic centerpiece.
Providing a lovely underpinning for the celebratory table is an April Cornell tablecloth. Anchoring each placesetting is a red, white, and blue placemat with a matching napkin tied with a blue hydrangea napkin ring. For the plate stack, Mikasa English Countryside plates are joined by Better Homes and Gardens red scalloped plates and blue and white floral plates. The Better Homes and Gardens plates were purchased several years ago. The flatware is by Reed and Barton.
“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it”. -Thomas Paine
Godinger Dublin goblets are filled with iced raspberry tea. I must confess with the sweltering heat; I consumed a gallon of this delicious tea.
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” -Ronald Reagan
“Independence Day: freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed — else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” — Harry Truman
In honor of America’s birthday celebration, I set up a dessert buffet on my outdoor potting bench. This bench is very special because my sweet Mr. Bleu made it for me. During Mother’s Day of 2020, when we were on lockdown, he rummaged around to find some scraps of lumber and leftover paint to make this for me as a surprise Mother’s Day gift. It is a treasure, and I cherish it so!
Uncle Sam stands guard over the dessert buffet. He has been with us for over twenty years, and the celebration would not be the same without him.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. The patriotic cookies are from the grocery store bakery.
Help yourself to more raspberry tea and red, white, and blueberry parfaits. The parfaits are delicious!
Since we are on the subject of secrets, I must tell you I did not make the parfaits from scratch. With our triple digit temperatures, I really did not want to heat up the house by running the oven. Therefore, I took an easy shortcut by using a Sarah Lee poundcake. I simply cubed it and layered it with strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream. Special Edition Patriotic Ball canning jars serve as the perfect containers. My official taste testers could not wait for me to finish photographing the buffet and loved every last bite of the dessert.
Strawberries and blueberries are a perfect summertime treat.
“Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will be America’s heart, her benedictions and her prayers be.” — John Quincy Adams
“We’re blessed with the opportunity to stand for something-for liberty and freedom and fairness. And these are things worth fighting for, worth devoting our lives to.” -Ronald Reagan
My sweet friends, thank you for your visits and kindness. Please be sure to visit my dear friends Pam, Mary, and Lidy. They were so gracious to invite me to join them today, and I know their creations will make your heart sing. May you and yours have a most joyful and safe Fourth of July. May God Bless America and all that she stands for.
Home is Where the Boat Is
Everyday Living
French Garden House
Three cheers for the Red, White and Blue Shannon! Your Spode pitcher makes the perfect vessel for your beautiful arrangement of roses and flags as a centerpiece for your table! I adore your AC floral tablecloth…so pretty with the addition of yellow and layered with your placemats and pretty blue and white floral plates. I adore your potting bench too, perfect for a dessert station, flanked by Uncle Sam! I have a set of Ball Stars and Stripes jars and have used them to make no bake berry trifles, so good and easy. Thank you so much for joining us today to celebrate the red, white and blue! Wishing you a Happy Fourth! ♥
Thank you so much, Mary, for the sweet words and the invite to be a guest bloomer. It is always a joy to join such talented and dear friends!
Good morning, Shannon. I love your beautiful outdoor setting. Red and white white roses joining our beloved flag is a lovely patriotic arrangement. April Cornell floral linens are among my most favorites and paired with the red, white, and blue placemats make a charming foundation for your plate stack. Raspberry tea sounds delicious and I am sure refreshing in this heat. What a fabulous gift that Mr. Bleu surprised you with! The potting bench is a great dessert buffet and your treats looks delicious. Thank you for joining us for Monday Morning Blooms, it is a pleasure to have you as our guest!
Happy Independence Day to you and your family🇺🇸
Thank you, Pam! It is always such a joy to join such talented and dear friends. I hope that you and your family had a wonderful 4th of July!
Shannon, What beautiful and meaningful quotes throughout your post. Your table is stunning in its lovely setting, with God's creation as a backdrop.
I love your gorgeous red, white, and blue arrangement of roses and American flags in the blue and white Spode pitcher. Your patriotic tablescape is layered so attractively. Your AC tablecloth and placemats go perfectly with your AC floral cloth.
I am so jealous of your excellent potting bench. It works well for your eye-catching dessert parfaits. Your husband knew just what you would use and like.
Have a great 4th of July celebration with your family. God Bless America!
Thank you, Bonnie! I hope that you had a wonderful 4th of July!
Red, White and Beautiful Shannon! I adore the red and white roses in your beautiful blue pitcher with flags and the checked place mats and napkins paired with the floral AC tablecloth and pretty floral plates. I Your backyard setting is so lovely and such a wonderful spot to linger and enjoy. Uncle Sam looks great standing by the sideboard with your tasty dessert display, he is fabulous! Have a wonderful 4th and thank you for sharing! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thank you, sweet friend! I hope that you and your family had a wonderful 4th of July!
Beautiful tablescape, dessert buffet with Uncle Sam, and the semi-homemade trifle! It's all about the love and effort in presenting it so beautifully! Happy 4th, Shannon!
Thank you, Rita! I hope that you and your family had a wonderful 4th of July!
Shannon, I'm so happy you could join us today, it's always such a treat when you do! Your beautiful outdoor setting, with the red and white roses joining our beloved flag is such a lovely patriotic arrangement. Your table is a delight, a seat at your virtual table is a blessing. Raspberry tea sounds delicious and I am sure refreshing in your summer weather. Your potting bench is a fantastic dessert buffet and your desserts looks delicious. Thank you so much for joining us for Monday Morning Blooms.
Happy Independence Day to you and your family🇺🇸 xo Lidy
Thank you so much, Lidy! I am always happy to join such such dear and talented friends as a guest bloomer. I hope that you and your family had a wonderful 4th of July!
Shannon such a beautiful tablescape. I live in North Texas close to the Oklahoma, Texas border. Zone 7b is my gardening zone. Your flowers are gorgeous.
Hi Linda! I am so happy that you stopped by for a visit! Thank you so much for your sweet comment. We are almost neighbors and share similar gardening zones. I hope that you had a wonderful 4th of July. Enjoy your weekend!
SO refreshing to see and read a blog. So much better than social media outlet's in my humble opinion. Puts me is such a good mood and motivates me to decorate for 4th of July. Thank you Shannon! Keep em coming friend!
Hi Marie Annette! Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. I am so happy that you stopped by for a visit. I hope that you had a wonderful 4th of July. Enjoy your weekend!
So So Beautiful. Love the quotes of FREEDOM!
Thank you, Nancy, for your sweet words. I hope that you had a wonderful 4th of July. Enjoy your weekend!
Shannon, your triple digits sound like what we are experiencing. Not fun! But your alfresco setting looks cool, inviting, and refreshing. Your garden setting is always so pretty. I like the way your mixed the beautiful floral and plaid linens, and the potting bench used as a dessert buffet is a great idea. The berry parfaits look refreshing and delicious. Happy 4th of July!
Hi Sarah! Thank you so much for your kind words. We have had a cool down the past few days with a little rain. It has been such a relief. However, it is going to heat up again later in the week. I hope that you had a wonderful 4th of July. Enjoy your weekend and stay cool. Take care, sweet friend!
Good Morning Shannon! Such a lovely table set alfresco for all of us. It's always so nice to join you. Your floral and plaid linens are perfect with your blue floral plates.
I must say your potting bench is perfect for your dessert buffet! And your parfaits are looking so delicious!
Happy 4th of July!
P.S. Your Uncle Sam is darling!
Thank you so much, sweet friend! I hope that you had a wonderful 4th of July. Enjoy your weekend!