Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the South Florida region

A Peek at Our 4th of July Table Setting

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We had a nice, relaxing 4th of July at our house. My mom came over and we grilled and chilled. I snapped a few pictures of our table setting in progress. I always like to make small, festive touches during the holidays. I never go too crazy, but just keep it simple.

4th of July Fun ……………………………………………….

I like to use a mix of our white dinner dishes with some fun holiday paper products, to add some color. The large stars and stripes basket was a gift a while back and it always houses our dinner rolls and buns for the grilled food. Our grocery store had patriotic stars and stripes ice cream this year, so we had to try that! When the ice cream is served in a white bowl with a wooden spoon and festive party toothpick, it instantly becomes an easy, pretty dessert! I used grasscloth looking scrapbook paper for the place mats and a roll of white craft paper for the table runner. It’s a great spot for the kids to draw on after they finish their meal. That way, it gives some time for the adults to chat and unwind. I also used mason jars for the drinking glasses, which isn’t included in these pictures.

I hope your 4th was a great one!

Gearing Up for the 4th!

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With the Fourth of July this week, I can’t help but think about red, white and blue for everything! I found some great images via pinterest to get us all in the holiday spirit!

Source: google.com via Amber on Pinterest

With this recent heat wave, I think most of us wish we could stay near that last image, even for just a couple of minutes!  🙂 Have a happy Holiday with friends and family and stay cool!

Happy Holiday Weekend!

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I hope everyone has a fun, relaxing holiday weekend! The weather here is amazing, so some outside bbqing and flower purchasing are in my future! Here are some great patriotic inspired images for your weekend…

I also wanted to take this time and thank all of the armed forces members and their families for all that they do in keeping us safe. We should never forget and always be truly grateful for their sacrifice!

Have a safe and happy weekend!!

A Simple and Festive Table Setting

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Happy 4th of July! We had a blast this year, entertaining and creating a simple, fun and festive atmosphere for guests! The key word for me, being simple. I am definitely not one to spend a lot of time making extravagant centerpieces, and I am far from Martha Stewart when it comes to entertaining! If it’s easy, fun and looks/tastes good- then I’m all for it! Here are some snacks that are easy to make and look very patriotic!

Patriotic Parfaits

The grocery list for this snack is simple, and you may already have most of these items at home. You will need: vanilla yogurt, blueberries, strawberries (sliced) and granola. After all materials are laid out on the counter, I started the layering: first the yogurt, then granola, then strawberries and blueberries. Then, repeat (probably one more time) with the fruit as the top layer. Voila- an easy, delicious snack for breakfast or dessert! I liked using a clear wine glass when presenting, to show off the layering work. When giving this snack to kids, just replace with clear plastic cup and spoon!

Patriotic Marshmallow Pops

These marshmallow covered treats are so fun! I found this idea from Courtney of A Thoughtful Place. I’m so glad I tried this festive snack- they were so easy and delicious! (And I love that they look like sparklers!) I borrowed the container from my mom (thanks mom!) and filled it with rice, to keep the sticks in place. I could have also used sand, but had the rice on hand. I used grilling skewer sticks for the marshmallows and cut the sharp tips off. I tested out the sticks in the rice filled container, first.

I then melted chocolate chips in a bowl and placed the red and blue sprinkles in another bowl.

After melting the chocolate in the microwave, I dipped the marshmallows in the chocolate and then in the sprinkles! They were a hit! It took about 10 minutes from start to finish. I suggest preparing the snack right before you present it. I prepared the snack about an hour before and the marshmallows were starting to slide down the stick. But, I would definitely do it again. Thanks Courtney, for the idea!

Patriotic Cookies
Not much to say about this one, since they were store bought! Yay for simple and easy- just present them on a fun plate!
Patriotic Paper Goods from Target

The polka dot placemats were just paper napkins from Target. The table runner was rolled out brown packing paper- it makes a great place for art! (Next time, I will try and find the white art paper instead- it might look a bit better with the theme.) And maybe next year, I will trace a cut our star, instead of going freehand. Oh well- I don’t think anyone noticed!
Happy 4th of July!!