Deck and Porch Decorating for the Fourth of July...and a Recipe

I'm two days late with this post, but I thought I'd show everyone how I decorated my front porch and back deck for the Fourth of July holiday.

The Front Porch

The main staple of the porch is always my antique church pew. It's from Connecticut, circa 1870s and supposedly once belonged to Skitch Henderson (so said the man who sold it to me - no real proof, but it's a good story). Skitch was the original conductor of the Tonight Show band before Doc Severinsen.  I added some colorful pillows and my favorite piggy bank that I bought many years ago on a trip to Maryland - on Assateague Island. I added some red, white and blue sunglasses for a touch of humor.

My granddaughter and I made some pinwheels in red, white and blue and placed them in a plant stand.  The little red chair, which I bought at the NY Gift Show in January, was a perfect perch for red and white striped petunias in a holiday pot. The red star was a $3 purchase that I painted in Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint - Emperor's Silk.  The antique red watering can I found at a garage sale several years ago and the planter was a gift from one of my best friends, Alex.

Here's the full view (sorry about my van and me showing up in the window!!) I purchased the buntings from Indepence Bunting and Flag - which is a great company (not a paid endorsement) and they carry many different decorations for all holidays.

The Back Deck

OK - yes those are red plastic plates!  So sue me!  I have a family that doesn't always help with the dishes...so it's a time saver for me. Besides I had these red babies on hand - so it made perfect sense.  I found a great outdoor table runner at Home Goods ($7 - thank you very much) that has a velcroed (is that a word now?) opening for the umbrella hole.  For those of you who sew - this is an easy enough thing to do for your outdoor tables. 

It looks like my family had a great time! (Note that the sangria pitchers on the table are just about empty...save for the fruit!)

Even Cassidy - my daughter's dog!

Hope everyone had a great holiday!! In case you might be interested in the Sangria recipe I used...here it is.  Combine all ingredients and let sit for an hour or two at room temperature to blend all the flavors. Chill and serve with ice.

• Large bottle of Red wine
• 1 1/2 cups of Orange Juice
• 1 cup of Club Soda
• 1/2 cup of Orange Liqueur (I used Patron's)
• Cut up peaches, cherries and strawberries
• Sugar, to taste 

I'm linking this up to:

Between Naps on the Porch; Designs by Gollum