P. Kelly Smith
Welcome to Freebie Friday! To say we have a lot going on right now would be understatement. In the last two weeks we’ve released our special issue Card Creations, Volume 7, announced the Top 20 in our Gallery Idol contest and welcomed six new Go-to Gals to our Paper Crafts family. Like I said, it’s been a busy couple of weeks!
And it’s only going to heat up from here. Good thing we all have this upcoming weekend to recharge our batteries and enjoy all the patriotic festivities that accompany the Fourth of July. For all of our international readers, please indulge this American girl with this red, white and blue post.
I’ve always been a fan of the Fourth of July. I guess for me it really signifies that summer is finally here. I love all the Main Street parades. I love the backyard barbecues, the dripping snow cones, the fireflies at dusk, and of course, the fireworks that light up the midnight sky. All of these traditions remind me of what a lucky girl I am to live in this blessed nation where freedom is celebrated each and every day.
Here’s one of my favorite Fourth of July memories. My family was up in beautiful McCall, Idaho in 2006 and we snapped this photo in front of this gorgeous backdrop.
Another tradition I follow is I make a delicious flag cake every Fourth of the July. I love fresh berries (apparently all of you do too!) and they’re even better on top of a moist, yellow cake with whip cream frosting!
This is my "take" on the traditional Fourth of July flag cake. Not nearly as pretty, but I swear it tastes just as good! My secret ingredient: dust the top with cinnamon!
While I can’t make all of you a yummy cake for the Fourth, I can give away some red, white and blue product! Leave a comment telling me your favorite Fourth of July tradition. I’ll pick four winners to win some paper and stamps from Imaginisce’s Teacher’s Pet collection. All comments must be received by midnight (MST) on Sunday, July 5.
Four lucky winners will each win this prize package from Imaginisce.
However you spend Independence Day, I hope it’s a memorable one!
Kelly
P.S. Make sure to check back here at noon on Monday when voting begins for Round 1 of Gallery Idol. Come support our Top 20 as they show off their wedding-themed cards. Who will get your vote?
I live in a small town and each year we have a big parade. You get to see people that you havent seen for a while. My entire family goes. The grandkids love to grab the candy that is thrown from the floats. Then it is back home for the cookout and then at dusk the fireworks display.
Oh my! As I teacher, I’d LOVE to win today’s giveaway!
My favorite tradition is fireworks. No matter what’s going on, that’s always the one constant. I need to go get out some sparklers…
For me it is spending time with family and the fireworks of course. Have a happy 4th!!
I love watching the fireworks with my kids. They LOVE fireworks and I have always watched them every year, even when I lived in China.
My favorite Fourth of July tradition is drum and bugle corps. I spent so many years traveling the country, playing music and enjoying the US of A! Fourth of July always meant that we were donating our time to a local parade or playing a show with fireworks afterwards! So fun!
my favorite forth of july tradition is getting my kiddo all ready for bed and then heading out to watch all the neighbors set off the fireworks. I love seeing his reaction to all the colors and sounds. He is 5 now so he is just very excited for this. I have been eyeing this collection for a while it very cute and my kiddo starts school next year so it would be great for me to add to my stash.
Hi We celebrate July lst with family take the kids to the Marina watch the fireworks eat Canada Day cake i am sure its much like your July 4th.
Small Town Parade is my favorite!
Here in Canada we celebrate July 1st with a huge display of fireworks…my favorite !! Happy Juy 4th to our American friends
Our tradition is to have a cookout with friends and family by the pool then go watch fireworks.
We usually spend the day on our boat watching the airshow over the bay & the fireworks at night!
Well… I don´t live in USA… I´m from Argentina, but I like fireworks!!
fingers crossed and thanks for the chance to win
Agus
I grew up in a teeny-tiny town of 300 people, but we sure do 4th of July right! My favorite tradition is now to drive home (6 hours!) and go to the little small-town parade, cruise the craft fair, and then buy a bunch of small fireworks and firecrackers from the local Indian tribe. At night, we drive up to the a reservoir about 40 minutes away to watch the fireworks, but everyone who brought some sets theirs off first! It’s so fun every year. I just love the home-y small town feel.
My favorite fourth tradition consists of a lot. My nephew’s birthday is July 5 th so it’s usually two celebrations in one. We all trek out to Tallman Mountain in upstate NY, so the kids can play and swim. The adults can relax and spend time. And it all ends with a great BBQ and my favorite thing, birthday cake.
I am canadian, but I spent my entire summers in the states until I was 16. I loved the 4th of July for the parade in the afternoon and then the fair we would go too! I’ll never forget watching fireworks from the ferris wheel!
In my hometown they have a “taste of” celebration that everyone goes to. You spend the day by the lake eating (corn on the cob and bratwurst), playing games (tug of war, 3-legged race, etc), listening to bands, and talking with the town folk. In the late afternoon, most people go home to take a nap, a quick shower, and get themselves ready for the night time fireworks. Everyone sits around the lake on blankets, sprayed down with bug spray, eating ice cream, and watching the firework display over the lake.
I just love watching the fireworks… especially now that I have a child. I love watching his face while he watches the fireworks!!
We love to bar-b-que and then watch fireworks….
We always get together with family or friends, depending on where we are and we are also celebrating my son’s birthday! He was born on July 2nd, but it usually works out to do it on the 4th. Many years we are in another place, last year we were in Chicago with family, other years we’ve been in Canada or one year we were in Switzlerland–and everyone in the restaurant celebrated with us!
Bar-b-que and apple pie !!! That little bookworm is the cutest. This is a wonderful set. Thanks, ms.cheryl
I love getting together with the family, having a yummy cookout, and watching the spectacular fireworks!!
Our 4th of July tradition is heading down the street to our neighbor’s front yard where all the neighbors set up a potluck picnic and enjoy one another’s company. An older couple on that street dress up as Uncle Sam and his wife, decorate their old station wagon with a boom box on top belting out patriotic songs, and lead the neighborhood children on a parade. All the young children decorate their bikes and wagons in red, white, and blue and follow Uncle Sam. It’s such fun watching the excitement on their faces. Before each family heads out to watch the fireworks the kids take turns turning the crank on an old fashioned ice cream maker to make vanilla ice cream. There is only enough for the kids to get a small cup so the adults have to drool. One of my kids let me lick the spoon one year and it was the best ice cream I’ve ever had–delicious. Happy 4th to all who celebrate it and thank you for the opportunity to win such a wonderful prize package.
I love the firework part most of all. Lighting them off and just watching them. I am so glad we have this day to celebrate the wonderful freedom we have.
Going to the beach and watch the fireworks!
I don’t really have a “tradition” but I love to watch fireworks. One of my favorite memories was watching fireworks in up state PA over a small lake. It was very pretty.
God bless America!
Fireworks is our favorite July 4th tradition, for sure! I have fond memories of watching shows w/ my family on the 4th…now, I hope my kids will remember the fun fireworks shows we get to see to celebrate the holiday!!
My favorite tradition throughout the years has to be watching fireworks! You never get too old to enjoy the brilliant colors against the summer sky accompanied by the ooohs and aaahs of the young and old alike!! We join friends and sit along the lake in our town, doesn’t get any better than that!!
Thanks for the chance to win and Happy 4th everyone!
Homemade ice cream—yummm!!!
We love going to the park to watch the fireworks. This year we are having a few friends over for a bit of swimming before heading out to the park. Happy 4th of July!
Fireworks, definitely.
My favorite Fourth of July tradition is going to the park and watching the fireworks.
4th of July is never complete without a cookout! It doesn’t matter what’s on the grill, just GRILL IT! =D
Watching the big military fireworks display is always a special treat for us since we live on base they are always right over our heads
We will have our 4th (or is it 5th now?) annual pool party at our house tomorrow! It’s not supposed to rain – yea! Thanks for the awesome prize!!
Living in socal, we used to go to the beach during the day and have a BBQ at night. Nothing like burnt marshmallows over an open fire! Then we would watch fireworks wherever we could. Such fun!
I will never forget fireworks in my small hometown in Petaluma CA. We would lay on the grass of my elementary school and watch the fireworks just burst right above us. I think the 4th of July is probably why my favorite crafting material is sparkles
My brother’s birthday is on the 4th and Mom’s is on the 2nd, so we ALWAYS get together and have a fun BBQ and celebrate our country and loved ones’ birth.
We’ve never actually been big celebraters of the 4th of July. But we love to make fun red, white and blue food!
BBQ! Hamburgers, potato salad, corn on the cob, those red, white and blue popsicles… When I was little and living in Massachusetts we’d watch the Fireworks on the Esplanade, now that we have moved away we still watch them on tv and dream of memories of home and Independence Days gone past.
So much, I do love the family cookout.
Definitely my hubby cooking us his awesome burgers on the grill, then having sparkler fun with the kids, and finally chasing fireflies in our backyard!
This is our tradition.
Love grilling outside on the 4th. Thanks for the chance.
I’m Canadian so we don’t celebrate this holiday but I enjoy watching you party!!
I loved that our family went all out for 4th of July – parade at 10, barbeque w/ friends, fireworks at the lake. It was an all day affair – loved it!
I’m a proud Canadian and we celebrate Canada Day on July 1st. We celebrate with a family gathering at my sister’s home. There’s loads of food, a cake that has a maple leaf made out of strawberries and lots of games for every age. Red and white is our colours! In the evening we have a fabulous fireworks display. God bless Canada and the USA as we celebrate together!
I guess our tradition is to watch fireworks on the back deck which faces Lake Washington – the past serveral years the fireworks shows have been getting more and more elaborate – the gathering for a family barbeque and then the clammoring for a chair that has the “choice” view in front…(the seats are all good!) I do remember one year as a child (maybe 6 years old?) and being told that I couldn’t leave the dinner table to watch fireworks until I ate my salad (with peas)….sadly that year I missed the show because I fell asleep on the chairs…
We travel to my parents’ house in the mountains for a 4th of July morning parade & then dine/relax the rest of the day. We come back to our town in the evening for fireworks.
Oooooh! Ahhhhh! Definitely the FIREWORKS!
wow that cake does look yummy. My favorite think is just having family over. we usually cookout and do fireworks but the best is having all the family there.
Parade, mini carnival, mini donuts and fireworks! Now I will have to add that cake in there too!