It’s time to gather up the girls, enjoy the Summer sun and prep for a 4th of July celebration!  

I love picnics and afternoons in the sun with my favorite people. I got together with a few of my girlfriends and asked them to join me for a not so traditional afternoon picnic in honor of Independence Day. A few of us live off a lake which makes for the best picnic scenery and of course an ideal spot when celebrating the 4th.  What I love most about picnics is that they can be held just about anywhere, anytime. Ringing in the 4th is an outside event so bring the food outdoors, keep it simple and enjoy your lovely company. 

  Sweets are a must have items for any event so our gathering involved plenty of sweets, frozen hurricanes served in my favorite mason jars and a few other treats.  Adding extra touches to your food display gives it a little more attention.  From doily wrapped brownies to a creative way to use the free printables with cookies the possibilities are endless (and simple) when dressing up your favorite sweets.

Cookie Tags How To: 

Sometimes taking a basic idea and adding an extra step is all that is required to mix things up and add a little pizzaz. I took these free printables (which are perfect for cupcake toppers, drink stirrers and tags) and decided to dress up festive colorful cookies.  Punch out the circle tags using a 1″ punch then cut the outer circle of stars with scissors.  I wrapped each cookie in trimmed out parchment paper and using double sided tape I attached my new punch design.  Add ribbon or jewels to embellish your wrapped sweets.