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I hope you have plans for a wonderful, restful, long holiday weekend. I always consider the 4th of July to be the official start to summer.
Here in Southern California we often endure “June gloom” which means most mornings we wake up to low clouds and fog with the sun breaking through sometime after noon. July starts the warmer, sun-filled days and temperatures to encourage more outdoor time than indoors.
Dining outside is routine now through mid-September. Grilled meats, cobblers and salads fill us until October, when we’re ready for fall /winter meals.
Tyler Florence :: Ultimate Barbecued Chicken
Bobby Flay :: Mesa Grill’s Southwestern Potato Salad
Trisha Yearwood :: Easy Peach Cobbler
Summer fruit is readily available and the grill becomes the cooking tool of choice.
I love the celebration of Independence Day. Fireworks, a sense of patriotism and a holiday!
I hope this Independence Day provides you and yours a relaxing day filled with good food, fun with friends and family and fireworks!
Happy 4th of July
Garden, Home & Party 
Kelly - Talk of the House said:
Happy 4th of July to you! Love all the food and the festive photos. (Catch all the alliteration in that sentence?) LOL I hope yours is a fun one as well. We are going to be grilling ribs…haven’t done them in awhile. Where did the last picture come from? It is beautiful, and it looks like Savannah to me.
Karen B. said:
Kelly, Ribs sound delicious. We’re going to a friend’s house for dinner and fireworks. Their house is on a hill and you have a 180 degree view of the skyline and local fireworks shows. If your ribs are a hit (which I’m certain they will be), will you post the recipe for us. I apologize for the lack of source on that last image. I’ve been trying to purge my files of images that have languished for years. I was naive when I first started blogging and didn’t keep very good records of where I found pictures. It does look like Savannah, or a pretty coastal town in the east. I hope the weather is lovely for you for the 4th, we have to hope that the coastal fog stays away so that we can see the fireworks. 🙂 Karen
On Wed, Jul 2, 2014 at 3:52 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Teresa @ Splendid Sass said:
Karen-
I hope tha thou have a wonderful 4th!
The images are the making of a perfect day.
Teresa
xoxo
Karen B. said:
Teresa, You too, I hope you have a wonderful day and that the weather cooperates. xo, Karen
On Wed, Jul 2, 2014 at 6:28 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Tone on Tone Loi Thai said:
Such a fun and festive post! Have a fabulous 4th, Karen! And happy summer – cheers!
Karen B. said:
Loi, I hope you are headed to your vacation home and that the weather is lovely and you and Tom have a great weekend. Phew, that was a run on sentence! xo, Karen
On Wed, Jul 2, 2014 at 7:15 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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trouverlesoleil said:
Enjoying meals on the deck and grilling is something we look forward to every summer. Thanks for sharing these links Karen ~ everything looks SO good! This summer will be a little different with the construction of the house .. but we have already managed to enjoy meals outside despite the chaos:) Have a wonderful weekend ahead!
Karen B. said:
Leslie, I imagine dining outdoors will be a welcome respite until your kitchen remodel is finished. I hear Washington weather is wonderful right now…or at least starting to have a little more warmth and sunshine. Have a great weekend, my friend. Karen
On Wed, Jul 2, 2014 at 10:07 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Vicki said:
Sounds like you have some fun plans, now that it’s a little sunnier, but not yet crazy-hot. We’ll be watching fireworks in the Midwest with family, which is a nice change for us.
Trisha Yearwood’s cobbler looks pretty tasty, I’ll have to remember that.
Hope you have a wonderful 4th!
Karen B. said:
Vicki, That will be fun and probably less foggy in the Midwest, right? My friend that is hosting is hoping the fog doesn’t creep in and ruin the fireworks viewing. Enjoy your 4th. xo, Karen
On Wed, Jul 2, 2014 at 12:32 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Linda Coble said:
Karen,
Loved the photos in this post. I could almost smell the barbeque! Hope the June gloom stays away this Friday. Have a wonderful Fourth of July, my friend.
Karen B. said:
Thanks, Linda.
On Wed, Jul 2, 2014 at 1:34 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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D'Arcy H said:
Hi, Karen! Up here near Seattle we get that same marine air in the mornings. I love it! Better than the 94 degrees we had yesterday! Usually our good weather starts on July 5th, but this year we are having a nice, sunny week. The 4th of July is my favorite holiday because of all the outdoor activities and cooking … BBQ chicken, potato salad and peach cobbler–YUM! Plus, my birthday is coming up, so I’ve always considered July to be MY month! Have a great holiday!!–D’Arcy
Karen B. said:
D’Arcy, Happy Birthday later this month! I think I’ve mentioned a friend that lives on Bainbridge and they attend a parade and visit booths with food and crafts on the 4th…very Norman Rockwell! I’m in 100% agreement! the fog keeps things much cooler. Im a big fan of cool. Have a wonderful 4th. xo, Karen
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Chronica Domus said:
As I type this comment, there is a thick layer of fog hovering overhead, typical San Francisco summer weather. Let’s hope it clears up on the fourth so we can enjoy the many fireworks that are lit to commemorate Independence Day.
Enjoy your holiday festivities.
CD
Karen B. said:
CD, My friend is hoping the skies are clear for us as well. Either way, it’s always the official start of summer. Thanks for stopping by. Karen
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Keri said:
Karen,
How are you! Great to talk to you again. July 4th was probably my favorite holiday as I child. I remember dressing up on Independence Day head-to-toe in red, white, & blue stripes and stars, including hat & sneakers. What a sight!
Thank you for your visit today, too. Yes, those are my drawings. I’m having more fun than I thought possible drawing.
Happy 4th to you and yours!
Keri
Karen B. said:
Thanks, Keri. Oh, and I wanted to say, I have an Eden rose too. It’s probably one of the strongest performing roses I’ve ever owned. I have a climbing Eden and a bush Eden. They are so pretty. I can remember doing the same, I would always want my mom to make sure my white shorts were washed and pressed so that I could wear blue and red shirts and white shorts, with the mandatory flip flops on July 4th! Enjoy your holiday, my friend. xo, Karen
On Thu, Jul 3, 2014 at 6:54 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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taylor greenwalt said:
Have a great 4th of July…love the image with all the flags framed…
Karen B. said:
Thanks, Julie. I hope all is well on your end. Enjoy the holiday with your friends and family. I look forward to reading a post from you when things have settled down. xo Karen
On Thu, Jul 3, 2014 at 9:26 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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kristywharvey said:
What a yummy 4th of July menu! Those pictures are gorgeous. So happy your summer can finally begin!
Karen B. said:
Let’s hope it’s a great summer for us all. 🙂 xo, Karen
On Thu, Jul 3, 2014 at 1:18 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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cindy hattersley said:
I am going to try that poatoe salad it sounds wonderful. I am always on the search for a good one!
Karen B. said:
Hi Cindy,
I’m thrilled to meet you. Your blog has always been a favorite. I tried the potato salad over the 4th and it was a hit with friends and family. Bobby Flay does come up with some yummy recipes.
Enjoy your week.
Karen
Gretchen said:
That potato salad looks yummy and I have a weakness for fruit cobblers. All those great photos put me in a patriotic spirit!
Karen B. said:
Gretchen, Thanks! I tried the potato salad and it was very good. Bobby Flay has some great recipes. xo, Karen
On Thu, Jul 10, 2014 at 8:50 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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msshe said:
Karen, I am running a little behind in reading my blogs. Even if it is no longer the 4Th of July…I am still saving ideas. I am especially interested in Trisha Yearwood’s peach Cobbler. It looks doable for me! Ha!
And those beach chairs….we sold our beach chairs and stuff when we sold our Hilton Head beach house. I really miss that house and the beach!
Later…
Sheila
Karen B. said:
Oh, Sheila, I can imagine how lovely your home was in Hilton Head. But your home that you share with your readers is lovely. Sometime you’ll have to share a post about your Hilton Head home. xo, Karen
On Fri, Jul 11, 2014 at 3:54 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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msshe said:
Most of my pics are still in boxes…Heaven knows where. I found the house plan online though. We made modifications…and it was a house we bought furniture and accessories for that could blow away. I know that sounds crazy…but on the coast, and as part time residents, you have to acknowledge this on the Carolina coast. Those hurricanes blow things down sometimes. HH has been lucky for many years!!! Sheila
Karen B. said:
Sheila, I worked with a lady here in Irvine, CA who had grown up in North Carolina. She moved to Emerald Isle when they moved back. She made me want to visit the Carolina’s.
Hey, we have earthquakes. We don’t have things blowing away, but there’s a sway when an earthquake happens. Fortunately we’ve never experienced a bad one in our area. Thanks for sharing. Karen
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Felicia said:
Hello there! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say I really enjoy reading your posts. Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that go over the same topics? Thank you!
Karen B. said:
Hi Felicia,
I have a list of favorite, must read blog sites on the home page of my blog. That would be a good place to start, there are so many talented writers covering similar topics.
Good luck,
Karen
Brook said:
Currently it sounds like WordPress is the preferred blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
Karen B. said:
Yes, I have been happy with WordPress