Around here, we tend to keep things pretty casual for the Fourth of July. Thats because Luke’s birthday party is usually the main event of the weekend (and summer).

We throw an assortment of beverages in our cooler, grill some burgers, and maybe invite a friend or two over. We keep it really simple because I’m usually party prepping for Luke’s which is 2 days later!

Since we are planning on being away for both the 4th and Luke’s bday, we decided to throw an early patriotic celebration. After chatting with the boys, we all thought it would be fun to mix it up this year and have it be a “fancy” dinner party.

When I hear the words “dinner party” all I can think is “YAY, tablescape-ing”! The first step in setting a beautiful table is figuring out what you have to work with. These blue ceramic plates were the perfect starting point. Next I moved onto my cloth napkin collection and found these red picnic style ones. How perfect are they together for the 4th of July?! Pro tip - before you schlep all of your pieces to wherever your party will be, do a little mock setting first to make sure you actually like it!

To really take our mini dinner party to the next level, we stopped by our local seafood market and picked up these gorgeous bright red lobsters. The boys each named theirs!

On the way home, we also went by our favorite farm stand to pick up some fresh veggies to pair with our new friends. We turned our finds into a beautiful summer salad and steamed some corn on the cob as well!

As I got dinner ready, the boys found a few decor pieces to put in the center of our table like these red votive candles and flowers from our garden. Our lobster friends added a pop of color, doubled as the main course & really were the star of our simple summer tablescape.

It was such a nice change to sit at a pretty table and eat off of REAL plates instead of paper. It was good for for the soul and I highly recommend it, whether you’re dining on lobster or PB&J!

Happy summer dining and happy 4th of July!