Bunnies, Chicks And Lambs

Contributor Post by Opal from ApronStringsOwlLady

Bunnies, Chicks And Lambs

This speaks to my heart – what a furry, soft, cute, pastels and egg hunts and farms and grandparents kind of topic.. my mother had bunnies galore on our little farm. When I was in kindergarten, our class would walk over to our front yard, the kids would sit in a circle and my mom would let oodles of bunnies go, hopping to happy squealing children.

How does this springtime topic make you feel, what items in your shop relate to this theme – and when is the last time you’ve petted a soft and cuddly baby animal? We’d love to see your accompanying items and hear your stories.

willowvalleyvintage from WillowValleyVintage says

I love your story Opal!

I bet those school children will remember that “bunny encounter” forever!

These are a couple of kitschy chicks that my daughter and I found at an antique shop. We love their sticker eyes and yellow feather details.

Easter Chick Rooster Decoration Kitschy Yellow Flocked Spun Cotton Chicken Pair Vintage Japan Novelty Animal Spring Art Fun Retro Gift

Easter Chick Rooster decorations

sharon stoner from Corkyfriendz says

Your Easter chick decorations are so cute Willow Valley Vintage!

I love this!! Thank you Opal for organizing!

I thought I would share my shops whimsical wine cork Easter bunny ornaments too! Spring time always reminds me of my grandma. Each Easter she would lend me one of her old Sunday hats and we would have brunch in our sunny spring dresses and Easter egg hunts down at the farm! Lots of smiles and laughter come to mind as the birdies are out chirping and the tulips come into bloom.

Cheers from Corky Friendz

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East Bunny Cork Decoration

CKay from DaffodilLaneStudio says

Spring is my favorite time of year! Bring on the bunnies, ducklings, little lambs and especially, the Easter chicks!! Their serious expressions make me think they have a lot on their little chicken minds! When my kids were small, we had a chick that peeped when you held it. Fun for the kids, not so fun on a 13 hour car ride home from Grandma’s house when you can hear the tiny chick — but you cannot find anywhere! ( And we pulled over several times to look!) PEEP, PEEP, PEEP all the way home!!

Happy Easter from Daffodil Lane Studio

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Lefton Easter Chick Decoration

Carola Bartz from CarolaBartz says

I love the little spring lambs, but I really want to see them grow up and become sheep that eventually will supply us with beautiful yarn (I’m a knitter). These two sheep that simply stole my heart by just standing there and looking at me live in the English countryside in the beautiful Cotswolds where I think they have a good life. Wouldn’t this be a lovely spring greeting?

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Two Sheep Photo Greeting Card

toysfrom70s from toysfrom70s says

When we had little nieces and nephews we would hold a huge Easter egg hunt out at the farm and hide dozens of plastic eggs. All the siblings would come with their kids and we’d meet at church then afterwards our house and kids would hunt and the entire family would enjoy Easter Ham for lunch.

Here is one of the Easter baskets for sale in our shop. My wife embroidered the chicks for the liner.

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Embroidered Easter Basket

Corkycrafts from Corkycrafts says

Remember watching the Easter specials on TV and dying eggs for the Easter Bunny as kids? Well that is one of my favorite memories of child hood especially since Easter was a holiday from school I especially remember the Easter Peep sugar overload with my brothers!

Here is one pink adorable bunny for your Easter decor!

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Easter Bunny Shelf Sitter

linda from LazyYVintage

I love the pastels and the new going to church clothes for Easter Sunday. I love the sweets and bake some petit fours and small cakes for brunch. But mostly, with everyone all cleaned up (and they clean up nicely) and dressed up, we make quite the picture of spring in Illinois. Of course, that only last long enough to take some pictures as the kids run to find hidden eggs and the adults take off ties and kick off shoes!

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Purple rabbit cake stand

RowesFlyingNeedles from RowesFlyingNeedles says

I was blessed to grow up on a farm in Iowa with a very crafty and fun loving Mom and Dad! We usually dyed our Easter eggs Saturday night watching and dancing to Lawrence Welk. Then Mom would wind our straight hair onto bristly curlers and we tried to sleep with constant pricking giving us headaches all night! We’d jump up at the crack of dawn to eat breakfast, then we searched for our Easter baskets filled with jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and special surprises. We’d get a jump rope or book or toy we wanted. The little craft/chef/tool aprons I sell were my Mom’s inspiration and they would make a great Easter gift for the littles in your life!

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Child’s Daddy’s Helper Denim Apron

Carol Hansen from GardenBarn says

I thought I would share this cute candy container from my shop It is made of paper mache, I remember getting candy filled containers as a child for Easter. This would be great to fill with treats!

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Antique easter rabbit candy container

pam colangelo from PearlsVintagebyPam says

I am sharing this Divided Dish. In my work I use Divided Dishes to Help people feed themselves whether weak, shaky or blind. When I saw this pottery divided dish for Easter I had to buy it to share it with Etsy Shoppers. It’s great for a child’s room, for a child to eat with it, for a Easter serving tray or Easter Display.

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Bunny Designed Glazed Dinner Dish

carriageoncherry from CarriageOnCherry says

 Spring brings a sense of renewal, a fresh new start, hope, a beginning…memories of wonderful and quality time shared with family.

As I start a new chapter in my life and commit full time to my Etsy shop, my hope is for a renewed beginning – a connection to the past and a bridge to the future.

This bunny is a new item in our shop – I have hope he will HOP into someone’s cart and fill their home with happiness and foster years of memories! xox

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Easter Bunny Decor

Diana from joliefemmebydiana says

Happy Easter and Welcome Spring with this cute little chick in an egg plush beany toy and matching Easter tote with colorful eggs and chicks! A great gift for kids that is sugar free!

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Child Easter Gift

Simone aka Rose from RosesFeltWorkshop says

Spring is my favourite time of year. From cold and grey, suddenly there is sunshine, flowers, and many baby animals. Although rabbits can be pesky if you are a gardener, they look so cute they are easy to forgive.

This sweet little rabbit will leave your flowerbeds alone, as he will be safely attached to your bag.

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Felt Bunny Bag

Opal from ApronStringsOwlLady says

Love your entries, stories and wonderful items!

As someone who loves to decorate for the Easter Holiday, I love bunnies and Easter eggs and all that goes with it. I made this wreath, created the bunny also – then almost decided to keep it.

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Easter Bunny Spring Wreath

#CIJParty – Dazzling Blue – Pantone Fashion Color For Spring 2014

Contributor post by Michelle of EviesToolEmporium

Earlier today I shared my thoughts about trends with you.

Color trends are a wonderful way to celebrate the seasons! According to Pantone one of the top colors for Spring 2014 is Dazzling Blue.

Dazzling Blue is a scintillating polar opposite of Placid Blue.

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Earlier this year we featured Placid Blue items from the EtsyChristmasinJuly Team here on the CIJ blog.

Members of the EtsyChristmasinJuly Team have many Dazzling Blue items in their shops! Here are a few!

At the end of this post is a big reveal!

Amy from BeadsandThreadsbyAmy makes a gift every year for her students who work for her during one hour a day as her Teacher’s Aide. They help grade daily assignments, pass back papers, keep her organized, and that type of thing. This year, she created monogrammed purses for all of them. The young lady who received this one exclaimed, “You should sell these!” Amy held in the giggle, but absolutely loves these little pouch bags.

Dazzling Blue Women's Purse Monogrammed From BeadsandThreadsbyAmy

Dazzling Blue Women’s Purse Monogrammed From BeadsandThreadsbyAmy

Majorie from mscenna came upon these vintage chunky pearl beads and couldn’t quite decide what to make but had a necklace in mind. When Majorie found the blue vintage beads and all she could think of was “something borrowed and something blue”.  She put them together in hopes of finding a bride who wanted a vintage inspired necklace!

Dazzling Blue Necklace From mscenna

Dazzling Blue Necklace From mscenna

Kelly from ColourscapeStudios loves this quote… it suits Kelly perfectly as she has always been surrounded by a good set of friends who she is  blessed to have whether she 5 minutes or 5 days away from!

In Life, It's Not Where You travel, It's Who You Travel With - Inspirational Print From ColourscapeStudios

In Life, It’s Not Where You travel, It’s Who You Travel With – Inspirational Print From ColourscapeStudios

Elizabeth from ElizabethLovesGlass found a pair of dazzling blue buttons in a thrift store and fell in love with them. Elizabeth knew she had to add them to a project. Then she found blue roving wool that was a perfect match. The inspiration to make a felted collar was all in place. Elizabeth loves adding collars to simple outfits to add a bit of warmth and change the look. This collar is reversible, so it’s two looks in one.

Dazzling Blue Peter Pan Collar Scarflette From ElizabethLovesGlass

Dazzling Blue Peter Pan Collar Scarflette From ElizabethLovesGlass

Betty Travell from LadySnooks shares that this piece is one of the few remaining pieces of dichroic glass she has that her brother made. He hasn’t made any for some time due to health issues. Betty loves the center which looks almost like a window into the heart of the pendant. The blues are some of the most striking colors she has seen in glass.

Dazzling Blue Dichroic Glass Wire Wrapped Pendant From LadySnooks

Dazzling Blue Dichroic Glass Wire Wrapped Pendant From LadySnooks

Kazaa from TangerineToes  saw this little piece of the ’80s it was love at first sight – colourful, fun and oh so quirky.

Dazzling Blue Muppets Tea Towel  From TangerineToes

Dazzling Blue Muppets Tea Towel From TangerineToes

CartoCreative shares that Paris is one of the most interesting cities she has ever been to. Along with her boyfriend (the other half of CartoCreative) she went backpacking through Europe for several months after university and Paris was an amazing way to start and end to their trip. The beginning of their trip was a little rocky. When they arrived in Paris, her backpack did not, so all she had was the dress and heels she wore on the plane while they stayed at a hostel in one of the sketchiest neighborhoods in the city. Since she had to replace all of her things, they wound up exploring more native Parisian areas that they may not have seen otherwise. Ending the trip in the same city it started allowed them to do things they missed during the first week and was a perfect way to conclude their holiday. Their Paris map was a slightly later addition to their shop, but not for a lack of trying. Paris was one of the first maps they started working on, as it was one of the places they had spent the most time in, but Paris is enormous, so they had to put the map aside for a few months. After many, many requests, they finished this first version of the map and it became one of their most popular sellers, in no doubt due to the memories that city helps create.

Paris Map Print From CartoCreative

Paris Map Print From CartoCreative

Alicia from AliciasFindings bought this butterfly pendant from a fellow Etsian, because of her love of nature and butterflies. From there she searched for a blue bead to match and silver accent beads. Alicia feels this is a beautiful piece for anyone, who like her, loves butterflies.

Dazzling Blue Butterfly Pendant And Bracelet Set From AliciasFindings

Dazzling Blue Butterfly Pendant And Bracelet Set From AliciasFindings

Lisa from  InsomniacTreasures was enjoying the beautiful weather at the small town art walk she took part in recently. Lisa was stationed next to an artist who had recently been to Tahiti and was working on a bright tropical scenery painting. She decided to sit on the bench next to her booth and do a little creating of her own. This piece just came out – dazzling turquoise blue and a shell found at a local beach. Guess they were in sync.

Dazzling Blue Copper Wire Wrapped Necklace From InsomniacTreasures

Dazzling Blue Copper Wire Wrapped Necklace From InsomniacTreasures

Patricia and Rebecca from northandsouthshabby share that as always, when “on the hunt” for treasures, their hearts always beats a bit faster when they  spy something they know will compliment their shop’s items. So it was when they spied this beautiful “dazzling blue” delft mug. The color was perfect, and the whaling ship, representing an industry so intricately embedded in the history of southern New England where Patricia resides, made it a perfect find!

Dazzling Blue Delft Mug From northandsouthshabby

Dazzling Blue Delft Mug From northandsouthshabby

Linda from umeone  has a vintage mixing bowl that is a beautiful Dazzling Blue. There is nothing better to whip up a batch of pancakes to coleslaw, than a heavy glazed ceramic bowl, perfect for serving and easy clean up.

Dazzling Blue Vintage Ceramic Pottery Mixing Bowl From umeone

Dazzling Blue Vintage Ceramic Pottery Mixing Bowl From umeone

Linda from ThingsUpcycled tells us that her washer pendants happened by accident. Linda loves vibrant colors and when she first started doing washer jewelry she didn’t put embellishments on them. One day she happened to have some laying on the table where she was working and one dropped out of the bag and fell on a washer. It landed in the perfect spot and she looked at it and a light bulb went off in her head. So this is how her creations came to be. Linda loves working with ink and the colors they create. What can she say except she’s always looking for other inspirations that include ink.

Dazzling Blue Flower Washer Necklace From ThingsUpcycled

Dazzling Blue Flower Washer Necklace From ThingsUpcycled

Shelia from hollyhillwreaths loves birdhouses. When she saw this birdhouse, she thought she could incorporate it into a patriotic hand made wreath. Sheila likes bright colors for summer and she thought the bright blues and reds were ideal for an American patriotic wreath.

Dazzling Blue Wreath From hollyhillwreaths

Dazzling Blue Wreath From hollyhillwreaths

Ingrida from feltinga wants to let your feet feel cozy and…. dazzling.

Dazzling Blue Hand Knitted Womens Socks From feltinga

Dazzling Blue Hand Knitted Womens Socks From feltinga

Ingrida from  LivePastVintage shares this Turtle, a hero of popular Soviet movie and book “Buratino” (“Pinocchio”).

Dazzling BlueTurtle Soviet Kid Toy From LivePastVintage

Dazzling BlueTurtle Soviet Kid Toy From LivePastVintage

Evelyn and Lucy from  artsyEVE wants us to know that Dazzling Blue isn’t just for adults. This baby quilt features hand-embroidered hearts on the solid white, with accents of a fabric that is a swirled combination of dazzling blues. Whether the blues remind you of water or sky, it’s a beautiful baby quilt–handmade by Mom.

Dazzling Blue Infant Quilt From artsyEVE

Dazzling Blue Infant Quilt From artsyEVE

Boriana from GermanistikArt has this wall clock that is for all who love flowers and have green thumbs. It was her first quilling clock. Blue is Boriana’s  favorite colour because it symbolizes freedom.

Dazzling Blue Quilled Flower Clock From GermanistikArt

Dazzling Blue Quilled Flower Clock From GermanistikArt

Jude from JudesTinyArt created this Dazzling Blue dolphin refrigerator magnet. Jude wanted a beach theme on her dolphin. She used the seagull for the eye of the dolphin. By the tail is a little island with palm trees. This little dolphin has a strong magnet to hold your important papers or display your children’s artwork with.

Dazzling Blue Dolphin Magnet From JudesTinyArt

Dazzling Blue Dolphin Magnet From JudesTinyArt

Wendy CN from CardNotions offers this 3D Butterfly card that depicts the red-spotted purple butterfly. The beautiful iridescent, dazzling blue color was imprinted in my mind many years ago when she saw one alight on one of their backpacks. Amazingly, the underside of the wings is a very different contrasting color, but just as beautiful, making this the perfect butterfly to apply her double sided printing and pop-up technique. There is also an original poem that was written specifically for this card, for Mothers Day: “Thank you for wonder, color, and light; For new beginnings and gentle touches; For wings that ride the morning air, and send my thoughts alight.”

3D Blue Butterfly pop-up Card From CardNotions

3D Blue Butterfly pop-up Card From CardNotions

Wendy Tyler from Windychimes made these beautiful earrings when a customer requested a pair of Blue Zircon post earrings, they sparkle in the sun and are a Dazzling Blue!

Dazzling Blue 14K Stud Earrings From Windychimes

Dazzling Blue 14K Stud Earrings From Windychimes

Sarah from LittleStickCreations made this scarf because she lives near the sea, and wanted to dye some yarn that was the same colour as the sea on a sunny day. The pattern was knitted to replicate the way that waves move towards the shore.

Dazzling Blue Scarf From LittleStickCreations

Dazzling Blue Scarf From LittleStickCreations

CarriageOnCherry shares that the saying on this box makes her smile. It describes a love that is almost endless, a love that goes beyond a day or a week. Perhaps the love between a mother and her child, a spouse or perhaps really good friends. The sayings we paint on our upcycled boxes, signs and trays come from our heart or an inspiration in our lives. This box is dedicated to their son. Hope this little box makes others smile as it does here in their  corner of the world at The Carriage House on Cherry!

Love You To The Moon And Back Box From CarriageOnCherry

Love You To The Moon And Back Box From CarriageOnCherry

Faith from QuinnsBin loves to create soft and cuddly blankets for little ones and their moms. Faith makes them on the large side to be versatile.

Dazzling Blue Large Receiving Blanket From QuinnsBin

Dazzling Blue Large Receiving Blanket From QuinnsBin

Susan from SUSIESSSUITCASE says that her favorite part of the process of making her tutus is coming up with pretty combinations of colors. They don’t usually like to do all one color. They want the little girl wearing it to be fun and colorful, the brighter, the better.

Dazzling Blue Tutu And Wand From SUSIESSUITCASE

Dazzling Blue Tutu And Wand From SUSIESSUITCASE

Jenni from DayDreamsSunshine created this gorgeous bag made from fabric reclaimed from a charity shop and the print reminds her of gorgeous sunny days wandering by the beach, discovering little markets and stopping for tea and cake. Jenni was inspired to make this bag big enough to carry all those essentials for a summers day!

Dazzling Blue Floral Tote Bag From DayDreamsSunshine

Dazzling Blue Floral Tote Bag From DayDreamsSunshine

Ken and Donna from WowWeeCreations share that this dazzling blue arrowhead pendant was knapped by Ken. Ken enjoys looking at old bottles to see what he can make from them. Glass is quite a challenge to make into an arrowhead. He always liked looking for arrowheads when he was a kid, so the arrowhead pendant was a fun and interesting piece to make. They think it turned out rather lovely and they hope you think so too!

Small Dazzling Blue Arrowhead Necklace From WowWeeCreations

Small Dazzling Blue Arrowhead Necklace From WowWeeCreations

Muttix asks the question what do you get when you make a hair accessory inspired by wildlife in the state of Texas? A BIG dazzling blue butterfly hair tie, of course! Everything IS bigger in Texas! She has been on a roll lately making butterfly hair ties for her shop. This dazzling blue addition is the latest in the line. The deep, navy blue center reminds her of a deep diving pool where hot summer days are passed hanging out and trying to cool off. The dazzling blue outer edge of the wings is the color of a clear blue Texas sky. All in all, something that captures the essence of the warmer months here in the heart of Texas!

Dazzling Blue Butterfly Hair Tie From muttix

Dazzling Blue Butterfly Hair Tie From muttix

Jeanne from TheSandlapperShop feels that vintage items are so unique and this item has become a piece of collectible costume jewelry. Made by Coro, this item of vintage jewelry in her shop is from her family so she knows it’s truly vintage. Jeanne can remember my mother wearing it. She loves this shade of blue!

Dazzling Blue Moonstone Coro Brooch And Earrings From TheSandlapperShop

Dazzling Blue Moonstone Coro Brooch And Earrings From TheSandlapperShop

Mary from HodgePodgeBowtique loves the Dazzling Blue in these patriotic embellished military style dog tag necklaces.

Dazzling Blue Bling Embellished Necklace From HodgePodgeBowtique

Dazzling Blue Bling Embellished Necklace From HodgePodgeBowtique

Lilia from LiliaLy loves very much the nature and especially the details. This pendant is a close up view of a butterfly wing which is lovely to her and Dazzling Blue.

Dazzling Blue butterfly Wing Pendant Necklace From LiliaLy

Dazzling Blue butterfly Wing Pendant Necklace From LiliaLy

Wendy from WoodNotions loves colorful art glass, so for this wood-cut and stained glass piece, she started with the beautiful glass and designed the woodcut around it. The dazzling blue as well as other shades of blue makes the Sea Otter look so much at home, partially submerged in the sea of blue glass.

Dazzling Blue Sea Otter woodcut And Stained Glass Decoration From WoodNotions

Dazzling Blue Sea Otter woodcut And Stained Glass Decoration From WoodNotions

DeserDabbler tells us that these dazzling blue earrings are made from sodalite, a natural stone, and Czech glass. Her jewelry is inspired by nature and usually is made of only natural stones. However, these earrings combine the best of both natural stones and dazzling blue glass.

Dazzling Blue Wire Wrapped Dangle Earrings From DesertDabbler

Dazzling Blue Wire Wrapped Dangle Earrings From DesertDabbler

The Pantone fashion colors for fall 2014 have been revealed!

FCR_FALL2014_Home_Banner_ImgPlease watch the CIJ forums for opportunities to share your fall 2014 fashion colors!

Thank you for joining me to enjoy Dazzling Blue items this afternoon. Please be sure to check out the on the main party post for the schedule of events.

 

Celebrate America, CIJ Style!

Contributor post by Amy of BeadsAndThreadsbyAmy

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

O, beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties,
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

I love the Fourth of July!  Americans put aside our political, social, and societal differences to celebrate our freedom.  We pay homage to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country “Land of the Free and The Home of the Brave”.  In that spirit, our Christmas in July team offers these stories and our heartfelt wishes for a Happy, Safe, and Glorious Independence Day!  Let freedom ring!

I can picture this hanky in the hand of a woman welcoming her soldier home or a little girl waving to a Fourth of July Parade..  From www.etsy.com/shop/TheSandlapperShop

I can picture this hanky in the hand of a woman welcoming her soldier home or waving to the participants in a parade down main street.
From http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheSandlapperShop

Jeanne from TheSandlapperShop says “My grandmother and great grandmother loved to crochet and these vintage hankies with the lover’s knot crocheted edging are from them. I love the hankies and the memories of the special ladies who made them. The red, white, and blue handkerchief is so patriotic.  “American the Beautiful” – what a wonderful song and description of the country’s beauty: my favorite 4th of July memories are watching fireworks. I especially love how the timing is set to music. One year I was so lucky as to watch them in Boston while listening to the Boston Pops and earlier that day I walked the Freedom Trail. A wonderful double dose of patriotism! “
This would be adorable shading a new American during those lovely parades, or wrapped up for an evening of fireworks!

This would be adorable shading a new American during those lovely parades, or wrapped up for an evening of fireworks! From http://www.etsy.com/shop/QuinnsBin

Faith McCathern from QuinnsBin says, “We truly do live in the greatest country on earth! We favorite memory from July 4th spending the day with family enjoying our freedom. We are so thankful to all the young men and women who protect our rights and keep us free”.

Adorable, cool, patriotic dress for those Fourth of July BBQs. from www.etsy.com/shop/LuckyLizzys

Adorable, cool, patriotic dress for those Fourth of July BBQs.
from http://www.etsy.com/shop/LuckyLizzys

Elizabeth Scheffler from LuckyLizzys says “My favorite memories of Independence Day are running around with all of my friends in my neighborhood with sparklers after a fun day of parades and BBQ’s.”
The only thing more stunning than this will be the fireworks! from www.etsy.com/shop/InsomniacTreasures

The only thing more stunning than this will be the fireworks!
from http://www.etsy.com/shop/InsomniacTreasures

Lisa Prus from InsomniacTreasures says  “Every couple of years, I pack my kids in the car, say goodbye to the hubby and take a road trip to explore some part of this wonderful country. We have seen some unusual sights, enjoyed a variety of local foods, and made it a point to simply enjoy being with each other…enjoying our independence.”
Nothing says America quite like our Lady Liberty: quite the gift from France. from www.etsy.com/shop/GermanistikArt

Nothing says America quite like our Lady Liberty: quite the gift from France.
from http://www.etsy.com/shop/GermanistikArt

Boriana Marinova from GermanistikArt says  “I come from Sofia, Bulgaria in Europa and the quilling Statue of Liberty card is my greeting to all Americans. Freedom is a state of mind. Enjoy it! “
This would look beautiful welcoming someone home-perhaps on a covered porch sipping sweet tea as the sky lights up with red, white, and blue fire works? from www.etsy.com/shop/CarriageOnCherry

This would look beautiful welcoming someone home-perhaps on a covered porch sipping sweet tea as the sky lights up with red, white, and blue fire works?
from http://www.etsy.com/shop/CarriageOnCherry

carriageoncherry from CarriageOnCherry says  “When you live aboard for so many years you gain such an appreciation for this beautiful country. The freedoms in American that we enjoy should be treasured. My husband became a citizen of the United States several years ago. To see so many countries represented in one court room, individuals raising their right hand and taking a pledge to call this country their home gave me goose bumps and brought tears to my eyes. In fact, it still does. I have learned more about this country through his eyes and excitement. So on the 4th of July in our home we celebrate “our” country, we celebrate the right to become a citizen and we appreciate and treasure our freedoms! God bless America!”
Pair this with a red, white, and blue T-shirt and you are ready for a Celebration of our Independence, for sure! from www.etsy.com/shop/ChimericSoul

Pair this with a red, white, and blue T-shirt and you are ready for a Celebration of our Independence, for sure!
from http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChimericSoul

ChimericSoul from ChimericSoul saysMy favorite song is “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” by Toby Keith.”
Perfect for the Fourth in Maine or other charming sea-side community and their celebrations! from www.etsy.com/shop/reetmomma

Perfect for the Fourth in Maine or other charming sea-side community and their celebrations!
from http://www.etsy.com/shop/reetmomma

reetmomma from reetmomma says “I am a military wife (retired, USN) with several other family members who served or are now serving, including my wonderful son. Life is not always perfect in the USA, but I cannot imagine another place I would want to live. We take our freedoms and liberties for granted and often forget those who paid the price. GOD bless our home country!  Loving RED WHITE n BLUE!
What a perfect place to store your memories of the people that make this Country so GREAT! from www.etsy.com/shop/BellaBoutique23

What a perfect place to store your memories of the people that make this Country so GREAT!
from http://www.etsy.com/shop/BellaBoutique23

Sarah Johnson from BellaBoutique23 says  “My husband has spent two tours in Iraq serving our country and I am so proud of him and thankful for all the sacrifices that he and many men and women make for our country so that we can be free. When my husband came home from his first deployment I was a music teacher in an elementary school, For the end of the year program we sang patriotic songs and had a slide show as they sang to honor my husband and other soldiers who had just returned from a deployment. We invited several of the soldiers in Aaron’s unit to come to the assembly. That is such a special memory for me. One of the songs was “God Bless the USA”. We also sang a song by Mark Scultz “Letters From War”, a very moving song that always brings tears to my eyes. So thank you to all of the soldiers who have sacrificed, given their lives, and spent time away from family so we can keep our freedom. I am so proud to be an American! God Bless America!”
Adorable attire for the tiniest American in your family.   from www.etsy.com/shop/LittleMeBling

Adorable attire for the tiniest American in your family.
from http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleMeBling

Jean Harbort from LittleMeBling says “My hometown has a July 4th parade and festival! When I was a child, I remember reserving seats with my parents so that we could sit on the curb and catch as much candy as possible during the parade. Now our tradition includes my entire family going to the parade and our children sitting on the curb and getting as much candy as possible!”
Perfect for your Fourth of July tablescape- patriotic napkins (and eco-friendly, too)! from www.etsy.com/shop/SticksNStonesGifts

Perfect for your Fourth of July tablescape- patriotic napkins (and eco-friendly, too)!
from http://www.etsy.com/shop/SticksNStonesGifts

Rita Hagenhoff from SticksNStonesGifts says  “I am a military wife, my husband retired from the US Navy. My dear father was a decorated Army soldier, recipient of the Purple Heart, and proud to serve our beloved country. I grew up in a small Missouri town, were patriotism was a part of everyday life for everyone there. I am proud to be an American!”
Lovely patriotic scarf. from /www.etsy.com/shop/910woolgathering

Lovely patriotic scarf.
from /www.etsy.com/shop/910woolgathering

Rachel Palmer from 910woolgathering adds “Memories of being a kid and those stinky snake fireworks and watching my kids later with theirs.”
Stunning platter of one of our most well-loved Presidents who taught us about perseverance, honesty, and integrity. from www.etsy.com/shop/RosebudsOriginals

Stunning platter of one of our most well-loved Presidents who taught us about perseverance, honesty, and integrity.
from http://www.etsy.com/shop/RosebudsOriginals

Rose Baker from RosebudsOriginals says  “Who doesn’t love old Abe, one of our fore fathers that helped pave the way for future generations.My dear old dad is retired from the Coast Guard, he would take off for duty at months at the time, when I was growing up. I never understood why he would come and go, but it wasn’t until years later I understood and was grateful that he helped protect our borders, so we could have our freedom and liberty. The things we take for granted always comes at a price, as freedom isn’t really free. Many thanks goes to our men and women that give up their lives, so we can have ours. Thank God for our America the Beautiful!”

I would like to thank all of our service members in every branch of our armed forces for their service and dedication to all Americans.
Please enjoy a safe, happy Fourth of July.  We live in the greatest country on Earth, and we celebrate that blessing every year as a country united!
Regards,
Amy Spock