Fourth of July Charcuterie Board

Watch the Fireworks on Fourth of July with a Homemade Charcuterie Board Picnic!

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In general I am a huge huge fan of small meals and constant snacking which is part of the reason why I love charcuterie boards! It is literally a board full of yummy snacks that takes practically no time to create. In preparation for the Fourth of July this year I wanted to share my recipe for putting together a cute charcuterie board picnic. This would be perfect for any of you who plan on heading to a park, board walk etc to watch the sun set and the fireworks go off.

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First of all, you need a board. Although I own fancier boards made of marble etc., i opted for a wooden one since it is so much lighter for travel purposes. You can also use a wooden cutting board as well! I got mine from Target for under $20 and it is a decent size to fit a variety of foods on it. I love cheese and salami so I picked up a few types for my board as well as some snap peas, cherry tomatoes and champagne grapes. The cheeses I used are both from Trader Joe's and are two of my favorites! Honestly I often buy them and eat them by themselves as a snack. One cheese is their Asiago Cheese with Rosemary and Olive Oil and the other is their Italian Truffle Cheese. I also added in some crackers which pair well with the salami and cheese to make mini sandwiches.

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To make my charcuterie board themed for the holiday, I added some fun and inexpensive decor around it. Whenever I go to Target I always check out their $1-$5 section that is located near the front door. They have some really cute Fourth of July items right now which is where I found a pack of three American flags as well as these cute candle holders with star cutouts. The candle holders came in a few colors but I purchased them in silver just so they would be more versatile for later use. In total, I was able to get the candle holders and flags for under $10! For those of you who plan on bringing this board to a public place or have kids, I definitely recommend purchasing battery operated candles. I found mine at Target and it is a great way to light up your board without having to worry about bringing matches or potentially starting a fire. I had a strand of fairy lights already so I brought those along as well. For drinks, I brought along these beautiful rose colored glasses I found at Goodwill for 99 cents each that I filled with some rosé.

 

 

When making your board you can put whatever type of finger foods you like! I prepped all of my food into snack bags and tuppers and then packed it into a cooler to set up once I got there. As far as arranging the food, I found that it looks best when it is randomized and piled on high! If you end up making one, I would love to heard what you put on yours! Thanks for reading and I hope everyone has a great (and safe) fourth!

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Independence Day Outfits

As far as holiday outfits go, Fourth of July is by far my favorite. There are always so many ways to dress festive while still looking cute. With three colors to work with, there are honestly endless possibilities but here are three of my favorite! Unfortunately some of the pieces I am wearing are no longer available so underneath each outfit I have linked some other similar items.

outfit 1:

My first outfit option is a white, off the shoulder top paired with a high-waisted denim skirt. You can add a touch of red with either some red lip stick or a fun, red neck scarf. In the photos below, I decided to go with both because why not! You can also switch around the colors of each piece by wearing a white denim skirt with a blue top or a red shirt, white skirt and blue bandana.

Top - Brandy Melville Maura Top in White

Skirt - Forever21

Scarf - Red Bandana

Hat - Urban Outfitters

outfit 2:

For the second outfit, I went with a similar color scheme but this time paired a plain white button up shirt with some high-waisted, American flag patterned shorts. For a more classic look, I added oversized avaiators and my white high top Converse. You could also tweak this look by adding different white sneakers or even an American flag patterned skirt instead of shorts.

Top - Forever21

Shorts - American Apparel

Sunglasses - Forever21

Shoes - Converse Chuck Taylor High Top Sneaker

outfit 3:

This outfit is probably the easiest since it only requires a red skater dress. I actually wore this look last Fourth of July as you can see in the photo right below. To dress down this outfit, I paired it with my Adidas sneakers since the red dress is definitely meant to be the focus of this look.

Dress - American Apparel

Shoes - Adidas Superstar Sneaker