July 4th Preparations...

The 4th of July is a big celebration at the Kan-Do Kampground where I am parked.
In preparation for the big day, I decorated the "square"...

At the corner, you can see the "street sign" area with a bench to relax on and enjoy nature.

Along with the permanent hostas, I placed a basket of flowers on the rock filled with red wave petunias and marigolds topped with a flag.


Behind the Hostas, I planted a metal sign of stars which was spotlighted at night with the solar lighting.

The new flower bed started at the end of last year with a log and some fresh gravel.  I had a birdhouse--called a bird condo--which I placed on an old table leg.  It is anchored to the electric box for the camper which I painted black so it would disappear. 


It is sporting a galvanized watering can of sunflowers lit at night with a small solar light.

There is also a small garden flag with a cow holding a flag in a field of daisies.

This year, I put in a ring of rocks and some good quality dirt.  This turned out to be my pink flower area. 

In the spring when I went to Callaway Fields to pick out some plants, they had a confetti geranium that was a hot pink color.  It really drew me to it, so I decided to take it.

By accident, I had a pink geranium from last year that wintered over in Tom and Nina's greenhouse, so It joined the Confetti along with a black eyed susan (from Nina's garden) and a little green ground cover that has tiny white flowers.

After mulching, I placed a frog and a small glass globe.

For the 4th, the birdhouse sports a flag from the chimney and there are red white and blue metal stars in the flower bed.

Inside of the fence, I started with a blue checked  vinyl tablecloth topped with a red pot of maragolds with a white star.  Two citronella candles underline the holiday.

It is topped off with a birdhouse "Bait Shop".

I have a basket filled with red wave petunias along with marigolds.

I was told that the marigolds would keep the squirrels and bunnies out.  They kept digging my plants out and I would find the dirt and plants on the ground.  ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!

So, I was willing to try anything. 

The marigolds helped but didn't alleviate the problem.  I guess they like the moisture pellets that I put in the pots to help keep the plants hydrated.

My newest approach is to add a pinwheel that twirls in the breeze a vaying speeds according to the breezes.  This seems to have helped.

The ring around the tree ( my main flower area) sports a patriotic garden flag, stars and a patriotic birdhouse in the star.  This is aside from the cowboy boots that hold the yellow sunflowers, the red gazing globe the samll red glass torch and the hummingbird feeders. 

The flowers this year are red geraniums (also overwintered in Nina's greenhouse from last year), red spreading petunias, red wave petunias, black eyed susans and one tomato plant that Nina had left over from her garden.

You can see in the back there is another torch and a small birdhouse.

There are solar lights all around as well.

Even the squatters (that showed up while we were gone to Kansas over Memorial Day) were sporting patriotic gear.

Tank was helping me decorate and I think he knew I was unhappy with the damage from the rabbits and squirrels.

You can see here that he spied one of the little minxes.

Can you see what he is looking at?

Here, let me help you see it--see the bunny under the yellow arrow???

Tank really wanted to go play with him!!!

This is Tao. 

We love pugs, so I had to take a picture of him with his black face and black stockings.  His people were staying two campers over from us for the weekend.

Tao was a little concerned and was barking at my golf cart here.  His humans said that he does that with leaf blowers, lawn mowers and now golf carts!  Is that cute or what????

This is the golf cart all ready for the parade.

Mom and dad came over on the 4th to be the Grand Marshalls of the parade and this would be the one to carry mom.

Dad would drive Drew's cart and Drew would ride with him.  That cart was decorated very similarly.

My flag is in the background.

Finally to me.

I found these earrings at Wal-Mart and Kathy just had to snap a picture of them.

My nails caused quite a stir too.

I enjoy doing wacky and strange things with my nails (which are real btw.  And yes, I do use my hands to dig, do dishes, clean, work on the camper including emptying the black water, wrangle dogs, etc.  I don't pamper them for sure!!!!)

I saw this nail polish from Sally Hansen. 

You put on your normal polish and then put the Sally Hansen Crackle polish over it and it turns out like this.

It took me FOREVER to find it!!!!  The local Walgreens sells it as fast as they get it in and I kept missing it.

I read online that OPI and China Glaze make crackle polish too, so I tried to get some of that. 

No dice--all sold out!!!!   Finally, I found some at the Walgreens in Wentzville and my patriotic look was complete!  Yay!!!!

I topped it with a sparkly hologram topcoat which really made the colors pop.

My thumb has hologram stars and sparkles as well.

I was going for a kind of flag look.

How do you decorate?