4th of July Weekend!

Here's a little peek at some fun I had this holiday weekend!

On Saturday, Mom Dad, my brother M, and I went to a party at the home of some family friends. The afternoon was spent lounging on the deck and by the pool, enjoying food fresh off the grill, and enjoying the beautiful day! Unfortunately, I had plans that night and little time to go home and clean up, so I couldn't go swimming, but you bet my tootsies took a dip of their own while I basked in the sunshine!

After the party, my bestie E picked me up for some much needed QT- she is a camp counselor during the week, so I hadn't gotten to see her since we finished school!

Our first stop was to a local sports center for a game of mini golf

As you can see, we were quite the serious athletes...

...But not really.

After golfing, we picked up some ice cream at Baskin Robbins, and wandered around the shopping center while we ate.

Our favorite store turned out to be a shop called "Hair Hair Hair"...

...Needless to say, the window was an obvious photo op.

Next we pumped up the stereo, rolled down the windows, and took the long way back to E's house for a little before heading out again to see Bad Teacher. Cameron Diaz may have starred in the movie, and she was really funny, but my absolute favorite character was Scott Delacorte , a preppy, geeky teacher interested in Elizabeth Halsey's (Cameron Diaz's) worst enemy, Amy Squirrel. I haven't seen much of JT's acting before, but this was hilariously funny- I can't wait to see him in Friend with Benefits later this month!

Never have I looked paler, but I love love love this picture of us!

Sunday night, my friend F and I went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants and afterwards took a walk around an outdoor shopping mall in the area. Sadly, we forgot to get a picture. We've been friends practically our entire lives, and in a little over a month she'll be headed off to art school, so I want to squeeze in as much time together as possible before she leaves!

Monday, the 4th of July, started out as a slow lazy day around the house. My brother P, his girlfriend V, and I decided to whip up some cupcakes using V's Martha Stewart Cupcake book. We made brown sugar pound cake cupcakes. I had to leave midway through, but they put their our own little patriotic touch on them!

Now of course, no Fourth of July celebration would be complete without a barbecue! Dad made up burgers and hotdogs on the grill while Mom prepared and served all the sidedishes. She decorated the table using a plaid table cloth along and little patriotic bear statuettes. 

After dinner, Dad, Mom, P, V, and I headed out to pick up my friend M, to go to a fireworks display at a local park. Last week, I showed a preview of the outfit I'd picked out, and I was excited to don my red, white, and blue!

Here's what I wore:

Originally, I planned on wearing a polo, but it seemed like a bit much when I decided to add my hairbow (you can read my post about it here), so I swapped it for a simple v-neck instead.

When we got to the park, Mom and Dad found themselves a spot on the bleachers, and P, V, M, and I staked out an area on the field. For the next few hours, we listened to live music, ate goodies, and played cards as we waited for the fireworks to start.

Finally, around 9:30, the display kicked off with the National Anthem, sung by the daughter of a local newscaster. Then, the fireworks began, and they were most definitely worth waiting for!

I thought the park did a fabulous job this year, as always, with their fireworks display. The whole presentation was super exciting, and, just when you thought they were done, another awesome set blasted off into the air! 

I also loved that the entire park was packed with families and friends, all coming together! It was a great way to celebrate the 235th birthday of the USA!

All in all, my 4th of July weekend was a fabulous one, packed with lots of fun activities and quality time with great friends and family!

What did you do on your holiday weekend!?