Autumn Amelia

Hello everyone!

The Fourth of July is this weekend and I believe that no celebration is complete without a playlist.

I have playlists for just about everything and I thought it was about time I started sharing.

I take great pride and invest way too much time into them...

Without further adieu, here is my Fourth of July playlist.

I have a very unique taste in music so I will not be offended if you aren't a fan of every song I have included but, I am sure there are a few you can jam to this holiday weekend.

Are there any patriotic songs I missed?

Let me know!

All my love, 

Autumn

Hello everyone!

Can you believe the Fourth of July is next week?!

Where has the year gone?

Every year Erik and I make a mixed berry pie and decorate the top to look like the American flag.

Thursday, July 4th

We basically spent the entire day eating and watching Stanger Things 3.

Needless to say, it was the perfect Fourth of July.

How did you spend the Fourth?

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had an amazing weekend. 

Erik and I sure did.

We went to the City Fair!

Each year our city holds a fair around the Fourth of July.

We have always wanted to attend but can never seem to find time with all of the Holiday Festivities.
This year we were able to make it work. 

We headed out a little later in the day so we would get there right around dusk.

I always love to be at fairs or amusement parks as it starts to get dark and the lights start twinkling on.

As soon as we got there, Erik had his eyes on some Cotton Candy.

The food cart was our first stop.

We ate the Cotton Candy as we scoped out the fair for things we would like to do.

We soaked in the sights and smells and enjoyed the live music.

We also came across the most gorgeous puppy!

His name was Blue.

We were blessed enough to pet him and then I proceeded to stalk him for a good portion of the night.

Afterward, we bought some tickets for the rides.

Erik wanted to go on the Ferris Wheel and I wanted to go down the giant Fun Slide. 

We were in line for the Ferris Wheel for a hot second...

It worked out perfectly though. 

We made it on just in time to see some fireworks at the rodeo down the street.

Then it was time to go down the Fun Slide.

I have to admit I was a little nervous climbing up the stairs.

It didn't seem to have the strongest foundation and I do not do heights.

We were given a burlap sack to sit on.

After wrestling with a heap of kids at the top, it was finally our turn.

It was super fast and super fun.

Then I was ready for something salty. 

We headed back to the food cart and grabbed some popcorn.

We continued to walk around the fair and take in all the sights.

We were able to find a spot to sit and sat down while finishing the popcorn and enjoying each other's company.

It was such a nice night.

I love having the opportunity to just be with Erik with no distractions.

It's nice to hold hands and talk about simple things. 

It was also a fun atmosphere to take in right after finishing Stranger Things 3.

We felt like we were on set!

Have you seen all of Stranger Things 3 yet?

What did you think?

All my love, 

Autumn

Hello everyone!

The Fourth of July is less than a week away.

What?!

Has the year flown by for anyone else?

I am super excited because the Fourth is one of my favorite holidays.

There is such a fun energy that surrounds it.

To help us celebrate I made these fun patriotic cupcakes with a secret ingredient (it's pop rocks) that actually make them pop.

You will need:

2 Cups Of Flour

2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder

1/8 a Teaspoon of Salt

1 Stick of Salted Butter, Room Temperature

1/4 a Cup of Vegetable Shortening

1 and 1/2 Cups of Sugar

2 Teaspoons of Vanilla

1/4 a Teaspoon of Almond Extract

5 Egg Whites

3/4 a Cup of Whole Milk

1/4 a Cup of Red and Blue Sprinkles

White Buttercream Frosting

Red and Blue Food Dye
Pop Rocks

Preheat oven to 350o.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and shortening until soft.
Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
Add the egg whites one at a time beating well after each addition.
Alternate adding in your dry mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and mixing until just combined after each addition.
Gently fold the sprinkles into the batter until just incorporated.
In a cupcake tray lined with cupcake liners, scoop batter into the liners until they are 2/3rds full.
Bake the cupcakes for 18 - 20 minutes or, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Move to a wire rack and let cool. 

Once cool, use a straw to poke holes into each cupcake.
Spoon the pop rocks into each cavity.
If you want a bigger popping sensation do several holes.

If you want a more subtle sensation do less.

Repeat until each cupcake has been filled with Pop Rocks.

Divide the buttercream frosting equally between three bowls.

Dye one red, one blue and leave one white. 

In a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, carefully add the frosting in sections avoiding mixing the colors.

Frost your cupcake with a patriotic swirl.

Enjoy!

These cupcakes were SO much fun to bring to life.

I have had them in the back of my mind for a few years.

They are the perfect treat to indulge in for the holiday and will have you feeling all sorts of festive.

What is your favorite treat to enjoy on the Fourth?

All my love,

Autumn

Wednesday July 4th

We had a little more relaxed Fourth of July this year.

We started the day off with a parade, enjoyed lots of food and ended with fireworks.

How did you spend your Fourth?

All my love,

Autumn

Hello everyone!

The countdown to the Fourth of July is officially on!

I am so excited to celebrate.

In honor, I made this super cute ribbon flag.

You will need:

Red, White and Blue Ribbon

A Wooden Dowel, I used 5/8"

Scissors

Ruler

Remove any stickers from the wooden dowel.

Determine the length you would like your flag.

Cut your red and white ribbon into your desired length strips.

Make sure to leave yourself some wiggle room for tying.

I decided to make my flag three feet long so I cut 3" and 2' strips to leave some room for tying. 

I used a few different types of ribbon for different patterns and textures.

Customize your flag to your preference.

You can use one type of ribbon or eight!

Tie the ribbon to your dowel starting with red ribbon and ending with red ribbon.

I originally planned on making my flag accurate to the American flag with seven red stripes and six white stripes but wanted it to look fuller. 

Cut your blue ribbon into your desired length of strips.

I went with 1 foot and cut them into 1" and 2' strips for wiggle room.

Tie your blue ribbon in between the red and white ribbon. 

I used seven pieces of blue ribbon but feel free to use more or less.

I liked a more plain look for the ribbon flag without a string to hang it.

Add a piece of string or twine to help you hang yours if you desire.

That's it!

I think it turned out so cute!

I love the vintage, rustic look to it. 

It's perfect for the Fourth of July!

What are your plans for the holiday this year?

All my love,

Autumn

Tuesday July 4th

We celebrated the Fourth of July with my family.

We watched a parade, went swimming and set off fireworks.

How did you celebrate the Fourth?

Hello everyone!

Happy Fourth of July weekend.

I wanted to add a large statement piece to our entry table for the Fourth of July.

I found this oversized star on Pinterest and thought it would be the perfect addition.

And it was super easy to make!

You will need:

5 large wooden sticks (I found mine at Michaels)

Spray paint (I used white)

Glue gun

Glue sticks

Paint the wooden sticks until you reach your desired color.

Once dry, form the sticks into a star shape and glue into place.

My sticks were just under three feet.

The original picture placed silver thumbtacks at the five points at of the star.

I wanted to keep my simple so I could use it for other occasions like Christmas so I left them off. 

What are you doing for the Fourth of July?