Red, White & Blue/Patriotic Touches

 

Hi, there! I’ve been gone for quite a while! I have no explanation as to why I’ve been out of blogland, except to say that I don’t know where the last six weeks have gone! I hope you’re enjoying your summer!

Those of you who follow me (thank you!!) or know me, know that I absolutely love to celebrate patriotic holidays, so it’s not surprising that it’s the Fourth of July, my second-favorite holiday (second only to Christmas and its true meaning), that brings me out again!

The Fourth of July is such an awesome opportunity to not only celebrate our freedom, but to reflect on it and what it means. Having left Cuba as a young child, my parents brought my little brother and me to this great country seeking not financial gain, or a better standard of living…oh, no…it was something much more fundamental than that. We sought only FREEDOM. Knowing what the loss of freedom really is, once re-gained it is all the more precious.

I suppose there’s some sort of psychological connection in this, given that the Cuban flag and the American flag are both RED, WHITE, and BLUE, but those colors, in  just about any display or item, stir something in me that I find hard to articulate—PRIDE, LOVE OF COUNTRY, FREEDOM, RECOGNIZING THE PRICE THAT SO MANY HAVE PAID—INCLUDING THEIR FAMILIES—TO GIVE US OUR FREEDOM.

OUR AMERICAN FLAG, The Memorial Tournament, Muirfield Village Golf Club. Love the SIZE of this flag, and I even love the servicemen and women crouched before it.

  

 

 

 

The Cuban flag. (Source: Wikipedia)

So now that I’ve explained my love for all things RED, WHITE, and BLUE, I wanted to share some pictures I took while we were in the Newport Beach/Corona del Mar (California) area last June. They were ALL DECKED OUT for the patriotic days of summer, and I was lovin’ it!

The shark topiaries along Highway A1A in Newport Beach are ready for the Fourth of July—sunglasses and all!

Here’s the whole family school, dressed in their patriotic best!

The landscaping at our hotel was also ready for the patriotic holidays…a flower show after my own heart! I don’t seem to have much luck with lobelias here in Ohio, but they flourish in these parts of California, and they’re the perfect blue for a RED, WHITE, and BLUE garden!

Did you notice the agapanthus (also known as Lily of the Nile) in the prior picture? We were there during the June gloom, but these are so striking and add such beauty and texture to the garden! No wonder they’re planted everywhere!

These beauties would be AWESOME in our RED, WHITE, and BLUE garden!

I know, I know…this has NOTHING to do with red, white and blue, or patriotic gardens, but I just had to share these gorgeous palm trees with you, since these, too, are favorites.

Juxtaposition (http://www.juxtaposition.com/) is ALWAYS on my must-visit list when we’re in the Orange County/Newport Beach area. Great, interesting selection (more pix below!), and who.can.beat the scene?? You can see it in the reflection? That is, if you can tear away from trying to see all the patriotic details in the window! It is right across the Pacific! We of course also visited the Starbucks there in the Crystal Cove “strip” center (it’s a crime to call it a strip center!), and of course sat outside to just absorb the view into our very bones!

How’s this for another beautiful patriotic display?

Lots of blue and white clothes, artfully displayed with touches of red.

A w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l book (more below!), by, of course, Mary Emmerling.

What a treasure trove of Americana this book offers!

Another beautiful patriotic display…this is the shop to visit for RED, WHITE & BLUE decor!

Which of these would you like? The woven handbags/beach bags? The gorgeous blue shirt, or the white (in the softest, yummiest fabric!)? Or the scarf? or necklace?

Okay, now look carefully…half the bike is OUTSIDE, the other half is INSIDE! LOL And so pretty to boot!

The flower shop with the bicycle. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the name—I’d love to give them credit for their beautiful displays, so if you know what it is, please share! Oh, and did you notice the flower baskets by the door are, yes…RED, WHITE, and BLUE?

Even the store signs create a patriotic scheme! (And by the way, we had DELICIOUS pastries at Rendez Vous!)

Well, are you MORE in the mood for the Fourth of July—or any patriotic holiday—after this run through Newport Beach? I certainly am! I hope to be back soon with some more RED, WHITE, and BLUE, so early wishes for a happy and safe Fourth of July! In the meantime, I hope to visit many of you for more inspiration!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not, simply because I haven’t updated my shop. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

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From my nest to yours~

Zuni