Patriotic Sweatshirt–Not Just for the 4th!

It’s no secret that the 4th of July is our most patriotic holiday here in the US. It’s the day we celebrate our freedom and began the process to form our new nation. So, every year we celebrate this day warm July day with BBQs and backyard parties, as well as parades and block parties. This year, however, most of us will be taking extra care to continue to follow the best practices in minimizing the spread of COVID19 with avoiding large crowds, and wearing masks if we do go out. That doesn’t mean, however, that we can’t show our patriotism!

So, this year, like every year, I’ll be sporting an outfit in red, white, and blue, starting with a patriotic sweatshirt. Like about 99% of the folks in the US! Since we are celebrating at home, with only the five people we see regularly, it will be super casual.

While our weather is heating up– it may hit 80 degrees tomorrow!–our cool coastal evenings usually require a sweatshirt. And that makes me happy as I love sweatshirts! They rank right up there with shorts and tees and jeans for me! How about you?

The Patriotic Sweatshirt Outfit

Patriotic Sweatshirt

OK, now, we don’t need to show our spirit only on the 4th of July, right? So a flag sweatshirt like this is one you can wear whenever and wherever you like! Kind of like my Angel baseball sweatshirt that I love to wear to show support for my team. But since there is no Major League Baseball this year…

Believe it or not, it was challenging to find this sweatshirt. I wanted a white one with USA across the front. I finally found this one from Pink Lily who makes some very cute casual things.

Flag Sweatshirt

Mine is a size Medium as I like my sweatshirts loose and comfy. I could have worn the Small if I wanted it more fitted, however.

Shorts and Sneakers

I’m pretty picky about the fit of my denim shorts. Finding a pair that are not too short was my criteria and I also needed a new pair in a medium-to-dark wash. Once again, this pair is from Universal Threads at Target. They are super soft with some comfy stretch. Perfect!

Since I’ll be running around making sure everyone in my party has what they need–food, drinks, and such, sneakers are totally in order. I’m still a fan of an all-white pair and these Nike Air Sneakers have support and bit of a platform, which is more comfortable.

The Menu for the Patriotic Party

I generally love to cook and make semi-gourmet foods when we have people over, but for this holiday, basic American food is called for. In my book, that means hamburgers and hotdogs, a couple of colorful salads, baked beans, and potato chips.  For dessert, we are having S’Mores made in our fire pit. Nothing low-carb here! Lol!

As I am having some great results in my garden this year, I also made a fruit tray with my home-grown strawberries and a fresh dip for vegetables made with cucumbers. Oh, and the salad is a Greek recipe, made with spiraled cucumbers. Yum!

Oh, and this cute little basket will be holding napkins, silverware, and paper plates!

Patriotic Lipstick

By patriotic lipstick, of course, I mean red. Unless you do wear white lipstick (as some folks did in the 60s!), or blue. Red lipstick can be tricky but you just have to grab one and try it. As a friend told me, you just have to go bold with red and really, anyone can wear it. The shade I’m wearing is Confident lipstick from Color The World Lipsticks. It’s described as “a rich red with a gold shimmer finish and is a great color for all skin tones.” The gold shimmer works with my yellowish skin tones. I love their vegan lipsticks. They are sheer and super moisturizing!

To my friends outside the US, I believe Canada Day is on the horizon and the UK has a Bank Holiday coming up in August! However you celebrate the July 4th holiday, or your country’s holiday, stay safe and have fun.