festive 'foo foo faux food' for the fourth!

a miracle happened yesterday... a thrift store near us was OPEN!

so, masked up with sanitizing wipes in hand, Mom and i tiptoed through the door

and were welcomed by a cheerful young lady who was wiping down the register counter.

only one other person was in the store, so we felt quite safe.

and on the way to the back of the shop, 

where there are many many bookshelves filled with many many books 

- for just ten cents each, which is why we LOVE this thrift shop! - 

i spied a brand new roll of vintage crepe paper (probably from the 70's)

and my weakness for vintage paper ephemera began nagging at me. 

(spurred on by the fact that i haven't been out thrifting since February!)

yes, i bought it. i spent a whole TWENTY FIVE CENTS on it!

nope, i had NO IDEA what i was going to use it for. i just couldn't resist.

but then i came home, sat it on the sideboard in my studio,

 next to a few small bottles holding old paper flags.

and an idea for a 'fast, cheap, & easy' accent for the Fourth of July was born!

click through to see the details...

i gathered up a few other elements, and assembled this 'faux cake'.

personally, it reminds me of cheesecake. yes, i have a raging sweet tooth.

i sat the roll of crepe paper on an ironstone plate,

on top of a vintage honey tin - with blue graphics that coordinate with the Dennison label.

on top of the crepe paper roll, i placed a roll of red satin ribbon from my stash,

surrounded by a dark blue ribbon, folded in half and rolled in a circle.

on the very top of the red ribbon, i perched a tiny plastic 'cherry' (that i've had for a long time) 

and tucked in a tiny paper flag on a toothpick. (also from the 1970's)

i poked more of those toothpick flags into the crepe paper roll,

all around the edges.

it was a fun and simple creative exercise, took just a few moments,

and since nothing is glued or permanently attached, it's all re-usable:

 all of the elements will return to either the summer storage bin or my studio,

ready to be re-imagined as decor for another season!

i'll be placing these bottles with tiny flags next to it tomorrow:

i'll create a colorful vignette in the center of our dining table for the Fourth - 

easy to pull together for a day, easy to remove when day is done.

oh.... and if you agree with me that cake is best with ice cream,

don't forget to make your own version of my new Sweet Sweater Scoops!

wishing you all a very Happy Fourth of July / Independence Day - 

remember to be safe, be sane, practice social distancing, and wear a mask!