Fire Up an Explosive Fourth of July Barbecue!

Independence Day is more than just a reason to don your favorite red-white-and-blue duds. It's the ideal occasion to throw a one-of-a-kind barbecue and generate a few fireworks of your own!

• Create star-spangled invitations using heavy-duty red craft paper, silver star-shaped confetti, and a silver pen. Cut the paper into whatever shape you desire. On one side, draw a spray of lines to look like fireworks, and top each one with a silver star (use a dot of glue to secure). On the other side, use the silver pen to write all the details. Simple and stylish!
• Transform your home with an updated spin on the patriotic palette -- replace the traditional blue with a rich turquoise and pair it with a dark red. Silver and white are the perfect accent colors. Arrange sprays of red flowers in glass vases filled with white rocks (here's a Foxy Tip: it's cheaper to buy rocks at your hardware store than a craft store). Set out silver pails of different sizes filled with everything from cherry tomatoes to macadamia nuts. Fill a bucket with white paper napkins -- make napkin rings using silver wire and turquoise beads. Have fun coming up with creative ways to apply the color scheme.
• Everyone expects a barbecue on the Fourth of July, so don't disappoint them! Surprise guests with mini hotdogs accompanied by a selection of garlicky gourmet mustards...corn cob chunks with dipping sauces...blue corn chips with red pepper hummus...roasted red beets sprinkled with blue cheese...and for dessert, frozen fruit pops in strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry.
• Invest in a large, silver galvanized metal tub and fill it with ice, soda, and juices with an old-fashioned feel. Stewart's and Izze are two great brands.
• Crank up a mix of blues and rock featuring all-American faves like Bruce Springsteen, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, John Mellencamp, Lucinda Williams, and more. (Ray Charles' America The Beautiful is a MUST).
• Remember what the day is about and offer everyone a chance to give a little something back to keep America beautiful. Cover a box in red gift wrap and place a star-shaped sign next to it describing a charity of your choice (clean water, firemen's fund, etc.). Whatever you collect will go to a good cause.
• Send partygoers away with a towering take-home treat. Stack three gift boxes of different sizes -- one blue, one red, one white. Fill each with a different kind of candy -- blue jellybeans, red M&M's, white Jordan almonds, etc. Tie the stack together with some twine or ribbon.
• At some point during the festivities, read the Declaration of Independence out loud to everyone!