baby, you're a firework!

nyc is generally a ghost town for the 4th. and with this year's holiday sitting mid-week, it feels like most of my friends took the entire week to hit the hamptons, fire island, or the cape. 

nobody does Independence Day like provo, utah, but we sure did our best effort in the nyc and had a blast!

i made an awesome fresh peach/strawberry crumble bar (courtesy of audra's blog: recipe here)
while i blasted  country music (which always makes me a bit homesick)

 then i popped over to new friend, achelle's amazing apt where i met cosmo carly (above) and the rest of her crew for an outstanding 4th of july party!

 before the crowd came, i snapped a pic of the cute decor and my amazing starting-the-bbq skills-- see? who needs men!
i take that back, once the boys showed up, i passed off my skills to them and let them handle the meat.
they needed to feel important.... ;)

 AMERICA!!!
( i know i'm breaking the wrist and my v should be further forward- former cheerleader- but i didn't wanna ruin a's cute poms and they wouldn't stay up!)

 lucy the brit made this ironic cake.
aren't the star sprinkles gorgeous?
it was a surprise when we cut into it. she has skills!

stella awaiting the bang (it was straight up vietnam in her poor little heart after the firework show) in her patriotic dress courtesy of L (who always provides the clothes and other fabulously ridiculous accesories).

 we can see the fireworks from my apartment window (see why i never want to leave?!) but i hit the roof to be more festive (and hot..yuck)

 cause we had a BIG pack of girls and boys... pretty new friends!

my favorite fireworks are the gold woolly mammoth and bibbity-bobbity-boo shimmer fireworks 

hope you had an awesome 4th of july!!!