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Well howdy Sugar Pies! Can you believe we’re already a week into July? Goodness! Does it seem like time is just flying by for you like it does for me? It’s that very reason that we need to take some time out to catch our breath…to breathe in the beauty of this  glorious, golden season…to feel the warm sunshine on our face…to listen to the birds singing…to slow down and truly savor that sweet and juicy slice of ice-cold watermelon, instead of gobbling it down like I usually do! I feel like I’m always in a hurry, do you? Well, I’m thinking that one way to slow down time is to slow down. To count our blessings. To look at the view. To focus on the good stuff instead of always fretting the not so good stuff.  We need to be on the lookout for God’s goodness and love for us in our everyday life and in each beautiful season. Those little things that bring your heart delight, that’s God’s wink and a smile to you, because He adores and loves you! Don’t miss it! When you see it, stop and savor it and thank God for it! “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” Psalm 34:8

I’m so happy you came to visit me here today because you need to take care of sweet, precious you! You need some time to relax and recharge! So go grab something yummy to sip while I share a few photos of my summer decorating over here at Sugar Pie Farmhouse!

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Since I’m an old fashioned girl that loves to decorate with that vintage inspired look I couldn’t resist this Fried Green Tomatoes sign! (You can google “Park Hill Fried Green Tomatoes sign” if you’d like to find one!) It’s perfectly reminiscent of the kind of thing you might see at a small town diner or cafe down in the south. I remember my Mother-in-love Ruth, who grew up on the farm in southern Oklahoma, told me that on Saturdays,  her Papa (Maynard) would hitch up the wagon to take her Mama (Jennie Mae) and all the kids into town to get supplies and sometimes even a treat…like an orange soda, a candy stick and maybe some pie.

IMG_1986 (2)And what would be sweeter than homemade hand-pies bursting at the seams with strawberry filling and a sparkling sugar crust!

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They look especially yummy in this rustic wooden pie safe.  A pie safe was exactly that…a place to keep your pies, cakes, and bread safe from flies and other insects. These cupboards were usually screened in on the front and sides for ventilation and sometimes the panels were tin with holes that were punched in a pretty design. Before refrigeration this was a must-have in every home kitchen.

On top, I placed two thick diner mugs…cuz after Pa hangs his straw hat he can’t think of anything better than to sit down with a good cup of hot coffee with a homemade strawberry hand pie.

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It was customary for the women-folk back in the 1930’s and 40’s to wear a hat when it was go-to-town day. Jennie Mae would put on a clean cotton dress, pin her hair on top of her head,  put on her hat to be presentable and perhaps a dab of Rose Water behind her ears to smell sweet. I’m sure she looked forward to seeing her friends in town to chat about remedies, recipes, the price of sugar and the bumper crop of blackberries that needed canning.

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And just maybe Jennie Mae looked forward to browsing the ladies section of the general store to try on a new hat or two that just arrived! It’s fun to imagine!

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On my baking center I kept things pretty simple. I love decorating with practical things that I use and cookbooks! I adore this cookbook titled SWEETNESS from Christy Jordan from Southern Plate! It’s jam-packed with Old fashioned, hand-me-down sweet recipes like; Momma’s Chocolate Butter Rolls, Strawberry Cobbler, Mama Reed’s Jam Cake,  Peach Buttermilk Pie, her great grandmother Lela’s fried hand pies and a huge array of other recipes. Along with full color photos of these mouth-watering treats, there are heartwarming stories and  heart-lifting words of inspiration.  Christy,  a Southern Belle from Alabama, has shared her family’s cherished recipes…this book is a treasure to read and cook from!  Seriously, I want to marry this book…I love it that much! :D

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Ahh! One of the things I love about the Good Ol’ Summertime is growing my own tomatoes! Eating them warm and ripe off the vine is the best! I found this Pickin’ Time sign at an antique mall recently. It’s painted on rusty metal but you could easily paint it on a wood board.

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It’s propped up on a repurposed old rake that’s been mounted on a stand.  When I saw it at the store it was displayed real cute with kitchen utensils hanging from the tines of the rake. It’s not fancy…just down-home, the way I like it!

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And then there’s ice-cream in the Good Ol’ Summertime! You scream! I scream! We all scream for ice cream! (as the old saying goes! Lol! ) The vintage green ice cream churn belonged to my in-laws. It was well used. I’m sure it brightened eyes and made mouths water when it was pulled down from the pantry shelf and brought into the kitchen.  My mama-in-law made the best fresh-peach ice cream! One taste and you wanted to shout “Boy-howdy that’s good!”

I’ve had the adorable old green menu board for several years. I got it on Ebay. From the prices of the ice cream cones –7 cents for one scoop and 12 cents for a double scoop I would guess this was from the 1940’s. Does anyone remember the old fashioned soda fountain float called Brown Cow? Too cute for words! I think it was Coke poured over two scoops of vanilla ice cream with or without a shot of chocolate syrup. Ahh, the simple sweetness of good old days!

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I keep the God Bless America theme going all summer with lots of red, white and blue. I’ve had these decorations for years and use them over and over and sometimes I move them around to freshen up my farmy look each season.

FullSizeRender (4)Lastly, here’s a peek at my booth at Spring Creek Tea Room and Antique Mall in Ozark, Missouri. My merchandising goal was to evoke delightful thoughts of old fashioned family BBQ’s, eating sweet, juicy watermelon on the front porch, fresh lemonade stands hosted by smiling neighborhood kids, shopping at farmer’s markets and catching fireflies on sultry summer nights. Those are the things that delight my heart in the summertime! You can check out my Amazon Country Store here if you like what you see!

For more Summertime goodness, here are some other posts you might enjoy!

My Summertime Favorites: Southern Watermelon Iced Tea, Susan Branch, Plum Jam and so much more!

Hoedowns and Sweet Berry Hand Pies!

The Old Homeplace

Delicious Dilly Veggie Dip!

Well, I sure hope you were able to relax as you strolled down the memory lane of my Good Ol’ Summertime decorating! I’d love to hear about your most favorite part of Summer…past or present! Or comment and just say Hi!

My video home tour of my Summer decorating will be up on youtube soon!

God bless your darlin’ heart Sugar Pies!

I’ll be back real soon!

Aunt Ruthie

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