Hello dear Sugar Pie Sisters!! Remember me? Lol! I can’t believe the last time I posted was last fall! This has been a crazy, and at times, difficult year! I got Covid, and thankfully survived that, and then had a few health issues, nothing serious but still not fun. My parents were having some health issues also so I flew to California for several days to see them (because of Covid I hadn’t seen them in over a year! My dad will be 97 and my mom is 91).

We also did some house renovations and then there’s my eight grandkids that I love spending time with.

I was also still having some website issues where no one was able to leave a comment. Your comments are so important to me. I love to hear from you! Your sweet replies let me know that you are here… it’s like we’re chatting over a cup of tea or coffee at the kitchen table…it just warms my heart. Thankfully we have that fixed now!

And then the service that sends you an email notice letting you know that I have a new blog post up was discontinued… which meant that no one would be notified about any notices from Sugar Pie Farmhouse. So I had to do some research to find an email subscription service that didn’t charge $250 or more a month. I did find a service but this is the first time that I’ll be using it. So I sure hope it works and that you got an email letting you know I have a new blog post. If you would leave me a comment that you got an email please be a dear and let me know!

There’s a million other things that got in my way that I’m sure you can relate to. And yet my heart yearned to get back to blogging. So here I am! I am so thankful you are here!

For years I’ve been fervently dedicated to encouraging women to turn their hearts toward home. To take the best care possible of their home and family. Especially, in these extremely turbulent and uncertain times we all need to be encouraged to make our home a place our family loves to be. A place of peace, safety, beauty, joy and prayer. In doing so we will be nurturing and loving our family well.

“She looks well to the ways of her household”. Proverbs 31:27

So darlin’ go grab something yummy to drink… hot tea, coffee or something fall-ish like hot cider! Or maybe just light a yummy Autumn scented candle to set the mood for a cozy Fall Home Tour! To top it off put on my all time favorite Fall music… the Little Women movie soundtrack! It sparkles with all the cozy feels for this time of year!

It’s apple pickin’ time in my front entry! My vignette centers around this darling Currier & Ives print! I love it so much I wanna marry it!!! Did you know that Currier & Ives was an American print making company from 1835 to 1907? They produced illustrated prints by commissioned artists that were then hand colored. This firm was owned by Nathaniel Currier and James Ives. Such a rich look at our American history.

I purchased an 8 x 10 vintage paper print of this scene and then I had it enlarged and put onto a 24″ x 36″ canvas. It turned out beautiful. The company I used was Easy Canvas Prints. I took a picture of the print with my camera and sent them the high resolution image. In one week I received it!

This Currier & Ives print in my entry is called American Homestead: Autumn. It’s of a family picking apples in their own orchard. It depicts how life really was back in the day.

Papa is up on the ladder picking the high ones and Mama is on the ground with the children filling up baskets.

No doubt she made all kind of delicious goodness with the bounty of their apple harvest: Apple pie, apple fritters, apple sauce, apple butter, apple cake, apple jelly, dried apples, baked apples with brown sugar and walnuts, apples in her roast pork and sweet little apple hand-pies!

I love how they were so resourceful back then…of course they had to be! It makes me want to step into the picture!

I wanted my autumn decor to reflect the scene of this endearing picture. A basket of apples, autumn leaves, the color of butterscotch, an apple branch, a picnic basket, a throw and “Papa’s” hat.

This sweet print makes me think of the Johnny Appleseed song! We used to sing it after saying grace with our kids and still do sometimes when the whole family gathers for a meal…grand-sugars and all!

Oh, the Lord is good to me.

And so I thank the Lord

For giving me the things I need:

The sun and the rain and the apple seed;

The Lord is good to me.

The quilts hanging on the old orchard ladder are from the 1800’s so they fit right in!

A couple years ago a sweet friend of mine sent me this beautiful burlap banner that she painted. Autumn Skies and Pumpkin Pies! It’s so me! I paired this endearing quote with some pumpkins on cake stands and a darling garland of pumpkin pie slices that my daughter found for me at TJ Maxx! She was shopping and called to tell me about the garland, knowing I would LOVE IT! I told her to bring it on home to Mama…STAT! LOL!

A close up of this darlin’ felt pumpkin pie slice with a dollop of whipped cream. Adorable!

Well sisters, you know I love everything farmy right? What’s more farmy than a hayride! This year I gathered some vintage goodies including a faux straw bale that I’ve had for years and years, a cow bell, pitch fork, grain scoop, and bushel basket. I tossed in some pumpkins, a gourd, fall leaves and a wispy wreath.

Speaking of Hayrides…do you have my Pumpkin’ Pickin’ and Hayrides Ebook? It’s a wagon load of harvest-time ideas to cozy-up your home, Fun family traditions, yummy recipes, and nostalgic delights to warm and bless your heart! Check it out ... CLICK HERE!

I always loved that saying, “The kitchen is the heart of the home.” It’s so true in my house! It’s pretty much Grand Central Station!

This is my baking center and I’m fixin’ to begin my autumn baking soon! I love to make my pie crusts ahead of time and freeze them for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Before the hustle and bustle of the holidays this is a good time to stash my pie crusts in the freezer. It makes pie baking day easy-as-pie because half the work is done! You just fill the crusts and bake!

I roll out my dough, line the metal pie pans and flute the edges. Then I flash freeze them for an hour in the freezer until it’s firm. Once it’s hardened I stack them and put them in freezer bags until I need them.( I use 2 gallon ziploc bags which will hold 3 to 4 crusts…you can find them HERE ). You can also find my All Butter Pie Crust Recipe Here!

I decided to line my sweet little gathering baskets on my baking center shelves with vintage looking homespun fabric. I chose fabrics with a primitive 1800’s Little House on the Prairie feel. I had Mrs. Olson and her Mercantile in mind.

At Hobby Lobby I found brown plaids, ginghams and ticking stripe fabrics for 50% off. When I laid the fabric bolts on the cutting counter in at tall stack they looked just like they came from Mrs. Oleson’s store. And that made me happy. Notice the sign in the back “Yardage-Fancy and Plain”. I went for the plain!

Right next to my pantry screen door I have a chalkboard that I write on with sentiments for the seasons. This little phrase is something I wrote when I was writing my Fall Ebook, Pumpkin Pickin’ and Hayrides. “I think it’s so adorable that God thought of Pumpkins!”

There’s something so whimsical and darling about pumpkins. They come in all sizes and shapes and they’re just the cutest! One little pumpkin on a plate in the middle of your kitchen table will be enough to make your heart smile. Thank you Lord for creating those adorable Pumpkins!

A little peeky into my pantry!

This old farm table is one of my favorite places to decorate for the seasons! It has seen some happy days!

My mother-in-laws butter churn sits close by and the Chicken Sisters are staying cozy underneath. The little cupboard on top of the table is actually a pie safe. The screen was torn off, but there are remnant pieces left which tell the story of what it was.

Baking days are here! The weather outside is getting chilly in the Ozarks which makes baking up some Snickerdoodles, Ginger Snaps, pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie sound like a wonderful idea! Oh the aroma that’s about to swirl in our kitchens!

Do you see that sweet yellow-ware bowl with the cream stripes? It’s very old and I got it recently in Arkansas. It’s so cute. I’m sure it was a workhorse for a rosy-cheeked, aproned-Mama back in the day!

See those wee little butter-colored pumpkins and the white one too? I grew them in my own pumpkin patch! Their sweetness rings joy-bells in my heart!

“Cheers for the Gingerbread Boys!

Little mouths smacking with joys.

Mama bakes them brown and hot!

Gingerbread boys!

Eat a lot!”

-Charles Wysocki, American Artist, 1928

Take a couple minutes every afternoon to sit and ponder the goodness of God. Make a hot cup of something yummy and savor it with thankfulness.

I love the English idea of Tea Time every afternoon. Let’s make that a thing in our homes!

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”

This summer we had our kitchen painted white and replaced the dark brown granite with white quartz. I love how it brightens it. Everything looks so fresh and clean. It also makes my decor pop in a warm and cozy way.

I love the white especially paired with the warm woods of the stove mantle and the lower cabinets… it helps cozy-up all the white.

On top of the mantle I filled the vintage bowls with raffia and topped them with happy milk-colored pumpkins. The cow tray above the mantle is a favorite! I love cows, don’t-cha-know? Lol! I got a set of two different ones last year. If you google “metal cow trays, Park Hill” you may be still able to find them!

I love this dear white milk can! I love that it’s from the Borden Company in Kansas City too! I filled it with faux corn stalks that I got from Michaels a couple years ago. Totally farmy!

This old cupboard came from my hubby’s childhood home! He lived in an old log house in the woods of Idyllwild, California. I’m blessed to have it! It’s where I store some of my favorite cookbooks, brown transferware dishes, my large Mason Cash bowl that I use for mixing my mom’s Thanksgiving Sausage Stuffing every year!

To the right of the cupboard is a little play-nook for my grand-sugars! After hugging me at the door, that’s the first place they run to go play. It’s filled with toys, books, games, coloring and craft supplies. I got the little table and chairs on Facebook Marketplace a few years ago. It was a great price! It’s originally from Pottery Barn so it’s super sturdy!

The cheerful joyous season,

The Autumn time is come,

With song and shout we welcome,

The golden Harvest Home. ~unknown

As mothers and grandmothers, we are setting the stage for a happy home life. The things we do today will contribute to our family’s memories tomorrow. This quote by Gina Pearson is so thought provoking; “It’s impossible to harvest something you don’t plant.” Darlin’, if we want to look forward to a bountiful harvest of joyful blessings in our family, let’s plant thankfulness, goodness and a celebration of life in our homes.

“For the beauty of the earth

For the glory of the skies,

For the love

which from our birth

Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.”

~Folliot S. Pierpoint 1835-1917

God bless you dear Sugar Pie Sisters! I hope you have a blessed fall season! I’m thinking of you and saying my prayers for you. Stay close to the Lord and stay safe dear ones.

Please let me know if you got an email notifying you about this new post! That will tell me if my new email subscriber service is working! If you did not receive an email, please let me know how you heard about this new blog post. That will help me know what is working. Thank you so much!!

All my love,

Aunt Ruthie

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Hello dear ones!

I so hope you are all doing well. I’m sure you would all agree that this has been a difficult year! Thankfully the Lord has been right by our side, and will continue to strengthen us for the days ahead. It’s so important to keep our eyes on Jesus and to trust Him even though the world around us looks like it’s out of control.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5,6

We can’t control the world but we can set the tone in our home! We can bring in comfort, beauty, order, loveliness, grace, kindness, joy, and thankfulness, all of which feeds our soul.

Proverbs 4:23 says “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

Taking good care of our home and family emotionally, physically, spiritually and mentally guards our heart. Those things are so important to the well being of our lives.

I want to share with you little pieces of my home that I adorned for fall to celebrate, with thanksgiving, this glorious golden season.

One thing that warms my heart are stories from days of old. That’s why I love decorating with vintage furnishings! They bring a calmness and comfort from simpler times.

I have a dear friend who recently told me that when I decorate this old white armoire for each season it’s like looking through a window back in time… That just blessed my heart! I love that!

Well this fall my “Window Back in Time” takes a peek at the cozy attic of the Ingalls cabin. I’d love to share a little snippet of pure warm and cozy goodness from the Little House in the Big Woods.

“Laura and Mary must play in the house now, for it was too cold outdoors and the brown leaves were all falling from the trees. The fire in the cookstove never went out. At night Pa banked it with ashes to keep the coals alive till morning.

The attic was a lovely place to play. The large, round, colored pumpkins made beautiful chairs and tables. The red peppers and the onions dangled overhead. The hams and the venison hung in their paper wrappings, and all the bunches of dried herbs, the spicy herbs for cooking and the bitter herbs for medicine, gave the place a dusty-spicy smell.

Often the wind howled outside with a cold and lonesome sound. But in the attic Laura and Mary played house with the squashes and the pumpkins, and everything was snug and cozy.”

Doesn’t that just warm your heart?

“The cheerful joyous season,

The Autumn time is come.

With song and shout we welcome

The Golden Harvest Home.”

“Afterwards, they always had tea in the kitchen, much the nicest room in the house.” ~Flora Thompson

When all the leaves are off the boughs,

And nuts and apples gathered in,

and cornstalks waiting for the cows,

And pumpkins safe in barn and bin,

Then Mother says, “My children dear,

The fields are brown, and autumn flies;

Thanksgiving Day is near,

And we must make our Thanksgiving pies!”

~Author Unknown

One of my favorite things to decorate in my kitchen is this old farm table. This big ol bowl is my Mason Cash Turkey Stuffing bowl ready for Thanksgiving! The Chicken Sisters under the table keep me company while I’m cookin’ up supper! Lol!

In this sweet old pie safe I’ve filled it with my homemade plum jam that I made this past summer, and some cookie mixes! I filled these jars with the dry ingredients for my Snickerdoodles and Grandma’s Ginger Snaps! When I want to make cookies all I have to do is pour it in a bowl and add the wet ingredients! Sure makes baking a breeze!

Several years ago I painted this Granny’s Apple Farm sign and so it was my inspiration to follow an apple theme. I added a basket of apples, jars of apple butter, and a crock full of old rolling pins. In my vivid imagination “Granny” loves to make apple pies, apple fritters, apple cake, apple butter, apple dumplings and apple crisp…and any other apple thing that you love to eat! Lol!

“Oh the Lord is good to me! And so I thank the Lord, for giving me the things I need, the sun and the rain and the apple seed! Oh the Lord is good to me!” ~ The Johnny Appleseed song

I love all things pie related so I have some old pie tins I’ve collected as well as some pie stands also known as cake stands.

My favorite pie tin is from Knott’s Berry Farm! Knott’s Berry Farm has such a wonderful history of a farmer and his family who developed the Boysenberry! They sold the berries on the roadside in front of their berry fields. Mrs. Knott would make jams and jellies with the fruit that they didn’t sell. She also started making her famous Boysenberry pies and fried chicken! That’s when their business really started to boom! They built a tea room which turned into a full fledge restaurant then into an old western theme park! My hubby and I spent a lot of time there when we were dating and then brought our kids there years later. The thing we most looked forward to was eating supper at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant! The meals always included a fresh slice of Boysenberry pie!! So dreamy!!

Mrs. Cordelia Knott’s story of her life as a farmers wife is fascinating! It truly makes you appreciate the hard work that farmers in the 1920’s endured. Cordelia’s story is truly heart warming! You can find this sweet-as-boysenberry-pie book HERE!

Years ago I found these faux pies at different craft fairs! So fun! I don’t make pies every day so these are cute to look at in the mean time! You can find faux pies on Etsy!

Little touches of seasonal beauty placed thoughtfully throughout our home adds a sense of celebration, warmth and welcome to our loved ones.  Galations 6:10 says ” Be mindful to be a blessing”,  as homemakers, making our home feel cozy and delightful blesses our family! Every home needs a woman’s nurturing touch, it sends a message of love and care to all who enter it.  It’s a troubled world out there and that’s all the more reason to make  our homes a place of comfort and joy. Oh girls, we must never underestimate the significance of  our role as a homemaker…we set the stage for our family’s sense of belonging, safety and well being.

When we make the effort to cozy up our home and fill it with an atmosphere that glows with the celebration of the season, it is a gift to our family and those who come to visit. It’s those extra little things we do, to create a feeling of warmth and whimsy, joy and goodness, that communicates a message to our family that says: you are loved and it is my pleasure to make  you feel nurtured and cared for. It’s a message that hugs the hearts of those we love and it gives them a delicious affection for home. Remember we are planting seeds in everything that we do…plant happy moments and harvest a lifetime of happy memories.

Be sure to watch my Fall Youtube video for more down-home goodness! CLICK HERE!

Well, I hope y’all have a blessed Thanksgiving! I know that it may look different this year than in years past, but do keep your eyes on the good things that the Lord has done. Let’s count our blessings and brighten the corner where we are! Take heart dear ones & stay safe! I believe that because of Jesus the best is yet to come.

God bless your darlin’ hearts and y’all come back now ya hear?

Love,

Aunt Ruthie

P.S. If you’re feeling like it would be fun to browse some farmy goodness in the warm, comfort of your home, instead of running out in the rain and the cold, come on over to my Sugar Pie Farmhouse Amazon shops here! Make a good cuppa somethin’ yummy, relax and enjoy!

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