Hey Sugar Pie! I’m back again with more of my summer decorating, but this time it’s a VIDEO TOUR!!!
Here is the link to my YouTube video of my Good Ol’ Summertime Decorating…Sugar Pie Farmhouse Style! After you watch it come back here ‘cuz I’ve got some more stuff to chat about!
Well, here in the Ozarks we’ve had a good amount of summer storms! Living up on a ridge we have a panoramic view of the billowy, gray clouds that roll in. We also get front row seats of the lightning as it flashes across the sky. It’s absolutely stunning but when the thunder and lightning bolts close to the house…eeeek! We’ve had the power to our well knocked out twice this season, which means no water…at all. For that reason I keep four one gallon containers on hand so we can at least brush our teeth, wash our face and have some to drink. Fortunately, our well guy “Lefty” comes out within a few hours to fix it. It sure gives me a secure feeling though to have some things stocked up in case of an emergency. I almost think it would be a good idea to have a manually operated water pump. I’ll have to talk to the Mr. about that. I’m curious, are any of y’all preppers, even in a small way? Would love to hear your thoughts on stocking up things for emergencies.
In other news, I was at Hobby Lobby and saw that they already have their fall and Christmas merchandise out. Even Cracker Barrel Restaurant has their fall display up. Now I know that it bothers a lot of gals to see seasonal things up so early, but I really don’t mind, mainly because I love those seasons to the moon and back. But I’m certainly not ready to say goodbye to summer yet ( I waited the whole winter long for it for crying out loud! Lol). Since it’s been so hot outside during the day I’ve actually been doing a ton of decluttering in my house. I’ve made about four trips to our local thrift store to donate several boxes and bags of stuff. It feels so good to simplify and freshen up the rooms in my home. And I’m thankful that the things I’m donating are going to bless someone else. But seeing the autumn decorations out in the stores got me thinking… you know, this really is a good time to clear the clutter before the hustle and bustle of fall and Christmas get here…and it’s just around the corner! Just sayin’! Lol!
Wouldn’t it be great to get a head start… to have our homes clean and tidy and clutter free by the time we’re ready to bring out our pumpkins and fall leaves? Well, I think so. I know for myself that I don’t like the feeling of being behind on things. I want to be prepared and organized. Not that I always am…quite the opposite! I have so many things on my plate that it’s easy for me to get behind on stuff, then I feel rushed and anxious. When that happens I feel like I’m missing out on living in the moment and fully experiencing the joy because I wasn’t quite ready for it. I hope that makes sense. That’s the drawback of being a perfectionist I guess! Lol! That’s why I like having a head start if I can! Yup, I’m a big fan of planning ahead.
Here’s the great news Sugar! We have plenty of time right now to tidy up our homes because, as I’m writing this, we have 7 weeks until September. Now I’m not saying to spend the rest of the summer cleaning! Goodness no! Especially if you have little ones at home, your time is going to be limited, plus you should be enjoying this season to the fullest. But maybe, just choose an area that could use some attention and do a little at a time. If you take the time now to begin preparing and planning for the upcoming season and the memories you hope to create it will be like planting happy-home seeds that will bring you a harvest of bountiful joy!
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Now this may sound ridiculous to you but I’ll put Christmas music on when I have a big cleaning job to do. Yes even in the summertime. I know. I know. You’re probably rolling your eyes. Lol! But that’s ok, it works for me! Somehow it gets me in the mood and makes me feel happy! That just happens to be my cup of tea! Life is short and many times hard so anytime we can add some whimsy and delight into our lives why not? ( The soundtrack to Little Women and Pride and Prejudice works too!!)
“The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.”~Buddy the Elf
Well, I do want you to enjoy this wonderful summertime! Go get an ice cream cone, run through the sprinklers with the kids, go for a walk at sunset, sit on the front porch and enjoy the aroma of fresh cut grass, eat a sun-warmed tomato from the garden, enjoy a trip to the farmer’s market…and make happy memories! Keep your home bright in your heart. By that I mean to always be thinking (and thinking ahead) of things you can do to create a place your family feels loved in. Not just the decorations but the feeling of love, warmth, belonging, comfort and cozyness. Everything you do and say is like a seed that you plant and will eventually harvest.
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
So go plant some happy home seeds!
For some more thoughts on Home Sweet Home, here are some of my posts you may enjoy:
5 Simple Things You Can Do To Make Home Sweeter
5 Ways to Make Your Home Warm and Wonderful
Sweet Goodness
Stocking up for Emergencies: A Good Mama is Prepared
Well, thanks so much for stopping by!
God bless your darlin’ heart Sugar Pie,
Aunt Ruthie
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!
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.
And what would be sweeter than homemade hand-pies bursting at the seams with strawberry filling and a sparkling sugar crust!
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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!
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!
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.
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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