My oh my, Sugar Pies! It’s that time again! Time to stoke the fires in our hearts for “home sweet home”. Time to nestle in and get cozy before the chilling North Winds frost our windowpanes.
“Come, ye thankful people come, Raise the song of Harvest Home: All is safely gathered in, Ere the winter storms begin.”
It’s time to gather God’s bountiful goodness of this autumn season to deck the halls and festoon our mantles and tables! When we brighten the corner where we are, we light up the hearts of those we love. A heart that is lit with love is a heart that is warmed. Our goal as homemakers should be to create a place where our family feels safe, loved, comforted and joyful.
Ya know what Darlin’ ? Even in the midst of hardships (clearly, so many have been affected, either financially, by natural disasters, or heartbreaking personal challenges) with faith we must look and find our comfort in God, in His Word and in the goodness that He has blessed us with.
Joy is harvested when we are grateful to the Lord for His blessings. Our hearts are revived when we become intentionally thankful. It reminds us that God loves us and will take care of us. Today I read in Psalm 27:13 “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”
Sugar, God’s goodness is all around us. Take joy in this glorious season. The beauty of Fall is a gift from the Lord. Thank Him for it. Celebrate it. Delight in that big ol’ Harvest Moon as it shines through your window… light a Fall scented candle… gather some fallen leaves bursting in colors of butterscotch, cinnamon and apple red…set a happy pumpkin on your table… simmer some soup…eat a sweet crisp apple dipped in warm caramel sauce…get cozy in a chair and read Psalm 103 to find out how much you are loved. Do those simple and lovely things… it will nurture your family and comfort your heart. Let this be the season of gratitude, comfort and joy. Thankful be, Sugar, thankful be.
So, dear Sugar Pie Darlin’, I hope my words gave your heart the hug that it needed! And now I’d like to invite you into my Ozark home to share some of my Fall decorating ideas with you…there’s nothin’ fancy about it…just down-home and simple…just the way I like it. I hope it brings you comfort and joy. Now make yourself comfy…grab a hot-cuppa-somethin’ yummy and settle in for an armchair visit with me!
Come on in out of the cold Sugar…make yourself at home!
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, then it’s no surprise to you that I love decorating for the seasons. I always have, ever since I was a new bride …we talkin’ 33 years now! It just makes home-life so much more fun and exciting. It adds such warmth and sparkle to each room. It sweeps away the mundane and brings a home to life! It revives and awakens our hearts to the glory of God’s creation and His faithfulness. It makes kids happy too! My kids always looked forward to seeing their mama transform our home with festive seasonal decorations.
This is my living room. I used to have a love seat sofa in front of the fireplace but moved it to another room. The round table and chairs now sit in the center. It’s a nice spot to have tea, do my Bible study ,chat with loved ones, or to enjoy a slice of pie by the fire! Wish you were here to join me!
On the mantle, I took natural preserved leaves and set them in ceramic urns (that I got at Micheal’s Craft store at 50% off a few years ago). I stacked some old books, with the page side showing instead of the binding for a more neutral palette, and topped them with white pumpkins. I also tucked in some family photos. ( Tip: Can’t find cute white pumpkins? No problem! Just paint them! Real ones or fake ones!)
“Every leaf speaks bliss to me…fluttering from the Autumn tree.” ~ Emily Bronte
These old paperback books, with the covers removed, are tied with cotton string
and embellished with a chandelier crystal. The edges are sanded for a more “worn” look. I purchased it last year at an antique store.
I think it would be a fun and easy craft project!
A few year back I picked up these branches that had fallen in an ice storm and secured them in a bucket of Plaster of Paris (a kind of cement found at the craft store),
An old wooden tray and part of a Turn-of-the-Century baby buggy makes for a fun display piece.
Comforting thoughts of “home sweet home” are like honey-colored falling leaves…
they come swirling in the Autumn breeze. ~Aunt Ruthie
For a few years I’ve thought about painting this wardrobe-turned-bookshelf the color white,
but the planks of wood on the interior remind me of the inside of a barn…and I love barns!
So I don’t think I’ll paint it …for now! ;D
I can’t think of anything more simple or farm-y
than a frosted pumpkin sitting on a bed of straw in an old white enamel dishpan.
I told you my decoratin’ was nothin’ fancy!
The rusty old shovel with the handmade Hickory stick handle and the orchard ladder
were relics from the old Ozark homestead where my house sits. To me they are treasures found!
They hold a lot of history and could tell a lot of stories…and I love that!
A pair of vintage fluted gelatin molds make the perfect nest for my white pumpkins.
I got them for only $3 each. I just placed them on top of two wooden candled stick holders. Easy peasy!
I recently purchased this cream colored galvanized metal Bread and Cake cabinet. Oh! The stories it could tell!
I would love to know about the sweet farm wife
that used this little cupboard to keep safe and fresh her homemade goodies for her family!
I wonder how many cakes, pies, cookies and loaves of bread she stored in this little cubby.
The label reads:
Home Comfort
Bread and Cake
Cabinet
(aDoRaBle!)
Take a peek inside! A loaf of golden brown bread, jars of homemade jam, and a pumpkin pie…oh my!
This is how I pictured it might have looked back in the day!
Sitting on top of the cake stand, are little cellophane bags of Candy Corn.
It’s Fall! We gotta have some Candy Corn!
Some bags are plain and some have salted peanuts mixed in (my goodness what a delicious combo, ya gotta try it!)…
…either way they are a delicious treat for folks who stop by.
I rescued this “yard-bird” from a local flea market, she’s covered in moss and is quite weathered, but I love that little gal! I’ve named her Bertha Pearl. Until I have chickens of my own, she will have to do!
“While the earth remains, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22
A vintage “Driving Miss Daisy” hat…a peaceful reminder of sweet days gone by.
The same place that I found my “Home Comfort” Cake and Bread cabinet, (The Feathered Nest in Ozark, Missouri—a FABULOUS place to shop!) I also found this Christmas tree in an oatmeal color. I couldn’t wait for Christmas to decorate with it so I decided to stick it in a bucket and try to fit it in for Fall.
I had a bunch vintage silver forks that I purchased for about $4 and didn’t know what I was gonna do with them…
Hey! I thought…why not hang them on the tree with pumpkin colored seam binding ribbon?
Yeah! That’s what I’ll do! Yes, it’s a little silly…a bit whimsical, but fiddle-dee-dee so am I!
I decided to tie the whole “fork” theme together with this little sign that I typed up.
I bet the gal who used to own these forks
never thought in a million years they would be hangin’ on a Christmas tree in the Fall!!
hee hee!
I wonder how many bites of pumpkin pie were eaten with this old fork.
“Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!”
Hey! Come on into my kitchen!
See what I mean? More dishpans and buckets! Their good for scrubbin’ dishes, clothes and babies and for holdin’ a batch of fresh picked green beans waiting to be snapped out on the front porch.
My theme for life. Thankful be.
(Written with my fave Chalkboard Markers!)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever Psalm 118:1
As a side note…while I’m taking pictures… I thought I’d share this tip:
I got these glass containers at Walmart and use them to keep handy my salt and pepper when cooking.
It’s easy access if I need a pinch or a spoonful. I like handy.
My vintage toy cow greets me each mornin’!
He reminds me to COW-NT my blessing’s everyday!
What do you call a cow in an earthquake? A milk shake!
Why did the cow jump over the moon? Because the farmer had cold hands.
There were 2 cows in a field, One cow looks at the other cow and says “moo.”
The other cow looks back and says ” Hay! I was just going to say that!”
(okay I’ll stop now! lol!!)
It’s the simple little silly things that make my heart happy ;D
You know me…how I love chalkboards so much I wanna marry ’em!
Here’s one I got recently at a fun Barn sale! It’s just an old cake pan!
Yes, a rusty old cake pan that some creative gal painted the inside with chalkboard paint!
What a grand idea! DeLiGhtFuL!
My baking center and window-pass-through to my pantry.
Gettin’ it all gussied up for some serious apple and pumpkin pie makin’!
Talk about simple! A white pitcher, a nest of raffia and a pumpkin.
On the side of my baking center hangs one of my most favorite calendars every year…
The AdOrAbLe Susan Branch Calendar!
It is so endearing!
Packed full of darling illustrations, recipes, quotes and homey goodness!
They get me in a happy mood for each season!
“By all these lovely tokens September days are here,
With summer’s best of weather And autumn’s best of cheer.”
– Helen Hunt Jackson
For lots of inspiration the Gooseberry Patch Quick & Easy Autumn is jam-packed with yummy goodness! I love my copy and will keep it out and refer to it throughout the season. Don’t you just want to climb into that darlin’ front cover?
The place we sit for family suppers!
“Bright red apples and purple grapes, orange pumpkins and golden corn,
these are what the harvest brings in the land where I was born.
Frosty mornings and cracking leaves, Barns all filled with their winter grain:
When the harvest work is done, listen to the rain.”
~ Eleanor Graham, 2 nd grade songbook.
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Your posts are always full of homemade goodness, inspiration and joy! Thanks for sharing a warm dose of sunshine and your gorgeous fall decor. So lovely! ~H
Beautiful, simply beautiful! I love your decorating style, Ruthie! I’ve been reading your blog for 3 years and your posts never fail to inspire me in so many ways. Thanks a bunch for sharing with us.
Smiles,
Carol
As usual I loved your post! I sat down to read it as I was taking a break from dressing my little autumn nest! Candy corn and peanuts were part of the fun here too. Enjoy this blessed season! Thankful be indeed!!
Aunt Ruthie~I just LOVE your fall decorating posts!!! Always full of such wonderful, fun ideas. Your home is just beautiful!!! And as usual, your post was full of great encouragement to all of us homemakers! Just what we need, just when we need it! :) I was wondering, do you think you will ever put together a fall e-book like your summer one? I know it must have taken tons of time, so maybe that is just not in the plans. I know if you were ever entertaining the idea, you’d have LOTS of ladies interested. :) Thanks so much for sharing your heart and home with us! Blessings!!!
Beautiful-beautiful-beautiful!!!!! As always it is wonderful-thank you so much for sharing !!! :-) The rusty old shovel on the buffet in greatness , I also love the old dishpans! Your blog in such a breath of fresh air-may God bless you this fall (and always)!
the epitome of a perfect farmhouse! love it!! i’m so excited for fall..and have been having so much fun decorating too! and it is so true…your whole attitude can change when you are mindful of thankfulness. i read one thousand gifts, and my thought process has totally changed. it is so important to be thankful for everything..little things, big things, moments, etc. and i am right there with you with chalkboards! i can’t get enough of them! haha! such a cute idea with the pan. and i love your big thankful be!! have a happy fall! :)
I love your Blog…so inspiring! I look forward to your update every month! I just made a pumpkin pie this week and im so ready for fall!
Blessings from Farmington, MO!
Once again, Thanks for sharing your home with us. It gave me lots of ideas! We have a much, much smaller house, but you know what I always remind myself? When I’m cleaning, shampooing the carpets, dusting, etc, I’m always thankful that I have a smaller house to clean! :) I’ve learned to be thankful for my little country home, and I can enjoy decorating just as much whether a lovely big home or a little country home.
Thanks for the reminder to be thankful and joyful in all things.
Julianne :)
Thank you so much for sharing your home with us! Everything you said is such an inspiration to truly take joy in and be thankful for the homes God gives us!
I love decorating so much, so it is always a lot fun being about to look at other homes and get ideas. :-) Again, thank you so much for opening up your home for us to “visit”!
Have a wonderful day and God bless,
Shannon
Just beautiful…I love that little bread and jam cabinet! You are a true “Fallen Woman”…Fall looks good on you too! ;D
Just lovely, as always, Ruthie! Hope your fall is golden!
xoxo
Joni
Perfection, as usual! Thanks for sharing!!!
I always love coming to visit. Fall is my favorite time of the year, and I love your simple enamelware and darling pumpkins!! I can almost smell that pumpkin pie!! xoxo Debra
I am sorry to have missed you when I was in Branson. I had such a beautiful time. Going into ‘The Secret Garden’ literally changed my life. I wanted to just move in. I wanted to buy everything, but of course just wasn’t possible. I’d like to eventually change my wardrobe to a lot of the things she has. I loved the scenery, the people, and I almost cried when at the airport the ticket agent, the luggage handlers, and the crew stood at the end of the tarmac and WAVED at us! They waved!!!!
I look forward to your house each new season, just lovely!!
Thank you for a wonderful Fall post. I love hearing about the uplifting scriptures you are reading. I find myself looking them up and rereading them. Then your decorating never ceases to amaze me how you take simple things and reinvent them with just rearranging and coming up with new displays. Happy Fall!
God Bless you,
Carey
Hi Ruthie, Thankful be for you and your blog of encouragement. Your decor is beautiful and your talents are also in the editing of style and display with practical everyday hints. Please Ruthie, because you are a strong role model, I am asking for prayers for my father Peter. I can’t be with him now, we are in Nj and my family is in Charleston SC( where I am from originally , I would be most grateful.
Awe Ruthie! Just what I needed today! Thankful Be!
Woooooooo wheeeeeee!!! I needed this today, Aunt Ruthie! What with all the recession, depression talk – this was a bright light in my day. I love you for your encouragement. Can DO! :)
Absolutely makes me smile…and soooo good for the heart..Thank you so much…looking forward to whatever else you have in store for all of us…Blessings..Aunt Ruthie………..Nana Shirl
I love it all! I only live about 6 hours from you…won’t you please make a road trip and re-decorate my home? I just adore the way you use what you’ve got and are SO creative! Thank you for the inspiration!
Definitely something I needed to read today! I loved all of the pictures and the explanations to go along with them. I agree with the previous poster…would LOVE a fall e-book!! :)
Wow Aunt Ruthie, you’ve done it again! Your words are ringing true in my ears (and Heart). I was letting the tough times get to me and was not planning on decorating this year. As always your blog post has inspired me to take some action. NOT just to decorate but to trust in the Lord and to be thankful for what I’ve got. Things could be worse. We can always use a little cheer and decorating seems to be the key right now. What a simple, sweet way to bring a smile to the faces of our loved ones. THANK YOU! I wish you all the wonderful things in life. Love ya lots and thanks again; I only wish that I could return the favor. :) God bless…
Nothing makes me happier than getting the notice that there is a new post-and one about autumn no less! Thank you for warming my heart and warming my day as always. No doubt I will be reading this over and over until the next one comes out :) Bless You Aunt Ruthie for getting me through the stressful times of being a Momma to 2 toddlers and the housewife of a hard OT workin’ Lineman :) xoxo
I just love looking at all your creative ideas and I get so inspired to decorate for each holiday when I see your beautiful home! It is so uplifting, and it cheers me up when I visit you! Thank you! Have a blessed Autumn!
Dear Ruthie,
Thank you so much for this wonderful post. I have really been feeling “down-in-the-dumps” and you have made me feel so much better. You are always so uplifting and I really enjoy your site. Thank you again you sweetheart!
Thank you Ruthie!!!!! As a homeschooling mama to 2 bouncing boys and a nursing baby girl, I NEEDED that refreshing from you and the Lord this afternoon. As always, it is a pleasure to read your blog. Keep up the good work!!! May God bless your growing family!
Love it all, thanks so much for sharing. I did do just as yo said, i got myself a nice warm cup of chai tea, putting on some bluegrass music (Im in canada so unfortunately I cant hear your cute musicbox anymore!) and read this darling post. Inspired me to make my place a little more seasonal. Thanks for the inspiration and taking the time to share your home with us as always.
In christ,
Nicole (Aka
What a joy to visit your beautifully decorated home, for fall,and your thoughts so encouraging. Thank you for the tip on painting pumpkins white, I find them hard to find,especially in smaller sizes.
Enjoy and be blessed.
simply beautiful!
just a comment on the cabinent you might paint white some day…just paint the outside white and leave the beautiful boards on the inside the same:)
i can’t wait to see the christmas decorations!
holly
i forgot to add that i loved the quote from genesis 8:22!
God is always present and in control…there will always be hot and cold, summer and winter…no matter who says what about the globe and its warming;)
Darling as usually….I so enjoy reading your blog and seeing the photos…so inspirational.. thanks.
Ruthie, you’ve done it once again! I’m always so excited when a new post is ready….will be reviewing this one again and again…while waiting for Christmas. Love your fall decorating….the old rusty shovel displaying with the pumpkins ; I love that …. is it a choir boy… by the wardrobe/bookshelf? …. adorable! Love the white enamel wear..brings back a memory from home of cherries fresh picked sitting on the back porch in a white enamel dishpan waiting to be made into cherry jelly. You inspire us all…. Have a blessed and homey fall. I so miss being able to hear your music :( as I read your posts.
Cheryl from Canada
Thank you so much for inviting us into your beautiful home once again Aunt Ruthie! You have such talent for creating a warm, cozy atmosphere for your family. I always find so much inspiration when you share your decorating ideas.
You are such a blessing! Thank you!
Oh my goodness, Aunt Ruthie. Where do I begin? I found your blog 1 year ago this month. Over the last year I have taken the time to go back and read all of your previous posts. Not one has ever disappointed me. You are such an inspiration and oh so motivating. Thank you for what you do. You are truly and blessing to so many.
Debbie from Ft. Worth
An absolutely delightful visit!! Made me want to jump up and run out to my garage and dig out the old enamel coffee pot with a hole in the bottom and make it the envy of all my guest~~is that mean? Nah~~~ it may just inspire them to do some of the same! Thank you!
You have encouraged me with the beauty you have curated! Thank you for being faithful.
Reading one of your posts is an event. I learned some new things that I like very much. Your home is beautiful and you are an excellent maker of home.
Your home is just beyond words cozy! And who played the bluegrass type music? I looked up Salt River and Backwords lively on Amazon.com, but didn’t come up with anything! I love it! My husband had a massive stroke almost 13 years ago, we now live in a condo – but I think you got me in the mood to at least bring up my orange string of lights and put them around the pass through between the kitchen and livingroom! My husband has brain damage and seems to enjoy when I decorate! Fall is my favorite!! I think you put me in the mood! Now to drag and dig!
Thanks! Francine
Thanks for the encouragement, as usual, Aunt Ruthie! We are all decked out for autumn here and hosting a bonfire party for our church this weekend! Thanks for helping me keep the focus on what is important as I hurry and scurry to get things prepared!
Thank you so much for the delightful fall home tour of your lovely home and autumn decorations. Just loved everything and especially your cream colored galvanized bread and cake cabinet. What a find! I appreciate you reminding us that God’s goodness is all around us. You are truly a blessing to us all sweet Aunt Ruthie!
Autumn blessings~Donna
Your house is decorated so perfectly for autumn…that I wanna marry it! LOL I always enjoy seeing how you decorate your beautiful haven each year for every season, and you did not disappoint this time either. Love, love, love everything! And of course, the encouragement and inspiration for serving the Lord, counting our blessings, and investing ourselves in our families and homes is timely and appreciated.
Enjoy this beautiful season and eat lots of candy corn and pumpkin pie!
Love ya,
Amy
Your home is so beautiful and inviting. Thank you for sharing it with me. I can’t wait until Christmas to see what you have up your sleeve.
Autumn is my favorite time of year to decorate my home. I too have decorated my homes since I was a young newlywed. You have done a beautiful job with yours keeping it simple.
Also, thanks for sharing the cookbook. I am headed over to Amazon right now to order one. My daughter and I will love using this to bake this Fall.
As always a sweet treat to behold the autumn in your life…breathtaking
Love it Aunt Ruthie!!!!! Your posts and blog entries always fill my heart with such warmth and joy! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Happy Fall Y’all!!! :)
Thank you for welcoming us into your “Harvest Home”! As always, it’s a delight to stop by and get my heart warmed by your photos and words of encouragement. Happy Fall Y’all! Hugs, Victoria Lynn
What an inspiring post! I love your decorating style and am always inspired by your photos, but I found your words to be most inspiring and encouraging today. Thank you so much for sharing your heart with so many ladies. I’m sure God is using you to encourage many in Him.
I love your blog! I read every word! Smiles! Keep the posts coming!
You know what I like so much about you? EVERYTHING. You are one of the biggest inspirations to me, as a mama, a woman of God, and wife… I look so forward to your posts, because I know they are going to be the whole meal, filled with meat, and topped off with a delicious dessert. Thank you for encouraging me…
Blessings,
Sasha
You just made this rainy, dreary day a whole lot brighter. :-) Thank you so much, and especially thank you for the scriptures you share. God is so good!
I love to read your posts. They always give me lots of inspiration; I’m moving to a new house next week and can’t wait to get it “all farmed up”
Michele
My hubby and I just finished canning 21 quarts of bright red tomatoes. My counter looks so festive. Tomorrow we make ham and green beans–his favorite!
Oh my, oh my!!! Can I come move in with you!!! This is the most amazing house I have ever seen!!! I WANT THAT PANTRY WITH THAT ADORABLE SCREEN DOOR AND WINDOW…pardon my drooling ;o)
I just have had so much fun going over and over these pics and this warm, wonderful story!
Thank you so much for inviting me in!
Terry
Sweet touches everywhere! A welcoming place for family and friends! They won’t ever want to leave! Thank you for your inspiration of the blessings Fall brings! I LOVE Fall! I just gave one of my daughters a baby shower! Come see!
Love ya,
Maryjane
xox
I love all your post but this might be my favorite. So beautiful!
I completely get lost in your writings…I love how you love your home and family and most of all the Lord …it is an encouragement to me when my heart is far from him. I thank you for taking the time to share your heart and home with all of us other mom’s and encourage us with God’s word…Happy Fall!
Thanks for getting me in the mood to decorate for Fall. Today was my Grandfather’s birthdate in 1893. I always feel that the first day of Fall is a special day because of him.
I love your decorating style, but still miss your barn red trim in your kitchen, but to each his own on your choices, which I’m getting used to. Thanks for keeping your posts Postive for all of us!
Betty in TN
I always enjoy coming to this wonderful site, especially in the Fall and at Christmas. It has become a tradition for me every year about this time. I just love your cute, country touches. They are simple and fresh which is perfect. Thank you for putting a smile on my face today. I also adore the song choices. I love Anne of Green Gables.
Cheryl
Aunt Ruthie, YOu never disappoint! YOur home ALWAYS says, “Come on in and make yourself at home”!!!!! I love your down home decorating! The white enamel ware is perfect. LOVE that pie and cake holder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have never seen one or heard of one. (I was raised in the city:(:( I have done all of MY Fall decorating too and have started to post as well. I wisjh you could stop over some time! I just posted my WELCOME porch! Enjoy every single minute of your Fall time. I so look forward to it all: pies, candles, sweaters, boots, and the SMELL in the air (I think each season has it’s own smell). XO, Pinky
Thank you for such an encouraging post today! Just hit the spot. God bless you for taking the Titus2 mandate and encouraging the rest of us!
Please tell me where you got your dining room table. The long one with the white chairs. I love it!
Your home is a delight to see and beautiful. thank you for sharing it with us. Can I just move in now? :o)
I always look forward to your decorating tips. They so inspire me to go out and start foraging the back acre. When I read your comments I always smile….Keep it coming!
I have my bags packed and I’m ready to leave! I’ll be at the farmhouse as soon as I can. Can’t wait to have some pumpkin pie and a cold frosty glass of milk! Your home is heavenly. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. I loved the screen door you have used for decoration. I have one also in my “girly” bedroom. I love it and the history that goes with it.
May you and your family be more than blessed!
What a wonderful and inspiring site! I can’t wait to get off the computer, and go scavage through my fall decorations. I have saw some wonderful little detail ideas in your pictures. What a warm and welcoming home you have. Thank you so much for sharing it. Now, I am craving a pumpkin pie also! You are truly a godsend! God bless you! Hugs!
I love your website and it brings back so many good memories of cooking with my grandma in the kitchen. Your home is absolutely wonderful. That is what a kitchen should look like. I love to cook and love your site. Keep doing what your doing.
UHmmmm…I think I might be a baking center and pantry stalker now! How cute is that set up? I have never seen anything like that before….I LOVE IT! Thanks so much for sharing, I’m always looking forward to your next post!
I so enjoyed this post and looking at your lovely home!! And I really needed that hug…it has been a very tough year! Thanks for reminding me what home needs to feel like.
I love all your wonderful decorating tips….I’ll start this weekend. If you do decide to paint anything, I highly recommend using Annie Sloan Chalk paint- it’s fabulous!!!!
oxox Maija
Sweet Friend,
As Amy so eloquently stated, I like every thing! Your home exudes the love of God, family, friends!
Our family feels the same way….same principle….
God bless….Betty @ Country Charm
Hi! Thank-You for sharing and letting us all see all of your beautiful, cozy, warm and inviting homey atmosphere, of a home! lt was quite an experience. l love all of your antique decorations and l also love wood, the look and smell of it, l too live in an old home with all of this old, beautiful wooden floors and fixtures, l just treasure it all! Love your kitchen, the way you have it all decorated, you shold be proud, if my kitchen looked like yours, l too, would love all to see, you have such great taste and breath taking decore pieces. lsn’t this what its all about. Again, thanks for sharing~ Lou-Ellen
All I can say is… wow, I can feel the warmth all the way over here in California! And I’ll have that piece of pie now, please…
Your wonderful blog just makes my heart happy, even on a dreary day, and your reminder ..Thankful Be is just perfect. Blessings on you and those you love every season and on your lovely home as well.
maggie
Couldn’t you please post more often? I really miss your posts! You are a blessing to so many…thank you, and may God truly bless you and yours …
I am so blessed to have come across your site. Love your heart for God, Your family and friends, making your home a Place of refuge and welcome to all. I love to decorate for the seasons also and it so changes the spirit of our home. I have to tell you that I love every part of your home but your bake center and pantry is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in a home! Bless you for sharing with us.
I smell cinnamon, ginger and cloves just reading this wonderful blog. Thanks Ruthie!
Love your home and blog!! I ran across your blog this morning from a pin on pinterest. You inspired me to wear my homemade apron all day and start decorating for fall. Can’t wait to see what inspires me next.
I love your fall decorating throughout your home..I have loved your blog from the first time I read it and continue to be amazed by your ability to take a simple item, like the shovel, and do a whole display..Have a great Autumn season..It’s my favorite time and I am enjoying every minute of it myself..
Janet
Goodness ~ like a cozy quilt, your delicious words wrapped around me and splashed Autumn all around Ruthie! :o)
How ‘most perfect’ that your blog arrived on the very same day as Fall appeared Ruthie – you are a beautiful witness to The Lord!
God Bless,
Barbra
~ I’m so glad that I had an invitation to your Home Tour Ruthie; surely you heard all the ahhh’s and wow’s and beautiful comments…….everything shouted ‘Autumn Joy’ …..just absolutely lovely Ruthie.
Finally, finally, Aunt Ruthie’s autumn decorating! Seems like we’ve been waiting forever. Thanks so much for sharing and as always, for you kind words of encouragement.
Oh…just one more thing…pray for cool weather; we are still melting down here in south texas. We are even planning a trip to the beach to swim on Sunday. I am READY for fall!
Dear Auntie Ruthie
Thank you so much for the lovely tour of your home. It is so inspiring to see the love of God in your heart that reflects in your decorating..
You are a real blessing.I God Bless you. Kathy
I have to say because it is the opposite season here your autumn post just put a spring in my step! I love how you have a table and chairs at your fireplace – what a cozy place to sit and the other idea I will be stealing for sure is the sweet little glass containers for salt and pepper. I will be looking out for something similar. Thank you for so much for inspiration I can use whatever the season!
Oh Aunt Ruthie, you’ve done it again! I’m so ready for the fall season now after seeing the way you’ve decorated your beautiful home. I love that your ideas are easy peasy and aDorABle!!! oh and cheap :)
What a cosy sweet home ! Just splendid !
I’m with Katie, where did you get that gorgeous dinning room table? When I read your blog for fall it gave me such wonderful idea’s for this lovely season. Thank you so much. Your kitchen is to die for. God bless. Hugs Paulette
I’ve been following you for a few years now, and each season of deacorating is more beautiful than the last. Thank you for your heart and for still keeping the traditions of homemaking alive and well :)
Thanks! for inviting everyone into your beautiful farmhouse. Love the Ozarks. I always enjoy all your words of encouragement you give us.And pass that pie down this way please, I kept my fork.
Thank you for all of the time and thought you put into sharing your home with us. The love of Jesus just shines through your words and your warm and beautiful home. Thank you, too, for reminding me to “Forget not ALL of His benefits”. I have been working on being intentionally thankful. I recently heard this….What if you awoke each day with only the things you were thankful for the day before?
You are so gifted in the ways you remind us to be grateful people.
We celebrated 33 years of marriage this year, too, and have two wonderful sons and two precious daughters-in-law, all serving the Lord.
Thank you again for your inspiration. I’m off to make a pumpkin pie!
Harvest Blessings, Diana
I can barely wait each time for your posts! Simply AdoRE them :) Going now to put my spin on some Fall decorating…inspired by you of course! Your house would definitely be my ‘dream’ home! I so enjoy seeing how you decorate it and take inspiration from it!
I just finished your home tour from last fall….and I’m AMAZED you decorate differently from year to year. I too enjoy decorating for the seasons, but you my new blogging friend are INSPIRING!! Thanks for sharing your beautiful home!
Reading your blog is like coming home. Thank you so much for the warmth you share!
Hi there! I stumbled across your site by accident and have fallen in love!
This is sooo my heart as well! You have a lovely home, and though I don’t have anywhere near the space you have there, I have taken inspiration from my visit here! Thank You so very much, I have thoroughly enjoyed my visit!
Thank you once again for such an inspiring post. I was born and raised in the Ozarks and if the good Lord answers my prayers I will once again live there. I enjoy visiting the little shops in Ozark when I visit “home”. You make me strive to be a better christian mama! Autumn blessing to you.
Hi aunt ruthie, i’ve been wanting to ask this question for a little while, but don’t want it to sound rude. so, no disrespect meant, but…how do you explain your grown adult children moving with their spouses to right where you live? the bible talks about leaving and cleaving…yet your family seems kind of…”ingrown”-do you know what i mean? what about the spouses parents? i would be very sad and even maybe even kinda upset if my adult children just had to move (becuz of perhaps too strong an emotional attachment?) to where their inlaws lived. it seems….selfish of you pulling everyone down the road from where you live so your grandbabies wouldn’t be a few states away. this is coming out sounding mean but i don’t mean for it to…i’m not sure how else to say what i’m trying to. i love your blog-been reading for a few years now-and i remember when only summer was at home and now everyone is right there too. it just seems too emotionally dependent to me. a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife…i’m just wondering how you look at it. thanks for letting me share my thoughts. :)
Hi Aunt Ruthie! I am your newest follower. I have seen your home on Pinterest a lot lately and in blogland in the past. I have never really come over for a visit until tonight. I was intrigued when I saw that you live in Ozark… I thought for sure it must be Alabama or even Arkansas, but surely not Ozark, Missouri. I was shocked to see that you live there now! I was born there and lived in that area for 25 years. So many memories of back home. (Right now I’m reminded of Girl Scouts… I feel like I’m writing a letter to my pen pal, lol!). Living near Tulsa, Oklahoma, I still come home every 1-2 months. I would LOVE to meet up with you and hit some flea markets, oh what fun!! =] Ozark has some wonderful little antique malls! Oh, and you have a gorgeous home! I see that you live on the hills between Ozark and Branson… a truly beautiful place no matter what time of year it is!
Have a delightful week my new friend~
Just a few miles from your neck of the woods, we are enjoying all these fall blessings too! Every year, every season, something to be grateful for.
I enjoyed the tour of your home. You make me feel inspired to decorate this fall. Thank You!
Thank you for the time you take to not only decorate, but take and post photos and pray and share scripture with all of us! I’m sure you are incredibly busy like all of us and I appreciate your ministry (this blog!) and focus on God’s word. You are such a sweet Christian woman and I truly enjoy each and every post you share. I have ‘roots’ in Ozark and although our fall trip was postponed, I hope to visit the area someday. Thanks so much for bringing it to me in CA through your photos! A big fall hug to you today!
Hi Aunt Ruthie,Wow you are sooo inspiring once again1 We always need to be reminded of Gods blessings!! Love your home! I also LOVE decorating for fall! I decorate for Holloween and also Love the pumkins,leaves and I use alot of tablecloths and I love the fall ,buyers choice ‘ characters!! They have a new vegetable man and woman with a Fabulous vegetable cart!!! I love the glow of flameless candles on the tables! QVC that have the old fashion lamplight made by candle impressions that you would have found back in the day that they held by one finger!! They are DARLIN!!I have one at each side of my farm table! Keep up the good message! Out for now,Cindy
What a great post !! your imagination about decoration is so wonderful !! everything in your house is adorable !
I have bought Red Hots candy (it’s very difficult to find it in France but with patience, I found) , so, tomorrow, I will cook your apple butter’s recipe !! I ‘m so excited… the last week, I’ve cooked your buttermilk pie and it was very very good ! thank a lot to you for these good recipes !
And thank you too, for every links you put in your blog because it has given to me the possibility to know many things about american products and it’s very very interesting (music, books, candles etc….)
Your are a great Madame !
Have a good afternoon
Autumn is my favorite season for decorating. Love the caulk board in a baking pan idea, wonderful. Thanks for sharing your heart and ideas. I will be coming back to this post again.
Just gorgeous…thank you so much for inviting me into your home.
OMG! I love, love, Love what you’ve done with the place. Can I move in with you?!
Love reading your posts, you often remind me of my dear mom (she was from Missouri) … she was such a sweetheart and made our house a comfortable, loving home. I miss her so much, even after 10 years …
Love your decor as usual, and Happy Fall !! Please send some cool Ozark air down here to 100 degree Texas !! Can’t wait for a REAL cool front !! wilting in the meantime but decorating for Fall !
Oh my! Your site is the most comfy, warm , loving,and delicious place to visit! So many ideas for filling my home with love and fall beauty, and such an inspiration to me. I love the reminder to “Thankful be!”, and to enjoy the bounty and blessings that fall brings! Beautiful decor, makes me feel so good! You’re such a sweet person, and now you’ve encouraged me to make my home a more loving , comforting place! Pumpkin pie and apple crisp are going to be on my table this weekend! I’m so glad I found you! Blessings! Linda
I just love you and your home, forget about climbing in the book, I want to climb through my computer screen and have some pie with you! Your home is so beautiful and I am so inspired by your words…and your jokes! You are an amazing woman and I wish you lived right next door!! Thanks for sharing your life with us!
Wanted to add that I particularly like your decorating this year. It feels more “vintage” and comforting than ever. I think it might be all the use of white….very “farmhouse past”. Love it.
Your “tour” was so much fun . . . I love Autumn and you captured the essence. Especially loved the “fork tree” – want to make one of these before Thanksgiving.
You have a beautiful home! I love the way you layer things, but it all still looks calm and inviting.
:)Heidi
Like everyone else has shared, I LOVE reading all of your posts!! You are always so encouraging in our roles as wives, mothers, homemakers. THANK YOU!!! Thank you for serving the Lord in this way!!
I always leave your blog ready to make my home an even happier place!
His,
Shari
PS- Where did you get your kitchen table and chairs? We’re looking for a table for 8 and yours is very pretty!!
wonderful post! You have a beautiful home and I love all of your decorative touches! Thank you for sharing!
Love following you blog!!! You are an inspiration to me and I love checking in to see the new post! Thanks for sharing!!!
I love reading your posts… I know you and your husband from waaaaay back and I recall being in your home back on Unicornio when I worked for Gary and your Dad at Hermosa Homes (I was Angie’s runner). I still recall with vivid clarity how you dressed your home up and it had the warmest feeling ever! It had a profound affect on an 18 year old, now grown (41!) with her own family to keep warm, loved and spiritually nourished. Thank you for all your hard work and for making such an impression that has lasted and it is the most genuine I have come across in a very long time as it is still the same. May the Lord continue to richly bless you and your family.
Dear Aunt Ruthie,
Can you tell me where you purchase your bulbs for your oil lamp? I have a Christmas lamp that uses those wonderful bulbs that look like a ‘flame’ but I haven’t been able to find them for a couple of years now. Any information you may have would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for your encouraging words and beautiful blog; it is a blessing to all those who follow along!
Warmly,
Jacqueline
I haven’t been by your site in awhile as life has been quite busy, but I thought I’d stop by on this sunny London morning and I’m so glad I did. I want to thank you for the uplifting message at the beginning of this post. For the last few months I’ve been going through some real hardships both personally and financially (as have many others). My spirits have been low, but I have held fast to faith. And while I’m by no means out of the woods yet and I still have challenges to face, I’ve have been showered with many Blessings recently. These blessings and your post remind me that I am loved and that to everything there is a time and a season. Even a time for challenges.
This is my first time visiting your site and I felt so comforted (you make me want to come over for a cup of coffee!) and encouraged by your words. I look forward to applying some of your wisdom to making my home a loving and joyful place for my family.
God bless you sister!
Tess
Bless your heart! I breathe heavenly air when I visit your site.
I am a transplanted southerner living in upstate New York and I surely do miss the South. We will be here about 5 more years then we plan to retire in the Blue Ridge near our Daughter. We are looking for a small farm right now to start remodeling for our retirement nest, have made 4 trips so far and going again in Nov. I have used your lovely home for a planning notebook for my “nest”. Thanks for the uplifting words and heartfelt welcome to your site, and yes, I look forward to having my chickens too!
Thank you so much gals!! Y’all leave the BEST most encouraging comments!!! My heart is BLESSED!
I’ll try to answer some of your questions…
mamamoi –I do hope to do a fall e-book some day! Thanks for asking!!
Emelia—I just prayed for your father Peter, bless you!
Cheryl—Yes it is a vintage choir boy…probably from a store window display back in the day. Got it at an antique store 20 years ago. I’ve seen them from time to time on ebay!
Katie and Paulette—I got my farm-style table and chairs at a little discount furniture store in California about 10 years ago. They have since gone out of business :(
Joly—I’m a little confused about your comment/question…my adult children and their spouses don’t live with me …to the contrary…my son who just got married this past June lives in California, I live in Missouri. My daughter, her hubby and baby just moved from Arkansas to Kansas (6 hours away) and my other son lives in his own house with his wife and new baby in the Branson area. Of course my youngest daughter is only 13 and is still at home. Each of my kids are quite independent, following God’s call on their lives. I would love for all my kids to live in the same town as my hubby and I, but they are off living their own lives, happily so, as it should be. I look forward to the holidays when we can all be together.
I know I already commented, but I just had to drop back by and tell you that the title of this blog inspired a charger I decorated for my home this week! I always want to live with an attitude of gratitude, and I am enjoying my homemade reminder to have a grateful heart. So thanks for the short and simple but profound title!
Oh my, Aunt Ruthie. I just want to move right in. Sigh.
What a wondeful treat…to find this darling peace of heaven, when I least expected it! I was looking for a recipe and found you…what a blessing! I think I’m your a twin sister, I never knew I had! You decorate like me, like the same things I like….and you love your family and have a deep faith! God bless you…I will be back for more that’s for sure!!!!! HAPPY AUTUMN….
Thank you!!! Thank you!!!! Thank you!!! I found your site by accident, and I’m sure glad I did. If I could ask one favor it would be to add more music. I keep your site open on my computer to have the wonderful music choices you’ve made already playing in the background as I do my housework. Once again, thank you!!! thank you!!! thank you!!!
I just got home from a trip to Eureka Springs, Ark., one of my favorite places. It is too generic for shopping these days but I never tire of the driving around picking out my favorite houses!
Now, back in Austin, Tx., you column has made this MO. girl homesick. I love your photos! I “covet” your pantry and your wonderful spirit.
Hi Aunt Ruthie
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! I had a few moments to sit down and read your blog – thank you for you loving joyful words full of peace and gentleness. We are enjoying a beautiful Thanksgiving day here on the farm- enjoying God’s goodness and the bounty of the land. May your words continue to spread goodness into the homes and hearts of many. Hope to take a trip your way someday soon! :) From my thankful harvest home to yours! God’s richest blessings.
Love, love, love your beautiful pictures, home and kind thoughts & comments. You can tell that your home
is filled with love & open arms to all who visit you whether it be in blogland or in person. Thanks so much for sharing.
I found your site today. I love it! It made my heart happy just browsing the pictures and reading all your decorating ideas.
Thank you!
Thank you Aunt Ruthie, you have inspired me once again. I adore the Fall and love to decorate for it. Unfortunately, this season, I’m a little behind in doing so. My mother recently had surgery and I needed to take the time to be there for her. All is going well now and I should be able to tend to my own home and prepare for the remainder of the season. I’ve downloaded the Little Women soundtrack and purchased my “Be Thankful” Yankee Candle to fill my home with the sounds and aroma of Fall while I bring my home to life for the harvest. I plan on using the jar from last year’s “Be Thankful” by filling it with slips of paper that read the many different things my family and I have to to be thankful for this year. I plan on having them read over dessert on Thanksgiving Day.
Wishing you and yours a season full of wonderous blessings.
Thank you for such a festive and inspirational post. Love God’s blessings.
Aunt Ruthie you never fail to energize and inspire me. Thank you for your posts. So uplifting and encouraging. May God Bless you and your sweet family.
I would love to know where you got the clear glass canisters with the red lids. I love them. Your kitchen looks so inviting and homey. Enjoy this fall weather!
This is my favorite season! Thanks for always sharing!~TJ
Hi! Your house is gorgeous! I love the color of your walls in the sitting area with the fireplace… what color is it and what brand? Painting the walls of my house soon and can’t find the perfect color… yours, however, is just what we want!
Thanks in advance!
-Emma
Your webstie actually brings a peacful calm feeling when I read it. You bring back the true meaning of what family is all about. Especially to those who have lost loved ones. When things are not going as they should be here its funny, your e-mail comes through and I read it and you cheer me up and remind me that the most important thing is the family and the circle of life it creates.. How it will always continue no matter what goes on on one’s life. Just waking up each day is a blessing. Thank you God bless. Paulette
I love the pics of your house all decorated for fall. I have several enamel pans and you’ve given me some good ideas for using them.
I love your quote from Laura Ingalls Wilder, and your motto, “Thankful Be!” I try to live by that motto too.
thank you so much for sharing. so much love, warmth, and yumminess. i just bought my autumn vintage apron and am inspired. http://www.etsy.com/listing/75545035/vintage-apron-in-red-apples-portion-of?ref=v1_other_1 THANK YOU!!!
Ruthie,
I always enjoy your music, so sometimes I just let it play as I work at my computer. Heard a song the other day you might want to add – “Tupelo” by Lauren Alaina. So good, I had not followed her after her close finish on American Idol, but ran into this song – great.
Oh my goodness! This is the cutest and bestest blog I have EVER seen! Love it all to pieces!
Check out my blog please!!!!! kemmyspies.blogspot.com
Thanks!!.
Check out my blog please!!!! THanks
Hi Ruthann,
I hope this gets to you. I was on Facebook and had the urge to look for you but wasn’t able to send you a friend request through FB. Do you remember me from Calvary Chapel North Coast? I’ve thought of you often and used your “jars” with my children and even my grandchildren. Hope all is well with you and Gary. God bless.
Kristi
Love your blog! Inspiring. Beautifully decorated home, thanks for sharing.
I. Feel. So. Loved. Just coming into your warm home and reading about the love in your heart for your family made my day! ;) Soooo thankful for your site being one I stumbled on…and will return to…Love you! ;)
Your home is beautiful and makes me want to curl up with a good book on a cool fall day. Thanks for sharing, I just found your site today and will be back!
You house is absolutely fabulous looking and it clearly LOVES being decorated for Autumn. It’s so beautiful with all of the orange pumpkins plopped down everywhere. I am going to look at more here.
Hugs, Cindy
Very great post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to mention that I’ve truly enjoyed browsing your weblog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing on your rss feed and I’m hoping you write once more very soon!
Stumbled upon your website while I was searching for some autumn ideas for our home.
I love your ‘Thankful Be’ article from 2011! You have a lovely home but most of all I am thankful for your belief in God. It is so refreshing to see scripture posted on your love website.
May you be blessed this Autumn 2013!
In His Grace,
Rena’
You posted the words to “Bright red apples and purple grapes, orange pumpkins and golden corn, These are what the harvest brings in the land where I was born…” I’ve been searching for that music for decades. Do you possess a songbook containing it? Could you send me copyright info or any identification helps?
Like Rita who wrote the comment just before mine, I, too, have thought about that song for decades. I didn’t remember all of the lyrics that you put in your story, but it is definitely the same song. I do remember the tune. Do you know if there is more to it, or where I could find the lyrics and the music? I learned it in grammar school sometime between 1946 and 1949, in Bristol, PA, at Harriman Elementary. And hooray for Eleanor Graham, and for your putting it in your story.
Love to you,
Jo Ann Adams
“Bright red apples and purple grapes, orange pumpkins and golden corn,
These are what the harvest brings in the land where I was born.
Frosty mornings and cracking leaves, Barns all filled with their winter grain:
When the harvest work is done, listen to the rain.”
~ Eleanor Graham, 2nd grade songbook.
Your baking/pantry would be perfect in my “dream house.” Thanks for sharing your home it’s beautiful and I love the creativity you use when doing so. The signage is cool great too!
Your baking/pantry would be perfect in my “dream house.” Thanks for sharing your home it’s beautiful and I love the creativity you use when doing so. The signage is great too!
Great web site you have here.. It’s difficult to find quality writing like yours nowadays.
I honestly appreciate people like you! Take care!!
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When we bought our 9 acres in the country, we decided rather than rent; we would build a garage efficiency to house us temporarily because our house in an Atlanta suburb sold. It was cheaper than paying rent while we waited to clear the land and build. Well, the apt was upstairs and the tiny kitchen as well. We decided just to remodel the building and put a living area and master bath and bed downstairs, never dreaming we’d get too old to climb the stairs to the kitchen. That said, we are now needing to add a kitchen downstairs. I love your baking center and would love to add one to my kitchen. Do you know where I might find the plans. It is just perfect!!!! Just accidentally came across your blog on Pinterest. Can’t wait to read everything. Your blog and the verses have encouraged and inspired me today!!!!!
I always go to your blog for inspiration!! I love how simple everything is …..yet looks like a million bucks! Hope you can visiit sedalia and stop into my parents shop Nostalgia Soon! God Bless, and thanks for all you do!