Autumn Greetings Sugar Pies!! It is officially Fall at my house! Yay!! I know that y’all love this time of year as I do! There is so many delightful things to look forward to and to be thankful for!

A Few of my favorite Fall things are…

1. Sipping hot spiced cider on a blustery, apple-crisp afternoon.

2. The way my house smells when I’m baking Grandma’s Gingersnap Cookies.

3. Hayrides with my family at the pumpkin patch.

4. Feeling joyfully domestic as I cozy up my home listening to the Little Women Movie Soundtrack (an instant mood lifter!).

5. Delighting in simple things like little orange pumpkins sitting in a neat little row.

6. Tasting sliced green apples dipped in warm ‘n’ buttery caramel sauce.

7.  Feeling the soothing warmth of a crackling fire.

8.  Eating pumpkin pie with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

9. Candy corn and peanuts.

10.  The sweet aroma of wood smoke in the brisk evening air.

11.  Watching the leaves swirl and twirl in a gust of wind as I drive along a country road.

12. Gazing in awe at a big butter-yellow harvest moon.

13.  Apple picking with my family

14.  The way the light turns a golden-honey color at the end of the day.

15.  Warming my family’s tummies with a steaming bowl of my mom’s Chicken soup with fresh grated Parmeasan Cheese.

16. Going to hometown craft shows with a friend.

17. Wearing my Ugg boots and colorful knitted scarves.

18. Looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas!

19.  Antique Road-trip adventures with my sister-in-law Linda.

20. Decorating my house for Fall!!

I so enjoy decorating for the seasons! It brings such cheerfulness into our daily lives. It revives and awakens our hearts to the glory of God’s creation and His faithfulness. 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.

Ever since my hubby carried me over  the threshold, 31 years ago, my passion was to make our home the sweetest and happiest place to be. That is still my passion. Decorating for the seasons is a tradition in our household, it’s something that my four children always looked forward to. I have found that even when I didn’t feel like it, once I got started and began changing things around, festooning the fireplace mantle and staircase, my creative juices starting bubbling up like soda pop! It’s such a refreshing feeling to stand back and see the delightful transformation that just a few touches can make. It’s because beauty inspires!

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.

For all of us, today’s experiences are tomorrow’s memories. ~Barbara Johnson

“Every change of scene becomes a delight! ” ~ Seneca

“It is the soothing predictability of traditions that make kids feel secure.” ~ Jo Ann Paris Leavell

It’s harvest time on the farm, the “frost is on the pumpkin” , the apples are ripe for pickin’, and there’s a pumpkin pie freshly baked just for you! Y’all come on in now and take a peek inside Sugar Pie Farmhouse….

Come on into my kitchen and see how I gussied up my little lamp shades by hot-gluing a strand of pom-pom fringe around the  bottom edge.

“The cheerful joyous season,

The Autumn time is come.

With song and shout we welcome

The Golden Harvest Home.”

~Author Unknown

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

Freshly Baked Pies: This is a favorite sign of mine that I love to bring out each Autumn. Pumpkin pie and Fall just go together! I attached a small white plate on the top of my two candlestick holders to support the pumpkins. Just a loop of duck tape…sticky side up…was all I needed to hold each plate on. I just wanted a temporary fix, that way I can use them another time to hold candles again.

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

My chalkboard…which is actually an old twin size headboard…comes in handy all year long to declare the change of the season! This year my theme is “Harvest Home”. Everything in life is based on sowing and reaping. We will harvest what we plant. So girls, let’s be careful to only plant goodness, kindness, love, mercy, forgiveness, joy, peace, blessings, faithfulness, honor, patience, creativity, and thankfulness!

Harvest Home

Come ye thankful people come,
Raise the song of harvest home!
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin;
God our Maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied:
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.

I’ve been using chalkboard markers for a couple of years now and they are so fun! The best way that I have found to wash the board clean is with Mr. Clean Magic Erasers! They work great!

Dear little pie pumpkins (from the market) sitting on a shelf, are such a simple and sweet way to add a festive holiday feeling to your country kitchen. It’s a very clean look!

A few weeks ago, I squealed like a little pink piggy at feedin’ time when I found this old sign leaning up against the front of a local antique mall.  It was old and chippy, and the letters were hand cut and homemade. EEEEEK!  And how cute is this name? Cedar Hill Farm!  The cherry-on-top was the owner came way down on the price! Woo hoo!!

When I was dragging it in the house my hubby looked at me like Ricky Ricardo looks at Lucy! (He actually calls me Lucy…a lot…especially when I’m bringing in junkin’ treasures or getting myself into pickled predicaments.) Happily he loved the sign! I’m am so thankful for a hubby that allows me to express my decorating ideas throughout our home! He loves me.

Helpful Junkin’ tip: Before I put the sign in my car to bring home, I asked the Antique store clerk if I could use their broom to sweep off any cob webs and critters. I’m so glad I did! There were two BIG spiders, and  a fuzzy caterpillar (in the loop of the “a”) plus a lot of dirt. Actually keeping a small broom in the car when you’re out junkin’ is  a good idea! I also had 2 small blankets to protect the  trunk of my car. Anti-bacterial handwipes for grungy hands are a must too!

Cedar Hill Farm has a new home sitting above my great room fireplace mantle. I added a few more farm-y things…

Galvanized pails…one spilling out pumpkins and the other sprouting branches. I mixed some natural branches from our woods out back with some lighted ones that I got at Target last year and this year at Kirkland Home. Adding the lighted branches was my daughter Ashley’s idea…it really brightens up the mantle with a oh-so-festive glow!

Eggs in a bucket of golden straw…

Now I’m just waiting for the weather to cool down enough to light a blazing fire!

“Thus simply as a little child, we learn a home is made from love. Warm as the golden hearthfire on the floor.” ~Anonymous

The dried corn in a vintage feed bucket was found very inexpensively at the local Feed and Farm store. When I change my decor to Christmas I’ll bring the corn cobs outside to feed the squirrels a lovely and bountiful Thanksgiving feast!

Barn shutters, a farmstand scale, a bucket of corn and a pumpkin-topped milking stool greet my homefolks, and friends who come a-callin’, with a big  Ol’  farm-style “Howdy!”

This weathered milking stool was a sweet find right here in Branson, Missouri! It’s sturdy and heavy and looks like it was well used milking Ol’ Daisy the cow!

Harvest Home, harvest home!

We’ve plowed, we’ve sowed,

We’ve reaped, we’ve mowed

And brought safe home, every load.

~Old Harvest Song

This “Old Kentucky Home” scale was just $12.oo at a flea market in Springfield, MO. It’s mounted on a worn board and was probably used at a farm stand where it would need more support when weighing those heavy baskets of fresh picked peaches and apples for Grandma’s preserves and pies! (That sounds like a good story to me!) That reminds me…do y’all ever look at a darling rosy-cheeked-snow-haired-grandma and think  She looks like an Emma Pearl and I bet she makes the best peach cobbler EV-AH! Or am I the only one that does that? Lol!

I like to mix fresh pumpkins with pretend ones, it’s easier on the budget ( the faux ones I only buy once, where as the fresh I have to buy every year). Mixing the two makes them all look fresh picked.

Pumpkins in the cornfield,

Fodder in the shock,

An ear of yellow-golden grain, Hangs on every stock

Blackbirds flying here and there, The yellow corn they spy,

But I’m not thinking of the corn,  I’m thinking pumpkin pie!

~Adelaide Blanton

My living room fireplace mantel during the day….

And at night! Adding white twinkly lights always makes a room feel festive.

Pretty leaves are falling down,

Green, orange, yellow brown.

Here comes one colored red,

It landed on my head!

~Author Unknown

I tucked vintage sheet music (cost $2.50) inside my hurricane lanterns and filled the base with straw, mini pumpkins and dried pomegranates. The graphics on the front cover is darling, the colors are fall-ish and the title is way too cute! “Way Down in Arkansaw” (note the funny spelling on Arkansas!) The words to the song are just as adorable! (Side Note: I live just 20 minutes from Arkansas…it’s gorgeous there!)

Way down in Arkansaw

Way down south where I was born

Amid the cotton and the golden corn

There’s the place I long to be

In the land of hospitality

Where the jaybirds sweetly sing in the winter

Just the same as spring

Guess I’ll grab a southbound train

And go back to my old home again

Way down in Arkansaw

You’ll find the turkey in the straw

And the rooster crowing at the break of day

On an old oak stump amid the new-mown hay

First met my great grandma

And there they settled down together

Because they loved each other

Way down in Arkansaw

This one is “Little Brown Home On The Hill”

Little Brown Home on the Hill

There’s a little brown home that is built on a hill

A dear little home like a nest

Where the great elm trees sway

and the turtle doves play

and it faces the gold of the West

Oh little brown home that is built on the hill

Oh little brown home like a nest

at the close of each day

then my heart wings it’s way

to you for  healing and rest.

To the eyes of the world

it looks crowded and small

but it’s only that they cannot see

In its tender lights glow

all the joy that I know,

and it’s more than a palace to me.

When the frosty north winds begin to howl it will be time to curl up with a mug of hot cocoa and good book! In this little cozy nook…an armoire turned book shelf… I created a mini library.

Books for browsing stacked high…glowing lamplight…a vintage clock sitting close by with a soft and soothing tick-tock sound.

A few of my favorites:

Little Women

Papa’s Wife

Mama’s Way.

A yummy candle brings instant cozyness!

Well gals, the very best thing we can decorate our homes with is our cheery Farm-girl smile (with or without red lipstick!)  Let’s honor our family by taking care of our home, keeping the “Home Fires Burning”, and looking for ways to be a blessing with a loving, joyful attitude! Being joyful is a choice. When we make our mind up to think positive and count our blessings the feelings will follow! A thankful heart is a happy heart! (I’ve never seen a grumpy thankful person!) Set the stage for happy results by turning on endearing music, put on a cute apron, simmer cinnamon, cloves and orange peels in a pan of water or light a scented candle to get the house smelling delicious, fill the cookie jar, clear the clutter  and make room for your own unique and nuturing womanly touch to brighten every corner of your dear sweet home.

May the good Lord bless you and keep you real good!

You are in my prayers and you are loved!

Warm hugs from my Ozark home to yours,

Affectionately,

Aunt Ruthie

 

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Happy “almost Autumn” Sugar Pies! Boy it’s hard to believe that the “Good Ol’ Summertime” is over! My daughter Summer has gone back to school, the weather is cooling just a tiny bit and even some of the trees are beginning to turn! My hubby and I had a picnic lunch at beautiful Taneycomo Lake here in Branson Missouri  the other day. As we watched the graceful movements of the fly-fishermen and listened to the birds sing their “farewell to summer” song, we tried to soak up every last, sweet, drop of this “Watermelon and Fireflies” season. I do love summertime here in the Ozarks but I also look forward to the golden delights of Fall!   Chubby orange pumpkins, the air so apple-crisp, cozy sweaters, the scent of wood-smoke, hot cider,  honey colored leaves swirling on a blustery day…isn’t it wonderful how God blesses us with beauty in each season?  The most wonderful of all is His faithfulness, mercy and love!

I love this dear old hymn:

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

(Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Thoman O. Chisholm 1923)

Before I say “see ya later alligator” to the bright days of summer, I have “part two” of my trip to Ol’ Californy to share!

One of my favorite places to visit in So. Cal is Julian. It’s a tiny mountain town full of charm and memories for me. In the  Fall we would go up there for a day of apple picking, and apple pie eating! The apple orchard, pictured here,  is just minutes from the main part of town. This is the very spot our family would stop to gather apples and fresh cider to bring home. We also brought home warmed hearts, full of  happy memories!

Come on, let me show you around Julian….

Since Julian is known for it’s delicious Apple orchards, finding some pie is not a problem! There are several places to fill your sweet tooth!

We chose Mom’s Pie House!

The atmosphere is homey…just like mom’s!

And the pies…YuMmY!

Hubby Gary had apple…

Summer and I had Strawberry Rhubarb. DeLiSh!

We took this home for later!

Love the screen doors on the way out!

Take a peek at some of the old buildings on the main street…

There are cute shops and sweet stops along the wooden walkways in this adorable  turn-of-the-century mining town. Come fall, Julian will be bustling with folks hungry for a walk in the crisp autumn air, enjoying friendly conversations in cozy cafe’s sipping cups of hot spiced cider and savoring a slice of warm pie!

Since it was almost Summer’s 12th birthday I thought this birthday- cake apron was a perfect one to try on! She’s as sweet as a cupcake, that girl!

One of my favorite shops in Julian is American Gardener. It’s darling and full of country charm in every nook and cranny. It’s also the home of the wonderful E. Barrett Soap company. The owner of American Gardener, Sherry Horton is also the creator of the french made, E. Barrett Soaps. “Sherry dipped into her family history, borrowing the name of her grandmother Emma Barrett to reflect the old fashioned values and quality of her merchandise.”  Her soaps smell absolutely delicious! She has dozens of  different fragrances. My favorites are: Apricot, Linden Flower, Milk, Ocean Spa, Pear, Rose, and Blackberry. Take a peek at her adorable shop!

Yummy potpourri too!

Love this basket!

If you’re taking a trip to Julian, be sure to stop in at American Gardner and Sherry’s other shop Oakwood Creek, a cute little house turned home decor shop. Oakwood Creek is closed on Tuesdays…that’s the day we were up there so I couldn’t go in…boo hoo!

An afternoon spent in old town Temecula was full of fun and giggles…

with my dear friend Cat from The Vintage Housewife. Cat and I were next door neighbors back in the day! She is just adorable inside and out. Cat is such a wonderful mama, loves her hubby and keeps her home festive and cheerful for every season. She also loves the Lord!! I love that she dresses vintage pretty much everyday! She’s very knowledgeable  about the history of fashion from the 1940’s and 50’s. Cat has a second darling blog where she shares her passion for vintage clothing,  it’s called The Vintage Housewive’s Closet.

We both brought along our girls…Summer and Amaray.

One of our favorite stops was the ever adorable Rooster Creek! Come take a peek!

Isn’t this the cutest little-bitty washing machine you ev-ah saw!  Why, it’s as cute as Christmas! How adorable would it be in a laundry room! LoVe iT!!

There’s cuteness around every corner!

Cat and I are candle girls…we are always on the hunt for yummy smelling candles that will make our house smell like “home sweet home!”

Here are the Rooster Creek Gals! Sweet Vivian, in the robin’s egg blue top, is the owner. I love that she always calls me “darlin’ “!  If you’re ever in Temecula, be sure to stop by! (Hey girls, I know you’re reading this! I’m sending ya big O’ hugs!)

Here’s the info:

Rooster Creek                                                                                                                                                          42050 Main Street
Temecula, CA 92590-2747
(951) 694-9918

At another shop down the street, Summer and Amaray had fun trying on vintage style aprons. These are girls after their mama’s own heart!

Soon after our fun day, it was time for my family and I to head back to Missouri, and as I said before, it was good to get home! One of the things I was looking forward to was meeting my dear friend Kathy from The Hillbilly Debutante. She lives near Washington DC, but is originally from the Ozarks. I was so excited that Kathy was going to be in town for a book signing. Her first book, False Victim, is hot off the press. This is a story I’ve been waiting to read. It’s based on a true story of a “neighbor-friend” that turned stalker. This actually happened to my adorable friend Kathy!! Oh my, I could not put this book down…I kept thinking… Oh dear goodness, poor Kathy!  What she went through is chilling, I mean, I got goosebumps reading it. Kathy loves the Lord and  I know it was by the Grace of God that she survived this nightmare. Her story is being made into a movie and Discovery Channel is doing  a documentary.

If you are interested in reading this incredible story, False Victim, you can find it on Amazon.

Kathy’s book signing was at ABC Books in Springfield Missouri, you can also purchase the book there by calling 417-831-3523.  If you live in the area stop by, the address is: 2109 Glenstone, Springfield Missouri.

Well gals, I’ve begun my fall nesting by uncluttering my rooms and giving them a good cleaning. I’ve painted some things white (yes I’m still in that “farmhouse white” phase) and I’ve brought up my bins of autumn decorations from my basement storage. In the next few days I’ll be as busy as a honey bee, adorning my home with the sweetness of Fall. I’ve got candy corn on my market list along with fresh apples, pumpkins,and cider. I’ve purchased a yummy-licious candle from Bath and Body works called Creamy Pumpkin…Gals, let me tell ya…I love it so much I wanna MaRRy it! It’s got this buttery, carmel-y, sweet pumpkin scent that makes my heart swoon! Yummy smells and happy music get me inspired to cozy up my home. I”ve also gathered tons of inspiration from AdOrAbLe books!! Take a look at the new additions to my home library:

I love me some Gooseberry Patch books!! Homemade Harvest is jammed with cozy Autumn ideas and recipes!  A few of the chapters are:  Old Fashioned Memories…Farmhouse Breakfast…Warm and Inviting Soups and Breads…Fall Festival Favorites…Campfire Classics…Harvest Pantry and more! You can take a peek inside the book on Amazon, click here.

The Farmer’s Wife Harvest Cookbook: I have each of the Farmer’s Wife cookbooks and love them all! In this Harvest edition, there are 300 vintage recipes from the 1930’s Magazine called The Farmer’s Wife. All the recipes have been updated for use in modern kitchens. Vintage images are polka-dotted throughout the pages as well as articles and household tips from the magazine. You can take a peek inside this book by going on Amazon, click here.

AdOrAbLe! That’s my word for this sweet book! Home Economics is vintage advice for the 21st Century Household.  It’s written with an old fashioned flair, and filled to the brim with practical, no-nonsense tips for the homemaker who desires a neat and tidy, warm and welcoming home. The retro illustrations just make you want to put on your aprons and pearls, June Cleaver style! You can find it on Amazon click here!

The Farm Chicks Christmas: Oh HoNeY!! I’ve been as giddy as a kid walking through the gates of Disneyland waiting for this book to be released! And it’s finally here! LoVe. LoVe. LoVe. (Of course anything Farm Chick I love!) The Farm Chicks Christmas is chock-full of darling colored photos, decorating ideas, gift ideas, recipes, and gobs of vintage charm! This is a perfect book to curl up with, jammies on and a mug of hot cocoa in hand!!

Well gals, I’ve got to get cracken! There are pumpkins singin’ my name! (yoo hoo…Aunt Ruthie!)

Please know I always so appreciate your comments!! Thank you Sugars sooooooo much! Keep ’em comin’, they inspire me to keep doin’ this fabulous blog thang!!

Hugs and blessings y’all!!

Aunt Ruthie

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