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Well, Howdy-do and Happy Fall y’all!! I know this has been a long time comin’ …thank you for your patience! I’ve had soooo much on my plate, but it’s all good and here we are! Autumn has arrived with glowing candy-corn colors here at Sugar Pie Farmhouse! My nesting instinct has stirred my heart to tidy-up my home, fill it with golden light, yummy aromas, and the splendor of fall! This is such a blessed time of year!  Here in the Ozarks of Southern Missouri,  the evening temps are in the 50’s…so crisp and sweet! I finally get to fling open the windows to air out the house! Soon, the leaves will start to turn colors of butterscotch yellow and candy-apple red. Wild gusts of  wind will rattle the screens as heavy, grey, storm-clouds fill the sky and thunder rumbles in the distance. That’s what I’m waiting for! There’s nothing cozier than to be safe at home, with a pot of soup simmering, on a cold, blustery, fall day! What a privilege to be a homemaker! To make warm and cheerful the place that we call home! To bless our loved ones with an atmosphere of comfort and tender loving care.  Even though it might still feel like summertime in your neck of the woods and you’re not quite in the mood for autumn yet…I’m hoping as I share a peek inside my home, that you’ll start gettin’ giddy for fall and will feel motivated to cozy-up your own home-sweet-home! Giddy-up! Yee haw!

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Here’s a closer peek inside…

“During these golden day’s, we want nothing more than to be home again.”

~Celebrating Home

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How about a some Hot Spiced Cider? It’s a hug-in-a-mug, just for you darlin’! I’ll share the recipe at the end of this post! I gotta tell ya,  it makes the whole house smell soooooo scrumptious! (My glass mugs are from Target!)

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Come on in honey!

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Every pumpkin you see on this table I grew in my own “accidental” pumpkin patch! If you didn’t read my story on Facebook here it is in a nutshell; last winter my hubby threw the pumpkins, that I decorated with, over our deck on a 20 x 20 patch of dirt to feed the deer. This spring we looked out and lo and behold pumpkin plants were growing! I decided to plant more seeds and I got lots of pumpkins in so many different varieties! pg1bI would have had many more but a couple of groundhogs thought they were in “pumpkin heaven” and got fat ‘n’ sassy gobbling up the rest of them! Next year, if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, I’ll be putting up a chicken-wire fence! Those rascals!

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A few years back I found this baby buggy frame, at an antique store, it’s very fun to decorate with for all the seasons. This year I found an old rake that had been re-fitted to a cast-iron stand to display photos, or in this case, a sign…Hello Fall!

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At my entry, I have another rusty rake leaning up against a vintage barn gate. I added the old gingerbread corbels on top and barn shutters on either side. The petite “pine” trees are the color of caramel and are nestled in old galvanized buckets. I’ve gathered more of my butter-yellow pumpkins and mixed them with faux white ones in a large enamel dish pan. I still love decorating farmy!

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“Autumn means apples as crisp as an October morning.” ~ Celebrating Home

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The golden twinkle lights on the trees really show up at nightfall…it casts a warm ‘n’ cozy glow!

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“The air is cool as an old coin teaspoon,

and a faint tang of blue wood-smoke spices the wind.

The color of the great Sugar Maples is so dazzling

it seems I must have dreamed it.” ~Gladys Taber

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Oh, it sets my heart a-clickin’ like the tickin’ of a clock,

when the frost is on the pumpkin

and the fodder’s in the shock.

~ James Whitcomb Riley

img_8811I got my rustic framed cow picture at the Vintage Marketplace in Rainbow, California this past summer. It set the theme for my mantle which is; “I’ll-love-fall-till-the-cows-come-home!” (and even when they get home, I’ll still love fall!!) Moo! You know, the land where my house sits used to be an old cattle farm dating back to the Civil War. I love driving the little country roads here and seeing the cows grazing behind white rail fences. It’s such a calming and peaceful view!

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I went around my house and grabbed all of my cows to place them on the mantle. I only had four so in order to make things somewhat symmetrical, I put a vintage cream pitcher on the left side…I figure, cream comes from a cow, so that’s close enough! Lol! That’s makin’ do with what-cha got!

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To make my mantle fall-ish I tucked some preserved autumn leaves in  these white pitchers

that I got from T.J. Max last year.

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Come on into my kitchen! Above my stove I strung a garland of fall leaves and fresh bittersweet. So easy to do with just twine and clothespins! I also painted the sconces white (they used to be kind of a dark bronze.)

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For this photo shoot I lit the candles…it looks pretty but it’s a bit impractical since I have to get up on a ladder to light them. So, I plan to purchase some battery operated candles with a timer. That way they’ll come on every night at the same time and turn off about 5 hours later.

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Here’s my chalkboard once again (it used to be a twin headboard!).

This year I made it quite simple with just the heartfelt word “Home”.

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“The cheerful joyous season,

The Autumn time is come.

With song and shout we welcome

The Golden Harvest Home.”

~Author Unknown

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Soon it will be time to make some Apple Pies!

“What Keats aptly called ‘the season of mellow fruitfulness’ is the season for simmering pots on the stove, pies in the oven, canning jars in the cupboard, and trusted family recipes on the kitchen counter.” ~Celebrating Home

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A simple bouquet of fall leaves in a vintage milk glass vase.

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Milk glass and white cake stands are things I love to decorate with all year long.

(This cake stand is from the Martha Stewart Collection from Macy’s…it was a mother’s day gift!)

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My friends, Crystal and Stacy, from Spring Creek Tea Room in Ozark, Mo, made these darling burlap pumpkins! I love ‘em! I found the smaller knitted pumpkins for only $4 each at Riverview Antique Mall, also in Ozark. What a deal!

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My kitchen and family room are actually one big great room.

The theme for my mantle this fall is “Barn Dance and Hoe down!”

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“Down in the barn yard and swingin’ on a gate,

swing your honey and don’t be late” ~ Square dance call

Artist: Lu Ann Barrow

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I have the old farm sign, pumpkins, leaves,

a rusty well used shovel

and a garland of lantern lights strung across the wood beam…

oh yeah…and a cute rooster!

barndance5“The lanterns twinkle up above,

The old barn rings with mirth and love.”

~Square dance call

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I got my rooster at T.J. Max recently.

He was actually a solid brown color,

but I thought he would look more handsome

painted white and red!

barndance4“A right and left around the ring,

While the roosters crow and the birdies sing.”

~Square dance call

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One my favorite scenes in the movie The Magic of Ordinary Days is at the barn dance. LOVE that movie!!!

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I have to share about these wonderful battery candles! I got them from QVC during their Today’s Special Value. They REALLY look real! The “flame” flickers and dances, casting a glow of light on the wall. These are the ones that Disneyland uses too! The brand name is Luminara. These candles turn on the same time every night and then turn off 5 hours later.  I can get the effect without the fire hazard!

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Woo Wee! Don’t you think it would be so fun if every town had a wholesome Friday night barn dance for the whole family?

Us gals would wear cute farm dresses, and the guys, their cowboy hats!

“Promenade this cute little chick, make those heels go clickity-click” ~Square dance call

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As promised here is my easy-peasy Hot Spiced Cider Recipe:

1 gallon apple cider

1 cup brown sugar (or a little more to taste)

1 teaspoon whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 orange sliced

Pour apple cider in a crock pot. Add sugar, stir. Put whole cloves and cinnamon in a tea-ball or cheese cloth and place in pot. Add orange slices. Simmer covered on high until hot, stirring occasionally. Once hot, lower heat to low to keep warm. Enjoy the taste and aroma throughout the day!

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My favorite fall scented candle so far this season is Cider Lane from Bath and Body works! It does have an apple cider scent but I also smell a hint of roasted marshmallows! Instant fall wonderfulness! They often have two-for-the-price-of-one sales! I always wait for the sales!

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“Come, ye thankful people, come,

Raise the song of harvest home;

all is safely gathered in,

ere the winter storms begin.”

~ Henry Alford

Artist: Currier and Ives: Homestead Winter

Well darlin’, now is the time to feather your nest and make it all comfy ‘n’ cozy before the storm clouds roll in and the air gets so shivering cold it makes your cute little nose pink! So light your yummy candles, stock your pantry, simmer some soup, and let your home glow with love and thankfulness for this glorious season!

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.

At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galations 6:9

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If you’d love to see tons of fabulous fall decorating,

head on over to  Centsational Girl blog for the Autumn Link Party!

Also check out Layla’s blog The Lettered Cottage for more inspiration!

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Thank you so much Sugar Pie for stopping by for some

“Hooray-it’s-Autumn!” pie!

I sure do love hearing from you!

Please say hello!

I’d also love to know what State or country you live in!

God bless your darlin’ heart!

Aunt Ruthie