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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Oh my goodness Sugar Pies! I know it seems like forev-ah since I’ve posted! I was gone way too long. I’ve missed blogging, and most of all, I missed you my dear sweet sistas! I hope y’all are having a happy summer! I had a whirlwind trip to the West Coast, the place where I was born and raised…San Diego, California. Although I had a very enjoyable trip, it came with a couple challenges. The first week I had to take it easy because I pulled a muscle in my back (due to my overloaded suitcase I’m sure…hey a girl’s gotta have her stuff!) Thankfully the Lord had mercy on me, by the end of the week I was as good as new…just in time for  a fun barn sale. Shortly after that, my dad had to go to the hospital for about 5 days ( He is doing much better now thank the Lord!)

After a few weeks I was ready to come home. I missed Missouri! I missed the Ozark mountains, the green trees and fresh country air. Finally the day came to  catch our flight in L.A. and let me tell you getting to the airport was quite a hair-raising adventure, I felt like I was on Alice in Wonderland’s Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disneyland! It’s a good thing we had a G.P.S. otherwise I don’t know how we could have found our way! Seriously, there were about 9 different highways we had to take, and it didn’t help that the traffic was pure chaos. We couldn’t get over  to the right lane fast enough to catch one of the highways so the  G.P.S. lady kept saying “re-calculating route ….re-calculating route” .  Missing your turn in L. A. is not a good thing.

Photo source: world of stock.com

See what I mean?! L.A. is a huge city, this is only a small peek at the freeway system! (in Cali we say “Freeway”, in Missouri it’s Highway …it’s funny when we say “freeway” here in Missouri people kinda look at you funny!)

Ahhhh, but when we landed in Springfield Missouri and stepped outside the sun was just beginning to melt like an orange popsicle into the horizon, the warm air was golden and the sweet scent of fresh mown hay was thick as cream. The airport is smack dab in the middle of quaint little farms so the ride home is always so lovely….

….so serene…beautiful, calm and quiet.

This is what the highways looks like all the time here in Missouri…like an easy drive in the country!

How cute is this tanker? I wonder if it was filled with Coffee? If it is, that’s a “Big  O’ Cup ‘a’ Joe” rolling down the highway!

This is the sign we look for…65 South…Branson…home, here we come!

Don’t you just love coming home after a long trip? It’s so comforting. I always make sure to tidy up the house before going out of town, so that when my family and I walk through the door and step into our clean and cozy surroundings, we are welcomed with that “Ahhh, it’s good to be home”  feeling.

The next day was Summer’s 12th birthday, so I was up early to go to the market to re-stock the frige and buy the fixin’s for her special birthday supper. Her favorite meal is meatloaf, corn-on-the-cob, stuffed mushrooms, country fried potatoes,  fresh cantelope  and Angel Food Cake with fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream for dessert.

Summer Rose is a dream-come-true! How blessed we are to have her in our family. She brings such joy and sunshine into our lives! I am one thankful mama to have such wonderful children!

It took me a few days to get settled, unpacked, and spend time with my little grandson Johnny (oh how I missed that sweet boy…I had some serious kissing to do when I finally got to hold him!)  School for Summer is just a few days away so we had to get busy stocking up on 6th grade supplies.

When I got around to downloading all of my photos I saw how many I had…too many to put  in one blog post, so this will be Part One of my California adventures.  It’s always fun to stroll through the photos of a happy vacation, taking the time to reflect the warm memories made. It’s even more fun to share them with friends. So are you ready to take a trip down memory lane with me? Our first stop is to a very HOT barn sale! Hot, as in over 100 degrees! But the goodies were equally hot!

This was my sister Sherry’s booth (Glamarella Junk)…

Sherry embellishes millenary flowers with vintage jewelry and makes them into brooches and necklaces. She also hand-dyes slips, and creates darling farm-style collage art…

Here I am with a few of the junkin’ girls…From left to right…Sandra Finn, an amazing vintage stylist–check out her blog here, and sweet-as-pie Joy from the ever adorable blog The Vintage Rabbit, what a doll she is! We chatted about raising chickens…she’s got some and I want some! Next is my sister Sherry from Glamarella Junk, with her sassy vintage hat on!

I also got to meet up with my dear friends Sara and Abbey, a mama and daughter team from Sweet Magnolia Farm. “Sweet” is the best word to discribe these gals! OH and amazingly talented too!! You have just got to zip over to their blog and check out their Etsy store! They create the most adorable Farm-girl things!!  Come take a look at their darling booth…

Sweet Magnolias Farm

Sweet Magnolias Farm

Sweet Magnolias Farm

Sweet Magnolias Farm

I also had the joy of meeting Deb Kennedy, creator of Retreat Style, and her happy hubby Bob. They have been featured in several magazines, participated in the Farm Chicks Shows, BarnHouse Flea markets, Remnants of the Past Antiques show,  as well as many others around the country.  Deb and her husband re-create vintage items and turn them into gorgeous, one of a kind treasures. Can I just tell you how adorable they are?!!  I loved getting a chance to chat with them and to see all of the delightful and fabulous home-goods they create  that would make any  home feel like a beautiful “retreat!”

She was so kind to leave me a comment recently:

Take a peek at her darling booth!

So cool and refreshing on such a hot day! You’ve got to head over to Deb’s Petite Retreat blog to see the darling Sweet Sweater Pumpkins she’s designed and created. She is hosting a class to make them on her farm in the Washington area.

I also got to meet a few of my WoNdErFuL Sugar Pie Sistas!! This is  adorable Dani with her gorgeous mama! They drove a very long way to meet me! I also got to meet her wonderful hubby (wonderful, because he was happy to drive her and her sweet babies to come meet me on such a scorching hot day! What a guy!) I was so honored and blessed! I also got to hug some more of my Sugar Pie Sistas…Mindi and Cathy…unfortunately I didn’t get their pictures! (boo hoo!)

The following weekend I headed to downtown San Diego for a  pre Padre Baseball game “tail-gate” Party (minus the tail-gate) at my cousin Dena’s condo that overlooks San Diego Bay.  Dena and I grew up together in our big Italian family. She’s the one, I told about in a past blog post, that kicked some lady in the pants thinking it was me at Disneyland on the raft crossing the water to Tom Sawyer’s Island…oh boy that was the funniest thing I think I ever saw when that lady turned around and Dena realized it wasn’t me. I still get a kick out of that! (sorry for the pun!) She can tell a few stories about me I’m sure, but she’ll have to do that on her own blog! Speaking of which here is hers…Dena-Marie …check it out, it’s very encouraging! Tell her I sent ya!

As you can see Dena’s view from the 18th floor is spectacular! Enjoying the view are my wonderful kids Summer, J.J. and fiance’ Tiffany.

Here’s part of my big Italian Fam! I love these girls…so much fun…so many memories!

Watching the Padre game  with around 30 of my Italiano cousins was so much fun! The sunset was gorgeous!

J.J. shows off his  bubble gum talent!

Me and hubby Gary makin’ a memory.

The next day we had a big family reunion with lots of food and games. Here is Summer and cousin Isabelle running a race and won!

Spent some time at the beach in Carlsbad…daddy and Summer dipping their toes in the sparkling water.

San Diego Zoo…here we come!

It’s always so amazing to see the creatures God created!

This was Summer’s first time at the zoo…she was like a kid in a candy store!

They had a really facinating art demonstration…two artists began painting a huge canvas, splashing the paint and swiping the surface in super speed motion to upbeat music, drawing a crowd of curious onlookers…wondering what they were creating. Within around 8 minutes they revealed their masterpiece by turning the canvas rightside up….

The eagle has landed! Pretty cool huh?

Another day we took a drive into the Vineyard Country of Temecula to see the place where my son J.J. and soon to be daughter-in-law, Tiffany will be married next June.

This is where they will become Mr. and Mrs.! I’m so proud of both of them! Tiffany just graduated from Cal Baptist University and is going to be a middle school math teacher. J.J. will graduate this fall and is working full time.  Putting God first, they have a bright future ahead of them!

On my next post I’ll share our trip up to the mountains of Julian to have some yummy pie at Mom’s Apple Pie House….and my afternoon of fun with my dear friend Cat from the Vintage Housewife!

I’m sure hoping y’all didn’t forget about me since I’ve been gone so long! Can you believe Fall is just around the corner? I’m excited to share my fall nesting ideas with you in the coming weeks!!!

Bless you Sugar Pies!! Please let me know you are still stopping by for “pie”! I love reading your comments!

Hugs!!

Aunt Ruthie

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