Late Summer Sunflowers in Bloom

August is all about Sunflowers around here...  Mid Summer into Fall is their time to show their happy faces, mingle with some hydrangeas, and wait for some fall leaves to show up. By the middle of July they start mixing in with the early Summer arrangements and as Summer gets closer to Fall, they easily transition from light and bright into early Fall arrangements that are a little deeper in color. 

Summer to Fall Garden Florals in Vintage Containers

Today I thought I'd share a few pics and posts with my garden grown Hydrangeas from this house. I've really enjoyed the large lush bush out front and start snipping those blooms in late June for display and drying. After a few weeks of enjoying the fresh cuttings, they can be dried into lovely delicate dried specimens that range from delicate pinks and greens to darker mauves and purples in the Fall.

All About Home #157: Late Summer Blooms and Projects

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All About Home Link Party!

As August hits the middle of the month we're starting to see a few posts on inspiration for Fall. I used to not be fond of the month of August, but I had an epiphany a few years ago... "Hey, next month is September, so instead of complaining, start thinking about ideas and transitioning to Fall!" Thankyou all so much for coming by each week to share what you've been up to. I love seeing all your great ideas and beautiful inspiration throughout the seasons. 

Farm Animals in French Country Decor

Somewhere deep in my DNA I have the Farmer/Shepherd gene that has been dormant for many years. When I was growing up my dad always kept a few beef cattle at the farmhouse, but we weren't allowed to name them or pet them because well, you know why...  So, next best thing is to just collect cows and sheep to decorate with in my vintage Cottage, Farmhouse, and French Country decor.

Late Summer in the Cookbook Cupboard

It seems like August brings all the chickens out to gather in the kitchen and Garden Room. I think of them "down on the farm" hunting and pecking in the barnyard; waiting around for a sprinkle of feed then heading to cooler shady spots for a siesta. So here we are on the Cookbook Cupboard now in late Summer with a few of my vintage flock...

Relaxing Outdoor Spaces at All About Home #156

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All About Home Link Party!

Thankyou all so much for coming by each week to share what you've been up to. There were so many great link ups this last week. August is a transition month for me, as I start thinking about... thinking about Fall. I love seeing all your great ideas and beautiful inspiration throughout the seasons. 

A Sunflower Mantel and Late Summer Inspiration

Hi friends. Today I'm sharing a look back post with a late summer cottage mantel from our last house. This time of year I'm captivated by sunflowers. They are the symbol for late summer, relaxation, casual dinners al fresco, and all things French Country... and I love to have them taking showing out on the mantel.

Feeling Fruity on the Baker's Rack

August is the month I think about the harvest in the garden from when I was growing up. And memories of a farmstand at the edge of town with fresh corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, and watermelons... all sorts of produce fresh from the fields. Often there was still a little dirt still hanging around. So thinking about the summer fruit harvest this month, the Baker's Rack is all about Summer Fruit  ...

Summer Flowers and Tablescapes at All About Home #155

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WOW, August is here and before we know it we'll be heading into Fall. This has been a rough summer weather-wise, so many of us are ready and looking forward to cooler temps. Thankyou all so much for coming by each week to share your lives and homes. I love seeing all your great ideas and beautiful inspiration!

Mid-Summer Door Basket with Ticking

Hi Friends, I just wanted to pop in with a quick few pics of my current Mid-Summer Front Door Basket. You may remember we have a bit of a bird problem on the front porch, as they try to make nests in the basket within about 15 minutes of me hanging it out. But this year we put up a nesting box in the corner, so the illegal nesting in the basket has stopped...

Summery Looks in the Garden Room

The end of July has me thinking about mid-Summer but with a decided shift toward winding down and bringing out a bit darker, deeper, harvest colors. Golds and darker greens and a few browns start showing up with some sunflower vibes. Out in the Garden Room I've changed up the wicker seating area to include some golds, black and white Buffalo Check, and of course my always current ticking stripes.

Mid-Summer Inspiration at All About Home #154

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Thankfully this is the last week in July!! I'm ready to move on to August, and hopefully a change in the weather. I hope you've been having a wonderful summer... maybe a vacation... visiting with family and friends... Thankyou all so much for coming by each week to share your lives and homes. I love seeing all your great ideas and beautiful inspiration!

Christmas in July Ideas and Inspiration

Hello Friends, today I'm doing something a bit different, this hot and humid day in late July.  Actually I'm going for a mental "reset" with an opportunity to start thinking about and grabbing some inspiration for the Christmas Holiday that will be coming before we know it. I'm joining in with a fabulous group of talented gals that have amazing ideas throughout the year! Our friend Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse has put together this fun Hop and if you're coming from visiting CoCo at The Crowned Goat, thanks so much for coming by and continuing the Hop. Lets get going with some Christmas ideas and inspiration slightly ahead of the curve.

Coastal Vibes with a Seashell Buffet

Hello Everyone, do you love Coastal Design... and Vintage... and Summer? Well, you're in the right place because today a group of us are sharing our Summer Coastal Vibes and how we use all those elements in our decor. Amber, from Follow the Yellow Brick Home  has put this great group together and if you're coming from Christy's at Our Southern Home, Hello and Welcome; so glad you're here!

Summer French Country Wagon In the Dining Room

It's mid summer and I was ready for a dining room refresh from my Spring look, which meant adding in some sunflowers, late summer pears, and changing up my floral table runner from a spring-y brown floral to a summery one with reds, golds, and taupe. 

All About Home Link Party #153

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All About Home Link Party!

Let's take a break from the hot, hot, hot and enjoy some fun summer decor and gatherings. Thankyou all so much for coming by each week to share your lives and homes. I love seeing all your great ideas and beautiful inspiration!

Seashell Decor and More

Next week I'll be joining a group where we are sharing Coastal Vibes this summer. Since I live smack dab in the middle of the USA, going to the beach or coast isn't something I've done often. Trying to think... the last time I saw the ocean was back in the 90's. What can I say, I'm not an aficionado on the beach or coastal decor. Oh, but my dad was in the Navy, does that count? 

Anyway, I still love shells and of course the summer months are the perfect time to display a few along with some other vintage decor. Since I've been thinking about them, here are a few pics from the past of my posts with seashells. 

Mid-Summer Entry with Blue and White Transferware Tureen

Hi Friends, I know many of you are "Blue and White" collectors with gorgeous dishware, ginger jars, and amazing decorative Chinoiserie pieces. I admire it and love that elegant and traditional design "look", but I've just never started a collection of it. I think it's gorgeous in the summer when I love using Blue and White accessories. I've stuck to the Browns, Reds and Green patterns in transferware, but I do have one piece that I totally stumbled upon years ago at a flea market for just a few dollars. 

Summer Fun at All About Home #152

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All About Home Link Party!

Well, I'm not going to sugar coat it, this is my least favorite time of the year. Too hot, too dry. Working outside is impossible unless you want to risk a heat stroke. By mid July my brain is fried and wandering toward Autumn and cooler temps. I know many of us are feeling it too. I'll try not to complain... August will look better as we slide toward the more moderate temps of early Fall. In the meantime, (insert happy face) we can all share what we're doing, have a good dose of inspiration, and enjoy beautiful pics of vacations and DIY projects. How about you all?... are you gangbusters this time of year or is it just me?

Thankyou all so much for coming by each week to share your lives and homes. 

I love seeing all your great ideas and beautiful inspiration!

Majolica and Crockery in the Summer Holiday Cupboard

Hi friends, today I'm sharing A Cottage Re-View of my Long Lost Crockery in the Holiday Cupboard in Mid-Summer. I hope you'll enjoy seeing a few posts from years past of fun vintage summer decorating. I love peeking into the archives of my favorite blogs. So many times I've missed that particular post, so getting a chance to "view it again" always brings inspiration and fresh new ideas. Today I'm sharing some of my pieces of old crockery and Majolica.

Mid Summer Formal Living Room; Yes I Have One

Hi Friends, I've been wanting to share our formal living room for a bit, since it's been a while. I don't usually tend to do a lot of seasonal decorating in there. (Many of you may not know this room even exists) Things don't seem to change too much, probably because we use this room so much. The coffee table is right in my husband's sight line to the TV, so whatever I decorate with there has to be compact and not distracting. He tends to keep some of his "stuff" out on the end table along with the remotes so it's always a bit of a pain challenge to clear off his personal area in order to take current pics. Since it looks just like it did several years ago, I just thought I'd "re-share" those photos which were actually taken this time of the year. 

Welcome to July at All About Home #151

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Hope you all are having a great 4th of July, enjoying a long weekend and celebrating our country's birthday. Thanks so much for coming by in the middle of a holiday; we appreciate you all taking time out of your week to come and party with us. Sunday we finally had a good (really good) rain after a long month of hot weather. We've been trying to water, but we have a big yard and it's been difficult to keep up with the 90+ temps. It was a refreshing afternoon just watching from the back porch.

Thankyou all so much for coming by each week to share your lives and homes. 

I love seeing all your great ideas and beautiful inspiration!

Red, White and Blue on the Baker's Rack

Hello friends, Happy July 4th Weekend!

I had a few spots with Patriotic decor that I haven't had a chance to share yet. You all know I love decorating for holidays with vintage pieces, so here are a few more pics from the Garden Room dressed up for the July 4th holiday. I like to keep a visual tour for how I decorate each year and then look back year to year to see what I've used and styled.