A COZY AUTUMN COFFEE STATION FEATURING THE HARVEST TEA LATTE

This past week I felt like FALL WAS IN THE AIR.....
waking up to cooler temperatures and even rain (at last).

You can notice that the days are a bit shorter which
tells me autumn is just around the corner.....
how exciting to enter yet another beautiful season
which brings forth a special cozy feel to our days...

Using the colors of Autumn will welcome
the crisp cool days that lay ahead.
Let's just have fun creating little vignettes
that serve a purpose....
I decided this was the perfect day to create
a little pop of drama to the kitchen counter
while the Pumpkin Cranberry Scones 
were baking the oven.....

I searched the cupboards and pulled out some old favorites...
creamers, woodland figurines, pretty paper napkins
and thought about creating my own
Starbucks inspired fall Latte.....
It seems the fall season inspires so many of us
to get creative......



My true heart and spirit connects to the autumn season
more than any other...I think it always has....
many of you feel the same....
there are so many wonderful events happening
all around the country and I believe it brings us such joy
so why not decorate to our hearts content...

My gosh, I have had these beautiful leaf plates for years.....
and I so love them....I really marvel at how old
some of my collection has become...

I believe I love the colors of the season most of all....so warm
and vibrant...just like a walk in the woods...

This reminds me to put out my squirrel cookie jar.....
Mae Mobley used to so enjoy watching the squirrels
in Maine enjoy pumpkin season......

I love leaf prints and came across this sweet little napkin set
at Hobby Lobby....

Do y'all have a mug obsession too?

I think everyone is going to enjoy a cup of hot spiced cider
featured at this little station throughout the season....

With the mornings becoming cooler and crisper.
I feel like a Harvest Tea Latte may be in order.....

One ingredient we are going to use is a good quality
vanilla coffee or tea syrup....

Oh my word...how delicious is this going to taste!!!

There is something so heartwarming about sipping a Harvest tea.....

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THE PASSING OF WINTER...HOW WE ENTERTAIN AND CELEBRATE

About the time of three o'clock in the afternoon,
the sleet was falling and snow was already beginning to fall in the Panhandle...

We all know that the Winter season is the ultimate time
for all things things warm and cozy.
I do not do much decorating throughout the house,
but I do bring out items that I normally do not use everyday....
life becomes a bit quieter and it's a good time to just reflect
on the past year, and plan for new projects that you
want to accomplish in the new year.....
These are a few of my most loved items to
create that warm feeling of being home.....

Grandmother Estelle's heirloom English tea cups

Using her heirloom glass cake plate, along with beautiful paper napkins

Displaying a few winter pieces on the bar cart.....

I am loving the winter birch trees.....

Little touches can go a very long way of
personalizing your space and making it your own style...
love this new addition of this glam table runner....
a lovely winter's vibe.....

Finding a vintage Currier and Ives soup bowl on Ebay.....

Changing out the candles here and there......
the scent is remarkably like a walk in the woods......

The cookbook nook took on a neutral vibe with
a few changes including this beautiful tin artwork..
I am in love with the soft, pastoral French Country look.

This cookbook is just gold....I want to make every single recipe.....

And of course, heirloom cut glass cruets are some of my
favorite things ever.....

COZY HIBERNATION

Winter is naturally the season of rest

for us all..something needed for body, mind and spirit.
I am early to bed and early to rise....
It's a good idea to take time to be a bit more leisurely....

Warm and Cozy Winter Baking




Y'all!!! This kitchen gadget is life changing....seriously.....
I gave a few of these as Christmas gifts and ordered one for myself....
it is absolutely wonderful.....a grater for everything....
so much easier than a hand held grater....I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!
I ordered mine at QVC, but you can find a similar product
on Amazon.

I made a fabulous Kentucky Butter Cake from
Divas Can Cook recipe.....

In addition to vanilla extract, she added RUM flavoring....

That buttery vanilla rum sauce is to die for......here's the recipe link.....

KENTUCKY BUTTER CAKE

Butter Pecan Cake with
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Sweet Treats fresh from the oven.....

Mexican delights on a winter evening with
delicious homemade guacamole.....

A fantastic weekend lunch idea....
Crockpot BBQ chicken sandwiches

Bananas in Coconut Milk and syrup with Cinnamon...
a signature dish from The Four Seasons in Maui...
shared with me from The Divine Miss M.....

Taste of Home Butterscotch Pie

So that's a wrap for this visit...
hope everyone is doing well and staying warm....
I so hope you found something of interest and something
you wanted to add to your home.....

CELEBRATING NATIONAL HOT TEA MONTH

Hello Loves.....well, we can learn something new every day....

Did you know that each year on January 12th,

it has been declared that we should celebrate HOT TEA....

and all the benefits tea can bring to our health!
I see that according to Victoria Magazine,
the entire month of January has been deemed that we
honor hot tea and should mark the occasion at home.....
So today, Estelle's is sippin' hot spiced tea......

Tea can be enjoyed at all intervals of the day....
my granddaddy used to drink hot tea every morning, rather than coffee....
Often times, hotels and Bed and Breakfast homes offer both
at their beverage stations....it's so, so nice to have the option....

I prefer coffee in the morning,
but it is so calming and comforting to sip on a cup of hot tea
mid afternoon.....today, it was my Mother's
holiday spice tea...which was left over from the holidays.....

It was just the darling and me.....and how lovely it was.....

I made it pretty as if we were staying someplace very special.....
it's nice to make the experience a beautiful thing.....

And, we enjoyed hot banana nut muffins.....

Fresh lemon slices.....

You know, there are no rules....
no rules when it comes to creating a cozy home for you and your family.
It's about what you love, what you find beautiful and what works for you
and those you love.
Let's soak up every moment of wonderful we can......

JULY 4TH CELEBRATION and A REFRESHING SUMMER TEA

Happy Fourth of July kindred spirits!

Do you have plans to celebrate America today?
We actually decided to honor the 4th on Saturday
and today, I am sharing a few snippets of our gathering!

 

The weather was a tad on the hot side with
the temperature reading about 93 degrees....
we have triple digits coming all next week......

It was requested I make homemade potato salad and
I aim to please.....it was absolutely delicious!

My grandmother was well known for her potato salad
and I can never come close to hers...but this batch was loved
by everyone..that's good enough for me!

I didn't do a lot of decorating for a patriotic theme,
but did bring out a few favorites for the table....

Sweet Betsy Ross......

Swimming, barbecue and paper plates make for a good July 4th.....

The ribs and sausage were amazing.....

And, German Chocolate Cake with a cream cheese frosting.....
We can still enjoy some leftovers which is the best part of all...
I hope each of you, enjoy the day!

But before you go, here is a lovely idea for 
a refreshing and beautiful summer tea.....

A cold water infusion of Strawberry, Lemon
and Orange Blossom

Add fresh frozen fruit.......

strawberries, peaches, pineapple and mango....

Now, sip slowly, breathe deeply and relax......