AUTUMN TOUCHES, WILDFIRES AND DOLLY'S BUTTERSCOTH PIE

Hello Kindred Spirits...
it's been a difficult week for so many of us....
the world lost the sweetest soul, our Dolly Parton..
and parts of our beautiful Texas experienced horrific wildfires.....
I thought I would share a little catch up post as we focus on
autumn....progress has been made  here at Estelle's.... 

The family room is being transformed....

The formal dining room shows off a bird theme which I most always
love to do....early autumn



I love the first edition of Candy Corn.....

And, the bar cart sports a romantic botanical fall theme....

The entryway tables featured soft fall artwork accented with
velvet pumpkins along with acorns and my glittered pheasant....

I love displaying my grandmother's goblet filled with acorns,
alongside a pumpkin and woodland art

I fell in love with the toile pumpkin
which is part of the fall collection
from My Texas House

Lucy and I decorated the little guest bedroom....
new pillow covers, a soft cozy throw and art.....

        OVER IN ATLANTA....

Luke attended a Braves game with his friend, Lucas and his Dad...
always a good time....

He works hard which allows him to buy clothes he really enjoys wearing

We were shocked and simply heartbroken to learn of
the passing of Dolly Parton.....
she has been a part of my life since childhood...
I began watching her when she first started out
on The Porter Wagoner show long before color TV....
Dolly was a special gift from God

So, in her honor, I made one of her recipes....
The Butterscotch Pie...and it is just delicious!

Texas has been battling horrific wildfires this week....
This is smoke billowing in the distance from 
the ranch....

Please remember to pray for all affected by this tragedy...

SUMMER GARDEN, GOLF AND WHAT'S COOKIN'?

 Oh Kindred Spirits...
how in the world are you all doing?
We are in the dog days of Summer..
those hot triple digits heat!!!!
This is the time of year, I struggle to keep
the plants alive and water daily....
seems like we didn't have this extreme heat
when I grew up......

July birthdays have come and gone..
three of us are another year older.....
when I say it outloud, it seems unreal to me....
you know the saying, when you have your health,
you have everything and for this, I am so thankful....

We are in the throws of preparing for the
ATLANTA family visit..cleaning and sprucing up
around here at Estelle's.....
I thought I would share a bit of food inspiration with you
of recipes that were really good this week...

You know, it's tradition to visit a local Farmer's Market during Summer..
all that Luscious fresh fruit and vegetables is a delight to the senses
so of course, we picked up some delicious peaches for a cobbler...

I tried Caleb's recipe for a cobbler which was quick and easy
and indeed, it was delicious...not like my Mother's but delicious!
The link to this tecipe is provided below.

PEACH COBBLER

Saturday night is sometimes Pizza night..
my son is the the best at preparing a homemade Pizza...

All fresh ingredients and hot from the oven..
such a treat for us....

He tried a recipe for Blueberry Grilled Cheese..
this was delicious...
it included fresh Basil, honey and fresh berries

AND now a little garden update...

I planted Sunflower seeds this year and grew
my first sunflower ever....how exciting!!!

My beautiful Trumpet Vine

And the beautiful pink Zinna's

Saturday evening, the entire family will
be here for the party of cocktails, appetizers and games...
preparations are underway.....



I planned for the colors to be vibrant and beautiful to the eye....

And, I am including my favorite Milo's to the beverage bar..
SWEET TEA AND LEMONADE...
if you haven't tried Milo's, you should....highly recommend....

This is where you can find Lucy and I on Summer afternoons.....
you know the lazy, crazy days of Summer.......
see ya' next time....

THE START TO SUMMER

 Good Morning Loves....
we are beginning another new season 
and I am sorry to say, it's my least favorite one
but, we must find ways to make it a good one!
And I decided to design a theme for the
farmhouse table so it would last the next three months....

I wanted to create an Americana theme and pulled together
a few pieces of the good ole red, white and blue decor....

And, it's a perfect time to bring out some of my favorite transferware....

I have wanted a set of blue transferware for some time now.
and thrifted these beautiful plates from Etsy.
My collection is now complete, I believe...

 How delightful is the new collection from Pepperidge Farm.....

My first summer bloom has appeared on my new Hydrangea Bush....
in the fall this will turn a dark cherry red..now that's something
to look forward to.....

I am trying out new recipes for the fall season as we speak....

The times are changing right before our eyes....
and not in a good way....
I hope you enjoy your summer season
and pray for our country......

SUMMER TRANSITION CALLS FOR SUNSHINE YELLOWS and A HAPPY GOLF CART RIDE

How in the world is everyone doing today?
Our week has been uneventful but that
is what retirement can look like, which is not
a bad thing at all... 
I am looking forward to summer this year
which surprises me somewhat!
I am going to be updating the patio for the season
and have been tending to the pots of seeds I have planted..
we hope to finally get some rain for the weekend...

I hung a pretty floral hanging basket on the backdoor.....

My inspiration for the summer patio was my lemon tree serving tray..
I am planning to host a little summer soiree next month.....
and am so looking forward to wearing my  new yellow dress....

Vine ripened tomatoes always remind me of summer
and mother placing them on her kitchen window sill...

My little vegetable canisters bring to mind the Farmer's Market...

Lucy loves to watch activity from the kitchen window



We will be visiting our son this weekend so I baked
my favorite chocolate chip cookies to take along....

Again, drawing color inspiration from my garden....

This is the plan I came up with for next month....
it's such a happy place to be.....

However, I changed my mind and decided on something different!

Come back to visit and be a part of the summer party!

I can’t wait to see you🥳

Over in Atlanta, The Divine Miss M is the queen
of planting her containers....just gorgeous!!

Our talented son-in-law totally refurbished their
golf cart and it now belongs to the new owner...
they were so happy it went to a sweet family whose
little boys will enjoy it for many years ahead...

Happy trails little darlin's......

EASTER SUNDAY 2026

Good Morning Kindred Spirits...
I hope you all enjoyed a lovely Easter weekend.....
we celebrated a birthday for our son

 and then
enjoyed a lovely, yet rather quiet Easter Sunday....

The Easter tablescape takes some planning....

A Saturday morning spring rain rolling through

The first rose of the season....

I woke up early to begin the dinner preparations and noticed
a beautiful full moon on Easter morning....
this told a story from the heavens....

Which then gave way to a stunning sunrise....
God speaks to us in amazing ways....
a reminder of the the teachinga of Easter.....

It was just three for dinner this year....

Candlelight always makes it special

The menu was planned and this year,
rather than ham, I slow roasted a turkey breast...
the kitchen smelled heavenly all day

Crescent roll bread,,,

Deviled eggs and roasted turkey

Broccoli cheese casserole and Scalloped Potatoes
from Costco

Lemon and Raspberry Tarts

This was the birthday cake....
made with Blackberry Wine...very
similar to a Crack Cake

It was a special day and we are thankful to see, visit
and celebrate with family...
Thank you Lord, for allowing us to enjoy another Easter Sunday....