French Farmhouse Table Styling & a Wall of White Frames

As many of you, I have spent the past week ironing out a new routine with back to school. I am now up at the crack of dawn - making a pot of coffee and watching the beautiful country sunrises.

I have put together my take on the casual, French farmhouse-inspired table setting, with fresh color from the cosmos growing in my garden. I need to start cutting my annuals now as cooler days approach.

I used lots of my favorite things: painted sap buckets, ironstone dishes, linen napkins, antique clothes pins, mason jars for glasses, antique tea towels made into a runner, anthropologie latte bowls, and antique silverware.

We grew  these pink cosmos flowers from seed. They were very easy to grow. I used the cosmos sensation seed mix. I will be growing these again and again when I want a tall pop of color in the garden.

I recently gathered up most of my flea market white wall frames and hung them up collage style. I still want to add a few more smaller frames to fill it out a little. I have found every one of these frames at the flea market.

I am finally reaping the benefit of having a butterfly bush! With many fluttery visitors including hummingbirds.

Sharing this post at Courtney's Feathered Nest Fridays

Summer's Harvest and a Light Lunch - Sweet Corn and Cherry Tomato Salad

Sweet corn is pretty big around here {Illinois} in August.

As the last days of summer fizzle down, we have been visiting the local farms and weekend farmer's market - buying fresh veggies, mainly, corn.

I am also eating tomatoes daily as our veggie patch continues to produce them. One of my favorite late summer lunches is a garden salad of sweet corn and cherry tomatoes. I sprinkle on a little extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, diced red onions, and some fresh cilantro.

I have been practicing my food styling and photography.

I think I am hooked on the colors - and the freshness of the fruits and veggies, the herbs, as well as using  props.

On another note, I made some changes with the text on my blog after seeing that the cursive font I was using looked a bit impractical - on our new laptop. Cute, but hard to read.

So, I opted for a simple text font and went with a fancy one for post titles. I am pretty happy with the way my blog looks now; and I have been keeping with the large size photos to fill the white space of the layout. I hope my blog will be easier to read now.

Farmer's market blueberries

On Friday, we went to a local farm. We picked up some fresh corn that was picked that morning. The farmer instructed me to try a bite of it raw right there. Yes, it was good.

Olivia can't get enough of farm fresh sweet corn. She said it is so yummy and she wants to eat it all. Good girl.

It is that that time of year again, and my son starts first grade on Thursday. We are gearing up for back to school - alarm clocks, pushing bedtime back... crossing fingers that things will run smoothly. I have Livvy home with me for another year because she won't turn 5 until November. I am going to fully enjoy our time together before she starts kindergarten.

Hydrangeas in the Kitchen

I didn't think I would be posting today. Honestly, I shouldn't be. I have a ton of laundry to tackle. But, after cleaning and decluttering the kitchen, and adding some special gifts given to me from my neighbor - I was tempted. My sweet neighbor brought me over a bouquet of blooms from her hydrangea shrub. She also gave me a wire French style dish drainer with a beautiful galvanized bottom tray.

That's some peeks of my kitchen!

 Back to washing and folding and putting away. I'll be back (hopefully) Friday with my delicious garden tomatoes.

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Melon Salad with Ginger Syrup

We spent Saturday at Navy Pier.

The weekend was beautiful. Cool breezes and late summer warmth.

This morning, I put together a simple cosmos and dill arrangement on the mantel using my blue vintage bottle collection. I am trying to soak up the last few weeks of summer.

After Navy Pier, I popped into Anthropologie. I needed an Anthropologie fix. I have an addiction to their ceramics. I bought these 3 patterned bowls. I like their cheery  various patterns.

I introduced my children to the mini melon baller gadget today.

We made a summer melon salad with a simple ginger syrup and mint. Light and refreshing.

Melon Salad with Ginger Syrup

Recipe credit - Fine Cooking

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

3 1/2-inch-long piece fresh ginger (peel & slice real thin)

8 cups mixed melon pieces (cube or use a melon baller)

fresh mint for garnish

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Add the ginger and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 7 minutes to let the ginger infuse the syrup. Strain through a fine sieve, let cool, and refrigerate until completely chilled. Just before serving, mix the melon balls in a large serving bowl and pour on just enough of the ginger syrup to lightly coat the melons, about 1/4 cup. Toss with chopped mint leaves.

Herbs and Flowers from my Garden

My favorite part of summertime has always been late summer. The humidity is past, the sun is warm, cool breezes start arriving, and the gardens are in full swing.

This year, we created a garden bed in the backyard just devoted to herbs.

My husband has kept adding perennials all summer long, and I use them in cooking and salads. Eating seasonally has become something that is important to me.

This past weekend, I found a rustic chip wood basket and thought it would look nice with some fresh herbs in it. I always check the flea market for anything rustic and farm style related - such as orchard baskets, crates, pails. You could say I have a container or basket frenzy. I like the many possibilities for their uses. I don't have everything out all at once. My house would look like a flea market if I did that. I like a simple country style. I have shelving in the basement where I keep my finds, collections - - I like to call it my prop storage, and I like to switch and swap things in and out.

This summer I planted the butterfly bush that the moth is on in the above diptych photo. It blossoms wonderful purple blooms and let me tell you, I was surprised at how fast this shrub grew.

I am about to get ready for back to school time. My little guy begins first grade. A whole new routine for us. With fall soccer in that as well. We'll be busy.

Sharing with Feathered Nest Friday

Sweet Cherries

They're dark, sweet, juicy, and they are very summer.


Sweet dark cherries are at in-season prices at the markets, and they are delicious.


Here I have them with the vintage enamelware set I picked up at the flea market this weekend. I got the entire set for $25.

I'll be snacking on cherries all this week.

How about you? What is your favorite summer fruit?