Today’s Fetching Friday shines the seasonal spotlight on what’s in a summer season fun and activities to anticipate, emulate, and participate in.
That Friday feeling of fun, adventure, happiness and joy mirrors the essence of summer- the June to late September time of year serving as inspiration for this what’s in a summer season scroll.
Two outdoor living features close together in postings support what most of us know to be the case when it comes to good subject content- too much of a good thing is a great thing when it comes to summertime outdoor living lagniappe.
[ lan-yap, lan-yap ]
Louisiana French, from Spanish la ñapa
:something given as a bonus or extra gift; by way of compliment or for good measure.
Outdoor furniture, decor accents and the like attract dirt, dust, pollen, creepy crawlers, and garden variety grime over the course of winter and early spring.
It’s just an outdoor living lagniappe fact that outdoor spaces and places demand attention at the beginning of the fun in the sun season.
Give your outdoor oasis a look see through the lens of polish and refresh.
Clean what pieces will greatly benefit from a brush-sweep-soap session, and assess the situation of items not so worthy.
Clear the deck so to speak of debris, replace rotten/rotting/missing boards, secure loose ones, nail down pop ups, and sand down signs of splinter or potential problem areas (ouch!).
Do you refresh or has the time come to replace outdoor furniture, umbrellas, pillows, and cushions?
When it comes to the decision to refresh or replace, weigh initial cost and difficulty in replacing item against budget friendly-ample retail availability.
Add dish detergent and Borax to a bucket of water. Dip a soft bristle brush into the cleaning solution and proceed to scrub cushion in a circular motion cleaning the entire surface.
Allow at least five minutes for the cleaning solution to penetrate the cushion.
Using a garden hose, rinse the cushion thoroughly in order to remove residual cleanser.
You’ll want to use an old towel for the next step. Pat the cushion with the towel in order to absorb as much of water as possible. Prop the cushion(s) upright in a sunny spot and allow to air-dry until completely dry.
Vegetable and herb gardens unite and produce- it’s your season to be in the spotlight and on the patio dining table in seasonal cocktails, dishes, and salads.
A Few Sprigs of Garden Herbs (Lemon balm, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Bee Balm, Sage, Mint, etc.)
Filtered water
Honey
Ice
Directions
Add tea bags, fruit, and herbs to your half gallon container. Cover contents and fill jar with filtered water. Seal the jar tightly and set it out in the sun for 4-5 hours. Once the tea is finished steeping add honey to taste while it’s still warm. Strain and serve over ice.
Store any leftovers in the fridge.
Please note, make sure to make Sun Tea on a very warm day (85° plus is what I use). Also, make sure you’re using a good filtered water. You don’t want bacteria growing in your sun tea… yuck! You can swap out the honey for flavored simple syrups!
There’s something so delicious about the combination of a warm evening and a cold summer salad.
Summer salad season exemplifies the crisp, the chill, and the complement of garden tomatoes topped with a dollop of mayonnaise, fresh asparagus spears spritzed with lemon and sea salt, and vinegar marinated cucumber slices.
Good lighting lights the outdoor livin’ it up night setting a relaxing, inviting, and aesthetically pleasing backyard bistro scene.
Candle filled glass jars and holders hanging around, twinkle string lights wrapped tree trunks and branches, tabletop lamps or paper lanterns- all super ideas!
Iron chandeliers purchased at auction have become outdoor candle chandeliers.
Votive candles with battery operated LED versions in flicker fabulous mode replaced standard votives, and the look and the ease of operation confirms its patio practicality.
Simple is always a welcome guest at any outdoor gathering. Nothing is more simple, and might I add simply elegant, as a glass container filled with string/fairy lights.
Regarding design and decorating, when I love and appreciate the look of a space I interpret the core design style influence and fashion to my own taste in the style of the original.
In the style of the French tradition, an apéro, short for apéritif, is the planned or spontaneous pre mealtime custom of cocktails and converse with the inclusion of savory bites.
Summer evenings seem tailor-made for an in the style of apéro featuring light bites and tasty beverages to enhance the idea of relaxing and connecting.
Easy plan, prep, and presentation begins with super easy items picked up at your local grocery store in taste and flavor combinations light yet flavor packed.
In a mixing bowl, toss together canned fruit with juice of one lemon. Cover and chill 1 hour. Add two Tablespoons of honey to a small container of Greek yogurt and you’ve got the dressing.
Garnish with avocado slices, yogurt dressing and a fine dusting of black pepper.
Pick up a luscious lemon layer cake and proceed to sweetly impress with the addition of fresh blueberries and lemon slices topping it all of with a generous tablespoon of lemon curd and/or whipped topping.
Sweet summer s’mores because who doesn’t crave s’more sweet moments.
Spending time outdoors is a big part of summer fun, making it easy to understand why outdoor living spaces have become extensions of the life lived within our home- a retreat of heart and home.
Consider this summertime outdoor living lagniappe hints and inside information a little something extra for your summertime let’s patio times.
Memorial Day weekend kicks off the unofficial start of the summer season, and with that comes “we’ve been having fun all summer long” activities associated with fun in the sun times.
Shopping farmers markets and strolling American flag lined main streets for treats and treasures goes with the summertime territory.
Included in this forever memory is cross-stitch pillowcases, crisp cotton sheets fresh from the clothesline, a vintage chenille bedspread, and a bedside window raised just enough to allow the morning breeze to fill the room with the scent of African violets.
Summer will always be hot, delightful, and golden.
Cold drinks and cool creeks right this way.
Texan family members refer to any and all soft drinks as cold drinks.
Tennessean family members refer to any and all soft drinks as a col cola. Not cold cola or coca-cola, but a truncated version of the two.
It’s true what you’ve heard; most Southerners do in fact refer to any and all brands of carbonated drinks as Coke.
Speaking of Martha Stewart- salute to 81 years young looking summer chic gorgeous on the cover of Sports Illustrated 2023 Swimsuit issue.
Thin patty grilled hamburgers and frosted mug root beers from Reed & Bell Drive-In was the summertime treat and the taste of my childhood.
We always parked and walked up to the counter window to place our order, and our mother would indulge my brother and me by letting us sit in the wooden school desks painted in primary colors of red, yellow, and blue situated under the shaded overhang.
Sipping on an arctic cold frosted root beer while waiting for our hamburgers to cook and listening to the hum of the fans overhead rated summer fantastic.
In our summer travels down the highways, interstates, farm-to-market, and backroads less traveled by, wonderment and nostalgia ride shotgun.
Points of interest past and present fill mile after mile with sights appreciated, underrated, and outdated.
Beauty is in the eye and heart of the beholder, the mind and memories of the observer.
Summer’s big bang theory proves we’re all big kids at heart.
Sweet thought provoking quotes, seasonal scenes in garden light and summer night silhouettes, and photos of pretty little pooches all in a scroll keep the dog days of summer tolerable.
Light of a late summer afternoon paired with garden blooms in perfect palette and placement gives visitors a visually impressive summer place to admire nature at its colorful best.
Although not official by the calendar, good ole signs it’s summer have arrived in full glory at Places In The Home.
Louisiana is heating up, fresh fruit and vegetable stands are open for farm to table business, and outdoor living fun in the sun and moonlight activities are on tap.
Signs it’s summer cover anything and everything garden fresh, easy, fun, cool, colorful, aromatic, sweet, savory, relaxing, leisurely, kick your shoes off and stay awhile comfy.
In other words, delightfully perfect.
This is the time of year when I give myself permission to go with the flow.
Entertaining is super casual in nature, meals focus on fresh seasonal ingredients, music is a must, shoes are optional, and time is nothing more than a word.
Visits to the farmers market result in an every so often summer breakfast feast treat of fresh farm eggs fried with crisp edges, homemade biscuits, and pear and lemon preserves made from my great-grandmother’s recipe.
Zinnias capture the essence of summer; a simple yet elegant choice of color your world beauty perfect in gathered bouquet or tabletop arrangement form.
Grandmother Willie’s pound cake is delicious any season of the year, but there’s something about a slice (or two) of this cake baked from the “Tennessee side of the family” recipe on a summer day that brings the flavor and the memories to plate and mind.
Willie’s pound cake paired with fresh Louisiana strawberries is summer on a plate.
Following antiques and vintage shops on Facebook opens up the treasure hunt world, and gives me the perfect excuse to hit the road in pursuit of antiques and vintage picnic treasures.
Give me a box of pasta shells, a jar of Duke’s mayonnaise, fresh corn and tomatoes, diced bell peppers, green and red onions, and fine black pepper and I’ll give you a no fuss-all flavor summer salad.
Today’s Fetching Friday features summertime favorites of fun, leisure and tabletop in color rich scenes many of us instantly associate with the good old summertime.
Washing away winter’s remnants always puts a fresh and clean spin on things, and makes way for the patio party part of the process most of us really look forward to- the decorating details.
Outdoor decor items enhance the look of the season and emphasize chic summer style.
Battery Powered Integrated LED Outdoor Floor Lamp- Lowes
This seagrass pendant lamp shade from IKEA is super summer chic, and the price is so summer sweet.
Patio, deck, porch or pier becomes the perfect summer canvas for the art of decorating.
Ions ago when Dave and I had commercial and residential real estate dealings in Central Florida, we liked to stay at a particular hotel in the International Drive area of Orlando.
We mixed business with pleasure sitting poolside several afternoons, sipping cool beverages and soaking up the island vibe complete with tiki terrific motif.
Relaxing, summer stylish, and memorable- an excellent theme to work with.
Today’s Fetching Friday is a take on the dog days of summer.
Ancient Egyptian and Roman astrology links the Dog Star, Sirius, to the hottest weeks of the year of July to mid-August. The oppressive heat of the Dog Star coupled with the sultry heat of the sun creates the extra cruel and brutal heat, ergo the dog days of summer.
According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, July 2019 now ranks as the hottest month ever recorded.
“Summer, with its dog days, its vacations, its distractions, is over. We have had our holidays, our rest, our recreation. The fall season, with its new opportunities for effort, enterprise and achievement, is upon us. Let us rip off our coats and get down to business.”
-B. C. Forbes
Traditional Home
“Summer afternoon — summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”
– Henry James
William McClure -Photo by Frank Tribble
“When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.”
-Wilma Rudolph
Philip Mitchell
“People love dogs. You can never go wrong adding a dog to the story.”
