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.
Roberson Farm – USDA Photo by Preston Keres
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.
Speaking of day trips, outdoor sales and festivals go with hot fun and cool finds in the summertime.
Summer find spotted at a recent Antique Shoppes at 1100 Barksdale outdoor sale.
Love this beverage dispenser!
Antique Shoppes At 1100 Barksdale
Antique pieces love taking center stage on the summer porch, patio, deck, terrace, balcony, veranda- you get the point.
Seize the summer of it all with fabulous-vintage-patriotic-seasonal decor accents that bring a unique and inviting spin to summer porchin’ style.
Spending Sunday afternoon pulling a few things from here and there to put together a summer themed vignette proved super successful.
I discovered these old photos of my Dad in the good old summertime down Miami way circa 1951.
Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet instantly comes to mind.
Beach scenes and pink umbrellas top the signs it’s summer list.
Grilled goodies and chilled salads attest to the easy to throw together and easy to enjoy summer salad season.
Grilled Corn with Pimiento-Cheese Butter Recipe – Photo by Annie Schlechter
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.
Remember the rule of kiss– keep it summer simple!
Patio times go with warm days and sipping evenings, and signal the senses the good kind of hurricane season has arrived.
Hurricane at Pat O’Briens New Orleans
June 1st signals the not so good hurricane season has arrived.
Fingers crossed this season will be uneventful.
Into every summer day a little rain usually will fall, however, we get used to the summer downpours bookended by humid sunbursts.
June through August is made for hitting the summer holiday road.
For most of my life the quintessential sign it’s summer has been packing up the Places In The Home gang and heading 700+ miles due east.
Our vacation travel destination GPS is set to family, friends, and the beauty and splendor of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Over the years, I’ve clocked what seems to be thousand of hours sitting outside at twilight in the Smoky Mountain air.
Fireflies provide nature’s light show – a summer spectacle that dazzles the eye and delights the heart.
It’s 84 degrees today, rainy, and humid beyond belief.
My summer playlist is cranked up, and a glass of cold mint infused sweet iced tea is the drink du jour.
Good ole signs it’s summer.
This Dutch oven is 65 years old – a wedding gift from my aunt to my parents. 
