Independence Day Decor 2025

The red, white, and blue rose garland is an Etsy find.  The variety pack of patriotic ribbon is from Michael's Crafts.

Happy Tuesday, My Lovelies!  What are your plans for Independence Day?  We plan on celebrating with family and friends at Lake Martin.  I can't wait to have the family together.  We have a few Independence Day traditions we enjoy: grilling, boating, tubing, boat parading, and watching fireworks.

But just in case it storms (because we had rain and storms every single day during the month of June), I went ahead and decorated a little bit here in Birmingham....because if the weather is awful, we'll celebrate here.  I thought I'd drop in and write a very quick post for y'all and share.

 

Our dining room is ready with a rose centerpiece, patriotic streamers and bows, firecrackers, scatter stars, placemats, and a cute USA sign.

See the sunshine?  I was so happy to see it streaming through our window, I took these photos.  This was during the one hour of sunshine we had last month.

These votives I usually display for Christmas and St. Valentine's Day, but they also work for Independence Day.

I purchased the patriotic garland at Michael's.

I like the little critters from Terrain.  I usually have one in our terrarium, and the fairy lights come on at night.

This little dude is displayed on our Pressed Flower Work Table.

In case you missed you, click on the photo below for my Americana Tablescape.

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Independence Day Decor 2025

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

June Update From My Art Studio

 

Hello, My Lovelies!  I hope you are well and having a lovely summer.  I'm beginning to see the first of the back-to-school ads, and it isn't even Independence Day yet!  In other news, we had our first day of sunshine after weeks of rainy and stormy days.  And with the sunny skies, the heat has returned.  But that's okay!

Today I wanted to share with you a few projects I've been working on in my art studio.  I've accomplished much because of the rain keeping me inside.  The first thing I want to share is a finished oil painting from a photo I took on our trip last year.  It's a cartouche from the Imperial Apartments at Göttwieg Abbey in Krems, Austria.  

Imperial Apartment Cartouche

16" X 12" 

oil on linen panel

I've also been doing a lot of crafting.  This year I've been keeping up with my reading with monthly reading tag journals.  I hang them with "S" hooks on an over-the-table rod in my studio.  I will share more about it in a week or so.  I've also been making hand-painted and drawn bookmarks of my favorite books that I place in the tag journals.

This is the finished reading tag journal for May.

This is an example of a handmade bookmark I made for Jenny Hickman's For Ever.

This is a special edition book.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was fighting a cold at the beginning of June, and that I had been drinking copious amounts of hot tea.  Below is my new favorite recipe for tea, and it is made from a Chocolate Earl Grey Tea, the "Cozy" blend based on Meg's Tea Room (an Instagram influencer) by Cliché Teas.

We were about three weeks late signing-up for our summer community supported agriculture box.  We received our first box on Thursday, and we are very happy with it. 

Here are a few links to our favorite recipes from this week's box.

Stir-Fry Napa Cabbage with Spicy Garlic Dressing

Authentic Gazpacho

Cherry Plum Muffins

Cue Ball Squash Stuffed with Rice

Summer Peach Salad with Spinach, Blueberries, and Feta Cheese

We were pleasantly surprised with these muffins.

I will share more CSA recipes this summer.  Stay tuned!

Last minute Independence Day decor

Favorite Books of 2025 (so far)

Home decor

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

June Update From My Art Studio

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Tea Recipe and How To Cope With a Summer Cold

 

Hello, My Lovelies!  Can you believe that June is halfway over?  Midsummer will be this weekend, and then the days will start getting shorter.

I caught a nasty summertime cold on June 1st.  Summertime colds are the WORST!  The only thing that makes me feel a little bit better is that I really haven't missed any lake time because it has been the wettest and stormiest June *ever*...  My cold literally lasted for 15 days!

Although I never really spiked a fever, I've been cold because my family likes to keep the house cooler than what I like.  So because of my cold and staying inside a lot in the air conditioning, I've been drinking copious amounts of tea.  Also, my doctor said the best thing I could do to help myself get better is to constantly hydrate.

Serendipitously, we had a tea recipe as part of our Bible study earlier in the month, and I tried it and liked it.  

I'm sharing it here in this post!  This is all you need to make it:

The teas recommended for this recipe are hibiscus, rooibos, or chamomile.

Any herbal tea you like will probably work.

A Delightful Afternoon Tea

Ingredients:

6 cups boiling water

2 herbal tea bags

Juice from one orange

Juice from one lemon

2 T organic honey

3 fresh sprigs mint

Directions:

Combine water and tea bags in a teapot, and steep for 8 minutes.  Pour in your fresh orange and lemon juice, then add the honey.  Garnish with fresh mint.

This is a great recipe to bookmark because you can drink a cup while it's hot, then refrigerate the rest to have for later.  This tea is excellent iced!

This recipe is from the devotional SoulFull by Farrell Mason.

I also watched Cubs baseball, and I binge watched Harry Wilde.  It's a mystery series set in Ireland starring Jane Seymour.  I highly recommend it!

I have also been reading a few cozy fantasies as well as a couple of classic fantasy books.  More on them in a later post.

Full disclosure, I was also planning on reviewing a couple of new tea products, but I couldn't get my act together.  I promise to share them along with a few mini book reviews at the end of the month.

I can't stress enough how hydration helped me feel so much better.  :D

Yep!  You read that correctly!  I will review and share a recipe for Cozy Chocolate Earl Grey Tea.

Stay hydrated, y'all!

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Tea Recipe and How To Cope With a Summer Cold

Wednesday, June 18, 2025