Vintage Southern Weddings at Magnolia HIll

Vintage Southern Weddings at Magnolia HIll
Southern Romantic Weddings, Destination Weddings and Receptions at Alda's Magnolia Hill • 5110 Stageoach Road, Little Rock, Arkansas | call: 501-690-2574

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Celebrate Summer

Hi Everyone, I hope you are enjoying your summer !  



Even though I think it is too hot for 
outdoor weddings in July and August, 
we are quite busy around here.

We have two family birthdays in July
so I have still been  running and trying to get flowers and order cakes.


I have to admit,  I am not much of a summer girl 
at all, when it is this hot in the south. But it is a great time 
to get caught up on planning for the fall weddings. 
 Making appointments for   
meetings and portrait photo shoots ...
it is a good time to get a bit of wedding work done.


Buddy can be pretty tough when it comes to this heat, 
and he is out with our helpers cleaning up from a tree we lost to lighting.  
(Don't worry, the tree is still going to be put to good use, 
for he took it to the sawmill, and I will have a new 
wooden farm table after the wood seasons for a bit.)



I enjoyed sitting on the Arkansas River bank 
with a friend taking picts of a fireworks show that
Buddy (Mr. Pyrotech) was doing over the river and bridges
 of downtown Little Rock. 



Water, water,  water, even with a sprinkler system,
 there is much watering to do. 


Blue has to get new shoes quite often
 and especially in the summer time.
Somehow he manages to loose them quite often. 












  Blue is getting his hoofs trimmed....he  and Delilah both get a pedicure !



I did slip off for a few days with a bit of antiquing in mind. 
 The Vintage theme has never been bigger and this certainly serves up inspiration .
The floral bicycle display as you see from the moment you walk
 into Magnolia Market in Waco just made me drool. 






Buddy and I took a trip to Nashville ...the shop of the TV show,  
American Pickers with Mike Wolfe.  
A visit to his shop was a learning experience
 as it was in an old car factory.  
The shelves were filled with stuff & the oddities that catch our eye. 
Although filled with t-shirts and coffee cups,
 we walked away empty handed. 

It was nice to see he had a love for our Packard automobile too !
And I loved the vintage microphones.



You know how it feels when you have been gone for a few days, 
and it is just feels good to get back home....

I think this is a sign we have the hottest day of the year today...
There are always a few critters around here...Two large Loggerhead Turtles 
 enjoying the cool mud this morning



This time of summer, we are rather in a season
 where there is not much blooming my the garden, 
but there is at Whole Foods flower market !





Toward the end of summer, we are beginning 
to schedule a few photoshoots
 late in the summer evenings for our fall weddings. 
 The air seems to cool after the sun goes down behind the lake.




This week a load of gravel was delivered to smooth
 and top off our carriage road.  
Buddy and the John Deere tractor
 had their work cut out for them. 




I have heard a big frog 
this summer around the lake.
 The little fellow here is
 not scared one bit to hold him.




These yellow sunflowers are from Whole Foods,
 and I only can wish these beauties were from my garden.  
I added some leaves from a Gold Dust 
plant to fill in and a few of my hydrangeas.  



On the porch, A windowpane glass
 Mason Jar holds a few flowers freshly picked. 
 The jar was one of my mothers canning jars.
 Sentimental, her handkerchief is tied around the neck 
and her pearl clip earring  holds it in place. 


Summer for me brings a sense of renewal and excitement 
for the coming fall wedding season. 
Inspiration and energy is smiling 
as I plan and ready for exciting days ahead.



Keep flowers in your vases, 
and a glass of iced tea in your hand...Hope you are having a great summer ! 

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Knee Deep in Summer










I am not sure where the saying "Knee deep in summer" came from
 but here is a favorite Knee-Deep moment for me...seeing Buddy teaching 
Grandson,  Avery how to fish. 

By July, summer is beginning to sizzle. It is too hot for an outdoor wedding  
but there is plenty of work to be done 
and yet celebrate the season's simple splendors.  







The rains are less frequent, and the days are hotter so that means 
watering drifts of hydrangeas and ferns by hand.  



Summer roses are in full bloom



The chickens like to scatter in the morning after they are let out of their coop. 



Early morning is a good time to water before the day gets to hot.
 Ferns are thriving and I am melting. 




After a few days of good dry weather it is hay cutting time, 
and time to gather hay in the summer 
for the winter. 
Tricky aspect to hay cutting is trying to time the weather. 
It’s best to cut hay after a few dry days, 
and preferably with warm temperatures.  
The hay is in neat rows to make it easy to bale.

Today was a great "hay day".  
Five John Deere tractors cutting, rolling, bailing, and stacking 
20 acres of hay in three hours .





  


    


      



Hay is loaded on the trailer and headed to the barn. 
Blue and Delilah will be well fed this winter !


A summer favorite is this century old magnolia tree that 
still thrives and blooms all summer. 




My kitchen smells like summer with  a daily magnolia bloom or two, in the kitchen.







Blue and Delilah enjoy summer green grass for breakfast, 
then it is back to the barn for a midmorning nap. 





Blue still has a bit of work to do with a late afternoon summer photoshoot. 


You can't buy happiness but you can buy a fishing pole...
and that's pretty much the same thing.

Happy summer, ya'll !















Monday, July 3, 2017

Enjoy the Fourth !



President Harry S. Truman was known for his down to earth style. He once said, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."  Independence Day is the perfect time time to take his advice and move family gatherings out of the kitchen, to the porch and patio.  We celebrate our fourth with a family favorite Dallas Dip, hamburgers on the grill and peach tea....simple and delicious.

One of our summer favorites here at Magnolia Hill is Dallas Dip. If you like the flavors from the south of the border, you will love this easy recipe !  Make it ahead and let the flavors marry to taste even better and save time for enjoying your guests. 
 It is hard to get everyone together and I treasure the gatherings. 

Dallas Dip

6 Large ripe tomatoes, diced and chopped
12 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cans green chilies
2 large cucumbers, peeled, diced, and chopped
2 Tablespoons garlic salt
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Combine all ingredients and let chill in refrigerator overnight.  Serve
with tortilla chips. 

Happy Fourth of July everyone!