Country Living Connoisseur - Turning Toward the Good (Oct 16)


Pull Up a Chair

There’s something about this time of year that invites a slower rhythm. The air feels softer, the evenings come a little earlier, and the world seems to exhale after summer’s bustle. Out at the farm, I find myself gathering the last blooms, watching the compost pile steam in the cool mornings, and realizing how much beauty there is in quiet transformation.

This month’s theme—Turning Toward the Good—is about that same kind of shift. It’s about noticing what’s still working, still blooming, still worth tending. In the garden, in the kitchen, and in our minds, goodness grows where we give it a little space.

Let’s dream it, design it, and live it—together.

With love,
Lane + Jules

Designing a Life You Love

Reframing with a Glass-Half-Full Mindset

Positivity isn’t about pretending everything’s perfect; it’s about choosing to see what’s still good. It’s a gentle shift that changes everything—the way we approach our work, our families, and even our thoughts.

Try this week to reframe a few everyday moments:

  • Swap “I have to” for “I get to.
  • End each day by naming three good things.
  • When something goes wrong, ask, “What can this teach me?” instead of “Why me?”

Research and real-life experiences demonstrate that gratitude and optimism can enhance creativity, resilience, and even physical well-being. But beyond the science, there’s peace in choosing light.

A glass half full doesn’t deny the empty space—it simply celebrates what’s already there.

From the Farm Kitchen

Pumpkin Bread with Brown Butter Glaze and Candied Pecans

There’s something cozy and grounding about baking in autumn—the way warm spices fill the kitchen and signal the season’s slow turning. This pumpkin bread has that classic aroma you expect but takes things up a notch with nutty brown butter and sweet, crunchy pecans.

Out in the Garden

Composting: The Circle of Garden Life

If I had to name one secret to a thriving garden, it would be compost. It’s the simplest kind of magic—turning what was once waste into something that nourishes everything that follows.

I created this Composting Guide for you if you are thinking of getting started, too!

“A good compost pile teaches you that nothing is wasted—even what feels like decay becomes growth.”

The Curated Corner

Tucked inside my little farm office kitchen is a wall that makes me smile every single day. We covered it with hundred-year-old barnwood, weathered and full of stories, and added hand-forged iron hooks along the top. Hanging there are my treasures—cast-iron skillets that once belonged to Lane’s grandmother and my own.

They’re no longer tucked away in a cabinet or hidden in the oven. They hang proudly within reach, ready for the next meal. That small wall reminds me that beauty and meaning often live in the everyday -- especially when we surround ourselves with the things that hold our stories.

Favorite Finds

Florist/Gardening Belt from Lero Leather

I shared about this beauty earlier this month as well, but it has been an absolute favorite in my garden. Lero Leather is a small, female-owned, handcrafted leather business, and I am obsessed with this belt, ya'll!

Soft and supple leather that doesn't move or slide around, with great pockets — quality at a very reasonable price. They can even customize it for you! If you use BombDiggity20, you can save 20% too!


Eaton Pet and Pasture is always a favorite!

It’s no secret—I’m a big fan of everything from Eaton Pet & Pasture. From Roost Refresh and Revitalime to their Hemp Bedding and Aspen Nesting Pads, their products keep our coops clean, cozy, and smelling fresh.

It is almost time for that big fall clean out and winterizing our coops so stock up! If you want to give them a try? Use code BombDiggity or shop through this link for 20% off. Your flock (and your nose) will thank you.

Tuck it in your pocket

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.” — Walt Whitman

Here’s to turning toward the good this season—in your garden, your kitchen, and in designing a life you love.

Have a question you'd love me to answer? A project you're proud of? Something inspiring you've seen? I’d love to hear it—and it might just show up in a future newsletter.

We’re building something beautiful here, together. Now that's BombDiggity!

Here’s to simple joys and big dreams,


360 Bethlehem Lane, La Follette, TN 37766
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Country Living Connoisseur

Design a life you love—one bloom, one barn, one bite at a time. The Country Living Connoisseur newsletter delivers farm-fresh inspiration, vintage charm, and real talk from Sweet Bombdiggity Farms, straight to your inbox every other week.

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