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Hello Farmgirl friends!!!
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Last month, I wrote about Jina… the friend I finally met in person! I keep thinking of the sweet little gift she brought me that makes me smile every time I see it, and it got me thinking about tiny little home made things that bring a smile to someone else.
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is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
This would make a great christmas gift
thanks
Oh yes Glenna… absolutely!!!!
~ Dori ~
Absolutely adorable!
Thank you Meri!
~ Dori ~
Thank you so much, Dori! I’ve sent you my address and have already decided where to hang your sweet gift. This is such a perfect project for using up those scraps that I will be making some of my own to pass the happiness along.
Hi Cindi,
I think you’ll love it!!! Let me know when it arrives!
~ Dori ~
This is so sweet. I thinking it’s a great winter project. Thank you so much for the instructions
Brenda, the BEST winter project!!!
~ Dori ~
Dori,
You are such an inspiration to me. I have made many buntings but never thought to give them as little gifts. I will be making some for my Bible study ladies for the fall. Good to have on hand for a nice hostess, birthday or cheer someone up gift. Way to go Sister for sharing your talent with us! I know we would be good friends if we lived close. So we’ll just have to be good friends from a distance. Have a Blessed day my Sister Friend!
Darlene
PS: Your home always looks lovely and so welcoming!
Hi Darlene,
I absolutely LOVED you comment on my blog post!!! What a sweet thing to say and YES, we would be good friends if we lived close! Thankful for things like social medial, blog posts, email… so we can be friends from a distance!
It is really fun to gift these because it’s just a simple thing but is a really happy little thing too!! I think gifting them to your bible study ladies is a brilliant idea!!!
~ Dori ~
This is such a wonderful craft. Thank you for sharing it
Hi Juli,
It’s a simple one!!!
~ Dori ~
Bless you Dory, you made me smile for the first time since tragically losing our oldest son Michael in an accident while our (healthy)youngest son was recovering from a stroke(undetected birth defect). I always enjoy your blog so, so much and even have ordered fabric you featured. My favorite was those pink Russian dolls 🪆/strawberries that you inspired me to make a purse (I’ll try to send photo, but seems I retired from technology when I retired from nursing😉, so not sure it’ll go through. Thank you for the JOY you bring🙏
Oh Barbara. I am so very, very sorry for your loss and such hard experiences. Wow. My heart hurts for you. Life can really have some hard things can’t it.
I’m thankful that my blog posts can bring a little joy on a dark day.
Also… MaryJane forwarded your email to me and I LOVE the purse!!! Isn’t that fabric so much fun???
Tightest of hugs to you….
~ Dori ~
Thank you Dorie,
We are looking forward o the weather changing into Fall so there’s pleasure quilting and srwing with out guilt that it good weather, we should be outside working~Binky Thorsson- Petaluma, Ca
Hi Binky!
I know EXACTLY what you mean about the guilt of sewing when it’s perfect “working weather” outside!!!! I look forward to Fall and Winter for that reason as well!
~ Dori ~
Last message went before I was done. Lol
Wonderful article and bunting to make.
Thank you.
Thank you Linda! I hope you’ll make one!
~ Dori ~
Beautiful, just Beautiful!
Thank you so much Jeretta!
~ Dori ~
Such a great gift idea, so easy and cute.
Thank you Kim. They are SO easy and FAST to make!
~ Dori ~
Your buntings are so cute and what a wonderful gift idea to give. Thanks for sharing with all of us.
Thank you DeAnn!
I hope you’ll make one (or ten!).
~ Dori ~
Dori, I just love the bunting. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful ideas for such a great little gift. Have a wonderful day.
Sherry
Sweetea 59
Thank you Sherry! It is the BEST gift!!!
~ Dori ~