.
There are a few things that I really, really love to do.
-
Debbie Bosworth
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.’”
Rebekah Teal
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.
Cathi Belcher
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
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.
Mary Murray
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.”
Alexandra Wilson
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!
Nicole Christensen
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”.
Yes, I love to send home-made cards. And guess who gave me the ideas I use—You!
Thanks for all the great tips you give us.
Take care.
Emily
Hello Emily,
I don’t always have the greatest ideas, believe me! But when I do… they get used over and over! 🙂 Thanks for always encouraging me!
– Dori –
I love using my collection of cards, adding my own sentiments for birthdays,anniversaries, “thinking of you”, and congratulations for meeting goals. Dropping them off at the post office first thing in the morning…enchanting!
Laura,
It does make it easy to send cards if we’ve got a collection and can just add the sentiment doesn’t it? I’ve made cards in the past where I put the sentiment on them and then realized later it worked better to add that as I needed. I do love dropping them in the mail too!
– Dori –
And it was so much fun! And delicious! Used a handmade card this week to send my sil a Thank you note. It’s so fun to have a stack on hand.
I still make hand made Valentines for all my daughters & my grandkids!! I had to forego my Valentine Making Tea Party this year due to working 2 jobs but I love to make hand made cards & little gift booklets, “A B C’s of a 16 year old grand-daughter”~~you get the idea :^)
Love your photos & your creativity!!!
Cyndie
I WANT to but seem like I need a shot of creativeness in the card area:)
I LOVE making cards and one of my favorite things is making card packs to give as gifts. This also encourages others to send hand written notes.
Sadly, I don’t make them (that’s gonna change now!), but I do love sending them. It’s a lost art. I love finding pretty vintage postcards with sweet sentiments written on them from way back when, especially holiday ones.
Card sending is a huge part of my family history. My family loved sending cards and they saved the ones they received through the years. It is so much fun to see those little cards I sent to my own grandmother when I could barely write!
My son (17 yo) just made a card to thank his grandmother, my mom, for a gift she gave him for his birthday.
I have making cards for about 20 years now. A friend and I used to go to large stamping conventions and glean wonderful ideas and of course BUY. Consequently I have 3 large vintage picnic baskets full of stamps and a rolling set of craft drawers with all the papers, stamp pads and accessories. And shame on me – lately I have been buying cards! Perhaps with the inspiration you have provided I will get back to making!!
I certainly do still send out handwritten cards. I think e-cards are cute but not as personal as when you write your own thoughts and feelings down. My grandchildren love getting cards from Grandma, and my sister and friends appreciate the time and the thought it took to find just the right card and write something personal. I loved the idea of making homemade cards and now that I am retired, I might just give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
I do send notes of encouragement cards but never have made my own. This is something I do believe that I would enjoy doing and may have a night of crafting with my mentor ladies! Thank you for sharing!❤️
I love to send homemade cards. I have made them or bought them. My older relatives who are not computer owners love, love getting them. Well, everyone loves getting them and yours are beautiful.
Yes, I make cards. I love making them. I made 16 Valentine’s cards and sent them to friends. My grandson had to make Valentine cards for his classmates, it was a fun day together creating cards.
Marie
Oh, my goodness! I love your sewing/craft room!! Simply adorable from wall to wall! It looks like a wonderful card making atmosphere! Sending cards is a very favorite “hobby” of mine!! I instilled in my girls the importance of writing thank-you’s at a very young age and am pleased to say they still practice that gesture and it makes this momma’s heart happy!! Your “made with love” cards turned out adorable and I am anxious to use some of your shared ideas. We, too, like to make and send our own cards. Thank-you so much!! I do so enjoy your blog and look forward to each new one. With goodness, Jo
I use to make cards with my 2nd graders but haven’t done the creative ones you do. Need to come see you!
Yes..i do make cards and i always send cards..i always think its nice to see a pretty envelope between the bills
We do make cards, especially for Valentine’s. I think handmade Valentines are much more special than ones you find at the store. I will be teaching a class to our homeschool group this spring on how to make your own cards. I think it will be a lot of fun!
This looks like such fun! I love cards…getting them and sending them. Yours are beautiful.
Hi Dori, this post really hit home for me. I spend most of my free time making and sending homemade cards. I believe you even received one from me. This is such a rewarding as well as super fun hobby. You always need cards, so why not enjoy making them yourself. I also agree that collecting card making supplies is part of the fun and so easy to get carried away with…but you can never have enough and there is always going to be that really cute stack of paper that you MUST have! Thanks for sharing your party….it looks like it was so much fun!
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve sent a handmade card. After reading this I was thinking how much fun it would be to receive one. I would love to brighten someone’s day by making them a nice card. Thanks for the inspiration! Thank you for the opportunity to win these.
my sister and I enjoy getting together to make cards – the laughter and time together is as important as the cards we end up making!
Oh, what a great idea for a party! I love giving and receiving homemade cards. It let’s the person know that you took the time for them and that you really care.
Love your party ideas! Homemade cards are the best & I try to make them as often as possible.
I love to make home made cards too! it is such fun and I belong to a monthly stamp making club so I learn a lot each month.
Yes, I love sending cards in the mail!! Mostly birthdays, and thank you cards! Cute giveaway!
Hi Dori,
Your card party is a wonderful idea for gloomy winter days. Here in the NW we’ve had many a rainy day this winter, but SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. Making bright & beautiful cards are a great way to pass the time with family and friends. One idea I will use in the future. I create my cards by using photos I’ve taken of barns, cows & cornfields and the beautiful water and mountains that surround my island home. Then, I add embellishments to make them country perfect. Island life, its an amazing Sisterhood place to live and create.
Thank you for sharing your creativity and love of all things country.
Deborah
Such a fun post!! Thank you for sharing….what a neat idea for a gathering!! I have raised all my girls that a simple Thank You note or Birthday note is very important and I have pointed out that the recipient appreciates the time and effort put into to it. I love the handmade cards and you have given us such great fun ideas. We have a Hobby Lobby close and I need to remember to get in for the 50% sale! Thanks for the info and thank you for sharing your excitement!!
Yes, I do send out homemade cards. Three this past week. However, I found out the hard way that ALL my acquaintances don’t appreciate “homemade”, including 2 of our relatives. They don’t seem to understand the love, time, concentration and special feelings that are put into these greetings?
Please consider me in your giveaway. I’d really appreciate it.
I love to send cards, although they aren’t always homemade, I try to write a note in each card I send.
I do, but only for my best friend. I think it might be time to expand my card making 🙂
I adore the personal touch of handmade cards (and any item handmade honestly) I firmly believe in writing letters & cards. I think everyone should open their mailbox and find a smile on a regular basis (not just bills & junk mail) I have collected quotes for years that I use to add a personal touch when sending a card, gift or letter
Although I don’t make cards like you do, I do send cards through the mail. My kids enjoy making simple cards just by drawing decorations on them.
I must do like you have and get all my supplies collected into one container! Loved this post–a great ladies get-together idea!
I enjoy making homemade cards. Homemade cards are so much more personal. Thank you for this lovely giveaway.
Marilyn
Homemade cards are so much nicer than store bought cards. Thanks for the giveaway.
Joan
I would rather make a homemade card. My sisters and I buy blank note cards and personalize them to send for numerous occasions. Thank you for the giveaway.
Marion
I have been scrapbooking for years & just started making my own cards. So much fun! I love sending them to my kids who are away in college. I am actually going to a card making party this weekend.
Wow, this is just lovely! I love your room set up & everything just looks so inviting!
Oh what fun! Would love to be your neighbor and friend! I enjoy making and sending homemade cards. It’s my winter project to brighten up the dreary weather and long nights in the hills of Idaho. Thanks for the giveaway! Blessings!
Adorable party! How fun! I do still make and send cards and Felicity is enjoying it a lot now too. A fun way to be creative and thoughtful at the same time! Xoxo
Looks like a ton of creative fun! Love the idea and I just might copy it someday!
I have been a papercrafter for years, making cards, tags, journals and whatever else I could come up with. I have sold many of the papercraft things I make, have gifted them and use them myself.
I take great pride in sending my own cards! But I love to use other handmade cards too!
I’d like to enter your giveaway and thank you for the opportunity!
CJ
Oh Dori, I love this. I wish Coleen & I could have been there.
Oh my, Dori! You are truly inspiring! You have the BEST ideas. Love everything that you put together. Wish that I was there! 🙂 You know that I loved your original posts and that I started to make our own and sent them to family and friends during my cancer battle last year. Thanks so much for sharing your heart, sweet friend.
I love making cards. The best thing is the card swaps with fellow farmgirls. I have really been enjoying it and always look forward to making my next set. Your party sounds like so much fun and your snacks look absolutely delicious. Maybe one day I will throw a card making party! Thanks for all the great ideas!
I love sending cards! I used to buy store bought until two years ago when I realized I had paid $4.99 for ONE card! Mama on a budget started making her own! It’s been fun. And now my babe is 3, so he “helps” with the art and decorating. Too fun. Love the look of your cards and LOVE the idea of a card making party! Too fun. I’ll have to gather my girlfriends for a day of fun like this! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you for bringing me back to the “homemade card girl” I used to be 50 plus years ago! I can’t wait to go to Hobby Lobby at their next big sale. You are very inspirational in all you post here online. Thank you so very much
I think we should re-introduce card sending. It is so special to receive one in the mail from someone you know in the midst of all that impersonal junk mail. And when it is hand crafted it is over the moon. I don’t make many cards. Wish I did. They are lovely. I do send some handmade thank-you cards after our clown troupe has performed for a group. I hand-craft a simple envelope in a bright colored paper and put a clown sticker on the back. I think that sets our brand as special. Please keep up all your good work and inspiration.
I love making cards!!! And have actually been to a party similar to yours!!!
I love it. Looks like so much fun. I love geting cards in the mail and sending. They just mean so much more than an email or electronic card. 🙂 Great job! Neta
This looks like fun, You gave a lot of great ideas. So personal. Thank you for the fantastic ideas.