Dear Sisters, I know it’s only been two weeks since our last visit, but it feels like months. Is it just me or do we ALL try to pack an entire lifetime into one summer? I guess that’s what we are supposed to do with these long, sunny days and an overabundance of energy! I’ve been minding my own business having fun in the garden, squeezing in some family beach time and somehow along the way I, um, well I got into a little farmgirl trouble. Come on in for the full confession….
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”.
Ahhhhhhh, the aprons are a precious sight to wake up to this morning, thanks for sharing!!
I love to make my own and collect vintage ones to hang in my kitchen.
My latest is a gardening apron, with two huge pockets to put my produce inside while picking, much easier than having to tote a bag thru the garden rows! You just slip all your little gems into the huge pockets and you have your hands free!
Happy Summer!! Diana
Hi Diana! So glad you enjoyed.. your gardening apron sound darling and handy too! Thanks for the visit today! xo Deb
I love aprons. Thanks for the website.
And, of course, the flowers are beautiful.
Nancy, Thanks for your note and for reading!
xo Deb
Wow, thanks for the great inspiration today and always! I love that you found a great friend through some trouble! Kudos to all your hard work getting ready to blossom. Can’t wait to hear about it on your next post! Also…lots of folks at Farmers Markets use recycled food jars for their flowers, just a thought!
Much love, Teri
Hi Cuz! I’ve been saving jars for just that reason…GREAT MINDS!!!
Love and hugs to all! xo Deb
Deb,
I love the inspiring words you wrote today. I am 60 and still trying to find that one thing to fly with. I have many dreams, your words today saying it’s never to late was just what I needed today.
I Also loved the aprons. My Grandmother always wore an apron.
I appreciate all the encouraging letters you write.
Bless You
Dear Peggy,
Thanks my dear for your kind words today.. It does my heart good to hear you are still following your dreams! BELIEVE! Do something you love everyday!
xo Deb
Hi D-Boz! Love the aprons!!…and the story. Adore the photo of you in the garden … reminded me of photos of Tasha Tudor. OH, and I just bought a Sundown coneflower yesterday. Your yard and garden look divine. Our landscape hereabouts is desert-like. Only my gardens are green. So sad, wildfires everywhere. Enjoy your greenGreen world; I sure have in your photos. Blessings from the west, Shery
Howdy Shery my sister in the wild west! I’ve been watching the news and praying about those fires… So sad indeed…I remember the wild fires well… we had one blaze across a corner of our land in the high desert just before the fire was contained. Nothing at all compared to what folks are enduring this time…I bet your rusty buckets and barrels are brimming with blooms… LOL! I need to pop by the ranch blog for a visit! Thanks for coming by… farmgirl hugs from the east!
Deb
Hello Deb, love love love the aprons. I just created one myself with a dishtowel sewn to the front of it, so you can wipe your hands. I will be sending you some pics to your email of my surprise that has to do with glamping. Love your flowers. Best of luck and may God Bless your business. LOVE YA Neta
Hi Neta!!! Your apron sounds perfect… Yes, something to wipe your hands on! Ooooh.. can’t wait for the glamping pic’s!!!! Thanks for the good wishes my friend! xo Deb
Shery speaking of Tasha Tudor….oh yes, you in amongst the flowers so reminded me of Tasha. My personal favorite apron is a long blue check in the "Tasha style." When I put it on I’m transported back in time. There’s something so homey about aprons!!! Thank you for sharing Lori’s site.
Hi Victoria, well if you must know.. I was barefoot gardening.. just like our dear Tasha used to do…LOL! Glad you liked Lori’s site and thanks for reading! xo Deb
Deb, I sure enjoyed this post and so glad she is allowing you to use apron because it is you in our minds. Thank you Lori and enjoyed your story. You do make beautiful aprons.
Bless you my friend! hugs!!!!!! xo Deb
My cosmos are just starting to bloom here in Michigan! I saw mine and wondered how yours was doing! I loved the apron’s by Victora. I have always liked the ones that slip over your head and cover your whole shirt and hanged down. I bought a homemade one last year at a Car and Craft show that is held every 1st weekend in June here. I always love your blogs! Stay cool, been hot and humid here!
Hi Kimberly! Thanks for the visit and you keep cool too… we’ve got the air on today! Whew! Enjoy your cosmos! xo Deb
Hey Girls,
Love Love your websites, I think farmgirl is just darling!! And if any of you get the chance do visit the vintage site, she has all sorts of ideas to share as well as some great coupon too!! God Bless all of you!
Thank you! and Thanks for reading! Blessings to you! Deb xo
Hi Debbie,
I so enjoyed your post and the lovely flower pics! As I was enjoying them, they reminded
me of one of my favorite scripture verses-Philippians 4:8- …"and whatsoever things are
lovely…" and of course, your post is of a .."good report…" I, too, am an apron girl, and
I love the ones posted! And, yes, I did visit Lori’s blog; very nice. I find ALL your post
so inspiring. Thank you for being a blessing!
Love,
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn! Your kind words are a BLESSING to me! It’s always nice to hear these pages bring light to others… THANK YOU! Farmgirl hugs!!! xo Deb