My handsome Yankee and Max at the Tiny House Festival
Dear Sisters,
My hubby has been on a Tiny House kick lately and I’m not so sure how I feel about it!
Could YOU live in a Tiny House? Would you live in a Tiny House? Could you, would you?
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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”.
I thought I could, until I met my family in Branson & stayed a week in a studio unit…it felt claustrophobic after a couple of days…I live in the country & enjoy lots of windows…plus I have a hobby that I enjoy having space to use–quilting, card making, & scrap booking!
I hear that, Barb!
Have watched “Tiny House” shows on TV and although their designs are amazingly inventive I honestly could not see myself living in such a small space. I have waaaaaay too many crafts, supplies and books. I’d have to have two more pull behinds just for my “stuff”….lol… and a second tiny home for hubby. To me the biggest pros are that of reduced cost and low maintenance (both dollars and time). The biggest cons are the necessity for a completely different mindset and not near enough storage. As a getaway or vacation spot or guest accommodations I think tiny homes are great. As a year round, stumble over each other, space I simply don’t find myself leaving my 2100 sq old money pit any time soon. My congrats and best wishes to those who are adventurous enough to give it a whirl. Love to hear how it works out!
Barbara
I agree… I think what my hubby likes about them is all the clever storage solutions, because he’s somewhat of a pack rat himself! He just loves any kind of hidden storage idea. I married a funny man! As a getaway or vacation spot I think a tiny house would be a fun and charming experience, as long as the toilet is working properly. lol!
Thanks for the note, Barbara!
Adorable houses but I am not sure I could live in one.
I’m with ya, sister!
They are interesting and if it was just me, maybe. But like you I would want it in a permanent scenic spot. After living in a tiny camper for a year while building our house, I love the space in our 2,000 sq. ft. log home with big windows and high ceilings! Having a tiny house for quests, etc. would be ideal!
No
We were lucky enough to find a vintage camper in March…and for the rest of the year it was such fun for my daughter and I to “camp out” … even if we didn’t leave the backyard! I kept thinking she (we named her Maizy) is so small, at 13 feet, but so cozy and easy to keep tidy. Fun for playing in, but I don’t think I could do a tiny home permanently. While she’d be perfect for extra guests, I just think even in a tiny house I’d need a little more room to roam (and what would happen with my “packrat” tendencies?!)
I think part of what makes glamping so fun is that it’s not a full time thing. It’s something whimsical and as you say, more for play not full time living. Although, more and more people are jumping on the tiny house bandwagon so there’s something to be said for that, too.
Great post, Deb! When we first got Gidget, I wasn’t sure I could SLEEP in our little vintage camper, and then when we went camping, it was perfect! I love it. I spend a lot of time in it, and love how cozy it is. However, I am not sure I could live full time in it. I love to entertain, having friends and kids and parties to liven the house, I like things tidy (and kids need their own space). I love crafting and decorating for holidays. I love having my pets and being able to exercise indoors when the weather is not nice outside. So, my answer is…it would depend on a lot of factors. This post certainly makes you think. Fun to see what one can do with a tiny space! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole (Suburban Farmgirl)
Hi Nicole!
I’m so glad you are enjoying Gidget so much! She’s adorable and your personal touches make her feel just like home, but in a different way. Sometimes I think back to how simple our lives were in the beginning when we were renting our first apartment. We were never home on the weekends and it was so easy to just lock the door and leave the few belongings we had behind. Our lives were smaller then and it was perfect. But we’ve grown in people and belongings over 30 plus years! Not sure how we could shrink our life down to tiny house proportions. But, I do love them just not as a forever home…I better be careful… Never say never, right?
Happy Fall, Nicole!
Deb
Only if I was alone. I love tiny homes. I’m leaning toward a renovated Airstream in my retirement.
Hi Julia!
I love them too. In many ways they are like little play houses that you can design any way you please! I think that’s my favorite part about them. An Airstream would be a dream to renovate as well!
Hi Deb! Not sure how I missed your blog this month. But I sure loved reading it today! What a fun way to view some tiny houses!
So… my thoughts! We lived in a travel trailer for 2 years while building our house. And yes… it was a travel trailer without all the fun charm of a tiny house. I did, however, redo a whole lot of it trying to bring in some charm since I knew we’d be living in awhile. My thoughts are that I could NEVER live in a tiny house unless I was alone. When my husband was on a consulting job out West and I have the travel trailer to myself for a month it was perfectly lovely. I actually really enjoyed it. But for two of us it was so confining.
But with that said, I’m with you. IF I had to go that route, I’d need it to be on land where I had a studio for my space. A “She-Shed” maybe! 🙂
I will say that I love the idea of a Tiny House… just not for me at this stage in my life!
Loved your post!
Dori
Hi Dori!
That’s right.. You have lived “tiny” already while building your beautiful farmhouse on the hilltop. I love the ” idea” of it as well, but the reality is another story!
I’ll keep you posted!
Love,
Deb