.
I love having overnight guests and never tire of getting ready for them to arrive. My guest bedroom is simple and cheerful.
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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”.
Dori
My mother and my aunt always ironed the sheets. It somehow makes them more comfortable and if they were washed and then hung on a line outside to dry and then ironed, the smell of them was heavenly, and the feel was crisp and clean when you crawled inside. Heavenly, just heavenly. I may start ironing my own now that I have been reminded of this special feeling. Thank you for bringing to mind wonderful memories.
Hi Sandi,
I know… what is it about ironed sheets that are so comfortable? I just haven’t been able to figure that out. I love climbing into them at night! And I do not have a clothesline yet (one of the last things to be done on our hilltop) but I grew up with one and always have had one before and you are so right. Sheets dried on the clothesline are amazing! 🙂
Hugs,
– Dori –
Oh, and your dish cloths are in the mail! 🙂
I love your guest room and those pillow cases are so beautiful. Sweet picture of your grandgirls, how nice they can stay overnight every week!
Hello Esther,
I’m betting you iron sheets don’t you? 🙂 I have a feeling your guest bedrooms are extremely special. Someday, we’ll come for a visit!
Hugs,
– Dori –
Oh Dori, you are so very blessed with grandgirls living close by! They are beautiful! I like to iron but must confess I have never ironed sheets. What a treat for your guests! ENJOY!!!
Cathy,
I do remind myself every week how lucky I am to have my little grand-girls down the road. This week they were telling me how they want to grow up and I said, “I don’t want you to grow up fast because I love having my little girls come spend the night”. They reassured me that they would always come and spend the time with us once a week – even when they are grown up! 🙂 Of course I think grown up to them is when they are old enough to ride their bikes over! Ha!
The next time you have company – iron your sheets! You’ll be hooked! 🙂
Hugs,
– Dori –
I love your posts. I have made two dishcloths using your pattern. I’m not an expert at crocheting, but I am pretty happy with them. Thanks.
I love getting my guest room ready too, and like to include some fresh flowers. I don’t iron the linens though.
Hi Jo,
I’m SO happy to hear you’ve made some dish cloths. I find that I love every one I make better than the last. There is something so relaxing to me about sitting down and making a dishcloth. I’m contemplating some lessons this winter so that I learn to make some other things. I think I’ve learned all that I can teach myself! I’ll keep you posted!
I love including fresh flowers in my guest bedroom too. Especially in the summer from my flower garden! 🙂 Try ironing sheets sometime… you’ll be hooked!
Hugs,
– Dori –
I also love ironing sheets/pillowcases!! Actually, I enjoy ironing period. There is something peaceful about it. As I iron out the wrinkles in the fabric, sometimes I am ironing out some wrinkles in my thinking as well! 🙂 I enjoy your writing.
Hello Vicki,
Honestly I have to admit that I don’t really enjoy ironing. But, somehow ironing sheets is different! 🙂 I love what you said about ironing out the wrinkles in your thinking. So, I’ve decided that I am going to learn to enjoy ironing and look at it as a time to take care of some wrinkles in my life that really need a good pressing! Thank you for the inspiration.
Hugs –
– Dori –
Dori, I grew up with my Mom ironing all of the bed linens, tablecloths, and other household items. We had one of these big irons where you sit down and mange the big roller with foot pedals in our basement. You are so right about ironed sheets just make a bed perfection!.. Alas, I did not get the enthusiastic gene for ironing sheets, but I do have a collection of vintage pillow cases and I always iron them and use them weekly on my bed. Maybe we are showing our ages?? Hehehe, my kids don’t even own an iron. Iron, what is that? And why would I ever need one? I can just hear them talking in my mind!! LOL!!
Hi Winnie!
I remember my grandmother having one of those big irons. They were amazing! I’m going to have to ask my Mom but it seems like I remember my grandmother ironing my grand-dad’s blue jeans in that thing! 🙂
You know what? After getting these vintage pillow cases from my friend, I’m thinking of starting my own collection. I LOVE THEM.
Hugs to you!!
– Dori –
Love vintage as it reminds me of simpler times when my mother used to make such beautiful pillow cases . I used to, too. But as you age your ability to do such things wanes with time. Love embroidery on pillow cases. Love your color choices. The pillows make the bed cone alive!
As for ironing sheets. …I used to iron sheets before polyester cane jnto my life. Now i just fold them as soon as I take the sheets out of the dryer. Or put thrm on the bed ss soon as they come out of the dryer. But I used to love sleeping in a bed with the smell of sheets thst dried out in the sunshine. Love thst smell of fresh sunshine on sheets….with the softness and coolness i feel on my feet. It used to be a comforting sense of if security, because my mother always tucked us in. Its what i miss about the sheets.
I love that hotel feeling of sleeping in a well made bed after being on the road traveling. Loved it when friends offered us a nice cozy invite and warm bed when we visitted….hate having to go to a cold hotel room and a bed thats been skept in….and you never know how clean it is.
Your guest will enjoy a good nights sleep, Im sure!
I love yoyr lovely touches…,abd i think its do nice I f you to even leave a gift f I r them….im curious as to egst I t cou I d be…a nice vintage nightgown for the females? Cool. Your granddaughters are so beautiful….will bet they loved the bed sheets too! So cute! Love ghe giraffe. I have a similar one, hugs.
Susana
Hi Susana,
Yes, vintage definitely brings back those memories of simpler times! Any drying sheets in the sunshine is most definitely the best! 🙂
– Dori –
P.s. no your not weird, judt thoughtful and very caring and hospitable to yoyr guest….so Greek…love Greek hodpitality! Your such an encourager….its nice to know there are people in the world who know h I w to be hospitable. …and go the extra mile . Your a Queen of caring! Susana
Thank you!
Hi Dori,
This is such a darling post! I adore vintage pillowcases too! When I had my booth a couple of years ago in the Antique Mall I carried several sets of vintage pillow cases. Some were embroidered, others had edges adorned with delicate crochet. They sold very quickly and I gave some sets a way to visiting farmgirl friends who came to visit me in Plymouth. Before I put them in my booth, I washed and ironed them and I loved it! It felt good to take my time and think about who might have made them. I also made a beautiful pillow from three single pillow cases that came in a lot of linens that I purchased. One day, maybe I’ll be lucky enough to stay in your cheery guest room! 😉
Hugs my friend!
Deb ,
Beach Farmgirl
Hi Deb,
Oh how I would love to have you as a guest in my house! 🙂
My friend, Luanne, that gave me the pillow cases also collects vintage tablecloths and when she was talking about the many, many ones that she has (like so many you can’t imagine!) I actually thought of you because I remembered reading your blog post on making pillows from vintage tablecloths! But I’m going to go back and read it again. And I love your idea of making a single pillow cover using multiple pillow cases. I’m going to read that and ponder my next project! 🙂
Hugs back,
– Dori –
Here’s the link to my post so you can see the pretty pillow cases!
http://www.farmgirlbloggers.com/188#more-188
and the pillow! http://deborahjeansdandelionhouse.blogspot.com/2013/02/newold-embroidered-pillow.html
Your guest bedroom is absolutely gorgeous! I am in love with your rug. I must admit that I fall into the category of younger people that hardly iron anything unless it’s absolutely necessary!! So I have never ironed sheets before. But, the way you girls explain how wonderful the sheets feel once they have been line dried and ironed sounds so inviting. I may just have to give this sheet ironing a shot. And in no way do I feel that you are crazy for doing it. Keep up your passion, its inspiring!
Hi Krista,
Okay, you absolutely MUST iron some sheets and let me know what you think!!!! The sheets I have are 100% cotton and they come out super wrinkled from the dryer (although from the clothesline they lose some of those wrinkles so that helps). So it makes it really rewarding to iron them. But, honestly I do feel that cotton sheets have a much softer feel than the polyester/cotton blend that is so popular today. Just my opinion maybe? Anyway, please try it and let me know! 🙂 But beware… you’ll be hooked!
Hugs,
– Dori –
Thanks Dori! I’ll for sure give it a shot and let you know. I agree with you on the all cotton sheets.
Krista,
One more thing. That rug is from Target. I got it on sale and it was very inexpensive. It doesn’t exactly suit the old fashioned look of the bedroom, but it works for now! If I could, I’d give it to you and that would give me an excuse to look for something else! 🙂
Ha ha don’t you just love how that works! It’s always nice to have an excuse to get something else!
One more just for fun! Pillow from a pretty vintage table cloth
http://deborahjeansdandelionhouse.blogspot.com/2013/02/vintage-inspired-pillows.html
Okay, so I went back and re-read this post and I love it all over again. I’ve got several vintage tablecloths but the problem is? I LOVE THEM on my dining room table, so I’m not going to cut into them. BUT, I’m going to be on the look-out! 🙂
Deb, these are SO pretty. I just love them. What a great idea.
Your granddaughters are adorable and beautiful. They look so cute and contented snuggled in bed together.
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn,
Yes… they are precious! 🙂 Thank you!
– Dori –
Hi Dori,
I love your guest room! I especially love your white and yellow. Vintage linens are a favorite of mine, too. I have a guest room that is decorated “vintage”, and I have two special pillowcases that a farmgirl (who is my ol’fashioned pen pal)hand embroidered for me.
My guest room is always ready for company, but like you, when I know someone is coming, I iron the sheets so they are crisp! I don’t always iron my family’s sheets every week because of time, except for the pillowcases, so I’m with ya on ironed sheets!
Lovely post…can I come stay in that guest room? It looks so inviting!
Farmgirl Hugs,
Nicole
(Suburban Farmgirl)
Hi Nicole,
I’m ready for you to come any day! 🙂 Bring your darling farmgirl daughter too!
Hugs back,
– Dori –