I’m feeling inspired. We went on a little road trip a couple of weeks ago to a small community where farming, crafting, home-cooking, cheese-making, gardening, thrifting, and the throwing of pottery (in the artistic sense) are very much alive. This little town is everything I want my life (and my blog!) to be. It’s quiet. It’s colorful. It simply feels genuine. When we walked into the small restaurant where we always go for lunch on these outings, the waitress rushed over to give my mom and I hugs and kisses on our cheeks. She gushed over how big our baby has grown and claimed that she had been thinking of us. What a welcome (the theme song of Cheers was playing in my head).
After lunch we went into a tiny—and I mean tiny—yarn shop. I picked up two cozy, wonderful yarn remnants. I have no idea what they will become, but I enjoy imaging the possibilities. One is a khaki green cotton, and the other is a plum-colored wool/alpaca blend. And the price! Both pieces were ½ off of almost nothing.
We ventured over to the cutest little school house that is kind of year-round yard sale. Lots of funny odds and ends. Vintage and antique this-and-that mixed with…well, junk. But fun junk. I picked up a stack of ten white cloth napkins. My mom found additional settings to her grandmother’s China set. What a find!
So why am I feeling inspired? An Amish farm is for sale out there. Of course, we are not in the market for a new home…certainly not a farm, but the place left me daydreaming all the way home. The basic white house with simple cotton curtains drawn to the sides, the clothes line across the yard, the big barn, the chickens and little kids running in the yard. The farm and our whole trip reminded me of the life I crave: simplicity and family.

A miniature farm at the conservatory. You gotta love the pig on the roof!