Hi, I’m Joy! I’m so glad you’re here!
Our Story
My husband and I started our married life with a dream—a dream of coming home. Even though we both worked full-time corporate jobs in the city, we dreamed of living a home-centered life in the country.
Our plan in those early years included a focus on everything home: homemaking, homeschooling, home birth, homesteading, and home business.
And now, as I look back over the past twenty-six years, I’m so thankful to see that in many ways, our dream has been realized.
- Ten months after the wedding, we were expecting our first baby, and I left my corporate job to become a full-time homemaker.
- All five of our children were born at home.
- We have homeschooled our children from the very beginning, and on through the high school years. Our oldest three have graduated, and we still have two more being educated at home.
- My husband has worked from home for the past eighteen years.
- We have a small one-acre homestead with a large vegetable garden, an herb garden, a flower garden, and twenty-five chickens.
- We work together on our home business.
Our journey has not been without trials and difficulties, and we still haven’t reached all of our goals. But we’ve definitely learned a lot together in these twenty-six years of making a home together.
About Joy
All I ever wanted was to be a wife, mother, and homemaker. “Playing house” was my favorite thing to do as a child. I would spend hours pretending to be a homemaker and mothering my dolls.
At the age of twelve, I started doing the laundry and all the cleaning for my family. I taught myself how to cook at fifteen, and I could often be found in the kitchen, trying a new recipe.
No one forced me to do these things. I simply loved cooking, cleaning, and keeping our home. I dreamed of the day when I would have my own home and family to care for.
Today, I still feel just as passionate about homemaking. I still love working to make our home a beautiful, peaceful, and joyful place for our family.
My favorite things are grinding grain to make my own flour, making bread (especially sourdough), making soap, sewing, candle making, and growing flowers.
About Artful Homemaking
I started Artful Homemaking in 2011 as a way to share practical help and encouragement for homemakers.
Thirteen years later, my goal is still the same—to help you create a beautiful, joyful home.
If you’re new here, you might want to start with one of these posts:
- Homemaking 101: Home Management for Beginners
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective Homemakers
- 7 Things to Do Every Day to Keep Your House Cleaner
- Pantry Staples to Always Keep On Hand
- How to Make Your Own Clothes
- How to Make Flour With a Grain Mill
- Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe
I’d love for you to join our homemaking community! The best way to stay connected is through my free email newsletter, which includes articles, menu ideas, encouragement, and links to the latest blog posts. You can also find me on Instagram.
