The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{five favorites} Easter Basket Ideas from Big White Farmhouse

I’ve just begun the search for the perfect items to put in the kids’ Easter baskets this year.  Through the years, I’ve become more and more picky about what makes the cut.  I like quality toys that won’t break days after arrival and items that foster creativity and get their imaginations going.  (And books.  And they get a little bit of candy too, of course.)  Are you the same way?  It has been a long time since I’ve participated in #5Faves, but I thought I’d jump back in today with five Easter basket ideas from our shop, Big White Farmhouse:  

Peg Doll Vehicle Sets // Sophia and TJ LOVE these wooden vehicles.  They are sturdy enough for little hands, but look just as sweet displayed on a nursery shelf.  We have a police car, firetruck, airplane, pink coupe and blue rover.

Wooden Rattles // SO cute for the littlest ones!  We have a wide variety of designs: bear, cat, heart, car, bunny and bird!
eco-dough and eco-crayons // Eco-dough is made with natural ingredients and colored using fruit and veggie extracts.  I like this big set because it’s easy to separate for many baskets.  The eco-crayons are made to look like sea rocks from the coast of Maine and are great for the one to two year old crowd.  
Treasure Hunter’s Kit // If you’re looking for less “stuff” but with a bigger impact, this kit may be perfect.  Everything you need for a treasure hunt is included in a beautiful wooden box.  Be sure to also check out the Fairy House Kit too.
Scatter Garden Kits // A unique idea for the child that values quality time.  I can imagine a themed basket with everything you need to create a garden together: one of our scatter garden kits (we have a butterfly habitat, songbird habitat, fragrant flowers or honeybee), a pair of gardening gloves and maybe some kid-sized tools.  (I’ve heard awesome things about this book too.)  So fun.

And a special bonus for you, my blogging friends:
Take 15% off anything in the shop with the coupon code BLOGFRIEND.  Good until Sunday, April 2, 2017.


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Linking up with Bonnie!

{BWF} Find a Gift for Everyone with our Black Friday Sale!!





Popping in to share our biggest sale of the year at Big White Farmhouse!  Now through Monday, November 28, you can save 30% on your entire order (excluding sale items) with the coupon code MERRYMERRY.  We are so thankful for your support this year and hope that we can help you check off a few gifts from your list.  


xo, Ashley and Andrea

{BWF} Early Bird Shopping (and Free Shipping!) with Big White Farmhouse

Typically, I’m a supporter of trying my best to enjoy the season I’m in.  For the past year, I’ve tried to not look too far into the future and not wish away time.  BUT!  That mentality falls to the wayside when it comes to Christmas shopping.  Working through my list in October and November allows me to choose quality gifts on a relaxed time frame.  And then when Advent comes around, I can spend my time watching our favorite movies, driving around looking at the neighborhood lights and maybe attempting a craft or two.  The weight and stress of finding “the perfect gift” is gone.  


We are heading into the most exciting time of the year, especially for retail shops like Big White Farmhouse!  Today I wanted to share a handful of our favorite products and a few gift ideas too.  Maybe they’ll be a good fit for someone on your list!  And P.S. Look for a coupon code at the end!


We’ve been slowly adding products to our Children’s Room section and have lots of new options for babies and preschoolers, including our popular wooden rattles and vehicles.  Our eco-dough also makes a great stocking stuffer and is easy to separate for multiple children!  

Kitchen Tool Kit Letterpress Notebook // This book is as gorgeous as it is functional.  A great idea for someone who likes to experiment in the kitchen or enjoys recipes found on Pinterest.  (Fun idea: write out one or two of your favorite recipes on the first pages to get your recipient started.)
Festive Forks // Four different designs to choose from!  My personal favorite is “Pie Time” and I think it would be so cute to tie two to the top of a homemade (or bakery made, no judgement here) pie.
Gather Around the Table Tea Towel & Wooden Spoon Set // Makes an easy hostess gift and I love the sentiment.
Fresh Lemon Soap // I love how fresh this smells.  Perfect for the kitchen.
Meal Planner and DIY Recipe Book Duo // Someone commented on Instagram that this notebook set would be a great gift for a newlywed or bride-to-be and I can’t agree more.  
Grow Tea Towel // Love that silver pop of the watering can!
Wooden Doily Coasters // These are so unique and interesting.  Would be fun paired with a mug and your favorite coffee or tea.
To Market Burlap Tote // A great idea for your friend who loves the farmer’s market.  (Also handy at the library too!)
Our Garden section is perfect for that person on your list with the green thumb.  Our garden markers are always best sellers and make such easy gifts: stick into a potted plant and you’re done!  We also love the herb magnets and tea seed paper & garden marker kits (we have chamomile and lemon mint).
I like to give bath products as gifts because they can be both beautiful and useful.  And bonus!  They typically won’t add additional clutter to your recipient too!  Our collection of soaps smell amazing (every single one, I promise!) and would make a thoughtful gift placed in the hand-dyed rope bowl.  The lip balms are fun stocking stuffers for tweens/teens and that beer soap sampler?  Perfect for guys!
And last but not least…a few special things especially for the season:
Vintage-Inspired Cards // Perfect for penpals and those friends and family members that require a more personal note. 
Gift Tags // We’ve got everything from the always handy parcel tags (in seven colors!) to the fun Christmas-inspired.
Pewter Ornaments // These make beautiful heirloom-worthy gifts.  The elephant or mouse could celebrate a new birth, the two birds in a tree would be perfect for newlyweds!
Reindeer Tea Towels // Adds a fun pop to your kitchen!  Also adorable as a hostess gift.
Christmas-Themed Garden Markers // Made from vintage silverware, these are so cute and are probably the easiest gift in our entire store!  Pop into a poinsettia or other small potted plant and give.  Perfect for teachers, grandmas and neighbors.



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Ready to get a head start on your Christmas shopping too?  You have been so supportive of our little shop through the years and we want to show our thanks by giving you first dibs on our Free Shipping event!  The rest of our BWF family will get the notice on Saturday, but you can get a two day jump with the coupon code EARLYBIRD.  We’d love to help you cross some gifts off your list this year.

{BWF} Celebrating our Second Birthday at Big White Farmhouse

Today Big White Farmhouse turned two.  Two!

What a whirlwind.  Starting from a little bitty dream between cousins, we’re ever so slowly finding our footing in this online small business world and are so proud of what we’ve created so far!  I can’t wait to see where 2016 takes us.  For the past two weeks, I’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes, attempting to make your shopping experience even better.  Here are just a few new additions to the site:  

One of the complaints we had about our site was the amount of clicks it took to get to the actual shopping pages.  No more!  Everything you need is right at the top, with pull-downs and sub-categories to boot!  Now you can either browse through the rooms at your leisure or click to the exact page you need.

At the bottom of the page, we’ve now included our social media handles (we’d love to connect with you!) as well as a search bar.  Our less important pages (Our Story, Policies and Blog) are all located down here too.

We are celebrating our big day with five days of birthday deals!  See the graphic below and be sure to follow us on Facebook or Instagram, where we’ll be sharing the day’s specific information and/or coupon codes.  

Thank you so much for following along and supporting this big dream of ours!

{BWF} Cyber Monday Sale at Big White Farmhouse & a Few Gift Ideas

Just popping in to share that today is Cyber Monday (yay!) and the last day of Big White Farmhouse‘s biggest sale of the year!  We hope you’ll consider us as you begin your Christmas shopping!


Here are a few items we carry that would make unique and thoughtful gifts:


For the Little Ones // We carry a line of plush animals that make darling baby and toddler gifts.  Lucy Owl is my favorite, but Lewis Toad is definitely a close second!  We also have wooden rattles created by a husband-and-wife team in Washington.  I love the bunny!


For the Tween Girl //  Our lip product gift sets are perfect for tweens and teens.  These beauty products are made by another talented husband-and-wife duo, this time in Colorado.  We carry three different themes: Fruit Salad, Flower Power and The Bakery.  


For your Grandmother // Bring over a gorgeous potted plant to your grandmother with one of our garden markers tucked in.  Our “Joy” garden marker is especially festive this time of year, but we also have “Thankful for You”, “You are My Sunshine”, and even “Water Me”.


For your Crafty Friend // Have a friend who loves to knit?  Our Hand-Dyed Rope Bowl is a beautiful and unique gift.  They are the perfect little size for holding the yarn as you work.  You could also fill it with small journaling cards for a scrapbooking pal!


For your Children’s Teacher // Our new candle line is a great choice for teachers.  Each of our scents smells great and I have been pleased with how evenly the candles burn.  


For your Neighbor // Wrap one of your favorite quick breads in one of our fun tea towels for an easy neighbor gift.  My go-to is banana bread, but the possibilities are endless.  This idea is also great for thanking your host during your holiday travels.


Be sure to also check out our Seasonal section, filled with pewter ornaments, Christmas cards, gift tags and more!  

RELATED: 2014 Holiday Gift Guide from Big White Farmhouse



{BWF} Making Space for Big White Farmhouse: the Plan

Guys, it’s happening.  Slow and steady, Big White Farmhouse is growing.  Like itty bitty, squint your eyes and tilt your head to the side growing.  But growing!  So far in year two, we have acquired more product, reached more potential customers and even received a few sales from people we don’t know!  (Insert this hilarious commercial.)  With all of my business headed in the right direction, I think it’s time to create an office.

We are fortunate to have the space in our home to designate a room just for BWF.  It will take awhile to purchase all the pieces I want, but I’ll be saving my pennies!  In the meantime, I’m making plans.  When I think of my office, I envision a clean, functional space that provides me with the room I need to both package orders and work on my laptop.  I’d like to have my products visible and accessible, a mini brick and mortar store if you will, as well as hidden storage for the less pretty things: packaging supplies, papergoods, etc.  
After a quick Google search, I found and used a free online room planner to take the ideas out of my head and into physical form.  This was SO fun.  I was somewhat limited by the choices provided by the software, but you can definitely get the gist:   

My Big White Farmhouse office to-do list:

  • Paint (I’m thinking a very light grey with undertones of blue)
  • Purchase two or three white cabinets: shelves on top, hidden storage on bottom
  • Install bamboo roman shades to the two windows
  • Purchase (or work with lumber we currently own) a large workspace/desk
  • Lighting with either a table or floor lamp
  • Comfortable desk chair
  • Hang bulletin board
  • Print and frame big vintage picture of the real big white farmhouse
  • Create a distressed wooden sign (maybe something like this?)

{BWF} Spring 2015 Product Update

 It’s been awhile since I’ve talked about Big White Farmhouse, my little online boutique, here on the blog.  After the excitement of our first birthday festivities, we’ve been slowly adding new product and I’m excited to show you some of the new items.  So imagine you’ve entered into my little shop filled with treasures and let me show you around!  

Fun tea towels are a must-have at Big White Farmhouse because they are an easy way to spruce up your kitchen and they make a great gift too.  The set of four beer towels come in a gift box and scream BBQ to me.  We restocked the love towels and while they are the obvious choice for Valentine’s Day, I think they also make a great bridal shower gift or maybe you could have it out for your anniversary month?  Finally, we just got in these bunny towels and they are precious – perfect for this spring weather!  

I’ve been slowly working on a new “room” for Big White Farmhouse: the bath.  We now carry five soap scents: Tea Tree Lime Almond, Rosemary Lemon Mint, Lavender Lemongrass, Pink Grapefruit, and Tangerine Basil (which I just realized I haven’t added yet!  On my to-do list!).  We also have two types of bath salts, Grapefruit and Lavender, which come in the cutest little bottles.  The little gift bag is my current favorite and the perfect present for your girlfriends.  Each contains a muscle balm and a peppermint lip balm.

 I am so excited about these shave bags!  Simple enough for both men and women, they make great cosmetic bags too.  They are made out of canvas and colored denim, and lined in a great blue ticking fabric.  We have them in three colors: yellow, blue and red.  I think they’d make great bags for corralling miscellaneous items in your diaper bag too!

P.S.  Easter is just a few weeks away and if you’re like me, you’ve started thinking about what to put in those Easter baskets!  From now until Sunday, March 29, our Eco-Dough and Eco-Crayons are 25% off!  My kids have tried both and are big fans.

{BWF} Celebrating Our First Birthday at Big White Farmhouse

It is hard to believe that Big White Farmhouse has been in business for an entire year!  It started in 2012 as a crazy dream and while it has been a labor of love, I am so proud of all that has been accomplished so far.

As many of you know, my Great-Gram had a huge impact on my life.  She was a hard-working, compassionate woman with a big smile and a heart of gold.  Gram’s love of family is the inspiration behind Big White Farmhouse.  My hope is that what customers feel most when shopping with us is a sense of community, of family.  We have some exciting things in the works to create more of that in 2015.

I am so thankful for you, my readers, and all of your support and encouragement through the years.  Your virtual high-fives keep Andrea and I going and we are so excited to provide you with even more well-made, heirloom-worthy products in the new year.  

But first…let’s celebrate!



We are giving away one of our gorgeous American Maple recipe boxes on our Facebook page and we’d love for you to enter.  If you’re on Instagram, be sure to check out my page for another fun surprise too!  Both giveaways are open until Saturday, January 17 at midnight, so hop over soon!


Thanks again for following along.  Here’s to a successful Year 2!

{BWF} 2014 Holiday Gift Guide from Big White Farmhouse

This is our first Christmas season at Big White Farmhouse and we are SO excited to share our products with you!  Today I wanted to show you a few gift suggestions as well as ideas to package them for gift giving.  It’s helpful to know that when choosing products for the shop, I am really picky.  I steer clear of the junk and try to only pick products that are beautiful and well made.  We hope you love our products as much as we do!       



Our Vanilla Candle is 100% soy wax and has been hand poured into a 13oz. glass tumbler.  Each candle is shipped to you in a burlap bag, making gift giving SO easy!  Attach a tag to the ties and you’re done!  With such a classic scent, this makes a great choice for many people on your list, including teachers, neighbors and co-workers.   

We only have a few left in stock, but our linen aprons make a thoughtful gift for the home cook.  We carry two varieties: the half apron in Oatmeal and the full apron in Brown.  A fun and unexpected idea is to package in a vintage Ball Jar!

Owen Fox is just one in our collection of adorable stuffed animals (We also have Nicholas Bear, Gracie Cat, and Lucy Owl in stock).  Every plush is sent to you in a reusable muslin bag, so you can just attach a gift tag and you’re done!

These pewter coffee scoops are new in the shop and they are fantastic!  Perfect for any coffee lover (or maybe a new mama?), you could attach it with ribbon to your favorite brew.  Each scoop also comes to you in a beautiful kraft-colored gift box, so you have another easy way to package and give.  

Our letterpress recipe box is a great idea when you have a few people who’d like to go in on a gift together.  Made of gorgeous American Maple, the box has a leather loop at the top and fits about 250 recipe cards.  I can imagine it purchased for a new bride, filled with favorite recipes from her family.  In the picture above, I included our Mason Jar recipe cards to help her get started! 

Our seed bombs are a fun choice (and at a great price point!) if you need to buy for many: teachers, co-workers, girlfriends, etc.  We carry three varieties: Salad Greens, Herbs, and Edible Flowers.  While you obviously can wait until spring to plant outside, these also do well when planted indoors during the winter.  A small plastic take out box was the perfect size to package three of them for giving.   


If you just can’t decide on the perfect present, our Gift Certificates are the perfect solution.  We have them in $15, $25, $50 and $100 amounts. 

There are many more great gift ideas in the shop, so be sure to come on over and check us out.  (We just got all-natural eco-dough and crayons and they make great stocking stuffers!)  We would love to have your business this holiday season!
printable gift tags found here

{BWF} Behind the Scenes: A Reflection on the Past 10 Months


 It will be ten months next week that we launched Big White Farmhouse, our online home decor and gift shop.  As I type this, I really can’t believe how fast the year has gone!  With 2015 just weeks away, I’ve been reflecting on life as new business owners and looking back on all we’ve accomplished.  Take a peek into my journal:  

+ We are proud to be a debt-free company.  Andrea (my cousin and co-owner) and I have each invested money into our store and we are determined to use our money wisely.  The decision against borrowing money has caused slower growth for us, but it’s been good growth.  Each purchase from customers gets us closer to new products and an expanded line.  
+ My favorite part of owning a business is packaging up orders.  A close second would be wholesale purchasing; I love searching for the best new products!
+ My weakest part of owning a business: marketing.  For example, I rarely post news about our shop on my Instagram feed, but each time I do, without fail, I always lose a few followers.  For a long time, I really struggled with that.  In 2015, I hope to brainstorm creative ways to market our sales/new products, but I’m not longer going to feel guilty for promoting a company that I’m so proud of! + Facebook is complicated for businesses.  We have over 300 “fans” and yet our posts only reach a handful of them!  Frustrating, for sure.  
+ We were surprised to realize that it’s really hard to sell candles online!  Trying to describe scents is tricky and I’m still trying to figure it out.
+ The Vintage Finds section of the store has been a big hit, but I struggle to find the time to check thrift shops and antique stores on a regular basis.  This is one area I hope to improve on in 2015.
+ Big White Farmhouse stands on the belief of quality vs. quantity and because of this, I’ve really changed how I look at my own purchases.  I find myself venturing away from buying as much as I can for the lowest price and instead embracing the idea of saving my pennies to purchase that one special piece.  My love for Target still stands, but I think there can be a balance.
+ I can’t wait to see where Year Two takes us!


{BWF} Behind the Scenes: Our Packaging

Today is the beginning of a new series here on the blog, a peek behind the scenes of Big White Farmhouse!    I hope to pop in every so often to share about all the aspects of small business ownership, especially as I venture out into uncharted territory.  I know I have lots to learn along the way and maybe my experience will be helpful to someone too.  (Please let me know if you have any questions or ideas for the series!)

For the first installment, I thought I’d start with my favorite part of Big White Farmhouse: packaging up new orders!  
When you buy from Big White Farmhouse, we want you to feel like you’ve become a part of the family.  Each item purchased from us is wrapped in our signature kraft paper and red twine.  A handwritten thank you note is also included in every order.  Eventually, we may add a secret bonus in the envelope too…still thinking about that one!  The look is simple, but we hope it conveys to our customers that they are special.  Andrea and I think the little details are as important as the big ones.    

Only a few more days to save 15% site-wide at our Grand Opening Sale!  
Ending Friday, January 31. 

{dreams} Big White Farmhouse the Boutique is LIVE!


Words cannot describe how excited I am to write today’s post!

 It has been a long time since I last talked about my dream of Big White Farmhouse, the boutique.  The road was quite a bit longer than we expected, but perseverance pays off.  I am so excited to tell you that Big White Farmhouse is live and ready for business!

 A little bit about the vision of our store: 
Big White Farmhouse is a family affair, created by my cousin Andrea and me.  The shop stems from the same roots as my blog – we hope to honor the life of our great-grandmother through our love for home decor.  Our Gram was such an amazing lady and has greatly influenced our lives.  We hope to share a bit of her with you!  We are passionate about supporting the small American artisan and all of our items are proudly made in the USA.  We carry a mix of new items and vintage finds, so you may just find a one-of-a-kind piece!

We plan on “opening” our farmhouse one room at time.  We decided to start with the kitchen because well, it’s our favorite place in Grammie’s farmhouse.  So many of our childhood memories stem from sitting around the big table, the room loud with conversation and laughter.  The kitchen truly was (and still is!) the heart of Gram’s home.  

 A few of my favorite products in the Kitchen Collection:

The “Stir” Tea Towel is graphic and simple and I love the look of it on the oven door.  It is one of three different designs we carry, the other two being “Whisk” and “Roll & Pat”.  They make great gifts too! 

The Linen Half Apron is most definitely something I think could be become an heirloom piece!  No detail has gone unnoticed, from the stitching to the pleating.  It is beautiful and functional.  We also carry a full apron in a brown linen.

These candles smell delicious!  My personal favorite is the Grapefruit + Mangosteen.  The other scents we carry are Vanilla, Cucumber Sage + Lavender, and Basil + Herb.

The wooden Letterpress Recipe Box is another item I think could easily be passed down from generation to generation.  We have a bunch of Gram’s old recipes and they are priceless to us!  We carry recipe cards in two different designs to fill up your box, Farm Fresh Eggs and Mason Jar.


 One last item, although I’d love to share them all!  This white Ironstone Platter is part of the Vintage Finds collection.  It has a bit of wear and tear, but we love the look and can only imagine the story it could tell.


To celebrate, we’ve made every item in the store 15% off!  No coupon codes necessary!  
Sale will be available until January 31, 2014. 

You can connect with us over on Facebook and Pinterest.  One last thing: I’d love for you to sign up below to get on our mailing list!  Andrea and I are working to make sure our monthly e-mails are ones you will actually look forward to, including coupon codes, recipes, family stories and more!

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