simple life

The Cottagecore Trend. Have We Come Full Circle?

Posted by Barbara Techel
My favorite Cottagecore space: Joyful Pause Cottage

Anything with the word “cottage” in it I am like a bee that flies headfirst with great delight into the face of a flower to drink up the sweet nectar.

Such was the case the other morning when I serendipitously came across a YouTube video titled, Cottagecore (books, movies, TV shows – to feel all the springtime vibes).

Down the rabbit hole I went with anticipated curiosity to see what this trend called Cottagecore was all about.

In short, from an article by HuffPost: it’s all about looking and living like you’re in some sort of pastoral painting— even if you live far, far away from a farm. I think the key point here is actually living in this way if this is what you feel called to, rather than just looking as if you live in this way.

The article goes on to share that it all started with quarantine during 2020. It’s the younger generation that seems to have come up with this trendy word because they felt called to go back to the roots of what home is all about.

I especially loved what writer, Katherine Livesey had to say in the article: “I would describe it as an aesthetic based upon a quiet, simple life filled with good, wholesome food, animals to care for, a garden to tend to, clothes that feel whimsical and a deep-rooted appreciation for nature and the natural world.”

I would add to this list as it is what I define Cottagecore as is enjoying any form of creativity, exploration of Self, and being open to how the world around guides us through signs and symbolism—and what can sometimes be defined as living a more shamanistic or indigenous way of life.

It also had me thinking about when I left the corporate world back in 1995 at the age of thirty-four. My heart was yearning for a simpler and quieter life and one where I could work from home. But I can’t tell you how long it took me to be okay with this. At times I felt guilty for not working a 9-5 job and bringing in the substantial income as I once had. I also felt odd that I didn’t have kids because you only stayed home if you had children, right? I thought about all the women who fought hard for the feminine movement and equal rights and pay (and in some ways are still working hard to make this happen).

When I left the corporate world I did work part-time for a few years doing bookwork for a general contractor, but eventually, I no longer was. And as you know if you’ve been with me a while, a purpose for my life was revealed with my turning to write about animals, and then five books later… and I continue to evolve.

But at the heart of who I am, I am a Cottagecore girl. I had to bold that statement because it is truly what makes my heart sing!

As I read more about this Cottagecore trend I had a few moments of feeling sad/mad about all the years I wasted worrying about why I felt odd/different. But I also thought about the challenges of last year and how in my heart I hoped more would go back to a simpler way of life—that this would be more accepted in our society. 

It gave me great hope to read that more of the younger generation has come to appreciate home life and that it has such value. I might add, I’m not knocking those (especially women) who want to be in the corporate world and who are leaders, etc., because we need them too! But it took me a long time to be okay with my feelings about the value I added to our home and our life by not working out in the corporate world.

The truth is I learned so much from that time. I learned what I did and didn’t want. I also came to learn over the years that even though I didn’t contribute directly to helping John in his business with some aspects, I contributed greatly in supporting him in other ways. He has done the same for me.

I’ve come to realize that I am a leader. My definition of a leader? Someone who lives from the truth of who they are and does not worry what others may think of their choices. We have to start to expand that definition of a leader because it isn’t just what society has necessarily always deemed it to be.

Perhaps I’m digressing a bit from the theme of Cottagecore, but I don’t think so. I guess because reading about this ‘trend’ brought up so many different feelings and thoughts for me. So it feels like this is all part of it.

In reality, the terms and definitions used to describe Cottagecore really aren’t all that new. Generations before us, and many today have lived in this way all along. But I’m grateful for the attention the word is helping to bring to the forefront that it is perfectly acceptable to live in this way. 

Will the trend stay? I hope in many ways it will. But if anything, for those that this appeals to, my wish is that they will not let society define how to live their life, and live from the heart of who they truly are. We need all hands on deck to live from the beat of their own drum – whether in the corporate world – or Cottagecore world.

And this Cottagecore girl plans to continue to do just that.

XO,

Barb

                     

A Dancing Fairy (and Grasshopper!) Inside Joyful Pause Cottage. Come See the Video.

Posted by Barbara Techel

It has been one of the most magical June’s I can remember in a long time. Though I know it’s just the beginning of the month. But I’m feeling like the difficulties of 2020 are beginning to show the gifts of why we had to go through what we did.

For me, I’m deeply appreciating things even more than I did before. The simple things. Like growing a vegetable garden this year, paying even more attention to the flower and shrub gardens around my Joyful Pause Cottage and home, quiet weekend mornings sipping coffee out front with John, and catching moments like this when a fairy and grasshopper dance in the sparkling light coming through the shade on my window…

Click here to watch the video I captured of it, or on the video below… 

Wishing you a most magical week.

XO,  Barb

Simple Joys and Sharing A Favorite YouTube Channel – Fairyland Cottage

Posted by Barbara Techel

This morning, sitting at my vanity I watched as one squirrel, and then another came for a drink from the birdbath. I could simply watch them all day long!

And then a first for me today as I sliced up oranges and dried them in the oven to use with my holiday decorations. Here are a few tucked in with this centerpiece on my kitchen table.

The simple joys that continue to be what gives me hope. 

I spent the weekend putting up Christmas decorations in my house. Though I use the same decorations, I always find new ways in which to display them. I also decorated the front porch and the window box on Joyful Pause Cottage. Normally I would have bought greens, red birch branches, and birch twigs and logs from a nearby nursery for outside. But this year, used what I already had plus I cut greens from our large pine tree in the backyard.

In some ways so much feels odd, while at the same time familiar with an added sense of accomplishment because I’m using what I already have and finding new ways in which to be creative without having to go out and purchase things.

Over the years I’ve scaled back on my holiday decorations having had about 4 large bins full to now 1 1/2 bins. This still takes me two days to go through and place throughout my home. But it’s something I enjoy and is a creative outlet for me.

I wonder if this year more women will be feeling the need to simplify and just enjoy the season in a new way – a quieter and more contemplative way? It’s been something I’ve done for a few years now, but this year seems even more so. I like it. I sense a collective pause and reflection of what really matters.

When the orange slices came out of the oven I sat down to pause and watch one of my favorite channels on YouTube. I thought you might enjoy it too. It is called Fairyland Cottage. It’s about a young woman who lives in Ireland and embodies a simple life. Watching her videos always feels like a meditation to me. This one, especially so.

Niamh, of Fairyland Cottage, and her way of life, like author and artist Susan Branch, and the late Tasha Tudor are the women I carry with me more and more as I walk through this life. The nudge and pull grow stronger and stronger for me every day. I wonder often if this is where we are headed in our world as we have shifted, adapted, and continue to evolve with this year being the big pause to examine just that.

It’s a world I’d like to see – a simpler one – connected to nature and creativity – and one I will continue to do my best to be in my own little corner of the universe. Those ripples out can surely find their way to others seeking this way too.

So without further ado… but first, perhaps make yourself a cup of tea or your favorite beverage, settle into a comfy chair, and enjoy a sweet peek inside Fairyland Cottage. Niamh has so many important nuggets of wisdom in this video.

XO,

Barbara

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