Homemaker Portrait | Brittany Shepard

In this final long form episode of our winter 2026 season, I am presenting a portrait of a single homemaker, Brittany Shepard, who has been keeping a home as a single woman for many years.

Though being single in her 40s is not what she expected, she has learned to see the unique value and beauty of the life God has given her right now. 

Brittany is, by nature, a storyteller and story keeper. She loves filling her home with family heirlooms and vintage treasures, so much so that her passion has grown into a flourishing side business called The Sentimental Decorator. 

Whether she’s gathering women around the shared love of story-keeping or gathering family and friends around her dinner table set with treasured dishes, Brittany understands how to leverage the home and her singleness to bring people together and foster a place of welcome and belonging for whomever God puts in her path.

NOTES & LINKS

Connect with Brittany

• Website | thesentimentaldecorator.com
• Instagram | @brittanyshepard
• The Sentimental Twist Podcast | apple | Spotify

MIL/DIL Relationships Survey

Full Episode Notes including Brittany's Signature Dish will be on the Blog. theartofhomepodcast.com/blog > search "Brittany Shepard" or click the link below.

https://www.theartofhomepodcast.com/post/single-homemaker-portrait-with-brittany-shepard

Transcript

Allison 0:03

Hello, homemakers. Welcome to the Art of Home podcast, where we are exploring how homemakers cultivate a place to belong. I'm your host, Allison Weeks. I'm a wife, a mom, a granny, and I've been practicing the Art of Home since 1992. Welcome everybody. Whether you are a brand new listener or you have been around for a while, I'm just really honored that you are going to trust me with some of your time today. We will be hearing a brand new interview, but before we get to that, let's check the mailbag, shall we? This is the part of the show where I respond to messages and I answer questions that you all have sent me either via email or one-way text message. This mailbag segment is brought to you by listeners who support the art of home through Buy Me a Coffee. Buy Me a Coffee is a virtual tip jar where you can show your appreciation and support for the show by giving a one-time tip or by becoming a Titus 2 Woman supporter and setting up a recurring tip of $5 per month. Titus2 Women supporters receive my undying gratitude and the occasional perk, such as free printables and free registration for the recipe exchange and other fun things. Whichever way you choose to give, I am grateful for your support. A big thank you to Mary, who recently supported the Art of Home through Buy Me a Coffee and left this very kind note. Blessings to you. I've enjoyed this podcast very much. I've only been here a few months, but it has blessed me much. I love you all, and I most enjoy the Christmas interview and the recent Pam interview. I'm not as far on the journey as many of the speakers, but it's nice to be encouraged to thrive better. And Jasmine, our guest from last week, sent me this text along with the long haul listener emoji, gold star for you, Jasmine, on Amanda Webb's episode. I just finished this week's episode from Amanda Webb, and it was truly a blessing. The Lord is using our own circumstances with our foster son and my husband's regular and inconsistent work schedule to really teach me to abandon expectation and lean into whatever the season is. I'm not always successful at doing it with joy, but the daily goal is to improvise, adapt, and overcome. Amanda Webb's story was inspiring and convicting. Thank you for doing what you do and enriching the lives of women just like me. You're very welcome, Jasmine. Thank you, both of you ladies, for your kind notes. And thank you again, Mary, for your financial support through Buy Me a Coffee. I always love hearing from listeners how the show is encouraging them. And I share these notes with you all because I hope as part of the Art of Home community, you would also want to hear and celebrate how sharing our stories is strengthening homes all over the world. And perhaps this will inspire you to share your story with the women in your life and get to know the stories of the women in your life. If you have some feedback, an idea, or a story about how the Art of Home has helped you, I would love to hear from you. Send me an email or a one-way text using the links in the show notes. If you text me, be sure to include your name because I can't see your name and I cannot text you back. So include your email also if you would like a direct reply. Today marks the end of our long form episodes for winter 2026 on the Art of Home. This season is a bit unusual because I will be completing eight weeks of Monday motivations, but stopping today at six weeks of Wednesday long form episodes. The Monday episodes are quick to produce and already finished, but the Wednesday episodes take quite a bit more of my time. In order to get to work on the first issue of the Homemaker's Journal, the new magazine from The Art of Home, I cut this season a little short. But I will finish out the Acts of Courageous Homemaking series with two more Monday episodes. So be sure to listen to those on Monday, February 23rd and Monday, March 2nd. After my regular four-week between season break, the spring season of the Art of Home will begin on April the 6th and run all eight weeks through the end of May. And there's a lot of great content coming your way in the spring, not to mention the magazine. To stay up to date on what is happening with the podcast and the magazine, please subscribe to our email list over at the Artof Home Podcast.com slash subscribe, and you will be the first to know all the news. Now on to today's interview. In this final long form episode of our winter 2026 season, I am presenting a portrait of a single homemaker, Brittany Shepherd. She is only our second single homemaker to be featured here on The Art of Home, and I would love to include more in the future. So if you know someone who would make a great subject for a single homemaker portrait, be sure to nominate them when applications open up again. My guest today, Brittany, has been keeping a home for many years. And though being single in her 40s is not what she expected, she has learned to see the unique value and beauty of the life God has given her right now. Brittany is by nature a storyteller and story keeper. She loves filling her home with family heirlooms and vintage treasures, so much so that her passion has grown into a flourishing side business called the Sentimental Decorator. Whether she's gathering women around the shared love of story keeping or gathering family and friends around her dinner table set with treasured dishes, Brittany understands how to leverage the home and her singleness to bring people together and foster a place of welcome and belonging for whomever God puts in her path. I want to thank you again for trusting me with some of your very valuable time today. I pray it will be fruitful for you. Whatever you are applying your hands to as you listen, I know you will enjoy Britney's story of home. Welcome to the Art of Home. I'm here with Brittany Shepard, and she is an in-the-trenches single homemaker. I'm so excited to have another single homemaker. You're our second one, Brittany. So I'm excited to talk to you all about keeping a home as a single person and just that unique experience. But before we get into that story and hear all your background and everything, why don't you just say hey to everybody? Tell us a little bit about who you are today.

SPEAKER_02 7:09

Okay. I am Brittany Shepherd and I live in Alabama. I'm a Georgia girl and I transplanted to the Dothan, Alabama area 16 or so years ago after college at the University of Georgia and then serving overseas for a couple years in India and moved back home in the midst of uh 2008-2009 job hunt situations and ended up over in Dothan, which is about an hour from where I grew up in Georgia. I currently work for the school system, but I like to say that I'm a writer and a storyteller because that's my heart. I studied journalism and I love to write and I've always enjoyed that. So I do some freelance writing, but really my passion is sharing my love for home and sentimental style. And I'm sure we'll talk about that a little bit through my Instagram platform and my website. Um I am joyfully single. I always like to say that because, you know, it may not be where I expected to be at 41 years old back as a 21-year-old, but I've just seen the goodness of God in my life and looking back on all the things that have happened in my life, you know, I really appreciate my current singleness and I find contentment and joy in it because he offers me opportunity to love and serve in this stage of life platform in life in a different way than I might have been. And I've been able to have some fun adventures and do some things that maybe I wouldn't have been able to do as married with children. Um, so I have two geriatric dogs and three, well, I have two nephews and a niece, and I don't know why there's not a single word for the combination of nephews and nieces. And so I've decided to create one and it's nibblings. So, like siblings, but nieces and nephews. So I have three nibblings that are my little world. Um, so that's where I am right now. Um living my best life, I like to say, because I do I do really enjoy my life. I like to tell people that I really am thankful for where I am.

Allison 9:12

So oh, what a great opener. I love that. I haven't heard you say nibblings before um on your show. So that is really awesome. And yeah, I never think about that.

SPEAKER_02 9:25

Why do we have a name? Yeah, because we have siblings for brothers and sisters. So that's why I went with nibblings, by the way.

Allison 9:33

Yeah, we have children, siblings, but not that is I love it. Okay, maybe it'll catch on. And you might find yourself in the in the um, what is it? It's the OED in the Oxford English Dictionary where they do like they add new words, new words, new years. Yeah. Maybe never.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

I'm probably not the first one to think of it, but you know.

Allison 9:51

Um, I can't I wanted to ask you about India because I've heard you talk about that before. Like what you were you were over there doing mission work? Is that right?

SPEAKER_02 9:58

Yes, I was. I um worked with um basically I went to India as a tourist on a tourist visa, but I was learning languages and doing quite a lot of things through the Journeyman program, um, if anyone's familiar with that. And I really deeply worked with women and children who were being rescued from the red light district and stuff there. And then also just going out into more rural areas in India where believers were, you know, finding their way to the Lord and training them in ways to share the gospel in sort of a more culturally relevant format through telling stories. So storytelling has been a part of my history for as long as I can remember.

Allison 10:43

So gosh, that's so cool. I love that.

SPEAKER_02 10:45

It was best and worst two years of my life, is what I judge.

Allison 10:48

Okay, I was gonna say how long were you there? Two years. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 10:50

Two years. It was so wonderful, joyful, stretching, adventurous. Um, my relationship with the Lord grew in different ways than I probably would have any other circumstances, but it was hard. I missed home and I missed my mom especially. And um, I got to come home from my brother's high school graduation about halfway through, and then my mom came to visit. But you know, someone who is like your mom's your best friend, that was that was a struggle. Um, but you know, it was it was wonderful. I'm so glad she came and had that experience with me during that time. So it was fun.

Allison 11:24

Good. Okay, well, let's jump in to your story and go back to the beginning. When did you first become a homemaker? And did you have any skills?

SPEAKER_02 11:34

So I like to joke. Well, I don't know if I like to joke, but just thinking about this. When I first became a homemaker, it was when I was playing with my baby dolls when I was a little girl, because I would, I mean, you know, little girls play house, obviously. And I I very much loved it. Um, but my skills, which are probably my skills now still, when I look back, is making it pretty and like making my Barbie doll furniture, organized in a certain way, organizing my kitchen, my little kitchen, little tight's kitchen, and um decorating the baby's room in the corner of my bedroom. You know, I I loved to rearrange shelves as a little girl. So those are my main skills, probably.

Allison 12:20

That's awesome. But so baby dolls. What are you what do you struggle with um in the in the area of skills as a homemaker?

SPEAKER_02 12:30

Well, I don't love to clean specifically. I'm not very tall, so I hate making the bed and I hate replacing the sheets. Um, but you know, cleaning is one of those things I have to be got a podcast in my ears or an audio book going, and then I can get in the swing of it. It's not that I'm lacking in skills, I'm lacking in motivation. And one of the things my mom taught me um years ago, and I don't always have the capability to do this depending on the phase of life, but she was like, if you can afford someone to clean your house, it's not terrible to do. And so um from time to time I, you know, budget that in. And I'm in a current season where I'm not budgeting that in, and so I'm trying to keep on top of those things.

Allison 13:19

So yeah, yeah. It it is nice to have somebody come in and do a little bit of the left the heavy lifting once a month is what I do. So yeah, yeah. To get especially as I get older, I'm just like it's a little get little getting a little bit harder to get down on the floor, and you know, unfortunately, as a single person, and yes, I do have people coming in and out of my house, there it doesn't get too disorderly, if you will.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

But I mean, I can let it go and just my I have a chair. I'm I don't know if everybody has a chair in their bedroom where the clothes pile up that need to either be hung back up or yeah, you know. Yes.

Allison 13:56

So it's a chair, it's either a chair or like a treadmill or a or a bike or something like that.

SPEAKER_02 14:01

Not a treadmill for me.

Allison 14:03

No. So who would you say has had the biggest influence or just has a bit has had a big influence on your homemaking?

SPEAKER_02 14:11

I would say there's there's probably three people that I would name that off the top of my head. Um my grandmother and the cooking and the loving people through food. Um she was, you know, everybody knew graniella's cooking was the best. And um, and so that there's that. My mom, for sure, about the aesthetics of home because she had an eye for style and she, you know, loved to, we call it fluff our homes, and she she was very uh in tune to that. But she also had a very welcoming vibe. You know, it wasn't like decorating for decorating sake, it was making things beautiful so people feel comfortable and the home feels lived in and enjoyable. And then probably in faith-wise um homemaking, just uh my friend Betsy. She uh and her husband hosted a single adults Bible study here in Dothan for about 10 years at their home. And it's where I met a lot of my you know closest friends here in Dothan, and they welcomed us in once a week, and she prepared food for you know 20 to 30 young adults, and her home was just always the most welcoming and the most um comfortable. It was never, it never felt like she had beautiful vintage and antique things, but it never has beautiful vintage and antique things, but it never felt like you can't do that, you can't sit here, don't do that, don't do that. It was very laid back, charming, but just you felt her love and care in her home. Um, and so those are the three that come to mind.

Allison 15:41

Oh, those are great. All right, I want to talk about singleness and homemaking specifically.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

Yes.

Allison 15:48

Okay. What are some unique temptations that you face as a single homemaker?

SPEAKER_02 15:55

Well, unique temptation as a single homemaker to be selfish with my time and resources and space. And um, I'm a homebody in general. I say the older I get, the more homebody I become. Um, I do love the occasional adventure, but I can have a tendency and a temptation to just stay home or just be in my environment and connect, you know, just via social media and phone and text instead of actually having people in and out of my home can and you know, that can be a tendency and a temptation to sort of not reclusive. I'm not reclusive in any way, but as a homebody, I have to put myself out there a little bit more and intentionally plan those things. My best friend and I we joke, like, please invite us to do things, but only if we're already dressed, you know, like, you know, so don't try it on a two o'clock on a Saturday when we haven't had anything else going on because probably won't be happening. But no, so that's a temptation is to be put myself in a situation where I'm alone a lot more, but I don't really hate my own company. So it's never um, it's never lonely and depressive that kind of way. It's just a temptation not to interact in person with people. I would also say the a challenge is, you know, just having to handle and manage all the responsibilities of a home on your own. And everything from taking the trash to the road on it on the trash day, you know, to keeping up with the finances and making sure the home maintenance is taken care of. Some of those can be a challenge. And the temptation there is to start a feeling of discontent because I'm not married. Um, so that's probably what comes to mind when I when I think about temptations and challenges of making.

Allison 17:41

Yeah. So have you developed good systems for yourself? I mean, we're gonna talk about like priorities and rhythms in a little bit, but as that is a very valid point that I I didn't even really think about. You know, it is all on you to and you own your own home. And that's a lot, you know, to have to manage all of that by yourself. So have you developed some systems to make sure that you don't drop too many balls?

SPEAKER_02 18:03

Yeah, I I try to, you know, um kind of keep a home maintenance sort of schedule and rhythm when it comes to the things that need to be done. And of course, you know, financially trying to make sure that I'm putting money aside. I'm all not always successful at that. Um, for little emergencies and things. Um, and as far as like the day-to-day, you know, I I don't beat myself up if I don't get the trash to the road one week because I usually don't accumulate a lot of trash and it doesn't necessarily have to go to the road weekly because it's just me and my dogs, you know. So, you know, I try not to put too much pressure on myself when it comes to those things, but I generally do enjoy tending to my home. So that makes it a little bit easier. Um, and I do have systems, you know, for those things like maintenance and and bills and um keeping things, you know, organized. I am a planner user and home projects and home tasks go into that planner as as a calendar event a lot of times.

Allison 18:59

So yeah, yeah, that's a good practice. Just put it on the calendar and set lots of reminders. That's what I have to do.

SPEAKER_02 19:06

Oh, yes. This is the only reason I have an Apple Watch, is so that my reminders come to my wrist. Exactly. Because otherwise I will forget. So exactly.

Allison 19:15

So, okay, those are the challenges unique to you as a single homemaker. But what about opportunities? Can you see some unique opportunities that you have as a single homemaker?

SPEAKER_02 19:24

I think that one of the most unique things about being a single homemaker is really learning to be content with your own company. And I know that I said that already, but um, that I like my own company a good bit. But as a single homemaker, I have the opportunity to really dig deep into my relationship with the Lord and in my relationship with those close to me. I don't have a lot of other voices competing for my attention. Um, and so, you know, I can spend a season focusing on certain things that maybe moms and wives cannot. Um, I think the opportunity for hospitality looks a little different. And I, you know, as a single 40-something, there are a lot of us that um are in this same situation who often feel a little bit disconnected from, you know, whether it be our faith community where there's not a lot of space for single older, like middle-aged adults, I don't know if we're middle-aged if we're considered middle-aged, but single adults our age that don't have kids. Um, and you know, we joke, I have a couple of friends in this same stage, and when when nobody has anywhere to go for Thanksgiving, you know, we have misfit Thanksgiving is what we call it, you know, like Island of Misfit toys. But the opportunity for hospitality to to nurture other people in this stage of life is really great. But then um really it's unique in that my time is generally my time. And so I can choose to focus it in on the things that are needing the most attention right now, the relationships that are needing the most attention right now, the work in me that needs the most attention right now, whether that be physically, spiritually, emotionally. Um, and then also recognizing that in my friends and what they need most from me, I have more time to pour into those areas of their lives. And um, and again, the same with resources. Um, as a single homemaker, you know, my resources are limited because I am a single income, but I do have the sole responsibility and the decision making of how those resources are used and and given out.

Allison 21:46

So that is unique. So yeah. Oh, that's a great perspective. And I love just thinking about your time being more your own and not not those uh other, you know, you have a you have a nine to five job, correct? Yeah. Um and then you do your your other work for your fun job.

SPEAKER_02 22:05

My other job is fun too, but you know, yes, yeah.

Allison 22:07

This this cool thing you get to do with the sentimental decorator. Um but other than that, you get to determine, you know, how you spend your time. And when you were talking about being okay, like liking your own company, it just made me think about um solitude. Like I I know in some church circles that's like a traditional um uh what is it called? Spiritual discipline is practicing solitude, like being okay with being alone. And many, if not most, modern people are not okay with being alone for very long. Just being alone with your own thoughts and with the Lord and listening to him and seeing what comes up, it can be very uncomfortable.

SPEAKER_02 22:49

It can be, I think it can be for some people, and even for me, sometimes it is uncomfortable, you know, um, recognizing things in myself that I need to work on and deal with. Um, and but also that time that I have it affords me if I if I'm passionate and pursuing holiness and sanctification to put the time and effort in that without other competing attention um in a lot of ways.

Allison 23:12

So that's great. It's so cool how God has provided that in a different way for you because like family life, you know. I mean, you know from growing up in a in a family, family life and marriage and all that, it's very sanctifying because you're constantly rubbing up against other humans. Right. So you got to deal with all the crud that comes out. Um, but God is sufficient and He's found a way to work that out in your life as well as a single person. So that's really cool.

SPEAKER_01 23:39

Yeah.

Allison 23:40

Okay, let's talk about expectations. So, what are some things that have surprised you about homemaking? Things good or bad that you did not expect.

SPEAKER_02 23:48

Okay. Uh, when I was thinking about this, uh, one of the things that came to my mind that I really probably hadn't thought about before until you asked me this question is that the more I tend to my home, the more content I am as a person. Because tending to my home brings me joy and it it's it's like a full circle thing. Um, it allows me to be content and then I'm not grasping at things that aren't for me right now. And um, so the more I tend to my home, the more content I feel, and the more at peace I feel with being in a a situation at 41 that I didn't expect to be in. And at this point, I can't imagine not being single. Um, I mean, of course, you know, I would love to be able to do that. If God sees fit to bring you, yeah. But I am fully content in my singleness in a way that I could not have said 10 or 12 years ago. Um, and there's always that pull. Um, but I I've lived a lot of life in those last 10 to 12 years that maybe have changed that dynamic as well. But having my own space to tend to and care for um and to welcome others in, whether it be physically here with people in my circle in real life or welcoming in other women into my home through social media, which I do feel is um something I'm able to do and it f it brings me joy. Um, and then okay, so yeah, finding joy in my home is real, I just am striving less for other things that I maybe would be seeking if I didn't find that joy and contentment through tending to my home.

Allison 25:39

So yeah. Oh, that's that is a really great answer. And I love how you're just um you are reinforcing something that we talk a lot about on the show, which is that home is, you know, it's the training ground for relationships. It's you know, all kinds of things happen in the home, but it is the foundation of um of neighborhoods, communities, uh, states, nations, you know, this is God's design for this um to grow his people to become more like Christ. And so you're finding that that contentment comes when you're when you tend to the place that God has put you, this unique place.

SPEAKER_02 26:23

Um then it brings me contentment and joy, and then I find the support I need in it. I it's it's a right, it's a strange thing to like sort of verbalize. Yeah. Um, but yeah, it's like when I say full circle, you know, caring for my home makes me more content and I feel more supported by my home.

Allison 26:46

You know, like it's no, I mean I see the I see the circle. Like even just thinking about how it brings you joy to tend to your home. And when we are joyful, we tend to be more content. And in that contentment, you're not looking around at what other other people around you have, their homes, their husbands, whatever. Whatever. And you can then you're content. Okay, I can now focus on my home and I'm tending to my home again, and that brings me joy. And it's just a continual circle.

SPEAKER_02 27:11

So and for me, my home is such a um space of memory and space of nostalgia. And I like to say it tells my story because the people that I love in my life that are here now are very present in my home, but also those that are gone. My mom, for example, my grandmothers, they are very, I still feel very close to them and I feel like I'm honoring them through my home. And so that also brings me joy and contentment. And, you know, that's what sentimental style really is about when I talk about it on my platforms. But um, yeah, it it brings me a different, a a piece that I didn't expect to find um through through that.

Allison 27:53

So so the so I I found you um about a year ago on Instagram. And because I get on my I have two Instagrams, I have the podcast one and then I have my personal one. And on my personal one, I have all the vintage things. Like give me all the vintage collector ladies who are into transferwear and that kind of thing. Um, and thrifting and antiquing and all that. So the algorithm fed me your account one day, and I was like, oh, I love this so much because it's collected, and that's how I like um that's how I like for my life, my home to be. I I I'm just not one to like go into, you know, pottery barn or Target or whatever and be like, okay, one of those and one of those and one of those. I mean, I I like I'll find things at those stores, but I'm much more a collected kind of person. So your stuff just totally resonated with me. Um before we move on to the next section, I just want to give you an opportunity to talk just a little bit about that because I am gonna have you back and we're gonna dive deep into this topic. Um, but how did you how did you get to where you are now? Like it kind of exploded on you, didn't it?

SPEAKER_02 29:04

Yeah, well, it's kind of crazy. I started reflecting like okay, I turned 40 in 2024. And for some reason, I just felt like I I get I mean, it was the Lord, put it in my heart. You know, I had done, I'd had an Instagram. It's my personal Instagram since Instagram. I'm always an early adopter. So I've had Instagram since like Instagram came out. Yeah. And it was always just like I'm posting my food, I'm posting my whatever, you know. And then in 2020 time frame, you know, we were home and a lot. And I was my mom died in 2018. Okay. So this was the first really time that I allowed myself to slow down and live with life in a new way. And so I was home and wanting to feel connected still, but being single, so being home alone a lot. And um, I started posting about my home. And it just, you know, I didn't, I didn't, I wasn't intending, but I was just sharing photos of my home. And I really love tablescapes and I really love vintage. And I was bringing in at that time and unboxing still things from my mom and my grandmother. And so I I started doing it a little bit then in 2020, but then life happened. I had a kidney transplant in 2021, you know, and I kind of fell off. But when I turned 40, or as I was getting ready to turn 40, I was just thinking about like what brings me joy in my home, is like I said, brings me so much joy and decorating my home, puttering around my home. It's my puttering and pidling. It's my favorite thing. And people seem to like my style. And so I was like, let me, I'm gonna commit to posting every single day for a year.

Allison 30:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 30:40

When I turn 40. And so I started in October of 2024 posting every day. And around Christmas time, I posted a picture of my tree, which is mainly a collection that spun out from inheriting my grandmother's shiny bright ornaments.

Allison 30:58

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 30:58

And in the picture, it was just all things that belong to someone I love, you know, in the background of the tree. And I just said something by off the off the cuff in the caption, just call me the sentimental decorator. And a friend from my area where I grew up, who actually is a decorator, she said, if you're not decorating professionally, you should and call yourself that. And so that's how the name came because I realized, yes, everything that is in my home has a story behind it. Even the things that I buy myself, there's there's a reason why I love it and it has a story if it didn't belong to someone or wasn't given to me by someone I love. And so that just kind of spun from there. And I think that a lot of people, I think thankfully, we're seeing the trend come more to old as gold and back to vintage and recognizing that secondhand and not fast, not fast home decor. Yeah, like younger kids, younger generations are loving, thrifting and secondhand shopping. And I feel like it's coming back, and I think it just kind of caught fire. And honestly, it resonates too a lot of my story with women who are going through similar things, like really processing grief through having to clean out a loved one's home, or whether it's losing a mom or a sibling or a family member, a husband, um, and having to sort of deal with transition. But the one of the ways that I found of processing my grief for my mom was using and displaying the things that she loved and cared for and um collected. And thankfully she was very tasteful. And so a lot of it fit my vibe, but just bringing it into more my style. She was she was a little bit more burgundies and greens and things like that, and yellows, and I'm more peaches and blues, you know, but finding a way to bring her things and honor them. And like I said, she feels very present because I see the things that were special to her that are now special to me. So that's kind of how it all came out, came happened. I don't know.

Allison 32:52

That's crazy. That's so cool. And now you've got um a good big chunk of people on Instagram following Sentimental Decorator. You've got a podcast.

SPEAKER_02 33:03

Yes, the Sentimental Twist with my friend Melissa, who is um home with a twist on Instagram. I'm just at Britney Shepherd on Insta, but she's home with a twist, and hers is more heirloom recipes and kitchen stories from her mom because her mom was like the ultimate entertainer and now she is. And so that's why we call it the sentimental twist, because it's a little bit of both of our I love that name.

Allison 33:25

I love yeah, I love that you combined it like that. And I have major envy of Melissa's um her closet where she has all her dish, her dish closet.

SPEAKER_02 33:34

What is she called? Entertainment closet, yeah.

Allison 33:37

Oh my gosh, it's like a dream come true. Well, okay, I'm hoping we're we're just hopefully we're gonna get to talk to both of y'all later on in the year.

SPEAKER_02 33:44

That'd be great.

Allison 33:45

Um, and we'll definitely link everything down below so people can see what you've got going on. And um okay, but we need to get back to get back to the topics. Um so okay, we I want to talk about priorities and rhythms just a little bit. We um we kind of touched on this talking about putting things on the calendar, but is there any other practical steps that you take to help you set and keep your priorities? Because you got your big girl job that you're working, and then now you've got your big girl business that's starting to blossom. So, what are you how are you keeping it all straight?

SPEAKER_02 34:16

I use a full focus planner system by Michael Hyatt. Um, no, but no, that's the um and goal setting system. That is one of my hacks. Like if you have goals and you want them to make sense for your life and distill them into everyday actions, it's the full focus company. Okay. Um, so that's you know, just in the practical nature. But to me, the one priority that I cannot skip is a slow morning, no matter what time I have to be somewhere.

Allison 34:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 34:47

Um, and if I don't have a slow morning, my day is not gonna go great. And when I mean slow, I have to be at work at seven. So that means I get up at 4:45 so that I can have a slow morning. And my slow morning consists of coffee and snuggles with my geriatric pups and quiet time, reading, um, just kind of sitting and staring a little bit if I need to. Prayer, uh, thankfulness, gratitude is a part of that morning ritual, morning read. I love rituals. I'm all about rituals. And that that's probably how I keep things, all the balls in the air, is because I ritualize a lot of my life. And I know that's like the trend was like romanticize your life, but really um to me, you know, the things that are important to me that I want to make a part of my day to keep me grounded and steady and feeling content and joyful in my life are revolve around the rituals I set for myself in my morning when my slow morning is my requirement. I do all of my, you know, other than washing my face, putting on makeup, getting dressed, all of my, you know, hygiene is in the evening so that my morning, I can wait till the very last minute to get up and get ready to go to work. Um and so that is it doesn't matter what time I have to be somewhere, I'm gonna have a slow morning. Um, because it grounds me, it connects me to what matters the most and it gives me a chance to sort of breathe. And then I also usually have a little bit of time to interact with folks that have made comments on social media or sent me direct messages or emails and before I get to my big girl job that I really do love and um enjoy.

Allison 36:28

So yeah. That's a good ritual. I love slow mornings too. Um yeah, even when my kids were home and we were homeschooling, we we did slow mornings. We were not like, okay, let's get started at seven. No, no, no. That's really good. Um yeah, I I uh well, I want to talk, I had another question, but I'm gonna move on. I want to talk about hospitality because I know this is a passion of yours. Um it comes up a lot in in your podcast um with Melissa. So, what are some practical ways that you like to show hospitality through your homemaking?

SPEAKER_02 37:02

Okay. Well, I have a close-knit group of friends here, and we try it's a way that we stay connected is to do Sunday suffers. We don't do it every Sunday. Um, it's been fewer and far, farther between lately, but it's usually at my house, and it's very casual. You know, I cook something, we sit around the table. I try to make it a pretty table, a practical but pretty table. I just feel like that and lighting some candles just makes it fancy, regardless of whether it's breakfast casserole or takeout from the olive garden. Sometimes that happens. Um but you know, just regularly scheduling time to welcome people into my home because, like I said, I could have a tendency not to if I'm um not careful. So practically just making it a part of um a rhythm to have people in my home. Um and I love spur of the moment um opportunities to have people over. And I'm in a unique position, you know, I have a lot of other single girlfriends around my age, and I don't know, you know, what that is a uh symptom of. We can talk about that in a whole nother podcast. Yeah. But um, but you know, that feel um maybe a little bit disconnected from, you know, where we think we should be at this phase in our life. And so having them over more randomly, just kind of surprise opportunities, like if they want to get together for coffee, I'll just say, come to my house and let's do that here. And there's just something about it that being in a home, very casual, not making it a performance by any means, um, and just enjoying it together. So I try to stay on the ready for that. And then of course I also have married friends that are the same way. They need a moment to not have the responsibilities and maybe you know, 45 minutes to an hour and where they're cared for in a way that they they don't get to experience because they're moming and they're jobbing and they're wifing and all the things. So, you know, whatever I'm planning to cook myself for dinner, if somebody is having a day and we're chatting on the phone or texting, I'll just say, come over. Um and so that's my most practical is just being ready and being okay with my house looking like chaos sometimes if it needs to be, and they need that.

Allison 39:25

And so they don't care. They're not looking. I love that so much. So that you're using your unique position to be able to do to minister to other people um who may need a break. Mamas might need a break. Um, and I just want to encourage listeners too, you can do that. That was something that I used to do when my husband, um, I don't know how we did that. We were much younger. This is how I say I don't know how we did this, but we were young. That's how we did it. We have four we have four kids under seven. We were homeschooling, and uh, my husband was working a full-time job and going to school and occasionally traveling. I'm like, how in the world? And then I would like paint the kitchen and stuff like that. But anyway, when he was out for school, because he went to school at night, um, or when he was on a business trip, I would usually invite somebody, one of my girlfriends, whether she was a single gal or if she was another mama, I'd be like, hey, come over. Because I my kids went to bed pretty early and I would have her come over and we would often, often it was Chinese takeout. Yeah. I wasn't, I wasn't necessarily gonna be cooking. So you can serve Chinese takeout or any takeout on the transfer aware ladies. There's no shame in that.

SPEAKER_02 40:30

So oh yeah, oh yeah, and use them. And then okay, I won't get too far into it. Because I say I use it.

Allison 40:37

I know we're gonna talk more about that later. Yes. Um, but yes, I love reaching out like that and just um having people over, and like you said, have the coffee, have them come over to your house for coffee. I mean, it's fine, it's fun to meet at a cute coffee shop sometimes, but there's something just so uh meaningful and personal about bringing someone into your space um to be able to visit in your in your home.

SPEAKER_02 40:57

And like it doesn't make take much to make it feel fancy. I don't know if that's the right word. I don't mean fancy and like but feel special. Yeah, that's the word is you know, using your nice coffee cups that you maybe only use on special occasions. Don't do that though, use them. But um, but you know, like when everyday life feels special because you're bringing if somebody's in coming in and you're pulling down, you know, your fancy dishes or fancy glasses, and it feels like, oh, I'm important, you know, and um I I want them to feel important in my home.

Allison 41:35

So yeah. What's a would that be one of your favorite homemaking hacks? What's a good homemade uh I'm sorry, hospitality hack or tip?

SPEAKER_02 41:43

Hmm. Yeah, use the pretty things, use the fancy things even for when it's not special or you know, not special, like when it doesn't feel like a special occasion.

Allison 41:53

Yeah, for every day.

SPEAKER_02 41:54

Yeah, for every day. And I think, you know, um candles make everything like there's something about the glow of candlelight. It it could be you know, McDonald's, right, chicken nuggets, and fries, but you light some candles and you feel like it's a special occasion. So um I like to make the everyday feel yeah elevated and special.

Allison 42:24

So yeah, elevate elevating the experience by bringing out the fancy dishes and the candles. Love it. Okay, I have some rapid fire QA for you. You can just give me a short answer or you can tell me a story if you would like.

SPEAKER_02 42:36

Oh gosh.

Allison 42:37

What is your favorite homemaking task?

SPEAKER_02 42:40

My favorite homemaking task is I love to wash the dishes, and I know that's weird to people, but it's because I have vintage dishes and I love to like they're like little works of art on a plate that you use every day. And um, so I actually enjoy washing the dishes. Um I that's probably my favorite. Yeah, that's my favorite.

Allison 43:04

Okay, good answer. What about your least favorite?

SPEAKER_02 43:07

Putting the sheets on the bed. I just hate it. It's like the worst. I feel like how tall are you? I'm only four nine. So wow. I'm not tall at all. Which is really funny when people comment on like me standing at my sink if I have a video on Instagram and people are like, why is her counter so tall? Why are her is her sink so high? I'm like, it's not, it's average. I'm not.

Allison 43:30

So oh my gosh. Okay. What's your worst homemaking fail?

SPEAKER_02 43:42

I don't know if there's a single event that I could like recall because I've probably blocked homemaking fails from my memory. But oh gosh, that's hard then. Worst homemaking fail.

Allison 44:02

I don't know. A lot of times these involve holidays, turkeys. Oh, yeah. You know, that kind of thing. Um burning down the kitchen, that comes up a lot. Like almost burning the kitchen down because they walked away from something on the stove. That comes up a lot.

SPEAKER_02 44:14

My mom that happened to my mom. Like after Turk, she was uh frying bacon to make like green beans or something with, and it was a mess. But thankfully it didn't burn down the kitchen. But um I would say, gosh, I cannot think of anything off the top of my head.

Allison 44:30

Well, that's okay. We can come back to it if it's fail, please.

SPEAKER_02 44:33

I know. It means you've just selected memory.

Allison 44:37

Yeah, selective memory. That could be good, actually.

SPEAKER_02 44:40

I know. One time I made a peach cobbler and I forgot to put some of the ingredients, and I can't even remember if it was bacon soda or bacon powder, whatever it was. I didn't put it in, so it just was gooey, just completely gooey.

Allison 44:49

It never, it never Yeah, you're like, oh, and were they like fresh peaches too?

SPEAKER_02 44:53

Yeah, it was like one of those, like I was being real special about it.

Allison 44:56

Oh, I hate that.

SPEAKER_02 44:57

It's a bummer.

Allison 44:58

I hate that. All right, what about a recent homemaking win?

SPEAKER_02 45:03

A recent homemaking win. Okay, this is not really a win in like homemaking necessarily, but I kind of think it is. I I agreed to have my house on the Christmas tour of homes here in Dothan. Yeah. And it felt like a win that I had it all decorated a few days in advance and I wasn't running around like a crazy woman doing the last minute things. And a secondary win to that is because my house is very granny chic in a lot of ways, um, the young girls, like 20s, that were loving it and were like, this is my vibe. I'm like, thank you, Lord. They're coming back to their senses, you know? And so I love that. So that felt like a win.

Allison 45:49

That is a win all the way around. And you had to have that ready pretty early, right? Yeah, December.

SPEAKER_02 45:54

It was December 7th.

Allison 45:56

Yeah. And you had to have everything, like the whole house done.

SPEAKER_02 45:59

Yes, yes. It was, but it was fun. And I will not do it two years in a row, but I'll probably do it again in the future.

Allison 46:05

But okay, that's so fun. Okay. So, what is a homemaking tool or resource that you cannot live without?

SPEAKER_02 46:12

Well, my vintage dishes is what comes to my mind first. And when I say vintage dishes, I mean, you know, my grandmother's wedding china, some of my mom's china, china that my mom gave me. It doesn't have to be vintage, china that I collect, dishes that I am a dish obsessed, and that's what I do most, like is um set pretty tables with my pretty dishes, or they're hanging on the wall and things like that. So, you know, that is my favorite tool to use is a dish and making it feel like art in my house. Um, but my favorite a book that just really I keep coming back to, and this year I'm reading it again. Um, it's Alexandra Stoddard. I don't know if you know who Alexandra Stoddard is, but she has tons of books and she's amazing. But the one that I love the most is called Living a Beautiful Life, and it's about rituals and um, you know, elevating me every day, making things special every day. And I just come back to that book over and over again because if I'm feeling in a like kind of stuck in life in general, not just with home, I feel like if I can go back to that and be inspired by it to do, you know, just little small things that make it feel extraordinary and special and beautiful in a way, you know, that brings me joy, like I talk about a lot. Um that book is just sort of my go-to resource when I when I want to feel inspired.

Allison 47:42

So and that one is I I believe I I think I know the one you're talking about because I had another guest. Um, her name is Brittany, Brittany Duncan, um, and sh that was her favorite thing. And she actually sent me a copy of it. And is it the one that's got like it's got lots of little ideas all throughout? Grace Notes Note. Yes, yes, something like that. Well, she has a book called Grace Notes, but she has it's like like something about graces at the end of each chapter and like little ideas.

SPEAKER_02 48:09

And it was written, you know, before really technology was in nineties. Probably late 80s, early 90s. But you know, she mentions computers and stuff, but I love like it's every very analog, if you will. Analog apparently is trending this year. That is the thing, yes. And but it's you know, writing personalized notes to people and little things. I could, you know, bring in flowers in. I'd love to cut pre just branches from my yard and bring those in just as a way to make it feel like I did something special for myself and for my home, even though I just went and all I did was go outside and clip some branches that I probably couldn't shouldn't have clipped. But you know, like it just it's an it's an inspiring book. And it's not necessarily about homemaking, but a lot of because she's an interior designer and I think she holds the same sort of feeling about home. Um it is across making home an environment that you feel supported by.

Allison 49:02

So oh, absolutely. Yeah, that's a great resource. Thank you for bringing that up again. Um, what's your favorite homemaking hack or tip?

SPEAKER_02 49:09

Don't wait for someday. Okay. As a single girl, do not wait for someday. If you love dishes, pick out a dish pattern and give yourself a play setting for your birthday and Christmas every year. Don't wait till you register. Don't you may not register for dishes, ladies. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:27

You know, don't wait for someday to use your wedding china, married ladies. You know, use it. Um, use those things that are special to you or important to you. And I think for, you know, especially if I'm speaking and I there may be another opportunity, but other single girls, like don't wait for someday to enjoy the things that you love, you know. Um and I don't know what that looks like for you, but you don't have to wait to make your home a space that supports your life. You know, I felt like maybe in in in probably up until my mom died, I felt like I might have been waiting for someday. And then my mom died young. She was 57, she died from breast cancer when I was 33 years old. And I just thought, you know what? We're not guaranteed. Yeah. Oh, the next moment. And can you hear my daughter? Brady.

Allison 50:37

Brady had things to say.

SPEAKER_02 50:38

He did. Hey, buddy, lay down. He's good. Okay. So I watched, you know, I watched that happen with my mom, and then I brought her things into my home, and it was like, I need to not wait, I need to quit acting like I'm not worthy enough to create for myself a home and life that I love just because I'm still single. And I know that sounds a little bit, I don't know, woo-woo, if you will, but enjoy your life now. You know, embrace the season you're in. Still hope for a different season. Um, but but use don't wait for someday. So yeah.

Allison 51:28

No, that's my whole making hack. I think that's great. That's awesome. Very good, very good advice. Um what's your signature dish?

SPEAKER_02 51:38

I had to poll my friends for this one. And they all said different things. Um, so that was fun. Um okay, so my sister-in-law, when we went on a family trip, she made she found the recipe online, and now I can't find it online, but it's called beach shrimp. That was a common answer. Okay. And it's where you do the shrimp in Italian dressing, basically, and butter and bake it and then serve it with crusty bread so you can sum up the sauce. Um, that was a one, and then I am known for my breakfast casserole. It's uh our special Christmas family breakfast. A lot of people do breakfast casserole on Christmas, but I, you know, breakfast for dinner is probably something um I do a lot when I'm serving and hosting. I used to host some of the Bible study that I mentioned earlier um when Betsy and her husband moved to Birmingham. I sort of brought it into my home for a time and would cook for the group. And breakfast was an easy go-to thing. And who doesn't hate breakfast food? I mean, who doesn't love breakfast food? Who doesn't love it? I know. Yeah. And um, so breakfast casserole, and then I always, if the first like cold spell of the season, I try to do something at my house and cook chili. So that was mentioned. So I don't know if I have a single signature dish. I just have sort of like genres of things that people remember.

Allison 53:01

So yeah, cool. Well, if you find the beach shrimp recipe, send it my way because that's something.

SPEAKER_02 53:07

It's actually in the show notes of a sentimental twist episode. But I should probably put it out somewhere different, like it's easier to find. Maybe I'll put it on my website somewhere. So yeah, okay.

Allison 53:19

Well, maybe we can connect, we can get that, and I will send a link it. Okay. Um, let's talk about the art of home. So, how do you see homemaking as an art and where do you find beauty in it?

SPEAKER_02 53:31

So, when I think about what art actually is, art is beautiful. Art is says something, art is inspiring. And so I think looking at homemaking is an art, as an art, is about creating a space and a life that you find beautiful, and everybody's version of beautiful is different, that you find meaning in, that you find inspiration in and creativity from. And so homemaking to me is a way to foster that in my own life, my creativity, my joy, uh, my inspiration, um and and like like we said earlier, tending to something that um that mothering instinct that I think all women have for me. I don't have that to channel into children of my own. I do that through my job in the school system and through my niblings. But tending to my home and the people that come in it is a way that I can kind of use that instinct in my heart, in my soul, you know. Yeah. Um, and so homemaking is an art for me because it allows me to really be who I feel like I'm called to be. Um, so love it. I love that. And where do I find beauty in it? Yeah, all the things. I mean, there's so much beauty in everything related to homemaking because if it's there's the mailman. Okay. There's so much beauty. You're gonna bark. There's so much beauty in everything related to homemaking, everything from cooking to cleaning to making a bed. I mean, you can create beauty through all of those things. And so that's what I love about homemaking.

Allison 55:29

So you've already given some great advice to younger, like the younger singer gal single gals, like don't wait for someday. I love that advice. Um, but because of your unique situation, I want to ask you this last question. Okay, how can homemakers who have husbands and kids better understand and support single homemakers in their life?

SPEAKER_02 55:55

I think this is kind of twofold. Um I mean, hopefully I don't step on any toes, but in one in one part of the twofold answer that I have is don't forget about us. Bring us into your homes, into your chaos. We love it. You know, we love kids. Majority of us do love kids. We also love that they're yours and we can leave and, you know. Um, but yeah, we can go home. Or like with my niece and nephews, you know, they go home and I don't, they can spend the night that their parents can discipline, you know. I help with a little bit of that in my, you know, uh role, but because I also kind of serve as grandma for my mom's side of the family since she's not here. Yeah. So I try to like do the things that she would do for them. Anyway, that's aside the point. But don't forget about us, invite us into your home, even if you feel like it's chaotic, we enjoy it. Um, but on the other hand, don't think that because we're single, we have this time to just always do the things that no one else has time to do. Um, and I especially want to speak that into church culture. Yeah. Um, because we tend to get roped in to those commitments, not roped in, I mean we agree to it, but you know, to the to the commitments that are really in depth a lot of times and a lot of responsibility. And because we're single and we don't have kids, oh, we've got time to do that. I have a very full and busy life, you know, and that I do want to serve in those ways, but I feel like, you know, my time should be respected just as much as another person's time who does have, you know, kids and children. And like as a single homemaker, we've talked about that. The weight of all of that falls on me, yeah, of maintaining it. So it doesn't necessarily mean that I have all this extra free time and money and resources um because I am trying to keep all the balls in the air for my own life as well. But that doesn't mean that we don't want to be invited in and the opportunity to serve in those areas just maybe don't depend on us for it.

Allison 57:57

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Well, that's a that's a good word.

SPEAKER_02 58:01

Yeah. It's a good fact. I I'm glad you said both sides. Yeah, definitely. I mean, and it I think it's that way with any anyone. You know, everybody has reasons, you know, advice on one end and one on the other when it comes to that. Because both I want to be included, but I also don't want to feel pressured to well, you don't want to be dumped on either. Yeah, right, dumped on. That's the yeah. Yeah. Um, and I want to go back again to the first thing, we want to be in your chaos. And I really want families, homemakers who have single women in their lives who may not be in close proximity to proximity to families, their family that we're children and other things are happening. Like, you know, sometimes we don't have places to go on Christmas Day. You know, sometimes we are too far to travel to our family because of our work situation. And if it's not, you know, inconveniencing, bring us into those celebrations, give us a job in those celebrations to help. Um, because we do, we do enjoy those, most of us I would say, enjoy doing those things. Um, and we want to be included in family life, even though we don't necessarily have a family of our own. So not not like every day, you know, like don't yeah. I'm not trying to say like make sure that you invite them every Christmas Eve and every Christmas day, and you know, they have to spend the night, you know, all the things, but yeah, just just think about us.

Allison 59:30

Just think about it. Yeah, that's really good. I love it. Okay, well, how can people get in touch with you, first of all? And then um tell us what's what do you have on offer that's new right now at um a sentimental decorator that would benefit the art of home audience?

SPEAKER_02 59:46

Okay, the best way to find me and keep up with what's going on is Instagram. And my Instagram account is just my name at Brittany Shepherd, and that's B-R-I-T-T-A-N-Y-S-H-E-P-A-R-D. Both of my names can be spelled multiple ways. So that trips people up from time to time. But I have my website is the sentimentaldecorator.com and I keep a blog there. I try to post two or three times a week. I have a little sentimental Sundays tradition. I have a newsletter, email newsletter for Sentimental Sundays. So that's kind of a fun, little more personalized note about what's going on. And you can sign up for that on my website. Um, the most recent thing that I'm so excited about because we've talked about community and community building a good bit here, but I call what I do through my home story keeping. And what I mean by story keeping is honoring and preserving the stories of the of our past, present, and who we are becoming, if you will, in and through our home and through our decor, through the joyful rituals that we create for ourselves, through the collections and the heirlooms and all of that. So that's story keeping. It's homemaking in a different, you know, definition, but it's basically the same thing.

Allison 1:01:01

Same thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:02

And honoring them, preserving stories for future generations. I feel like that's my responsibility to make sure my niblings know, you know, that this was their great-grandmother's needlepoint that she did by hand or whatever it may be. So preserving those stories so they don't get lost to time is story keeping. And I have just found that we're craving community in that realm, or just in general, I think people, especially women. So I have a new little membership community. It's called the Story Keeper's Circle. And by the time this episode, I think, is airing, it will be closed for the time being because I want to start small and really build that group of kindred spirits and what we'll do together in that community. But I'll be opening it again in the spring for membership. Um it'll probably, I'll probably do like a live workshop or something that will open the community up for a week or two during the springtime for new members. But in that, in the community, we're going to do things like um heirloom inventories where we sort of take stock of the things that we find heirloom worthy in our lives and homes. And it may be actual things that we've inherited or things that we collected that are important to us that we want future generations to know. And not an exhaustive list, like not an overwhelming, you know, just 10 or 10 to 15 things that you want to record the stories of. And so we we do that. One of the biggest things that we do in the community that I think that uh is really resonates is make thoughtful decisions about those things, whether to keep or store or lovingly let go of them without guilt. And you know, so we really walk through that process together of, you know, this was my great-grandmother's, but I don't really need it, want it. Yeah. So finding the way to let go that still honors that season and that person and that item's story, um, but lovingly pass it on.

Allison 1:03:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:12

I'm an adopter of heirlooms, I like to say. So I've adopted a lot of people's heirlooms that they that ended up in the thrift stores and the antique malls. Um, and so, you know, the idea of that we can record the stories of it and it can be kept with that item for its future adopter one day because people like me will come along and say, I wonder who had this and loved this first. So those are something. And it's really just about a community of kindred spirits that love home, love home decor, but also just love honoring the meaning in our homes.

Allison 1:03:46

So I love that so much. What a cool thing that you're building over there. I'm excited to see that develop in the future. And we will put everything down in the show notes so y'all can all get in touch with Brittany and follow her and see what all the fun things she's doing over there. Thank you so much, Brittany, for being here and telling us all about. Yes, I loved hearing about your experience and because it's just so unique to hear from single homemakers, and I really appreciate you taking the time.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:09

Well, I love being a single homemaker, and home is my favorite thing. I'd say that it's my one true hobby. And um, being single has also become something joyful for me and not scary or sad. And so I appreciate you elevating the voice of a single homemaker because I don't think we do that a lot in our county.

Allison 1:04:30

Thank you. It's my pleasure. I'm glad to. Thank you for listening to this homemaker portrait of Brittany Shepherd. I pray that you have been inspired and encouraged to not wait for someday, but embrace the role of homemaking in all its glory, whatever your circumstances right now. Maybe, like Brittany, you are in a season of singleness. Or maybe you are in a less than ideal living situation. Regardless of the circumstances, you can make a home for yourself and your people using the gifts and resources that God has given you right now. We are not promised tomorrow. So don't wait for someday to start practicing the art of home. Let's make the emoji for this episode a calendar to remind us that today, not someday, is the best time to cultivate a place to belong in your home. Drop a calendar emoji in the comment or a text or email and let me know what is something in your homemaking that you've been putting off for someday, but you are going to start working on today. I want to thank Brittany again for giving her time and sharing her unique story of home with us. Please go check out her website, thesentimentaldecorator.com, to see all the fun story keeping and decorating wisdom she is curating over there. You will find a treasure trove. I will put all of her links in the show. Notes. A couple of quick reminders. I am still collecting surveys for mother-in-law, daughter-in-law relationships in a simple Google form that will take you about five to ten minutes to fill out depending on how much you have to say. This will really help me out in planning the deep dive on this topic later this year. So thank you in advance. The link to the form is in the show notes. If you have found value in this episode, please share with a friend, leave a rating and a review. And if you would like to give financial support, head over to buymeacoffee.com/slash the art of home. That's it for this episode. I will be back on Monday with the next act of courageous homemaking. Expect, but don't borrow trouble. Until then, keep practicing your art of making a home.