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from home on magnolia hill

home, farm, & Family

Sarah from home on magnolia hill, home, farm, and family

Hello! Welcome to Home on Magnolia Hill and Thank you so much for stopping by!

I'm Sarah Hill; author, photographer, and creator behind Home on Magnolia Hill. It's so nice to meet you! Let me introduce myself and my reasons for creating Home on Magnolia Hill.

about me

I wear a few hats in my day-to-day life: wife to Ray (my high school sweetheart), mom to our two boys, & farm mom to our ever growing number of dairy goats, laying hens, & farm pets.

I am also the Radiology Department Manager at a rural hospital not far from my home town. I have been in the medical field for the past 16 years and have always possessed a strong desire to help others. Another reason I am beyond excited to have created this blog is, not only as an outlet to share about the things I am most passionate about but, to hopefully help others along the way! 

I was born and raised in a small town in the Felicianas of South Louisiana. I feel so blessed to have had the privilege to grow up in a part of the world that, to me, has been so inspiring; rich in culture, access to the outdoors, and deep architectural history....excellent fuel for my personal form of creativity. Click here or here for interesting facts and history about the Felicianas.

I have been a DIYer since my very early years; I’ve been fixing things, building things, creating things, and growing things (plants & animals) as long as I can remember!

Random Facts About Me:

  • I love coffee (really, really love coffee), especially pour over.
  • I love watching movies in languages other than English, especially German.
  • I almost applied to Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine.
  • I have been drafting to scale (for fun, not professionally) barn & house plans since I was 16.

home

Home on magnolia hill, leather chairs, ruggable, brick fireplace, fiddle leaf fig, transom window, french doors

As I mentioned, I started drafting architecture at a young age. By the time I turned 16, I had come to the realization that I had a strong passion for architecture. 

This passion for architecture started with barns. I was an avid horsewoman growing up and, hence, was very interested in the structures that housed my most favorite creatures.

Once I started sketching, it wasn't long before I was drafting full plans, which then evolved from barns, to barns with apartments, then house plans. 

Needless to say, I have dreamed of building our forever home for more than half of my life. My husband and I have been a couple since I was 16, so we have shared this dream together and have spent many hours over the years drafting, reviewing, and redrafting countless plans. 

We started the build of our first home, for which we drew the plans and contracted the build out ourselves, when I was 21 and he was 23. This was our first year of marriage, our first home build, and also the year we started our family. There are no words to explain the wisdom we gained that year! This was also the chapter of my life where I learned I had a knack for home decor. I truly believe it stemmed from my strong maternal nesting character that had developed from being a new mom. Nonetheless, I now thrive in a space where I am able to "make my nest". 

And come to find out, dreams do come true! In September 2018 we officially broke ground on the logging of our land; the very beginning of our forever home build. We sold our home in town at the end of March 2019 and moved into our camper on our family land, next to our forever home job site, at the beginning of May 2019. We lived in our camper....4 of us and our Boston Terrier....until we moved into our new home in mid March 2020....and I thought we learned a lot during our first build! We survived and are even closer as a family than ever before!

farm

Nigerian Dwarf Goats, dairy goats, farm

My maternal grandfather was a beloved veterinarian in Southeast Louisiana. My mother also carried the same traits that expanded her love of animals beyond the typical person's. With that said, I truly believe my love of animals is genetic….it must be! It just doesn’t feel right if I don’t have some sort of farm animal or fur baby following me around. 

My first pet was a sweet little kitten named "Frisky"; I was a toddler when little Frisky became part of our family. From that moment on I do not remember a day that I did not have a pet to come home to.

I started horseback riding lessons when I was 7 years old; this was the start of something that hugely influenced the path of my young life. I continued riding and showing horses on into my teenage years.

I was the oldest of four girls, so Dad had taught me at a young age how to maneuver a vehicle and trailer. As soon as I started driving on my own, my love for the farm life really blossomed. I was able to haul my own horses to trail rides with my horse loving friends, find baby goats and chickens in the classified ads, buy them with the money I earned from working at our local veterinarian's office, and haul them home.

I was so blessed to have parents that allowed me to be responsible and run my little farm in town at such a young age. By the time I was ready to graduate high school I had raised, cared for, and trained a colt that I had purchased as a weanling, 50+ chickens, goats, rabbits, ducks, you name it.

I had found my place. The barn.

Jumping ahead to my adulthood....at the end of 2019, as we were wrapping up our forever home build, we decided it was time to share this love of a farm and a barn with our two boys. For Christmas, they received a pair of Nigerian Dwarf goats, Muffin and S'More. This was the start of Magnolia Hill Farm.

We have found ourselves so blessed, to be in a place that has allowed us to revive the memories and lessons we shared from time spent at a barn and to be able to share that with our family and YOU!

DIY Farmhouse chicken coop with labrador retriever

Click here for more info on our DIY Farmhouse Chicken Coop!

family

newfound gap, family

My family is my greatest treasure. My husband, Ray, and I have grown, learned, and experienced so many chapters of life together over our 20 years as a couple. We were married in June 2004, on the front porch of my family's home in Clinton, Louisiana. Click here to see the plantation home where I was fortunate to spend most of my childhood until Ray and I were married. You will definitely see how this home was a catalyst for my love of architecture! 

That day, I married my best friend, and little did I know, the best father I could have ever asked for my children. We became parents August of 2006 and had our caboose July 2011.   

Our two kiddos have taught us to laugh like we've never laughed before and pulled at our heart strings all at the same time. They grow up so fast and we are soaking in every single moment the best we know how, which brings me to my "why" for creating Home on Magnolia Hill.

My why

After a whirlwind year of having multiple, large, projects on hand: completing my Bachelor's Degree, contracting out our forever home while living in our camper, pursuing and achieving a promotion in my medical career (all at the same time of course), I began to feel a creative void approaching.

Well, that feeling was accurate. Don't get me wrong, my life as a wife, mother, and healthcare professional are my greatest blessings and truly very fulfilling, but in a different way. My heart and mind have always needed to create things from nothing, revive or repurpose things from brokenness, and to be the hands for something to grow into what God intended it to be.

I have been self taught in most aspects of my life, especially when feeling the need to create, and by self taught I mean found resources on my own in order to learn. In the past, this took the form of books, magazines, and reference materials. Over the years, like most of us, these resources evolved into expert blogs, Pinterest, social media groups, YouTube, and the like.

Around mid-March 2020, when the entire world's lives changed, a light bulb went off for me. I began to ask myself: How can I be a resource for others, as others have been for me? How can I help others, remotely? How can I create, and make a difference? How can I build something that allows for more time with my family?

A blog!! I can create a blog......I can follow the path on which God is leading me, I can create, I can spend more time with my family, I can help people; all things that bring life to my soul.

That light bulb moment led to saturation of any free time I had and currently have with knowledge from some of the most wonderful and talented people in the Home, Farm, and Family blogging community. Lisa from Farmhouse on Boone, Chloe from Boxwood Avenue, and Amanda from Midcounty Journal are top among the many. Not only did they inspire and encourage me to be brave, but they taught me the foundation of a valuable blog for the reader, and the creator.

Along with my intention to be who God created me to be, the support from my amazing husband, and the gumption to share light and all that brings me joy, I created Home on Magnolia Hill.

I hope you feel right at home and experience the happiness that I pour into all that we do here at Home on Magnolia Hill. I am beyond thrilled to be here and I hope you are too!

love sarah from home on magnolia hill
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adga member, american diary goat association
american nigerian dwarf dairy association member

I’m so glad you’re here!

Hi! I’m Sarah, the gal behind Home on Magnolia Hill, life long DIYer, and lover of all things farm and home. I am beyond blessed to be married to my high school sweetheart and mom to two wonderful boys. Read more about me here.

Follow along for fun DIY adventures, family life on a growing farm, and some home decor inspiration along the way!

homeonmagnoliahill

Cheers to trying something new 🤗 My ferment-lo Cheers to trying something new 🤗

My ferment-loving heart just had to see what kombucha is all about❤️ 

First ferment with my new @fermentaholics scoby and @bigelowtea started yesterday. Thanks to @fallenoaksfarm_mn for the scoby recommendation 😘

Second ferment/flavoring will begin in 7-21 days. 

I am having the hardest time deciding how to flavor this batch for the second ferment 😬 

Any recommendations from you kombucha connoisseurs out there would be very welcomed! 

What’s your favorite flavors? 

I am so excited to see how this turns out! It already smells AMAZING!!!

Updates to come 🤗

#kombucha #fermentation #ferment #fermentedfoods #guthealth #probiotics #homemade #kombuchabrewing #kombuchatea #teaproudly
Do you have a favorite morning spot in your home? Do you have a favorite morning spot in your home? This is mine.

When we built our home, I knew I wanted  my kitchen windows to face the sunrise. 

You see, there’s something about beginning a new day together with the sun and all that it wakes and enriches every morning. 

An added bonus, that I didn’t plan but now realize, was that my plants (herbs, houseplants, tomatoes, baby fruit trees, ferns) would enjoy this morning sun just as much. 

Sharing this part of my home with so much life each morning is not only energizing but peaceful. I soak in the soothing sun, my devotionals, and goat milk and honey coffee, and it does my soul well.

This spot fills me every single day. I hope you have a favorite morning spot too❤️

#beyondblessed #sunrise #morningcoffee #rawmilk #houseplants #fresheggs #devotional #thankful #farmlife #countrylife #countryliving #home
I’m not sure why, but I have been so nervous abo I’m not sure why, but I have been so nervous about canning. 

I’ve never reeeally canned before. 

Yes, I’ve made a small batch, or two, of pickles in my life, but not enough to consider myself well versed in the world of canning.

It’s funny because the fear I have (had) of canning does/did not align with the desire I have to be a master canner. I truly want to can, a lot, and well.

Isn’t it crazy how sometimes the things we desire most, we tend to put off the longest?

The funny part about this shove I needed to finally dive into canning, was my forgetfulness and a beautiful flat of Louisiana strawberries….that I left in my hot car all day 😬

My choices were: A) make jam, right away, or B) feed these gorgeous, VERY ripe, beauties to the pigs and chickens.

I was very nervous, and it sure would have been easy and semi-justified to feed them to the animals but…

I’m so thankful I chose the jam. 

Now, I can’t wait until the next batch!!!

A little lesson I learned over some almost-bad strawberries: 

When you find yourself at an opportunity to do the thing that you’ve been scared to do or the easy, yet sensible route, always choose the jam…it’s worth it!

#sustainability #nofoodwaste #growyourownfood #canning #canningseason #strawberry #homemadejam #strawberryjam
I am beyond blessed to have met @katie_schellack a I am beyond blessed to have met @katie_schellack and @collinrichiephoto through @inregister during this once in a lifetime experience! 

Their talents are truly treasures and depicted what I strive for at our Home on Magnolia Hill more perfectly than I could have imagined.

Thank you immensely! 

What an honor and a privilege to be featured in their beautifully written and photographed article from May’s issue of @inregister

Link to the article in profile ☝️

Phone credits 📸: @collinrichiephoto 

#farmstead #sourdough #sourdoughbread #sourdoughstarter #shopsmall #localfarmers #nigeriandwarfgoats #nigeriandwarfgoat #dairygoats #rawmilk #foodfromscratch #homemade #homemadebread #livebyfaith #faithful
The “fairy egg” (or “fart egg” as my boys The “fairy egg” (or “fart egg” as my boys call them 😬 #boymom), is a strange little phenomena. 

A great deal smaller than an average egg but, when observed without size comparison, looks to be just a normal egg. Even the white and yolk look like the norm, just t-tiny.

Although they obviously do not posses much belly-filling potential, I can’t help but chuckle when I find these little wonders in our laying boxes ☺️ 

Partly because they’re just stinkin’ cute, and these are usually a good sign that one of the young hens are getting kicked off on her laying career 🤗

With that said, YAY for our fairy egg find this morning! A day brightener and promise for the future of my little laying flock 🥰

#layinghens #fairyegg #farmfresh #farmfresheggs #pastureraised #freerangechickens #yardeggs #eggs #farmstead #girlfarmer #farmher
Atlas is such a wise soul to be just 6 (almost 7) Atlas is such a wise soul to be just 6 (almost 7) months old 😌

So peaceful, yet majestic animals. 

What a special place they hold in my heart ❤️

#beyondblessed #livestockguardiandog #anatolianshepherd #anatolianshepherddog
Thank you Lord, for the beauty that is nature. Tha Thank you Lord, for the beauty that is nature.
Thank you for gifting me with the mindfulness and stillness to appreciate it.
What a beautiful gift.

“Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. 
Let your awareness rest upon it. 
How still it is, how deeply rooted in being.
Allow nature to teach you stillness.”

-Eckhart Tolle-
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and hope f Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and hope for a bright New Year ❤️
I could not be more excited about our next chapter I could not be more excited about our next chapter 😍

Meet Lilly and Tulip, our Hampshire cross gilts.

These gals will serve so many purposes during their happy lives as breeders here on our little farm! 

First job, garden prep!! 

For the next month they will disturb and fertilize a dormant portion of our garden in their 2,500 square foot @premier1supplies PigletNet Plus electric netting pen. 

I can’t wait to see the improvement in our soil health from this rotational method!

Thanks @malleryvine for our first breeder pigs!!

#beyondblessed #growyourownfood #healthysoil #sustainability #farmstead #pasturedpork #rotationalgrazing #pasturedpigs #notillgardening
Had a lovely, colorful walk in the garden this mor Had a lovely, colorful walk in the garden this morning 💜 

So excited to taste these Depurple Cauliflower from @burpeegardening 

You think my kiddos will be a little more excited about eating cauliflower since they’re such an amazing shade of purple?

#beyondblessed #growyourownfood #gardentherapy #gardentime #colorfulfood #organicgardening #homegrownveggies #freshveggies #fallgarden #cauliflower #myburpeegarden
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