Country Proud Living Nurturing Home, Empowered Self

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

✨✨ What if the next chapter of your life isn't about starting over, but about making room for more of who you were always meant to be?

Maybe your children have grown and moved into homes of their own. Perhaps you're welcoming grandchildren, caring for aging parents, approaching retirement, or simply beginning to wonder, What's next for me?

In Episode 131 of Country Proud Living, Certified Interior Designer LoriLynn explores the beauty of embracing change after 50, finding renewed purpose in midlife, and creating a home that supports your next chapter.

Because you can be deeply grateful for the life you've built, the family you've nurtured, and the home you've created—and still feel excited about something new.

Through personal stories from Merryville Farm, meaningful reflections on country living, and practical interior design inspiration, LoriLynn shares how our homes can evolve right alongside us.

From transforming an empty-nest bedroom into a creative studio to creating a cozy reading retreat, welcoming grandchildren, or making space for a long-forgotten passion, this episode is an invitation to look at your home—and your life—with fresh eyes.

You don't have to become an entirely different woman to embrace a beautiful new chapter. Sometimes you simply need to make room for more of yourself.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• Embracing life changes after 50 with courage and curiosity
• Finding new purpose and rediscovering yourself in midlife
• Why growth and new beginnings don't have an expiration date
• How to update your home for the empty-nest years
• Transforming an unused bedroom into a creative studio, library, or personal retreat
• Creating welcoming spaces for grandchildren, friendships, and meaningful gatherings
• Why thoughtful interior design should support the life you're living today
• What country living and the changing seasons teach us about personal growth
• Making room for creativity, new hobbies, meaningful connections, and long-held dreams
• How to begin your next chapter with one small, courageous step

💛 Quotes Mentioned

Anaïs Nin — Author and Diarist

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.”

Source: The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Volume Three: 1939–1944, June 1941 entry.

A beautiful reminder that courage doesn't always require an enormous, life-changing decision. Sometimes it's simply saying yes to an art class, starting a new creative pursuit, making a new friend, or finally exploring a dream that's been waiting for your attention.

May Sarton — Poet, Novelist, and Memoirist

“A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless.”

Source: Journal of a Solitude (1973).

Such a wonderful reminder that our homes aren't meant to be showplaces. They're meant to be lived in, loved, and enjoyed.

Comfort, meaning, and belonging matter far more than perfection.

📚 Books & Resources Mentioned

Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age — Katherine May

A beautiful exploration of reconnecting with the natural world, everyday rituals, and the small moments of wonder that surround us.

Katherine May reminds us that slowing down and paying attention can help us rediscover curiosity, connection, and joy—even during seasons of uncertainty and change.

Explore Enchantment — Katherine May's Official Website

Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness — Ingrid Fetell Lee

Designer and author Ingrid Fetell Lee explores how our surroundings influence our experiences of joy.

From natural light and beautiful colors to meaningful objects and everyday beauty, Joyful reminds us that our physical environments can encourage more happiness, connection, and delight in daily life.

Explore or Purchase Joyful — Hachette Book Group

🏡 Interior Design Inspiration: Let Your Home Grow With You

Many of us designed our homes around a particular season of life—raising children, managing busy schedules, and making room for all the wonderful chaos of family life.

But when our lives change, our homes can change, too.

Perhaps that once-busy bedroom could become a light-filled art studio, a cozy library, or a peaceful retreat.

Maybe a formal dining room could become a welcoming place for coffee with friends, a book club, or creative gatherings.

Or perhaps you simply need a comfortable chair, a little table, and a beautiful reading lamp in a quiet corner that's just for you.

LoriLynn shares how her son's former bedroom has become her beloved design studio—a creative space filled with natural light, a favorite yellow chair, meaningful artwork, and room for her grandchildren to play.

Now she's making room for another part of herself: her love of painting.

The question isn't simply how we want our homes to look. It's how we want our homes to support the experiences we hope to have.

And sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest difference.

🌻 Three Gentle Questions for Your Next Chapter

Take a quiet moment with your coffee or tea and consider:

1. What is one part of yourself you'd like to rediscover or nurture?

Perhaps it's creativity, a friendship, a personal goal, or something you've always wanted to try.

2. Is there a space in your home that could better support the life you're living today?

It doesn't have to be an entire room. Sometimes a little corner is all you need.

3. What is one small, courageous step you could take this week toward something that brings you joy?

Not next year. Not someday when everything settles down.

Just one small step, right where you are.

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Discover more Country Proud Living episodes, interior design inspiration, intentional living ideas, personal growth conversations, and encouragement for creating a nurturing home and a meaningful life.

Website: Country Proud Living

If this episode reminds you of a friend who is navigating an empty nest, considering retirement, or wondering what her next chapter might look like, please share it with her.

Sometimes a little encouragement is all we need to begin imagining new possibilities.

💛 A Thought to Carry With You

You can love the life you've built, treasure the home you've created, and still make room for a beautiful new chapter.

There is still room to grow. Still room to dream. And still so much life to be lived.

Maybe this chapter isn't about becoming someone entirely new. Maybe it's about making room for more o

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

✨What if one of the most meaningful ways to care for yourself this season could be found right inside your own home?

Not through a major renovation, expensive furniture, or perfectly decorated rooms—but through thoughtful choices that bring warmth, comfort, peace, and a sense of belonging into your everyday life.

In Episode 130 of Country Proud Living, Certified Interior Designer LoriLynn explores the art of cozy and how intentional interior design can transform an ordinary house into a nurturing, restorative home.

As autumn days grow shorter and life continues to pull us in so many directions, our homes can offer something we all need: a soft place to land.

From moody fall color palettes and layered lighting to natural textures, meaningful family treasures, and cozy reading corners, LoriLynn shares practical interior design tips for creating spaces that feel beautiful, welcoming, and deeply personal.

You'll also hear stories from Merryville Farm, including LoriLynn's favorite reading retreats, a real-life lesson about how paint colors change with natural light, and the treasured family heirlooms that remind her why a home's most meaningful pieces aren't necessarily its most expensive.

Because creating a cozy home isn't simply about decorating for fall.

It's about creating a home that restores you, reflects your story, and supports the life you're living today.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• What makes a home feel cozy, comforting, and restorative
• Why a beautiful home should feel as good as it looks
• Creating a personal sanctuary or cozy reading nook without renovating
• How to use moody interior colors, rich earth tones, deep greens, and warm neutrals
• Why the same paint color can look completely different in another home
• How natural light, undertones, flooring, and surrounding finishes influence color
• The three layers of lighting: ambient, task, and accent
• Simple ways to create warmer, softer lighting in your home
• Decorating with natural materials, meaningful artwork, antiques, and family heirlooms
• Why the objects that tell your story give your home its soul
• Creating restorative spaces that evolve with your changing needs and seasons of life

💛 Quote Mentioned

Arianna Huffington — Author and Founder of Thrive Global

“A happy home is a fundamental building block of happiness.”

— From Huffington's endorsement of Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness by Michelle Ogundehin.

A meaningful reminder that our homes are so much more than walls, furniture, and beautiful finishes. They're the places where we gather, celebrate, grieve, rest, and create the memories that shape our lives.

📚 Books & Resources Mentioned

Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness — Michelle Ogundehin

An inspiring exploration of the relationship between our surroundings and our well-being.

Ogundehin encourages us to consider how thoughtful interior design can help create homes that support our health, happiness, comfort, and everyday lives—regardless of their size or budget.

Explore or purchase Happy Inside — Michelle Ogundehin

Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness — Ingrid Fetell Lee

Designer and author Ingrid Fetell Lee explores how our physical surroundings influence our experience of joy.

From color and texture to meaningful objects and everyday beauty, Joyful reminds us that thoughtful design isn't simply about appearances. Our environments can enrich ordinary moments and help us experience more happiness in daily life.

Explore or purchase Joyful — Ingrid Fetell Lee

🏡 LoriLynn's Cozy Home Design Tips

1. Create a little sanctuary just for you.

A comfortable chair, a favorite reading lamp, a small table for your coffee or tea, and a meaningful object may be all you need to create a peaceful place to pause.

2. Embrace warmth through color.

Rich chocolate browns, deep olive greens, muted burgundies, warm charcoals, and earthy clay tones can create a beautiful sense of depth and comfort. Prefer lighter interiors? Creamy whites, warm wood, and natural linen can feel equally cozy.

3. Pay attention to your lighting.

Layer ambient, task, and accent lighting. Use warm white bulbs, lamps, and dimmers where appropriate to create a softer, more inviting atmosphere.

4. Choose meaningful layers.

A treasured quilt, family photograph, handmade pottery, vintage cabinet, or artwork collected on a special trip can bring more personality and warmth than the latest decorating trend.

5. Let your home evolve with you.

The home that supported your life ten or twenty years ago may need to serve you differently today. Make room for grandchildren, meaningful gatherings, new interests, and quiet moments of your own.

🌻 A Gentle Cozy Home Challenge

This week, choose one small space in your home and make it a little more restorative.

Perhaps it's a chair beside a window, a quiet corner of your bedroom, your favorite reading spot, or the place where you enjoy your morning coffee.

Start with four simple things:

• A comfortable place to sit
• A beautiful source of light
• Something soft, like a pillow or cozy throw
• One meaningful object that makes you happy

You may discover that everything you need is already somewhere in your home.

Sometimes a simple rearrangement, a warmer lamp, or a treasured object displayed where you can enjoy it can completely change how a space feels.

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Discover more Country Proud Living episodes, interior design inspiration, intentional living ideas, personal growth conversations, and encouragement for creating nurturing homes and meaningful lives.

Website: Country Proud Living

If this episode reminds you of a friend who could use a little more comfort, peace, or encouragement in her life, please share it with her.

💛 A Thought to Carry With You

When you walk through your door, how do you want to feel?

Peaceful? Welcomed? Cozy? Connected? Inspired?

Let that feeling guide the choices you make in your home.

You don't need a perfect house, an unlimited budget, or a complete redesign to create a space that restores you.

Sometimes it's the soft glow of a favorite lamp, a cozy blanket, a comfortable chair, or a treasured piece that reminds you of someone you love.

Your home doesn't have to be perfect to be restorative. It simply needs to nurture the

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

✨ 5,000 downloads. One grateful heart. And a beautiful reminder of what can happen when we find the courage to begin and simply keep showing up. 💛

At the beginning of October 2026, Country Proud Living reached an exciting milestone—5,000 podcast downloads! And while celebrating an accomplishment doesn't always come naturally to host LoriLynn, this special bonus episode is about something much bigger than a number.

It's about gratitude, meaningful connection, overcoming perfectionism, finding courage in midlife, and learning to celebrate how far we've come.

LoriLynn takes you back to nearly 2 a.m. on January 12, 2024, when she was sitting nervously in front of her microphone, exhausted, hungry, and recording her very first podcast episode. After more than two years of dreaming about starting a podcast, she had finally made a promise to herself to begin.

Her original launch date didn't go as planned. The recording wasn't perfect. But she pressed publish anyway.

And that one imperfect beginning grew into more than two years of meaningful conversations, personal growth, connection, and 5,000 downloads.

In this warm and heartfelt celebration, LoriLynn shares what she's learned about starting before you're ready, trusting yourself, staying consistent, and recognizing that small beginnings can lead to beautiful things.

Most importantly, this episode is a heartfelt thank-you to the listeners who have made Country Proud Living such a meaningful part of her life.

Because sometimes the greatest reward isn't reaching a milestone. It's discovering who we become along the way.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

🌿 In This Bonus Episode

• Celebrating 5,000 downloads and the beautiful community behind the milestone
• The unforgettable story of recording LoriLynn's first podcast episode at nearly 2 a.m.
• Why keeping a promise to yourself can be more important than getting everything perfect
• Finding the courage to start something new in midlife
• Overcoming self-doubt, perfectionism, and the fear of beginning
• Why confidence often grows after we take action
• The power of consistency and showing up one small step at a time
• Why ordinary acts of courage, kindness, and commitment matter
• Giving ourselves permission to celebrate small wins and personal growth
• How gratitude, connection, and meaningful community make life's journey richer

💛 Quote Mentioned

Helen Keller — Author, Educator & Disability Rights Advocate

“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”

A beautiful reminder that meaningful things rarely grow through one person's efforts alone.

Every listen, every shared episode, every thoughtful review, and every encouraging message has helped make this Country Proud Living community what it is today. And that's something worth celebrating together!

🌻 A Little Encouragement for Your Own Life Maybe you've been carrying a dream in your heart. Something you've wanted to learn, create, experience, or finally begin. Maybe you've been waiting until you feel more confident, until life settles down, or until everything feels just right.

But what if you don't have to wait?

You don't need to have everything figured out before you begin.

You don't need anyone else's permission. And you certainly don't have to be perfect.

Sometimes the most meaningful chapters of our lives begin when we're willing to become beginners again. One small beginning. One courageous decision. One promise kept to yourself. You never know what beautiful things might grow from simply showing up.

🌿 A Reflection Just for You

Before you move on with your day, LoriLynn invites you to consider one meaningful question:

What is something you've accomplished this year that you haven't given yourself enough credit for?

Maybe you've navigated a difficult season, reconnected with an old friend, started a creative project, learned something new, or finally taken a step toward a dream you've held close to your heart.

Whatever it is, give yourself permission to celebrate. It doesn't need to be impressive to anyone else.

It simply needs to matter to you. Because celebrating how far you've come doesn't mean you've stopped dreaming about where you're going.

Gratitude and ambition can beautifully coexist.

💛 A Heartfelt Thank-You

To every woman who has pressed play, shared an episode with a friend, left a kind review, or made room for these conversations in her day—thank you.

Whether you're listening on a morning walk, driving to work, folding laundry, or enjoying a quiet cup of coffee, you're part of what makes this little community so special.

Here's to having the courage to begin, the heart to keep showing up, and the wisdom to enjoy the beautiful journey along the way.

5,000 downloads. One grateful heart. And so much more life to live. 💛

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Discover more Country Proud Living podcast episodes, interior design inspiration, intentional living ideas, personal growth conversations, and encouragement for creating a nurturing home and meaningful life.

Website: Country Proud Living

If you've enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a five-star rating, writing a review, or sharing an episode with a friend. Your support helps more women discover these conversations and become part of the Country Proud Living community.

💛 One Last Thought

You don't have to do something extraordinary every day to create a life filled with extraordinary meaning.

Sometimes all it takes is the courage to begin, the commitment to keep showing up, and the willingness to recognize how far you've already come.

May your home feel warm, your heart feel encouraged, and may every day feel a little more like home. 💛 Starting before you're ready, overcoming perfectionism, celebrating small wins, finding courage in midlife, and the power of consistency.

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Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

✨ Have you ever found yourself celebrating a beautiful new beginning while also navigating a difficult goodbye?

Maybe you're welcoming a new grandbaby while caring for an aging parent. Perhaps you're watching your grown children begin families of their own, saying goodbye to someone you love, or wondering where your own dreams fit into this busy, beautiful, sometimes bittersweet season of life.

In Episode 129 of Country Proud Living, Certified Interior Designer and host LoriLynn shares a deeply personal reflection on the seasons of life, navigating midlife transitions, caring for aging parents, becoming a grandparent, and finding beauty in both beginnings and endings.

Inspired by a remarkable family weekend filled with a new grandbaby, an 85th birthday celebration, and the loss of a loved one, LoriLynn explores how joy and sorrow can exist side by side. She also shares a tender afternoon with her dad, when something as simple as sharing chocolate shakes became a memory she'll treasure forever.

Drawing inspiration from Minnesota's beautiful autumn season, meaningful books, and her own journey as a daughter, mother, grandmother, artist, and designer, this conversation reminds us that midlife isn't simply about what we're leaving behind. It's also about everything we're still becoming.

Because even while we're caring for the generations before us and nurturing the generations coming after us, our own stories are still unfolding.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• Finding beauty in midlife's beginnings and endings
• Navigating the bittersweet emotions of the sandwich generation
• Caring for aging parents while celebrating grandchildren and family milestones
• Why joy, grief, gratitude, and exhaustion can coexist
• What autumn and the changing seasons teach us about growing older
• The importance of savoring ordinary moments with the people we love
• Finding purpose, confidence, and new possibilities after 40 and 50
• Making room for your own creativity, passions, and dreams
• How nurturing homes can support us through life's changing seasons
• Embracing the wisdom we've gathered while looking forward with hope

💛 Quotes Mentioned

Katherine May — Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

“We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones. Given time, they grow again.”

A reminder that we aren't meant to flourish every day of every season. Just as nature moves through cycles of growth, harvest, rest, and renewal, so do our lives.

Brené Brown — The Midlife Unraveling (2018)

“Midlife is not a crisis. Midlife is an unraveling.”

Perhaps some of what is unraveling are the expectations we've carried for years, the pressure to please everyone, and the idea that there's only one right way to live.

And a reflection from LoriLynn:

“You can honor the generations who came before you, nurture the generations coming after you, and still make room for the woman you are becoming.”

📚 Books Mentioned

The Middle Place — Kelly Corrigan

A heartfelt memoir about being both someone's child and someone's parent. Corrigan captures the tender experience of standing between the family we came from and the family we've created—a place so many women find themselves navigating in midlife.

Explore or purchase The Middle Place — Hachette Book Group

The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully — Joan Chittister

An encouraging perspective on aging that invites us to recognize the wisdom, purpose, freedom, and possibilities that come with growing older. Rather than focusing only on what time takes away, Chittister reminds us to appreciate everything the years have given us.

Explore or purchase The Gift of Years — Joan Chittister

🌻 A Gentle Invitation

As you move through this season of your own life, take a little time to reflect:

What do I want to appreciate more in this season?

What am I ready to release?

What is one thing I want to make more room for in my own life?

Maybe it's more time with family. Maybe it's nurturing a friendship, returning to a creative passion, or finally exploring a dream you've tucked away.

Remember, caring for the people you love and nurturing your own life don't have to be competing priorities.

Both are worthy of your attention. And both deserve a place in your story.

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Discover more Country Proud Living episodes, interior design inspiration, intentional living, personal growth conversations, and ideas for creating a nurturing home that supports the life you're living.

Visit Country Proud Living

If this episode brings someone special to mind, please share it with her. Sometimes knowing another woman understands the season we're navigating can make all the difference.

💛 A Thought to Carry With You

Autumn isn't simply about the leaves falling from the trees. It's about gathering the goodness from everything that's been growing.

And we've been growing, too.

Our experiences, relationships, successes, mistakes, joys, and disappointments have all shaped the women we are today.

There are still stories to share, friendships to nurture, dreams to pursue, and beautiful moments waiting to surprise us.

You can honor the seasons that have passed, appreciate the season you're living in, and look forward with hope to the seasons still waiting for you.

Because through every change, we're still learning, still loving, still creating, and still becoming. And home should always be more than beautiful. It should nurture you, support the life you're living, and be your soft place to land. 💛

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Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

✨ What if planning for 2027 wasn't about creating another long list of New Year's resolutions—but about intentionally creating more of the life you actually want to live?

In Episode 128 of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn shares why she begins planning for the year ahead in October instead of January. Before the holidays arrive and life becomes full, this quieter season offers an opportunity to reflect on the year you've lived, decide what you want more and less of, choose a meaningful Word of the Year, and identify a few priorities that can move you toward the life you want to be living when next October arrives.

This isn't about becoming more productive or reinventing yourself on January 1st. It's about becoming more intentional with the one beautiful life you're already living.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• Why October can be a better time than January to begin your 2027 goal setting and life planning
• How to conduct a gentle year-in-review without turning it into a report card
• Two powerful questions: What do I want more of? What do I want less of?
• Why creating a meaningful life isn't always about adding more
• How to choose a Word of the Year that becomes a filter for your decisions
• How LoriLynn's 2026 word, CONNECTION, influenced friendships, Coffee Klutch Connection, retreats, women's events, podcast interviews, and new opportunities
• Why three meaningful priorities may serve you better than 15 New Year's resolutions
• How to use design-thinking principles to intentionally design your life
• Why planning earlier can help you be more present during the holidays

💛 Quotes Mentioned

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
— Dolly Parton

Such a fitting reminder for this season of life. Your next chapter doesn't necessarily require becoming a completely different woman. It may be about understanding yourself more deeply and becoming more intentional about the way you choose to live.

“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”
— Widely attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt

A beautiful reminder to turn some of the things we've been wishing for into small, intentional actions. The quote is widely attributed to Roosevelt, although a definitive original published source is difficult to establish.

📚 Books Mentioned

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less — Greg McKeown

McKeown's Essentialism explores the idea of doing less, but better—becoming clearer about what is truly essential so we can stop giving our limited time and energy to everything else.

It's a wonderful companion to the question in this episode:

What am I finally ready to put down?

Purchase / Explore: Essentialism — Greg McKeown

Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life — Bill Burnett & Dave Evans

Created from principles taught at Stanford, Designing Your Life applies design thinking to one of our most important projects: our lives.

Rather than believing there is one perfect path we need to figure out, Burnett and Evans encourage curiosity, experimentation, and intentional choices—a philosophy that fits beautifully with planning the kind of year and life you actually want to experience.

Purchase / Explore: Designing Your Life — Bill Burnett & Dave Evans

🌻 Your 2027 Life-Planning Framework

Pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, find a quiet place, open a beautiful notebook, and write these five words across the page:

REFLECT • MORE • LESS • WORD • NEXT

REFLECT — Look gently at 2026. What gave you energy? What drained you? What are you proud of? Where did you grow? Who brought goodness into your life? What do you want to remember?

MORE — What do you want more of in 2027? Creativity? Friendship? Travel? Strength? Financial security? Peace? Time outside? Family dinners? Meaningful work? Beauty? Connection?

LESS — What are you ready for less of? Rushing? Clutter? Comparison? Scrolling? Worry? Obligations? Saying yes because you're afraid to disappoint someone?

WORD — Choose one meaningful Word of the Year that represents the direction you want your life to move.

NEXT — What are you actually willing to do differently? Choose a few meaningful priorities and identify the next small steps that will begin moving you toward them.

💛 Choosing Your Word of the Year. Your word might be:

Peace • Courage • Simplify • Create • Strength • Joy • Trust • Adventure • Belonging • Enough • Cultivate • Connection

Your word isn't another resolution or rule. Think of it as a gentle compass.

When an invitation arrives: Does this support my word?

When you're considering a new commitment: Does this align with my word?

When you're deciding where to spend your time, money, or energy: Does this bring me closer to the life I said I wanted?

LoriLynn chose CONNECTION for 2026—and looking back, that one word became a powerful filter for decisions throughout her year.

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

For more Country Proud Living episodes, interior design inspiration, intentional living, personal growth, nurturing-home ideas, and upcoming events and retreats, visit:

Country Proud Living:
countryproudliving.com

🌼 A Gentle Invitation You don't need 15 resolutions. You don't need to completely reinvent yourself on January 1st. And you certainly don't need to become an entirely different woman in 2027. Maybe this next year is simply about creating more room for the woman you're already becoming.

Take an hour this October. Reflect on the year you've lived. Decide what you want more of. Decide what you're ready for less of. Choose your word. Then choose a few meaningful priorities and take the next small step.

Plan the life—not just the goals. Because perhaps planning 2027 isn't really about becoming more productive.

Maybe it's about becoming more intentional with this one beautiful life you're already living. 💛 And remember: you don't have to wait until January to begin creating a year, a home, and a life that feels more like you.

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Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

✨ Have you ever loved a paint color, cabinet finish, tile, or piece of furniture—until you started looking at what everyone else was choosing?

Suddenly you're scrolling Pinterest and Instagram, questioning your decisions and wondering: Is this still in style? Am I choosing the wrong thing? Will I regret it?

In Episode 127 of Country Proud Living, Certified Interior Designer LoriLynn explores how to choose paint colors, finishes, materials, cabinetry, flooring, countertops, lighting, and home décor with greater confidence—without allowing trends or other people's opinions to drown out what you actually love.

Because great interior design isn't about creating the home everyone else wants.

It's about creating a home that feels like you. And underneath all those design decisions is something even more meaningful: self-trust.

Every time we trust ourselves enough to choose what genuinely feels right—whether it's a paint color, a career decision, how we spend our time, or the people we invite into our lives—we practice becoming more confident in who we are.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• How to stop second-guessing your interior design choices
• Why inspiration is helpful—but imitation can lead us away from our own style
• How to determine how you want your home to feel before choosing how it should look
• Why there is no universal “perfect” white, neutral, green, or paint color
• How lighting, undertones, cabinetry, flooring, and surrounding materials affect color
• How to coordinate wood, stone, tile, metals, countertops, and other finishes
• Why everything in a room doesn't need to compete for attention
• How understanding basic design principles can actually give you more creative freedom
• Why your home doesn't need to fit neatly into one decorating style
• The difference between timeless design and trend-driven design
• How creating a home that feels like you can become an exercise in self-trust

💛 Favorite Quotes

“Decorating is autobiography.”
— Gloria Vanderbilt

A beautifully simple reminder that our homes tell our stories—where we've been, what we value, what brings us comfort, and what we find beautiful.

“I believe in doing the thing you feel is right. If it looks right, it is right.”
— Dorothy Draper, legendary American interior designer

Draper was known for confident, personality-filled interiors and certainly wasn't afraid of bold choices—making her words a perfect reminder that timeless design doesn't have to mean safe, beige, or without personality.

📚 Books Mentioned

The New Design Rules: How to Decorate and Renovate, from Start to Finish — Emily Henderson with Jessica Cumberbatch Anderson

A practical interior-design resource covering the principles behind successful rooms, including scale, proportion, materials, lighting, renovation, and function. Understanding the “why” behind good design can give you more confidence to make choices that ultimately reflect who you are and what you love.

Purchase or explore: The New Design Rules — Penguin Random House

Make Yourself at Home: Design Your Space to Discover Your True Self — Moorea Seal

Part design book and part exploration of self-expression, Make Yourself at Home encourages you to discover the colors, objects, rooms, and ways of living that feel authentic to you rather than forcing yourself into one rigid decorating category.

Purchase or explore: Make Yourself at Home — Penguin Random House

🏡 LoriLynn's Design Confidence Filter

Before choosing your next paint color, countertop, cabinet finish, flooring, tile, light fixture, or piece of furniture, ask yourself:

• Do I genuinely love this—or have I just seen it everywhere?
• Does this support how I want my home to feel?
• Does it work with the architecture and other materials already in my home?

And perhaps the most revealing question: Would I still love this if I had never seen it on social media?

Those questions can help turn hundreds of beautiful possibilities into a smaller collection of choices that actually belong in your story.

🌿 Creating a Timeless Home

Timeless doesn't have to mean safe. It doesn't have to mean beige. And it certainly doesn't mean your home can't have personality.

A trend may introduce you to a color or material you genuinely love—and some trends eventually become classics.

Instead of asking, “Is this trendy?” try asking:

“Do I love this enough to still enjoy living with it when everyone else has moved on to something new?”

🌻 Connect with LoriLynn

Find more Country Proud Living episodes, interior design inspiration, personal growth conversations, and ideas for creating a nurturing home and a meaningful life.

Country Proud Living:
countryproudliving.com

💛 A Gentle Invitation, the next time you're making a decision for your home, try changing the question.

Instead of: “Will everyone else like this?” Ask yourself:

“Does this help my home feel more like me?” Because you don't need everyone else to love your home.

You and the people who live there should. A nurturing home isn't created by following every trend. It's created slowly and intentionally through colors, materials, meaningful objects, memories, and choices that reflect the people who live inside it.

Inspiration can guide you. Design principles can support you. Expert advice can give you clarity. But ultimately, your home should feel like somewhere you recognize yourself.

Trust yourself enough to create a home—and a life—that feels like yours. 💛

Because home should be more than beautiful. It should nurture you, support the life you're living, and always be your soft place to land.

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Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

✨ What does Country Proud Living really mean?

You don't have to live on a farm, down a country road, or even in a small town to live a little more country.

In this heartfelt episode, LoriLynn shares what country living means beyond a decorating style or a place on a map. At its heart, it's a way of living with greater intention—feeling connected to your home, nature, community, the changing seasons, and the ordinary moments that make a life meaningful.

From noticing the sunset and knowing your neighbors to cooking from scratch, bringing flowers in from the yard, creating a welcoming table, and making your home a soft place to land, this episode is an invitation to slow down enough to notice the life you're already living.

Because a beautiful home isn't simply about how it looks. A nurturing home should restore you, welcome the people you love, and empower you to step back into the world feeling a little stronger.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• What Country Proud Living really means
• Why you don't have to live in the country to live a little more country
• How nature and seasonal living can help us slow down and become more present
• Why home should be a soft place to land
• The difference between a beautifully decorated house and a nurturing home
• How natural materials, meaningful objects, and collected pieces create warmth
• Why warmth comes from meaning—not simply having more
• The importance of neighbors, community, generosity, and connection
• What country living teaches us about work, rest, resourcefulness, and enough
• Simple ways to bring the heart of country living into your life wherever you live

“Attention is the beginning of devotion.”
— Mary Oliver, Upstream: Selected Essays

Mary Oliver's beautiful words capture one of the central messages of this episode: the more closely we pay attention to our lives, the more meaningful ordinary moments can become.

📚 Books Mentioned

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants — Robin Wall Kimmerer

Kimmerer brings together Indigenous knowledge, science, and reflections on our relationship with the natural world. Her writing about gratitude, reciprocity, and paying attention beautifully complements the Country Proud Living philosophy of being a participant in life rather than simply a consumer of it.

Purchase / Learn More:
Braiding Sweetgrass — Milkweed Editions

The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year — Margaret Renkl

Through observations of nature, family, and the changing seasons, Renkl reminds us that wonder doesn't require an extraordinary destination. Sometimes it's waiting right outside our own window—if we're willing to notice it.

Purchase / Learn More:
The Comfort of Crows — Margaret Renkl

🌻 What Does It Mean to Live a Little More Country?

Maybe it's noticing the sunset. Knowing your neighbor. Cooking something from scratch. Bringing flowers in from the yard. Sitting on the porch instead of scrolling. Growing a few tomatoes or herbs. Choosing something old with a story instead of always buying something new. Making something with your hands. Sharing your garden bounty. Creating a home where people feel comfortable enough to pull up a chair and stay awhile. Paying attention to the weather and the changing seasons. Understanding that there is a time for work—and a time for rest. Keeping the traditions that still mean something. Finding beauty in things that are imperfect, useful, loved, and lived with. And understanding that a rich life and an expensive life are not necessarily the same thing.

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Find more Country Proud Living episodes, interior design inspiration, personal growth conversations, and resources for creating a nurturing home and a meaningful, intentional life.

Country Proud Living:
countryproudliving.com

A Gentle Invitation, you don't have to live on a farm to live a little more country.

Country Proud Living is a way of moving through the world with intention. It's noticing the natural world around you. Being neighborly. Sharing what you have. Making something with your hands. Creating a home that welcomes people in. Remembering that ordinary days aren't simply the days between the important ones. They are our life.

So this week, notice something. Share something. Make something. Invite someone in. Step outside and watch the sun go down. And create a home that becomes your soft place to land—a place that nurtures you, restores you, and empowers you to live your life more fully.

Because that is the heart of Country Proud Living: where nurturing spaces empower your life and make every day feel a little more like home. 💛

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Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

✨ Have you ever felt deeply grateful for the life you've created—and at the same time sensed that something new might be waiting for you?

In this heartfelt episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn explores midlife transitions, intentional living, personal growth, and making space for what's next without believing you need to have your entire future figured out.

Sometimes a new season doesn't begin by adding another goal or commitment. Just like designing a beautiful room, sometimes we need to edit, release, and create breathing room so we can recognize what truly matters now. LoriLynn shares her own decision to step away from full-service design installations to make room for retreats, deeper connection, and work that feels more aligned with the woman she's becoming.

If you're wondering what your next chapter might hold, this episode is an invitation to replace pressure with curiosity and simply take the next right step.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• Why wanting something new doesn't mean you're ungrateful for what you have
• Creating space instead of automatically adding more
• Letting go of roles and identities that no longer fit
• The difference between being stuck and being still
• Why quiet seasons can be meaningful seasons of growth
• What nature teaches us about rest, change, and new beginnings
• LoriLynn's own decision to make room for retreats and a new chapter
• Three questions to help you discover your next right step

💛 Quotes & Wisdom Mentioned

“What matters more than the decisions you make is the person you're becoming.”
— Emily P. Freeman, The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions

“Everyone winters at one time or another.”
— Katherine May, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

And a thought from LoriLynn:

“Enough doesn't mean finished, and contentment doesn't mean complacency.”

You can deeply appreciate the life you have and still be curious about the life that's unfolding.

📚 Helpful Books Mentioned

The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions — Emily P. Freeman

A thoughtful resource for anyone facing change, decision fatigue, or uncertainty about what comes next. Freeman encourages us to create enough space and clarity to recognize the next right thing rather than trying to figure out the entire future at once.

Learn More & Purchase The Next Right Thing

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times — Katherine May

A beautiful exploration of life's quieter, fallow seasons and what nature can teach us about rest, retreat, transition, and renewal.

Learn More & Purchase Wintering

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Explore more Country Proud Living episodes, interior design inspiration, personal growth conversations, and upcoming retreat information.

Country Proud Living

🌼 Three questions to take with you as you move through your week, ask yourself:

1. What in my life would I like to make a little more room for?

2. What am I continuing simply because it belongs to an old version of me?

3. What is one small “next right thing” I feel genuinely curious about?

You don't need a one year or five-year plan. You may simply need a little breathing room, some curiosity, and the courage to take the next right step!

You can be deeply grateful for the life you have and still make room for the life that is unfolding. 💛

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Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

✨ What if the life you're working so hard to create is already happening all around you?

In this heartfelt episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn explores gratitude, contentment, intentional living, and learning to appreciate the ordinary moments that make up a meaningful life. After talking about fear of success and continuing to grow in Episode 123, this conversation explores the other side of personal growth: remembering to notice and appreciate what is already here.

From reconnecting with longtime friends at high school reunions to childhood memories beneath the Northern Lights, quiet summer evenings with Cowboy, coffee in a favorite mug, family gathered around the kitchen counter, and the familiar people we love—LoriLynn reminds us that the moments we may someday treasure most rarely announce themselves as important while we're living them.

You can be grateful and still growing. Content and still ambitious. Happy with your life and still curious about what comes next.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

In This Episode

• Why ordinary days often become our most treasured memories
• How gratitude and ambition can exist together
• Why contentment doesn't mean giving up on growth
• The danger of constantly postponing happiness until the next milestone
• How comparison can make a beautiful life feel inadequate
• Ross Gay's practice of intentionally noticing everyday delight
• Mary Oliver's beautiful reminder to pay attention
• Why a nurturing home doesn't need to be perfect to hold a beautiful life

Quotes:

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
— Robert Brault

“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
— Mary Oliver, from her poem Sometimes

“Gratitude is refusing to postpone your appreciation of life until everything is exactly the way you think it should be.” — LoriLynn Uter

📚 Books Mentioned

The Book of Delights — Ross Gay

A collection of lyrical essays inspired by Gay's practice of noticing and writing about the small delights that appear in everyday life. It's a beautiful companion to this episode's message that a meaningful life doesn't require extraordinary circumstances—we simply have to become better at noticing the goodness already around us.

Purchase or learn more:
The Book of Delights — Hachette / Algonquin Books https://www.amazon.com/dp/1616207922?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Discover more Country Proud Living episodes, interior design inspiration, personal growth conversations, and encouragement for creating a nurturing home and a meaningful life.

Country Proud Living:
https://countryproudliving.com

🌼 A Gentle Invitation: Take five minutes today and look around at your actual life—not the one you wish you had, the one that might photograph better, or the one you're working toward someday. Ask yourself:

• What would I miss if it were suddenly gone?
• Whose laugh would I give anything to hear again?
• What ordinary ritual might someday feel precious?
• What view from my window have I stopped noticing?
• What part of my life today was once something I hoped for?

Perhaps gratitude doesn't need to become another item on our self-improvement list. Maybe it's simply a way of seeing—a willingness to notice how much of what matters is happening quietly.

The coffee. The conversation. The familiar hand in yours. The drive home with your favorite song playing. The friend who remembers who you used to be.

Keep dreaming. Keep growing. Keep becoming. But every once in a while, stop and look around. This is enough, and I'm still becoming. 💛

gratitude in everyday life, finding gratitude, ordinary moments, intentional living for women, contentment and happiness, finding joy in everyday life, gratitude in midlife, personal growth for women, women over 40, women over 50, appreciating life, living in the present moment, meaningful life, slow living, simple living, nurturing home, midlife inspiration, finding contentment, Country Proud Living podcast

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

✨ What happens when the dream you've been quietly working toward actually starts to come true?

As Country Proud Living approaches 5,000 podcast downloads, LoriLynn shares something unexpected she's noticed alongside the excitement: hesitation. The urge to pull back. The vulnerability of becoming more visible just as something she's worked hard to build begins to grow.

In this honest conversation about fear of success, self-sabotage, confidence, and personal growth in midlife, LoriLynn explores why we sometimes retreat when life starts going right—and why fear doesn't always mean we're headed in the wrong direction. Sometimes it simply means we're stepping beyond what's familiar.

If you've been procrastinating on a dream, making yourself smaller, overthinking your next move, or waiting until you finally feel “ready,” this episode is a reminder that you don't have to become fearless. You may simply need enough courage to take the next step.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• Why we sometimes pull back when things begin going well
• Gay Hendricks' “Upper Limit Problem” and our comfort with success
• Why receiving something good can feel surprisingly vulnerable
• Overcoming fear of visibility and allowing yourself to be seen
• The difference between waiting for confidence and building it through action
• Why success in midlife can mean far more than achievement or recognition
• How to recognize when fear is protecting you—and when it's keeping you small
• Why your consistency and ordinary daily choices matter more than you realize
• Learning to celebrate growth without becoming consumed by the next milestone

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity.
— Amelia Earhart

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt

And one thought from LoriLynn to carry with you:

“Maybe we just become women who know ourselves well enough to recognize fear and still choose what matters.” - LoriLynn Uter

📚 Books Mentioned

The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level — Gay Hendricks

Hendricks introduces what he calls the “Upper Limit Problem”—the tendency to create barriers for ourselves when happiness, opportunity, or success begins exceeding what feels familiar. It's a powerful companion to this episode for anyone who has wondered, Why am I pulling back just when things are going well?

Purchase or learn more:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-big-leap/id360632943

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway — Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.

A classic book about moving forward despite uncertainty and fear. Jeffers' work reminds us that confidence doesn't require eliminating fear first; we can develop greater trust in our ability to handle whatever comes next.

Purchase or learn more:
https://susanjeffers.com/books/feel-the-fear-and-do-it-anyway-revised-and-updated/

Episode Timeline:

00:011 – Approaching 5,000 downloads—and an unexpected feeling
04:20 – Why we pull back when life starts going right
08:19 – Gay Hendricks and the “Upper Limit Problem”
9:02 – Learning to receive success, joy, and opportunity
11:11 – Amelia Earhart: acting before we feel completely ready
12:45– Visibility, vulnerability, and allowing ourselves to be seen
13:44– Susan Jeffers: feeling fear and moving forward anyway
14:53– Eleanor Roosevelt and building confidence one brave decision at a time
16:35– Where are you making yourself smaller?
18:55 – Why ordinary consistency creates extraordinary milestones
19:32– Growth, gratitude, and the bridge to Episode 124

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Find more Country Proud Living episodes, interior design inspiration, personal growth conversations, and resources for creating a nurturing home and a meaningful life.

https://countryproudliving.com

🌼 A Gentle Invitation, this week, ask yourself:

Where am I pulling back simply because moving forward would require me to believe something bigger about myself?

Maybe you're overthinking instead of acting. Maybe you're perfecting something that's already ready. Maybe you're shrinking an idea before anyone has even had the chance to see it.

You don't need the entire road mapped out.

You only need enough courage for the next step.

You've already survived difficult seasons, learned, changed, and gathered wisdom through every chapter that brought you here.

Perhaps the next chapter isn't asking you to become an entirely different woman.

Perhaps it's simply asking you to trust the woman you already are.

✨ Coming Next: Episode 124

There is another side to this conversation.

In our desire to grow, achieve, and become, we don't want to become so focused on the next milestone that we miss the beautiful life already happening around us.

Enough doesn't mean stop growing. It means growth doesn't require dissatisfaction with the life you already have.

That's where we're going next on Country Proud Living.

fear of success, self-sabotage, overcoming self-sabotage, why we fear success, fear of being seen, confidence in midlife, personal growth for women, women over 40, women over 50, midlife purpose, overcoming fear, building confidence, limiting beliefs, fear of visibility, pursuing dreams in midlife, intentional living, purpose-driven life, finding courage, starting over in midlife, Country Proud Living podcast

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

What if some of the best people who will ever be part of your life are people you haven't even met yet? ✨

In this heartfelt episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn explores friendship in midlife, meaningful connection, intentional living, and finding purpose in the season you're in now. After choosing connection as her word of the year, she shares how one small decision—starting a local Coffee Klatch Connection—has already opened the door to new friendships, ideas, opportunities, and community.

If you've been longing for deeper friendships or wondering how to meet new people as an adult, this episode is your encouragement to stop waiting for connection to find you. Sometimes we have to be brave enough to extend the invitation, pull up another chair, and create what we wish existed.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• Why making friends in midlife often requires more intention
• What LoriLynn has discovered through her Coffee Klatch Connection
• Why adult friendship often begins with someone taking initiative
• How to use a guiding word to make more intentional life choices
• Why purpose doesn't have to be one enormous calling
• The courage to create the community you've been wishing for

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think.”
— L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

“For friendship to happen, someone has to be brave. So be brave.”
— Dr. Marisa G. Franco, author of Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—and Keep—Friends

🕰️ Episode Timeline:

00:11 – You haven't met all your people yet
01:30 – Choosing connection as a guiding word
03:00 – What happened when LoriLynn started Coffee Klatch Connection
04:25 – Why friendship changes as we get older
05:15 – Dr. Marisa G. Franco: friendship requires initiative
06:45 – Simple ways to create more connection in your life
07:15 – Priya Parker: gathering with purpose and intention
08:50 – Rethinking what a “purpose-driven life” really means
09:55 – Finding the thread running through what matters to you
10:35 – The courage to create what you wish existed
12:45 – Who might be waiting in the unwritten chapters of your life?

📚 Books & Resources Mentioned

Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—and Keep—Friends — Dr. Marisa G. Franco

A research-based exploration of adult friendship, attachment, and why making meaningful friendships often requires us to take initiative rather than simply waiting for connection to happen.

Learn More & Purchase Platonic

The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters — Priya Parker

A thoughtful guide to bringing greater purpose and intention to the ways we gather—whether around a coffee table, at home, at work, or within our communities.

Learn More & Purchase The Art of Gathering

Anne of Green Gables — L.M. Montgomery

The beloved classic that gave us Anne Shirley's wonderful reminder about discovering “kindred spirits”—a beautiful complement to this episode's message about remaining open to the people we haven't met yet.

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Find more Country Proud Living episodes, interior design inspiration, retreats, and resources to help you create a nurturing home and live with greater intention and purpose.

Visit Country Proud Living

🌼 A Gentle Invitation, is there someone you've been thinking about inviting for coffee, lunch, a walk, or an event? Make the invitation.

You don't know where one small act of courage might lead. There may be someone ten minutes away who has been hoping to meet someone just like you.

Your life isn't finished introducing you to wonderful people. Keep showing up. Keep reaching out. Keep making room.

Because sometimes the most purpose-filled thing we can do is simply pull up another chair, pour another cup of coffee, and see who joins us!

friendship in midlife, making friends after 40, making friends after 50, how to make friends as an adult, meaningful friendships, finding your people, connection in midlife, women supporting women, intentional living for women, finding purpose in midlife, building community, loneliness in midlife, personal growth for women, creating meaningful connections, purpose-driven life, midlife friendships, Country Proud Living podcast

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

What makes a house truly feel like home? ✨

In this heartfelt episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn explores the deeper meaning of home and why the spaces we live in have such a powerful influence on our well-being, relationships, memories, and sense of belonging.

Recorded partly while away on an interior design project, LoriLynn reflects on why we often appreciate home most when we're away from it—and how thoughtful, nurturing design can support the life we're actually living. From creating spaces for rest and connection to allowing our homes to evolve with us in midlife, this episode is a reminder that a beautiful home isn't about perfection. It's about creating a place where you can exhale, gather, grow, and feel completely yourself.

Then ask yourself: Does my home support the life I want to be living now?

Start with the life first. Then let the design support it.

🌿 In This Episode

• Why home is a feeling—not simply a place
• How our surroundings influence how we feel and live
• Why our homes should evolve as we do in midlife
• Creating meaningful spaces instead of perfect ones
• Simple design choices that encourage rest, connection, and belonging
• One powerful question: Does my home support the life I want to be living now?

“The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.”
— Wendy Wunder

“Home is the nicest word there is.”
— Laura Ingalls Wilder

🕰️ Episode Timeline:

00:11 – Why we sometimes appreciate home most when we're away
03:00 – What transforms a house into a nurturing home
04:32 – The Architecture of Happiness and how our surroundings affect us
05:45 – Why meaningful homes don't need to be perfect
06:50 – The Comfort of Crows and noticing ordinary life
09:35 – Start with the life first, then let design support it
10:45 – Small ways to create more comfort, connection, and belonging
13:00 – “Home is the nicest word there is” + appreciating what your home already holds
17:00 – Behind the scenes of LoriLynn's final full-service installation + closing reflections

📚 Books and Resources Mentioned

The Architecture of Happiness — Alain de Botton
A fascinating exploration of how architecture and our surroundings affect our emotions and how the places we inhabit can reflect qualities such as calm, beauty, dignity, and belonging.

Explore The Architecture of Happiness

The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year — Margaret Renkl
A beautiful reflection on nature, family, seasons, aging, loss, and learning to notice the ordinary moments unfolding right in front of us.

Explore The Comfort of Crows

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Find more episodes, interior design inspiration, and resources for creating a nurturing home and a life that reflects what matters most to you.

Country Proud Living

🌼 A Gentle Invitation, look around your home today—not at what's unfinished, outdated, or imperfect, but at what your home is already holding for you.

Because creating a nurturing home isn't about creating a perfect backdrop for life. It's about creating a place where life can actually happen—where we can rest, gather, grow, create, connect, and become more fully ourselves.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

meaning of home, creating a nurturing home, intentional home design, interior design and wellbeing, cozy home inspiration, meaningful interior design, home and belonging, midlife home design, intentional living for women, personal growth in midlife, creating a peaceful home, home design for women over 40, slow living, Country Proud Living podcast

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

✨A warm home is about more than color—it's about how it makes you feel.

In this episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn shares how the rich, sun-washed colors of late summer can inspire a home that feels calm, welcoming, and deeply personal. Drawing from nature, timeless design principles, and the work of remarkable artists and designers, she explores how color, texture, light, and meaningful objects work together to create spaces that nurture everyday life.

If you've been longing to create a cozy, timeless home without chasing trends, this episode will inspire you to embrace the beauty already surrounding you and design a home that reflects your story. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• Why warmth is an emotional experience before it's a color palette
• How late summer landscapes inspire timeless interior design
• Simple ways to create warmth through color, texture, and lighting
• Why meaningful homes are more memorable than perfectly decorated ones
• How to choose colors that reflect who you are—not what's trending

"Through color, I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness in my painting rather than on man's inhumanity to man." — Alma Thomas

"Color is one of the great things in the world that makes life worth living."— Georgia O'Keeffe

🕰️ Episode Timeline:

00:11 – Why a warm home is about feeling, not just color

04:00 – Alma Thomas and the emotional power of color

09:00 – Creating a late-summer color palette from nature

11:00 – Layering color, texture, wood, and light

14:00 – Textile inspiration and artist Natalia Wallbridge of Dock 5

16:20 – Choosing colors that reflect your memories and story

20:10 – Georgia O'Keeffe, meaningful color, and creating a nurturing home

📚 Resources & Artists Mentioned

Dorothy Liebes Known as one of America's most influential textile designers, she transformed the design world by combining rich color, luxurious texture, and innovative materials—reminding us that warmth comes through thoughtful layering, not color alone.

Dock 5 Textile Art. Discover the beautiful woven textile artwork of Natalia Wallbridge, whose nature-inspired creations celebrate craftsmanship, storytelling, and the landscapes of Northern Minnesota.

Website: https://dock5art.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dock5art/

🎙️ Listen to LoriLynn's earlier conversation with Natalia:
Bonus Episode: Celebrating Local Artistry: A Conversation with Natalia of Dock 5

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Explore more podcast episodes, interior design inspiration, and resources for creating a nurturing home and living a life you're proud of.

Website: https://countryproudliving.com

🌼 Gentle Invitation; This week, walk through your home and ask yourself:

"What would make this room feel just 10% warmer?"

Maybe it's a favorite color, fresh flowers from the garden, a treasured quilt, meaningful artwork, softer lighting, or simply removing something that no longer belongs.

Because the most beautiful homes aren't the ones that perfectly follow trends—they're the ones that help us feel welcomed, connected, and completely at home.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

late summer decorating ideas, warm color palette, cozy home inspiration, timeless interior design, creating a nurturing home, home color inspiration, Americana home design, interior designer tips, warm neutral colors, home styling ideas, emotional interior design, cozy decorating ideas, color psychology in interior design

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

✨ Late summer has a quiet wisdom all its own.

As the days begin to soften and gardens overflow with abundance, we're gently reminded that every season has something to teach us. In this heartfelt episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn reflects on the lessons of late summer—slowing down, savoring the present, letting go of what no longer serves us, and embracing the woman we're becoming.

If you've been longing to create a more intentional life and a nurturing home, this episode is an invitation to pause, notice what's growing within you, and step into the next season with peace instead of pressure. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• The quiet lessons late summer teaches about change and gratitude
• Why slowing down helps us appreciate the life we're already living
• Letting go of expectations that no longer fit
• Creating a home that nurtures you through every season
• Three gentle questions to prepare your heart for what's next

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
— Mary Oliver, The Summer Day

"Women must come of age by herself." (Referenced from Gift from the Sea*)*
— Anne Morrow Lindbergh

"August is the Sunday of summer."
— Commonly attributed to Unknown

Episode Timeline:

🕰️ 00:11 – The quiet beauty and wisdom of late summer

🕰️ 04:00 – Why abundance and change can exist together

🕰️ 09:00 – Mary Oliver's invitation to live intentionally

🕰️ 14:00 – Taking inventory of what this season has taught you

🕰️ 19:00 – Midlife, perspective, and learning what truly matters

🕰️ 21;00 – Creating a nurturing home without rushing into the next season

🕰️ 23:00 – Three gentle questions to carry into autumn

🕰️ 24:00– Books for reflection and embracing life's changing seasons

Visit LoriLynn online for more podcast episodes, interior design inspiration, retreat updates, and resources to help you create a nurturing home and a life you're proud to live. Website: https://countryproudliving.com/

📚 Books Mentioned Gift from the Sea Author: Anne Morrow Lindbergh

A timeless classic exploring simplicity, solitude, identity, and the changing seasons of a woman's life. Its reflections on balance, contemplation, and living intentionally remain just as meaningful today. LINK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/154310/gift-from-the-sea-by-anne-morrow-lindbergh/

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times Author: Katherine May

A thoughtful exploration of life's quieter seasons, reminding us that rest, uncertainty, and change are not setbacks—but essential parts of living well. LINK:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609307/wintering-by-katherine-may/

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

🌼 Gentle Invitation, as summer begins to fade, ask yourself three simple questions:

• What do I want to savor? What am I ready to release? What would I like to carry into the next season?

Sometimes the biggest transformations don't come through dramatic changes—they begin with one small, intentional step.

May this season remind you to slow down, notice the beauty already surrounding you, and trust the quiet wisdom that's been growing within you all along.

late summer inspiration, intentional living, midlife personal growth, creating a nurturing home, slow living, embracing change, women over 40, midlife mindset, cozy home inspiration, seasonal living, gratitude, home and lifestyle podcast, country living, personal growth for women, simple living, finding peace in everyday life

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

What if creativity isn't reserved for artists—but is simply a way of living?

Because the creative life is calling... and perhaps today is the day you answer. You don't need a perfect plan—you simply need enough curiosity to take the next step.

In this inspiring episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn explores how creative living can help us rediscover joy, curiosity, and purpose in midlife. Whether you're refreshing a room in your home, planting flowers, trying a new hobby, or simply noticing beauty in everyday moments, creativity invites us to become active participants in our own lives again.

Drawing on the wisdom of Elizabeth Gilbert, Julia Cameron, and Maya Angelou, this episode offers gentle encouragement to let go of perfection, follow your curiosity, and create a home—and a life—that reflects who you truly are.💛

🌿 In This Episode

• Why creativity is for everyone—not just artists
• How curiosity can lead to a more joyful and meaningful life
• The connection between creativity, home, and personal growth
• Simple ways to nurture inspiration every day
• Why midlife is the perfect season to rediscover your creative spirit

"Creative living is a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear."
— Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."
— Maya Angelou

Episode Timeline:

🕰️ 00:11 – What creative living really means
🕰️ 04:00 – Curiosity over fear: Elizabeth Gilbert's perspective
🕰️ 09:00 – Why creativity often reawakens in midlife
🕰️ 14:00 – Designing a home that reflects your story
🕰️ 19:00 – Following curiosity instead of perfection
🕰️ 20:00 – Julia Cameron's "Artist Date" and filling your creative well
🕰️ 21:00 – Simple ways to bring more creativity into everyday life
🕰️ 22:00 – A gentle invitation to answer the creative life that's calling you

📚 Books & Resources Mentioned

Big Magic
by Elizabeth Gilbert
A beautiful guide to living creatively with curiosity instead of fear.

https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/books/big-magic/

The Artist's Way
by Julia Cameron
Discover practical tools—including the famous "Artist Date"—to nurture creativity and inspiration.

https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Discover more podcast episodes, interior design inspiration, and resources for creating a nurturing home and living your best life.

https://countryproudliving.com

🌼 Gentle Invitation, this week, choose one small act of creativity.

Rearrange a favorite corner of your home. Pick flowers from your garden. Visit a local bookstore or antique shop. Start a Pinterest board for something you've always wanted to learn. Write down an idea that won't leave you alone.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

creative living, creativity in midlife, finding inspiration, creative inspiration, home inspiration, interior design podcast, creative home ideas, cozy home inspiration, personal growth for women, midlife creativity, intentional living, curiosity, nurturing home, creative lifestyle

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

When was the last time you laughed until your cheeks hurt or did something simply because it brought you joy?

In this uplifting episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn explores how to rediscover joy in midlife through playfulness, gratitude, meaningful connection, and creating a home that supports the life you truly want to live. Drawing on research in positive psychology and her own experiences, she shares why joy isn't something we wait for—it's something we intentionally notice and choose.

If you've been longing for a slower, lighter, more joyful season, this episode is your invitation to embrace the ordinary moments that often become life's most treasured memories.

Because a beautiful life isn't built through extraordinary moments—it grows from ordinary moments filled with joy. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• Why joy is essential for emotional wellbeing and resilience
• The science behind positive emotions and flourishing
• How playfulness and presence create a more meaningful life
• Creating a home that welcomes joy instead of perfection
• Simple summer ideas to reconnect with your inner child

"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day." — Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son

"This is a wonderful day. I've never seen this one before."— Maya Angelou

Episode Timeline:

🕰️ 00:11 – Why joy matters more than ever in midlife
🕰️ 04:30 – The science of joy and Barbara Fredrickson's research
🕰️ 09:30 – Catherine Price and the surprising power of fun
🕰️ 12:00 – Summer nostalgia and rediscovering your playful spirit
🕰️ 13:20 – Creating a home where joy feels welcome
🕰️ 14:10 – Daily reminders to choose joy and embrace flow
🕰️ 15:30 – Gratitude, Robert Emmons, and noticing life's blessings
🕰️ 16:24 – A joyful summer invitation and final reflections

📚 Books & Resources Mentioned

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen
A timeless reflection on grace, joy, and living with an open heart.

Learn more: https://henrinouwen.org/read/the-return-of-the-prodigal-son/

Positivity by Barbara Fredrickson
Explores the Broaden-and-Build Theory and how positive emotions help us flourish.

Learn more: https://www.positivityratio.com

The Power of Fun by Catherine Price
A practical and research-based look at why playfulness, connection, and presence are essential to a joyful life.

Learn more: https://catherineprice.com/books/the-power-of-fun

Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier by Robert Emmons
Groundbreaking research on gratitude and its impact on happiness, relationships, and overall wellbeing.

Learn more: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/robert_emmons

🌿 Connect with LoriLynn

Discover more podcast episodes, interior design inspiration, retreat updates, and resources for creating a nurturing home and living your best life.

https://countryproudliving.com

🌼 Gentle Invitation, this week, do one thing your 10-year-old self would absolutely love.

Pick wildflowers. Watch a sunset. Dance in your kitchen. Eat ice cream before dinner. Laugh with someone you love.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

joy in midlife, finding joy after 50, summer joy, playful living, positive psychology, gratitude and happiness, intentional living, creating a joyful home, cozy home inspiration, personal growth for women, slow living, midlife wellness, nurturing home, women over 40

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

Can you believe it's been two and a half years?

In this special behind-the-scenes episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn reflects on the journey of building a podcast from the ground up—sharing the lessons she's learned, the joys and challenges along the way, and her vision for what's ahead.

Recorded from her front porch on a beautiful Minnesota summer morning, this candid conversation offers a glimpse into real life on the farm, the growth of the podcast, exciting plans for future retreats, and why creating a nurturing home and living with intention continue to be at the heart of everything she does.

Whether you've been listening since Episode 1 or you've just discovered Country Proud Living, thank you for being part of this journey.

🌿 In This Episode:

• Behind the scenes of two and a half years of podcasting
• Lessons learned from building Country Proud Living
• Exciting plans for future retreats and community
• How living with intention continues to shape the podcast

Favorite Quote "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." — Jim Rohn

Episode Timeline:

🕰️ 00:11 – Welcome to this special 2½-year anniversary episode
🕰️ 04:00 – Looking back at the early days of the podcast
🕰️ 10:00 – Lessons learned and changes moving forward
🕰️ 17:00 – Podcast growth, listener milestones, and worldwide reach
🕰️ 19:00 – Retreat dreams and the future of Country Proud Living
🕰️ 22:00 – Why community, connection, and intentional living matter

📚 Resources Mentioned. Atomic Habits. by James Clear

Practical strategies for building habits that support lasting personal growth and intentional living.

🌐 Connect with LoriLynn www.countryproudliving.com Join my Retreat waitlist

https://www.countryproudliving.com/cultivate-your-best-life

Discover podcast episodes, design inspiration, retreat updates, and resources for creating a nurturing home and living your best life. Join the retreat waitlist and stay connected with everything happening at Country Proud Living.

🌼 Thank you for walking this journey with me. Whether you've been here since the very beginning or you're just finding Country Proud Living, I'm so grateful you're here.

Here's to slowing down, creating homes that nurture us, building meaningful lives, and continuing to grow—together.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

What if the most beautiful homes aren't the most expensive—but the ones that tell the story of the people who live there?

In this heartfelt episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn explores how timeless Americana style, nostalgia, and meaningful design can help us create homes that feel warm, welcoming, and deeply personal. Drawing on research about nostalgia, inspiring authors, and her own experience as an interior designer, she shares why home is much more than décor—it's a feeling of belonging.

If you're longing to create a cozy home filled with beauty, memories, and purpose, this episode will encourage you to decorate with intention and celebrate the story only your home can tell. 💛 In This Episode:

• Why nostalgia helps us feel grounded and connected
• The difference between decorating and creating a meaningful home
• Timeless Americana decorating ideas that never go out of style
• How nature and family heirlooms add warmth and character
• Why your home should reflect your story—not someone else's

"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been." — Madeleine L'Engle

Episode Timeline:

🕰️ 00:11 – Why home is more than a place—it's a feeling
🕰️ 03:30 – The science of nostalgia and why memories matter

🕰️12:00 – What designers should ask before choosing a style
🕰️ 17:00 – Timeless Americana design and meaningful decorating
🕰️ 23:00 – Nature, family heirlooms, and creating a nurturing home
🕰️ 07:35 – Madeleine L'Engle on growing older with gratitude
🕰️ 10:30 – Questions to help your home tell your story

📚 Books & Resources Mentioned

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/books. A beautiful exploration of gratitude, nature, reciprocity, and our relationship with the natural world.

Psychologists Constantine Sedikides and Tim Wildschut have spent decades studying nostalgia. Their research shows that nostalgia can strengthen our sense of identity, increase optimism, foster social connection, and help us find greater meaning in life.

"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been." — Madeleine L'Engle

"The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." — Maya Angelou

This week, instead of asking, "What should I buy?" Ask yourself, "What story is my home telling?"

Bring out the family photographs, fold a quilt across the end of the bed, gather flowers from the garden, set out your grandmother's crock or favorite enamelware.

Because the most beautiful homes aren't built around perfection—they're built around love, memories, and the life that's unfolding within their walls.

meaningful home, cozy home ideas, Americana home style, timeless home design, nostalgic decorating ideas, decorating with family heirlooms, cozy cottage decorating, creating a nurturing home, interior design for women over 40, home styling inspiration, intentional decorating, summer decorating ideas

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

As we celebrate Independence Day, what if freedom meant more than a holiday?

In this special episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn reflects on a quieter kind of freedom—the freedom to live with intention, trust yourself, and create a life that reflects your deepest values.

If you've spent years caring for others and are wondering what this next season of life could become, this conversation is a gentle invitation to embrace the freedom to choose what truly matters. Because the most meaningful life isn't built all at once—it's created through small, intentional choices made every day. Slow down, trust yourself, and create a life you're proud to live. 💛

🌿 In This Episode

• What freedom can look like in midlife
• Why intentional living leads to greater peace and purpose
• How your home can support the life you want to create
• The difference between achievement and alignment
• One powerful question to help shape your next chapter "For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." — Nelson Mandela

Episode Timeline:

🕰️ 00:11 – A different way to think about freedom this Independence Day
🕰️ 03:30 – The freedom to become who you truly are
🕰️ 08:00 – Creating a nurturing home that supports intentional living
🕰️ 13:00 – Choosing what matters most instead of doing it all
🕰️ 18:00 – Freedom, purpose, and living with greater clarity
🕰️ 23:00 – Making space for reflection and everyday joy
🕰️ 27:00 – Annie Dillard's reminder about how we spend our lives
🕰️ 30:00 – Childhood memories of Independence Day and a final invitation

Resources 📚 Books and quotes mentioned:

• Freedom by Sebastian Junger link:https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982153415
• Carl Jung "The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are."
• Annie Dillard "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."

As you celebrate Independence Day, and/or have some space for yourself, please take a quiet moment to ask yourself: "What kind of life am I becoming free to live?"

The answer may not come all at once. But when you slow down enough to listen, you may discover that freedom isn't found in doing more—it's found in living each day with greater intention.

One Final Thought in honor of Independence Day:

"May we never take for granted the freedoms we've been given as a nation... and may we also have the courage to use those freedoms to create lives filled with purpose, peace, beauty, and love."

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

intentional living, freedom in midlife, creating a meaningful life, personal growth for women, midlife purpose, living with intention, nurturing home, simple living, life after 50, creating a life you love

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home."

What if the next chapter of your life isn't about becoming someone new—but becoming more fully yourself? 💛

In this heartfelt episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn explores the challenge and opportunity of trusting yourself in midlife. After years of meeting expectations, caring for others, and building a life, many women find themselves asking a new question:

What do I want this next season of life to look like?

Through wisdom from Carl Jung, Brené Brown, Glennon Doyle, and David Brooks, this episode offers gentle encouragement to trust your intuition, honor your values, and create a life that feels aligned with who you truly are.

🌿 In This Episode

• Why trusting yourself can feel difficult in midlife
• The difference between meeting expectations and living authentically
• How intuition and life experience become wisdom
• Why purpose often becomes more important than achievement
• A simple question that can help guide your next chapter

"The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are."— Carl Jung

Episode Timeline:

🕰️ 00:11 – From slowing down to listening inward
🕰️ 03:00 – Why midlife invites us to trust ourselves more deeply
🕰️ 07:00 – Carl Jung and becoming who you truly are
🕰️ 11:00 – Letting go of expectations and embracing authenticity
🕰️ 16:00 – Glennon Doyle's "knowing" and trusting your intuition
🕰️ 20:00 – David Brooks, purpose, and the Second Mountain
🕰️ 25:00 – Achievement versus meaning in midlife
🕰️ 29:00 – One powerful question for your next chapter
🕰️ 33:00 – Final encouragement and reflection

📚 Book links:

• Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
Learn More
• Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Learn More
• The Second Mountain by David Brooks
Learn More

This week, find a quiet moment with a cup of coffee, a walk in nature, or a few peaceful minutes on the porch and ask yourself: 💛

If fear, comparison, and other people's expectations were removed from the equation, what would I choose for myself in this next season of life?

You may discover that the life you're longing for has been waiting for you all along.

Country Proud Living is a podcast for women who want to create nurturing homes, live with greater intention, embrace personal growth, and cultivate a life they're truly proud to live. 💛

trusting yourself in midlife, midlife personal growth, finding purpose in midlife, women reinventing themselves, authenticity, personal development for women, midlife transformation, life purpose, intentional living, self-discovery after 40

Let me know if there is something you would like to learn more about in the color & design, nurture & empower space? I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Country Proud Living, Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels A Little More Like Home. I’m LoriLynn—a certified interior designer, creative soul, country gal at heart, and your friend out here on the airwaves.

I share this country life alongside my Cowboy and Rhuby, my sweet golden retriever, and here we talk about meaningful home design, intentional living, personal growth, and creating a life that truly feels like your own.

Thank you for spending this time with me. If today's episode encouraged you, please follow Country Proud Living, and share it with a woman who might need it, too. Every share helps more women discover nurturing home design, intentional living, and encouragement for creating a life that feels like their own i'm so grateful you were here today.

Until next time, love and light, Lori Lynn.

Support the show

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode! If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about or you want to work with me. Inquires can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )

MY WEBSITE: www.countryproudliving.com

MY IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving

PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/

MY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori

MY PODCAST: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014

BUZZSPROUT: https://countryproudliving.buzzsprout.com

Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found anywhere you choose to listen!