The Little Blue Ranch
Little Blue Ranch
Great Valley Home Featured in Country Rustic Magazine’s Winter Issue
What began as a hobby during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic has become a home décor passion that landed Kaitie Samland a feature spot in Country Rustic magazine! Page 50 of the Winter 2022 issue, “A Great Valley Christmas Cabin,” features Samland’s Great Valley home decked out in her signature vintage-themed décor that is as inspirational as it is festive. Known by her Instagram handle @thelittleblueranch, Samland has made a name for herself in the home décor world, and her recipes, DIY projects, and unabashed Buffalo Bills fandom are sure to spark anyone’s creative side.
With near daily postings of seasonal project ideas, tablescapes, and easy cocktail recipes for an audience of over 10,000 followers, Samland’s Little Blue Ranch could easily fulfill the workload of a full-time job. However, her full-time job is at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, where she is a cardiac x-ray technician. “Little Blue Ranch began back in 2020 when everything shut down,” Samland explained. “It started with my crafting and kind of evolved into this umbrella of Little Blue Ranch being decorating, DIY and my felt flowers. On Instagram, it really took off!”
While Samland enjoys decorating for every holiday, Christmas is her favorite. She said, “I really embrace vintage Christmas, which is what caught the magazine’s eye.” A few years ago, Samland started looking for vintage items at local antique stores, such as the Salamanca Mall Antiques, and now has an impressive collection that she’s been building over the years. One of her favorite vintage finds is her collection of mini Holt Howard Santa mugs, which she loves for their mischievous expressions.
Interestingly, readers of Samland’s feature in Country Rustic magazine are looking at photos of her décor from last Christmas, as the magazine plans each of their quarterly issues about a year in advance. “All of the photography was done in early January of this year,” she explained. “It took me two months to decorate my house! I decorated every single room, every single floor - it was crazy. I didn’t know what the photographer would want to photograph, so I decorated everywhere!”
While this is the first Country Rustic issue to feature Little Blue Ranch, this is not the first issue to incorporate Samland’s creativity. Last winter, when Samland and the magazine publishers began planning for this year’s winter issue, they asked her to write for them. “I write two articles for each issue,” Samland explained. “I write one article on a DIY project and the other is how to style a table. This issue’s DIY project is a faux mug topper, which looks like whipped cream topping with a straw. You use a certain material so it hardens, and you can put it on any mug you want!” In the other article, Samland decorates a dining room table and features a beautiful garland from Flowers Off the Farm in Ellicottville.
For more seasonal ideas, be sure to follow @thelittleblueranch on Instagram. “I do a lot of recipes that are really easy,” she explained. “A lot of us don’t have the time to be creating these extravagant recipes, so I like to think of them as ‘recipe hacks’.” This winter, Samland is focusing on easy appetizers and desserts for the holidays. “I’m all about changing it up! Instead of your traditional cookies, let’s do a spin on that and turn some store-bought frosted cookies into cake pops!”
While Samland can be contacted through Instagram, she can also be seen at area craft shows. Most recently, she participated in Springville’s “Very Merry Main Street.” “The flower bar is a new concept I introduced in Springville,” she explained. “I work with wool blended felt and cut each petal and glue them to create the flower. The flower bar lets people create their own bouquets, and the selection includes dahlias, poinsettias, gerbera daisies, roses, and more.”
Samland’s family has been an important part of her journey. “My dad is a huge part of this. He’ll help me with the woodwork that’s part of my crafts,” she said. “My grandma has helped me with sewing. My mom and fiancé always support and promote me. I’m so grateful!” Thinking of her floral inspiration, Samland credits Ellen Krzemien, owner of The Flower Stand in Springville and her grandmother. “My grandmother has a huge passion for flowers and the most beautiful garden,” Samland noted.
For those who may be pursuing a new creative hobby, Samland says, “Keep on going! You will make mistakes; you will hit bumps in the road. At a certain point, you may want to give up. I just kept going. I tried different things, and that’s where I am today! I’m still learning and growing.”
The Winter 2022 issue of Country Rustic magazine is available at craft stores such as Jo-Ann Fabrics and Michaels, and many Walmart and Wegmans locations. Follow @LittleBlueRanch on Instagram for more information, where Samland can also be contacted for custom orders.