Choosing Intention
Life moves fast. We are constantly plugged in, checking off to-do lists, completing tasks, only to add more. In this culture of hustle and urgency, some are choosing a different path, stepping away from the noise and toward a simpler, more grounded way of living. For many, that path leads to homesteading.
There is a quiet kind of magic on a homestead, where life is measured in seasons and seedlings. New Boston native Brittany Tubbs has not only embraced this lifestyle but turned it into a thriving business that spans from Texarkana throughout central Arkansas. As the owner of Emmylou’s Flower Bar, she brings her floral creations to weddings, baby showers, and special events. But the flowers she arranges are more than just beautiful, they are deeply personal. Many are grown right on her homestead, in soil she’s worked with her own hands.
“I started gardening in 2016,” Tubbs shared. “When I lived in Nashville, Tennessee, I did an internship on a local farm that really got my green thumb into digging.” That experience planted the seed for what would later blossom into her full homestead and flourishing business. Emmylou’s Flower Bar officially launched in the spring of 2022, named after her daughter and tiny co-adventurer.
As a homemaker, Tubbs has always embraced her role with pride and gratitude. Homesteading began as a natural extension of that role—growing food, raising animals, and living in harmony with the rhythms of nature. Eventually, it grew into a business as she focused on cultivating flowers.
“I focused on growing cut flowers to sell on the flower bar and for weddings,” she explained. “Currently, my main cut flowers are sunflowers, zinnias, and cosmos. Next year, we will be adding ranunculus and tulips to that list.”
Unlike many who inherit this way of life, Tubbs built her homesteading journey from the ground up. “The closest background I had was snapping green beans with my grandparents, and I have been chasing that nostalgic feeling ever since,” she said.
Now, Tubbs and her family tend their vibrant homestead, filled with learning and life. They grow a wide variety of vegetables, especially tomatoes, which are her daughter’s favorite. “We are still working out quirks on our property of three years. We have moved our garden from one spot to another, determined to find the perfect soil for our seeds to thrive. It can be frustrating, but the benefits outweigh those frustrations in the long run.”
The homestead is also home to 13 chickens, two dogs, three cats, and one rabbit. Plans are in the works to add sheep and goats next season. Tubbs is beginning a beekeeping internship to expand even further. “One thing I have realized with this lifestyle is you cannot rush anything. If you do, you have just wasted money—but more importantly, time.”
Despite how it looks from the outside, homesteading is not always ideal. It comes with challenges like livestock lost to predators or animals needing care when veterinarians are unavailable. In those moments, Tubbs relies on instinct, grit, and the quiet strength of prayer. Even on the hardest days, the rewards outweigh the trials. This life, with all its imperfections, is real. And it is hers.
Some of Tubbs’ most cherished moments are found in the morning’s stillness. “My favorite part is being greeted by the morning sun with fresh black coffee in one hand and fresh farm eggs in the other.” Those golden, quiet hours, before the world fully wakes—that’s when she feels most connected to the land and life she has built.
To Tubbs, homesteading is more than self-sufficiency, it is a mindset. “It is a way of life to truly understand and appreciate what you have. A lot of what is advertised in our culture today is nothing but short-term gratification, praises, pride, ego, and rushing. You will always end up with the short end of the stick with that leading you.”
Her faith remains central to everything. “This lifestyle has kept me close to God and extremely appreciative,” she said. And that gratitude is something she’s passing down to her daughter. Emmylou is not just the flower bar’s namesake, she is a hands-on helper. Whether she is collecting eggs, tending chickens, weeding the garden, watering plants, or planting seeds, her presence is woven into daily life.
“I want her to understand the importance of slowing down and appreciating what you have,” Tubbs said. “If you want good things to last, you have to tend to it daily and water it. That goes with any aspect of life.”
Her appreciation also extends to her husband, Keith. “I’m very lucky to be able to live the life I have, and I’m forever grateful to have a husband that lets that dream be a reality.”
For someone just starting their own homesteading journey, Tubbs offered this simple wisdom, “Start slow and have patience. It is easy to overwhelm yourself or get discouraged because you are not where you would like to be. Keep working towards that goal.”
In a world driven by speed and urgency, Brittany Tubbs is choosing intention. She is choosing family. She is choosing home-grown flowers and eggs gathered at dawn. With every bouquet she builds and every seed she plants, she is not just creating a livelihood, she is cultivating a life rooted in love, faith, and the quiet power of slow growth.
Photos by Brittany Tubbs
