7 Essentials for Good Country Living

Country music has never been hotter, and neither has the laid-back, down-home look associated with the genre (as you'll see on the following pages!). Here, Guest Editor Miranda Lambert shares her personal take on the lifestyle behind the music. Today's country is...

...Inviting

"When you visit someone in the country, they better offer you a glass of iced tea—in a Mason jar, of course. It's cliché because it's true. Some of my best conversations have happened over the clink-clink of iced tea in a jar. It's the soundtrack of country life."

...Relaxed

"I write best when I'm home on my porch with my guitar. There's something calming about looking out at wide-open spaces and trees as far as you can see. The country is perfect for letting your mind drift to a creative place."

...Collected

"I love all things vintage, and I have a growing collection of salt-and-pepper shakers. I have about 50 sets right now, and it's getting out of control. My favorite—a '55 Chevy with an Airstream—came from a fan."

...Pet-friendly

"We're building a new house, and I've been saving inspiration on Pinterest. A friend of mine recently said, 'I can see your Pinterest boards, and all you have on there are dog rooms.' My husband [singer Blake Shelton] and I have 15 rescue animals, and I spend way too much time planning our pets' spaces. I'm like, okay, I probably need to move on to the laundry room!"

...Homegrown

"My dad taught me to live off the land. I now have my own garden, but Blake is really the gardener. This year, we're planting tomatoes and strawberries to make jam. I have a little downtime this summer, so I'm looking forward to this task."

...Fearless

"I'm inspired by the free-spirited decorating style of the Junk Gypsies. They're about empowering women and being creative and embracing yourself. Sometimes I think people second-guess themselves, like 'It's too much color or it's too big or too loud.' They're the queens of 'It doesn't have to match,' and I love that. My decorating mantra is 'What would the Gypsies do?' I really need to put that on a T-shirt."

...Imperfect

"Growing up, my house was basically condemned when we got it, but my mother was determined to make it awesome. It had mismatched carpet, and the halls were creaky. But those little things that were imperfect were what made it perfect. It's funny, because I had friends with really nice houses—with pools!—and they always wanted to come to our house. I think our home just had love. I think that's why country music resona