What is Vintage Cowboy Cottage and where did you get the idea to start it?

Vintage Cowboy Cottage (VCC) is a bed & breakfast (Airbnb style) we started in 2016. Stephanie has always wanted to have a B&B, and, because of internet services such as Airbnb, people with traditional day jobs can offer a property for internet booking and easier management. This made a side business more feasible.

A few years ago we hosted an RP pastor and family (Jonathan and Adrienne Haney) for a weekend. In our house we have rather modest accommodations, and yet they mentioned to us that the weekend had been remarkably restful and rejuvenating. This stuck with us (maybe because we couldn’t imagine how that could be true after staying with us!) and added to the incentive to build on Stephanie’s dream.

We had been closely watching the small 1920s-era house next door to ours, which had been owned for over 60 years by a man who grew up there, but no longer lived there. On Oct. 31, 2015, a for-sale sign appeared in the yard, just days after Stephanie had mentioned her thoughts about the place to Dan—for sale after over 60 years!

Immediately we got a showing of the house, and we broached the idea of starting “the cottage” with our children. Our family prayed and discussed how this could work. We moved quickly since such properties sell rapidly in Stillwater. God blessed our efforts, and Vintage Cowboy Cottage was born. We got to work on renovations after closing on the house in January 2016.

Where did the name come from?

Stephanie loves vintage decor. She’s also very talented with it. Stephanie knew she would feature a vintage style for this cottage.

Stillwater is home to Oklahoma State University, whose mascot is the Cowboys. Our family is made of die-hard OSU Cowboys fans. (Our congregation now enjoys members who come from the bitter rival school, OU, which is a challenge to describe another time!)

We considered some cowboy-themed names. Beyond the OSU Cowboys connection, Oklahoma boasts beautiful ranch and farm land. It’s truly the land of cowboys. We decided not to feature OSU-themed decor but still wanted a nod to the heritage of Oklahoma. Vintage beauty combined with cowboy roots in a cottage: the Vintage Cowboy Cottage.

How has God challenged you with VCC?

The challenges have been primarily centered on interpersonal diversity and financial needs. These same challenges lead to blessings.

On the interpersonal side, we have grown in our appreciation of each other’s unique gifts. For example, Dan is rather clueless when it comes to decor and style. Readers who know him should be chuckling by now. Dan has been learning to be patient with the rustic items and “vintage finds” that Stephanie brings home.

Early on, Dan would get frustrated at more junk arriving to clutter the storage areas. He no longer considers it junk after seeing how the cottage has come together and reading the rave reviews of VCC by guests.

Stephanie is not a “numbers person” and never was a big fan of math. She has had to learn patience with Dan on running the business side and learn how to walk the line of fast responsiveness to incoming guest inquiries while also keeping the focus on the more important tasks in life (such as home­schooling our children).

Our children have had to learn more diligence and thoroughness in caring for the cottage as the cleaning crew, even though some are more naturally talented at that than others. And, siblings always have to work hard to graciously work alongside one another.

Financially, we have had to depend on the Lord to bring in enough guests to make everything balance as we’ve ramped up VCC’s presence in our community. He’s been very good to us, and possibilities continue to abound!

What have been the top blessings from VCC?

These have mainly been the challenges themselves. Learning to embrace each other’s different gifts, “body of Christ style,” has been its own blessing even as we’re still challenged. Seeing God provide guests has been a blessing, as has seeing how much folks have loved the cottage. It has really been a joyful journey.

Stephanie has been able to use her creativity and talent on the decor in special ways. It has been quite an outlet for her in that, which has been a wonderful blessing.

How does the whole family participate?

Stephanie is “the boss,” and the cottage is her brainchild and canvas. She’s our creative genius and she handles the decor, both inside and out. She is our main customer service point person as well, dealing “front line” with most of the guest requests.

Dan is the business guy. He runs numbers, programs door codes (keyless entry), pounds hammers, and hauls stuff.

The kids are the cleaning crew. They get the cottage ship-shape for the next guest and are learning to take charge of that more and more.

The whole family prays for VCC needs together and rejoices when God provides another “ding” (incoming booking on the Airbnb app).

What do you offer RP pastors and their wives, and why?

We offer Vintage Cowboy Cottage to RP pastors and their wives as a special getaway. We want them to take some time away to be with one another, enjoy their marriage, rest, rejuvenate, worship, and, of course, root for the OSU Cowboys! Our offer is for them to come to Stillwater and enjoy a free stay at VCC, worship with the Stillwater RP congregation, and be refreshed.

We know that the Lord cherishes both marriage and our earthly shepherds. We want our pastors to be refreshed, ready, and strengthened, and we believe this is one way to contribute to that.

What are the Vintage Cowboy Chickens?

“The ladies,” as Dan calls them, are the newest addition to VCC. We have four hens that live in the Vintage Chicken Cottage in the backyard. Our whole family loves raising and caring for them, and the chickens earn their keep by eating bugs.

Soon they will be old enough to start egg production, and our family, plus VCC guests, will enjoy healthy, locally raised, organic eggs, straight from the backyard.

Where can folks learn more about Vintage Cowboy Cottage?

Visit us on the web at StayInStilly.me or on social media at @StayInStilly.

RP pastors and their wives can contact us from our website or call us at (405) 5-STILLY and we’ll work something out for scheduling a stay. For those farther away from Oklahoma, it’s good to know that American Airlines now offers jet service into Stillwater.

Dan and Stephanie Yost and their four children, Raychel, Joseph, Renée, and Annie Rose, are members of the Stillwater, Okla., RPC. The couple met in the congregation while Dan was attending Oklahoma State University. Dan is president of Tri-8, Inc., a technology company, and a deacon at Stillwater RPC. Stephanie is a homeschooling mom, tutor for Classical Conversations, and manager of the cottage.