by Elizabeth Layton

Fall is out in full force and winter is on its’ way!  For those of us with horses, this means “clipping season”.  Clipping your horse is a common occurrence in the winter for equine lovers because, when riding your horse, they get sweaty.  During the warm summer months this doesn’t create any problem; simply take your horse to the wash racks and hose them off (hose yourself off, too, depending on how hot out it is).  However, in the colder fall and winter this isn’t possible, because it gets too cold out to hose your horse off and they can very likely become sick.

For myself, that “clipping day” came last week.  I could see it in my horses eyes every time I hopped off after a ride.  He was saying “Mom, it’s starting to get cold when are you going to bring out that warm and fuzzy blanket you bought me last year that I love to bite and roll around in the mud in?”  I could see it every time I brushed him and clumps of hair came out because he was shedding so uncontrollably.  Fact: I personally do not enjoy clipping.  Of course I do it – I don’t want my adored horse to be cold – but I do not enjoy those tiny, fine hairs that find their way in to every crevice of my clothes, my eyes, my hair, (you get the picture).  BUT WAIT.  As I sat at Rosies Workwear last week I realized I have been looking at my attire for clipping the entirely wrong way.  Why have I been wearing jeans and sweatshirts when I can wear coveralls?

Last week when I clipped my horse it was a magical experience.  I threw my coveralls on over my clothes and buttoned those babies all the way to the top.  After I was done clipping I brushed my horse, gave him a carrot for being such a good boy and shed myself of my hairy coveralls to find that my clothes underneath were still clean.  I also wore a pair of our Rosies safety glasses, which kept my eyes from becoming red and agitated.  All in all, this years clipping experience was a success.  I will absolutely never clip my horse again without my coveralls.

P.S. I think this would be great for clipping any animal; my personal experience just happens to be with horses!

Halloween is fast approaching and we have some great ideas for easy decorations at your home!  Have you been wondering what to do with your old overalls and coveralls?  You know the ones we’re talking about, those paint stained, dirt covered, lovingly worn overalls that you have since traded in for your new, clean (temporarily) ones.  We have taken our old overalls and converted them in to Scarecrows!  Using an old pillowcase, we painted our scarecrows face on to it and then used the old overalls as his clothes, stuffing them with straw.  You can use any old boots for his shoes and then set him up wherever he will serve you best!  We like placing ours on the porch where he can greet our visitors.

Here are some other “how to” ideas for fall decorations from http://www.hgtv.com/topics/halloween/index.html

1. How to make a Halloween pillow

2. How to make a table runner

3. How to make spooky lanterns

4. How to make a life-sized Halloween ghost

5. Creepy carnival tents for an outdoor Halloween theme

According to the Encyclopedia of American Economic History, “Rosie the Riveter” inspired a social movement that increased the number of working American women by 57% between 1940 and 1944, and was one of the most widely recognized icons of the 1940’s.  She embodied everything a woman could want to be: attitude, beauty, and strength.

The iconic “Rosie the Riveter” poster may have been one woman, but it was millions of women who, combined, gave Rosie the meaning it has today.  Women actually comprised 1/3 of the work force during WWII (that’s 18 million women working!)  This is the reason we call ourselves Rosies Workwear…not Rosie’s Workwear.  It’s not that our grammar is bad, we are simply paying tribute to all of the women of the past, present, and future who give “Rosie” the reverence deserved.

It’s up to all of us to continue the tradition of strong, self-reliant women.  What will you accomplish in your Rosies?

Fun Fact: Marilyn Monroe considered herself a Rosie!

Working with your hands is no glamorous job, as all of you Rosies are well aware of.  With dirt under our fingernails, sweat on our faces, and hair piled up in a bun so that it’s neatly out of our way, no one mistakes us for fashionable during working hours…or do they?

That’s right ladies – the overall is back in style!  Style blogs are commenting that overalls are “vintage cool and totally chic” (I’ll take that!).  Just because we are doing tough work doesn’t mean we can’t look good at the same time, right?  This is one of the biggest reasons we love to offer our Rosies overalls in a variety of colors (our sea green, raspberry, pink, and tan – also coming soon are navy overalls and a USA made denim!).  Giving our uniforms a little splash of color is fun and a great way to stand out.

A pair of new, fashionable Citizens of Humanity overalls are selling for up to – wait for it – $298.00!  High fashion comes at a high price.  Luckily for us, we can sell our Rosies overalls at only $52.00.  Plus, our “we can do it” attitude has given us the pleasure of meeting thousands of inspiring and fascinating women.

You all are the reason that we love making these overalls, and the reason we have such a strong and supportive community of women!  Not only is the Rosies community strong, independent, and inspirational, but we are fashionable, too!  Look out, world!

photo taken by Michelle Randall

Now that the kids have gone back to school, it’s time to clean up that garden.  The kids are out of the house and you finally have time to get busy on those projects that have been waiting for you all summer long.  Winter is coming so now is the perfect time to clean up your garden and get ready for the coming season.

Here are some ideas for “fall cleaning” from care2.com by Judi Gerber:

1. Clean up perennial beds and borders.
2. Cut down dead flowers.
3. Dig up and remove diseased plants.
4. Clean up any leaves and stems.
5. If you have a vegetable garden, clean up any fruit and vegetables that have fallen.

Note: Any debris left in the garden over winter can cause diseases to enter the soil and appear in the spring.

Have any more tips? Please share, we would love to hear!

Remember to stay cool as you tackle your garden in this heat… lots of sunscreen, water, and remember to wear a hat!  Check out our Rosies’ caps and overalls (which can be converted into shorts) to keep yourself cool.