We have been getting great stories from all you Rosies out there!  We love seeing the passion everyone has for hard work and getting dirty.  That’s what makes us Rosies gals because we can do it and we do it in style.  Our Labor of Love Contest is still going on until August 31, so be sure to keep sending in those stories for your chance to win some new denim coveralls.  Check out some of these great entries we have had…

“Working on clearing my land! I love cutting wood, piling it up, having a bonfire and cleaning the trash up from prior owners to make our land beautiful.” – Karen Rowden

“All kinds of gardening, so much so, that I actually started a business doing just that. I also love to ride and tend horses, which is also a very dirty love.” – Wendy Patrick

“I’m a Wildlife Damage Control Agent, and I love it! I crawl under houses to check for signs of animals like raccoons and opossums, the occasional snake, or to retrieve dead animals (ew!). I crawl through insulation in tight attics looking for squirrel nests and bats. I do a lot of crawling! I also inspect roofs and chimneys, soffeting, and I like looking for wildlife damage and repairing it. Because humans keep expanding into wildlife territory, the two continue to clash. That’s where I come in! It’s about getting animals out and keeping them from coming back in the most humane ways possible. That way everyone wins. The animals get back in their natural habitats and people don’t have to live with critters in their houses anymore! It doesn’t pay great, but this work really is a labor of love for me.” – Kristen Strickland

“My husband is a farmer and his father has been his best friend his entire life. He (my husband) never had a male friend except for his father until I came along. Jerry worked on the farm with his father since he was six years old. His ‘pa’ died January 3rd of this year after being ill for several years and not being able to help on the farm any longer. My poor husband has been like a lost puppy dog without his ‘pa’ and the crops have been late.  It is just very hard to get used to farming alone, which has been a tandem effort for a lifetime. I am from the city (Jerry has always called me his city slicker) and decided last year to try to help him run the combine and the tractor so we don’t loose what he loves to do. So now I am a farmer, not by choice, but for sure by ‘labor of love’. I love my husband and would do anything to help him.” –  Melodie Koukilk

“After moving around for the military for the first 4.5 years of our marriage, we were finally able to settle down on 4.12 acres in beautiful Missouri. Shortly after arriving came the chickens! Next came the garden… and lastly the cow. We have given our little patch of heaven the name ‘Charity Farm’ and our goal, once we get more established and learn more (we are both newbies at the farming thing), is to be able to provide fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs and some milk free of charge to a family in need in the area. We will use the farm to teach our girls (who we plan on homeschooling) about being self sustainable.” – Jacki McGinnity

“My labor of love is my almost three acre lot where I reside in a formerly rural area, which has now developed subdivisions. (Sigh) I keep on, keeping on by tending to my gardens and yard the old fashioned ways—by using organic methods with a homesteading philosophy to keep me going. It is a life sustaining act for me, and a great counter-balance to my 8-5, 40 hour a week job. Nothing reaffirms life and nature so much as harvesting your own vegetables or fruit, and my favorite apparel to wear to do so are bib overalls. I would love the opportunity to try out Rosie’s bibs. And denim would be perfect for my gardening and homesteading life of choice! Thank you!”  -Clare M.

“I just bought my first home last year and the yard had nothing in it. I have been busy designing and digging flower beds out, planting, laying mulch and also working in the garage, which up to just last week has had electrical power restored. This is my labor of love, making a home for my family.” -Adrianne Calhoun

“My home. My husband and I did every bit of the labor we could. Wiring, drywall and painting. It’s an always evolving process so we are always working on it.” -Melinda Grubb

“I have an organic herb garden in the backyard and an organic vegetable garden in the front yard. The herbs are not only used to season my food, but for medicinal purposes as well (I’m a shamanic healer). Right now the basil, chamomile and holy basil are in full bloom. The privilege of smelling that delicious clove-like scent from the basils and seeing the tiny chamomile flowers and all the bees happily collecting nectar is utter bliss for me – proving that all those hours of hard labor, broken fingernails, dirt scattered on me and tracked into the house, shooing away my dogs from eating the herbs as young shoots, constant weed patrol, and pulling the weeds by hand, is paying off big time and is truly a labor of love!”  - Kerry Murphy

“I garden in my Rosies! I love gardening and have turned what was a desolate oasis (my honey’s yard) into a yard this summer and my Rosies have been wonderful for doing all the work….in addition to gardening, we have three horses and I wear my Rosies while tending to our big babies and often for riding as well. Lots of room and comfort on horseback in my Rosies! So happy to have found, ordered and be working in my overalls!” – Joy York

“My husband and I bought ten acres of old cattle grazing/feed cornfield farmland with the dream of starting an organic farm. Truly an enormous labor of love, as we are starting from nothing (basically, a cleared field) and building from the ground up. Whether it’s kneeling in the mud & yanking out weeds, peering into leaves and hand squashing bugs, digging holes for new trees, starting seeds, beautifying the grounds with flowers, or chasing after our flock of guinea fowl as they wander the neighboring acres, there’s always something to do around here. Combine that with two kids, a puppy and two cats, and I could probably live in Rosies 24/7.” – Sara Bozzelli

Don’t forget to enter your Labor of Love by going to the Labor of Love tab on our Facebook page.  Be sure to enter before August 31 for your chance to win a pair of our classic denim coveralls.  Keep on working hard!

It’s been hot out, which is why we want to share these recipes with you to help keep you cool while working on your summer projects.

Pineapple Mint Agua Fresca from Serious Eats

Christianne Wintrhop shared this yummy summer drink on seriouseats.com.  It is a “hot weather Latin American tradition” that is sweet and refreshing.  Here is the recipe:

What you need:

• 1 small pineapple, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1/8 cup mint leaves, tightly packed
• juice of 1 lime

Directions:

1.  Combine sugar and pineapple in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for one hour.

2.  After an hour, add the pineapple mixture, water, mint, and lime to a blender. Blend until smooth.

3.  Pour liquid through strainer into a pitcher, pressing on the solids. Serve over ice.

Watermelon Cooler

I love watermelon.  It is one of my all-time favorite summer fruits.  It is so refreshing on those hot summer days, and it fills me up and hydrates me at the same time!  Check out this watermelon cooler from Better Homes and Gardens.  Sounds tasty right?

What you need:

• 3 cups coarsely chopped seeded watermelon
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
• 2 cups white grape juice
• 1 tsp. finely shredded lime peel
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice, chilled
• 32 oz. (4 cups) club soda, chilled
• Fresh mint sprigs (optional)
• Watermelon wedges or balls (optional)

Directions:

1. Place watermelon in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Strain watermelon puree through a fine mesh sieve; discard pulp.

2. In a large bowl combine sugar and mint. Using the back of a wooden spoon, lightly crush mint by pressing it against the side of the bowl. Add grape juice, lime peel, lime juice, and watermelon puree, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in club soda. Serve in glasses over ice. If desired, garnish with mint sprigs and watermelon wedges or balls. Serve immediately. Makes 9 servings.

Sun Made Iced Tea

Growing up, this was one of my favorite parts of summer—my mom’s sun made iced tea.  It is super easy and it is one of those “set it and forget it” recipes you can do anywhere.  Tipnut.com has exact directions for what you need and how to do it.

What you need:

• 1 large glass pitcher or jar with lid (that will accommodate 8 cups of water)
• 6 to 8 regular size tea bags (or equivalent loose tea)

Directions:

• Fill pitcher with 8 cups of cold water then add the tea. Seal with lid.
• Place pitcher in a sunny location so it can sit out in full sun (getting 2 to 3 hours of sunlight–up to 4 hours if you prefer stronger tea).
• After brewing in the sun, strain out the tea and refrigerate until fully chilled.
• Add ice cubes and any flavorings before serving.

It’s time for our Labor of Love Contest! Strap on your Rosies and celebrate the “can do” attitude of women who don’t mind getting their hands dirty.  Tell us your labor of love (whether it’s welding, gardening, plastering, or farming) and you could win a FREE pair of our denim coveralls!  To enter, go to our Facebook page, “Like” us, then enter your labor of love under the Labor of Love tab.  Share your story, links and anything else that showcases what you love to do.  We had so many great entries last year, we can’t wait to see what you Rosies have been up to this year!

The contest starts today and goes until August 31.  The winner will be announced on Labor Day, September 5^th.

Let’s face it, composting is an art form.  For some of us Rosies, we have already mastered it; for others, it has been something

*photo credit Clay Miller

we always wanted to do, but never got around to it.  Any gardener will tell you that using this rich, dark soil can breathe new life into your garden.  Compost can provide the vital nutrients your plants need when they can’t get it from the soil.  It can mean the difference between a plant that never flowers and a plant that is vibrant and lush.  For this reason, gardeners call it “black gold.”

Here are some composting tips I have come across that may help you get started on creating your own compost.

• It’s all about layering, watering and moving.
  1. Start with a layer of dry matter, such as dried leaves or grass, then layer your organic materials on top.  You can finish it off with another layer of dry matter to keep the smell down and critters out.
  2. Keep the compost moist to promote decomposition.  Too little water can kill the bacteria, while too much will drown your compost and prevent it from breaking down.  It will also stink!
  3. Aerate often.  The bacteria need oxygen to break down the matter, so the more you aerate, the better.
• Be sure to have a good combination of green and brown matter.  This includes grass shavings, leaves, twigs (the green stuff), as well as veggie pieces, coffee grounds, egg shells, banana peels, and other leftover scraps (the brown stuff).
• Do not add any meat, poultry, fat, or grease.  These will attract unwanted critters and cause your compost to stink.  Also, leave out hard and dense items, such fruit pits.  These items cannot be broken down as easily.
• It is best to cut up your food scraps before adding them to the compost.  The smaller the pieces, the easier they will break down.
• Heat is good.  When the bacteria starts to break down your materials, it produces heat.  A healthy compost will be 140-170 degrees Fahrenheit.

Composting can be fun and can turn your garden into the talk of the town.  By composting, you are helping save the environment by reducing your waste output, plus it is a great way to get your Rosies dirty!  Got any more tips, let us know.  We would love to hear about your experiences with composting.

If you want to learn more, check out these sites.

http://www.composting101.com/

http://compostguide.com/

http://lifemorenatural.com/?p=580

This year’s Dirtiest Rosies Contest winner tells us a little bit about herself and how she gets dirty.  She is a true Rosie and we admire all of the beautiful work she does.  Plus, she is a fellow blogger!  Check out her blog at sageartistry.blogspot.com.  Here is what she told us about herself and how she became a Rosie:

Sherri doing what she loves best, plastering!

It’s so nice to have companies like Rosies! You support us cowgirls, pioneers, innovators, and creators! It’s a real treat to be honored. My Mom bought me my first pair of Rosies and encouraged me to enter a few months ago…a Mother’s intuition must be right!

I worked at Microsoft from 1998 – 2006 as a project manager. In 2000, my husband and I bought our first house. I went down to Home Depot, grabbed a bucket of “Venetian plaster” and fell in love with the work. At first, my arms burnt from troweling, but I couldn’t get enough of the work. Wall after wall became less white and more textured, one finish flowed into the next.

Pretty soon, I realized that I wanted to do this for a living and I decided to switch careers. I decided to complete Bellevue College’s interior design program to really learn and explore the field of art and design. I knew that I loved plastering before I started the program in 2005, and I still was in love with the trowel after I completed it in 2009. The program at Bellevue College is exceptional and it gave me the structure I needed to elevate my current work. My professors will tell you that I was also the dirtiest Rosie in the program… I hope I didn’t get too much plaster on the tables and seats!

Getting my A.A. in interior design AND growing my business was challenging. I think my biggest challenge now is learning when to take small risks or big leaps of faith! I love being accountable and navigating the direction of my business. One of the most challenging aspects is selecting which plaster materials to fall in love with. Some are beautiful, but toxic, others are beautiful AND kind to our health. When I started my business I developed the slogan, “Creativity with a Conscience.” I have to stick to these ethics as an artisan and constantly evaluate the health of the materials I am using.

Creativity is a beautiful monster… so when I am not getting dirty with eco-friendly plaster finishes like American clay, I am often found getting dirty with fabric painting, sculpting, and casting glass. There really isn’t ever a time that I am not trying to get dirty through creating. My respite is nature… when hiking at the river with my dogs helps bring all those explosive ideas down to a quiet simmer. Then it’s back to the studio!

The current state of my Rosies is very textured!  I used sun paints to paint in wrench designs into the fabric and also did some paint splatters to really take them wild. My family will tell you I have very few solid colored clothes left. Everything in my closet has some sort of texture!

I think the biggest aspect of me being able to “do what I do” is the support I get from my family. It’s nice coming home to a supportive husband, 3 golden retrievers and 2 orange tabbies at the end of a long day. We all nest together and I couldn’t be a creative warrior without a strong family!