We are so proud to have had Elizabeth Layton as part of our team this past year!

Liz graduated in December from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a Communications major in Business Ag. She is currently back home in Santa Rosa looking for new opportunities to spread her talents. We loved having her as part of team Rosie and wish her
the best in all her future adventures!
We know that for us she will always take her Rosies spirit with her.  Thanks for all that you did Liz, you will be missed! 

Liz  is being replaced by Katie Crawford. Katie has been a part of Rosies for 10 years, she has been a Rosies model, helped create product ideas, worked at road shows selling and now we get to have her use her unique talent for writing by taking over the blog , newsletter and face book posting. Rosies has a lot planned for 2012 and we welcome Katie’s voice to keep the Rosies community connected.
 
-Sharon Moore (Rosie’s founder)

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!

On March 13th, we set our clocks ahead one hour and capture some extra daylight in the evening. For most Rosies this is a cause for celebration. Teresa Kane on Rosie’s Facebook says, “…more time to work outside…Love it !!!!”  Another Rosie, Kerry K. Murphy says, “garden – just got my overalls & I’m ready to start planting! Well, except for the fact that the temps are still in the 20s at night. Oh, and we got a sprinkling of snow yesterday. But there’s always next week!!!!”

The intent of DST (daylight savings time) is to give more daylight in the evening. This simple act of moving the small hand on the clock one hour ahead has widespread impacts, not the least giving Rosies more time to do the things they love. Some reports say DST reduces accidents and injuries, particularly driving. Other reports say DST boosts business and it’s not just because we can work longer. In the case of tourism industry, we can also play longer. DST is even credited for saving energy because less artificial light is used.

With all the benefits of  more daylight comes the downside of adjusting to an hour less sleep. The return to daylight saving time each spring affects the sleep patterns of millions of Americans says, Dr. Aparajitha Verma, in Healthnewsdigest.com. Below are some tips she gives for getting prepared to spring forward:

* Sleep in a quiet and dark environment and set the thermostat at a slightly cooler temperature.
* Don’t allow pets in the bed.
* No reading, eating or watching TV in bed.
* Don’t watch the clock.
* Set a “wind down” time prior to going to bed.
* Don’t take over-the-counter sleep aids and avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol close to bedtime, as these can disrupt sleep. Instead, try drinking warms teas or milk to increase your body temperature, which helps induce and sustain sleep.
* Exercise is good for sleep, but not within two hours of going to sleep.

As for the last tip, exercise, it seems not a problem for Rosies. After planning and dreaming for months in the darkness of winter, Rosies are ready to spring into action. How will you use the extra daylight?

More daylight means more chances to enjoy beautiful sunsets. photo from xasauantoday.com

By Sharon Moore, Rosies Founder

We just came back from the International Ag Expo, where over 100,000 people descended upon the rural town of Tulare, CA. Every major company that has anything to do with crops, feed, dairy, fruit and landscape was represented. It reminded me that we really do help feed the world.  Maybe that is why farmers are so proud of our country. They start with dirt and turn it into crops that are feeding people and animals all over the globe.

Having 100,000 people in the small town like Tulare doesn’t make it easy to find a hotel room.  Fortunately, I was able to stay with Gwen and Barton Smith.  I met Gwen last year when Gwen purchased some coveralls at our first appearance at the show, and we have remained friends ever since.  While staying with the Smiths, I discovered that Barton was one of the seven men who founded the Ag Expo nearly 40 years ago.  He said that their vision was to bring together farmers and equipment to help educate attendees on new ways of farming.  Barton also operated a 1,200-acre cotton farm and when he was traveling and selling cotton around the world he promoted the farm show, helping make the show into the largest agricultural expo in the world.  Thanks to the Smiths, we were excited to make our second appearance this year.

Our booth at the farm show was very lively with women trying on our overalls and sharing their stories. We loved having some of our customers return from last year and want more products. One by one, Rosies is making the farms of America more colorful.

Here are a few photos we brought home along with a bunch of great memories.

A Rosie dropped by to show off her coveralls.

Here I am with the Ag Expo Dairy Princess.

My daughter, Katie, helps out in the booth.

Three sisters that work on their family farm, Rachel, Sarah, Josina.  They all agreed on different colors.

Rosies measures up.

The most gigantic piece of farm equipment I have ever seen. It’s a harvestor.

It’s been awhile since we have blogged about our coveralls and overalls. Many of you are new to Rosies and don’t know the story behind their durable good looks. Rosies were founded by Sharon Moore, who developed the coveralls out of need. She was taking a welding class and couldn’t find anything to wear except men’s coveralls, which besides being too big were too ugly. (Our words not hers.) Over the years and from fellow Rosies input, Sharon has added features to the original coveralls and developed a line of overalls.  All are made of  soft light weight denim cotton and are double stitched for durability. All feature removable foam knee pads that are flexible and non-binding. Any Rosie who spends time on her knees will love the cushioning effect. Rosies coveralls and overalls also feature an abundance of pockets, which solves the purse dilemma.  These work clothes are hard workers but not without personality, just like the women who wear them. Available in pink, raspberry and sea foam, there’s no mistake these aren’t your cookie cutter work clothes.

We often ask our Rosies what they love the most about their coveralls and overalls. We also ask what they would like to see us add. Right now, we are working on adding larger sizing as well as new colors. We would love to hear from you. What are your favorite Rosies features? What do you want to add to our wish list?

Rosies coveralls and overalls are packed with useful features and fun!

We’re starting the New Year with a “can do attitude”.  To get all Rosies in the mood, we’re giving away a free Rosies bandana every Friday in January and February. At the end of each month, we’re giving away a free pair of Rosies coveralls. Just let us know what projects you have planned for 2011 on our Facebook page for a chance to win.

 Geraldine Doyle, the model for this poster, died at the end of 2010 at 86. Her image was inspiration for Rosies workwear and countless women. For her full story, visit http://wapo.st/hdnH4N.

Here are some of the bigger projects, we have planned at Rosiesworkwear:

• Turn a 1962 Traveleaze trailer into a farm stand
• Look at new products for Rosies workwear
• Re-organize the barn
• Find a U.S. manufacturer for Rosies workwear
• Pull out the side yard and replant
• Recover some old furniture
• Plant tomatoes in such a way that the gophers, squirrels and rabbits won’t get them
• Put up fencing so the goats can work their magic on the hillside

What’s yours? Let us know.

This time of year is full of traditions; exchanging gifts, sending out cards, attending holiday celebrations, listening to holiday music, watching classic holiday movies, and within our  families, celebrating our own holiday rituals.  We asked some of our Rosies’ Facebook members what were some of their holiday traditions. Here are a few of their responses:

Do you have any special traditions? We’d love to hear about them. If you don’t,  it’s never too late to start. Here’s a link (http://bit.ly/e3qwX6)  to a great article that has some traditional and non-traditional idea starters. Let us know what you think. And happy holidays from Roises.

It’s that time of year when we all reflect on the things we are thankful for.  If we go by what we hear in the news, it seems there is little to be grateful for. But Rosies know that’s far from the truth. It’s not the big things in life but the many daily small things that add up making us so appreciative. For Rosies that are gardeners, we are thankful that it rained when it did and when it didn’t, that the gophers didn’t eat our whole crop and the ground squirrels moved on and that winter is finally coming, giving us some rest.

Rosies founder, Sharon Moore, offers her own list of what she is thankful for: my big happy family, the beautiful view of outside my kitchen window, wonderful friends that get me, a sister that is so supportive and finding something to laugh at every day.

Rosies kitchen window view. Now that's something to be thankful for.

What are you thankful for?  We loved to hear from you. Comment below or join the conversation on our Rosies Facebook page. Thanks for sharing.

Why did the scarecrow win the nobel prize? Because he was outstanding in his field. This scarecrow humor and lots more about this icon of the garden can be found on Dave’s garden blog. For over three centuries, farmers have used these homemade sentinels to frighten away not only crows but critters of all kinds. In fact, Dave’s blog mentions that scarecrows were used by the Egyptians to scare away flocks of quail along the Nile.  No, they weren’t mummy scarecrows. But they would make an interesting addition to any garden. If you have never made a scarecrow, we are attaching a how to video. It’s a great fall family activity and a great excuse to ditch your old work clothes for a new pair of Rosies (which incidentally, are on sale for one more week!)

Congratulations to Linda Traux and Shawn McCurdy for “liking” us on Facebook and winning in our Labor of Love drawing. Linda tell us ” Digging is my passion; dig up plants and transplant….finding and getting the rock…BONUS !!  And Shawn, metal art worker,  says “Woo Hoo! I never win anything – thanks!”  No. Thank you both for participating. We look forward to seeing you in “action” in your new  denim coveralls.

Rosie, Linda Traux's garden with rock border

Rosie, Shawn McCurdy's bell and stand artwork.