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!

Like us, many of you Rosies are mothers, which is why we love Mother’s Day!  It is a day where us mama Rosies can kick up our feet and be treated like queens.  We are often showered with gifts, flowers and breakfast in bed.  In my research about Mother’s Day, I came across some Mother’s Day trivia from mothersdaycelebration.com that may surprise you:

• Anna Jarvis started Mother’s Day in 1908, but soon filed a lawsuit because the holiday was becoming too commercialized.
• Mother’s Day is said to be a $14 billion industry and is the second highest gift giving day behind Christmas.
• In 1870, Julie Ward Howe created a day to celebrate mothers by protesting the Franco-Prussian War because it was taking sons away from their mothers.
• The oldest mother to give birth was 70, while the youngest was 5 years old.
• The highest number of children born to a mother is 69 between 1725 and 1765.
• August is the most popular month to give birth, while Tuesday is the most popular day of the week to give birth.
• Elvis Presley was a mama’s boy and slept in his mother’s bed until puberty.  The two had a strange baby talk they would converse in that no one understood.
• Most of the sweaters Mr. Rogers wore on Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood were knitted by his mother.
• A mother giraffe gives birth standing.  The first experience of a newborn giraffe is a 6-foot drop to the ground.

On a sunny day in October, 2o or so Roises dressed in pink and raspberry overalls came together to help Habitat for Humanity build a house in San Luis Obispo, CA. Below is one Rosies’, Molly Kiely, reflections of the day.

Our guest blogger, Rosie Molly Kiely, sporting a pink hard hat. Love it!

I felt really lucky to participate in the Rosies Women’s Day Build with Habitat for Humanity.  It was a beautiful sight to see all those women in the early morning, pulling on their pink Rosies and gearing up for a day of construction.  There was only a handful of ladies that actually knew what they were doing and could speak the language of the trade, the rest of us were helpful hands for pounding nails and carrying two by fours.

I must admit I was intimidated at first by this business of building a house and all the power tools, measurements and  manual labor that goes with it.  However, all the women were so great and a pleasure to work with.  The team leaders took a lot of time to explain what we were doing and how to use the tools (as I secretly feared I would chop off my fingers with the table saw).  I also loved seeing Sharon (Rosies founder), power tool in hand, surrounded by all her Rosies.

The best part of the day for me was when we erected a wall on one of the houses.  It was a true team effort that required strength, coordination and all hands on deck.  As we held up the wall, I looked down the line at these women from all walks of life and all ages.  They were laughing, cracking jokes and enjoying each other’s company.  Together, we had done something pretty cool and I was full of gratitude.  Now that’s girl power.

Rosie O’Donnell, famous actress and radio show host, talked about her love for her Rosies overalls on her radio show on April 5^th. In case you missed it, see Rosie O’Donnell’s blog post about her overalls below.

Sharon Moore, the founder of Rosies Workwear for Women, was on Daily Grommet this week. Rosies overalls were selected as the featured product! The video below from Daily Grommet shows Sharon explaining how she came up with the idea for Rosies and what makes Rosies overalls so special.

In celebration of the official start of spring last week, we thought we would share some of our favorite recipes for the warming weather. What are your favorite spring recipes? Please click ‘comments’ below to share!

Lavender Honey Lemonade

From Mother Earth News

Ingredients:
1 cup honey
5 cups water
1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender (or 1/4 cup fresh lavender blossoms)
1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, strained
Ice cubes
Lavender sprigs for garnish

Directions:
Combine honey with 2 1/2 cups water in a medium pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the honey.

Add the lavender to the honey water, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand at least 20 minutes (and up to several hours).

Strain mixture and discard lavender. Pour infusion into a glass pitcher. Add lemon juice and another 2 1/2 cups of cold water. Stir well.

Refrigerate until ready to use, or pour into tall glasses half-filled with ice, then garnish with lavender sprigs.

Tangerine-Glazed Easter Ham with Baby Carrots

From Food Network

Ingredients:

1 (8 to 10-pound) smoked ham, bone-in, skin on

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch fresh sage leaves

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in chunks

2 tangerines, sliced thin, seeds removed

2 cups tangerine juice

2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

11/2 pounds carrots, peeled

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Put the ham in a large roasting pan, fat-side up. Using a sharp knife, score the ham with cuts across the skin, about 2-inches apart and 1/2-inch deep. Cut diagonally down the slashes to form a diamond pattern; season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Chop about 8 of the sage leaves and put it in a bowl; mix with the oil to make a paste. Rub the sage-oil all over the ham, being sure to get the flavor into all the slits. Bake the ham for 2 hours. Now there is plenty of time to bang-out the tangerine glaze.

For the glaze: Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chunks of butter, tangerines, tangerine juice, brown sugar, water, and spices. Slowly cook the liquid down to a syrupy glaze; this should take about 30 to 40 minutes.

After the ham has being going for a couple of hours, pour the tangerine glaze all over it, with the pieces of fruit and all. Scatter the remaining sage leaves on top and stick the ham back in the oven and continue to cook for 11/2 hours, basting with the juices every 30 minutes.

Scatter the carrots around the ham and coat in the tangerine glaze. Stick the ham once again back in the oven and cook for a final 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender, the ham is dark and crispy, and the whole thing is glistening with a sugary glaze.

Set the ham on a cutting board to rest before carving. Serve the carrots and tangerine glaze on the side.

Granita ( Italian Strawberry Ice)

From Mother Earth News

Ingredients:
1 cup hot water
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 cups sliced strawberries, plus additional berries for garnish

Instructions:
Mix hot water, sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Blend 3 cups strawberries in processor or blender until smooth. Add sugar syrup and blend until combined. Pour mixture into 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Freeze for about 25 minutes or until icy around edges. Using fork, pull icy portions into middle of pan. Repeat this step every 20 minutes until all the liquid is frozen into flaky, loose crystals. Cover and freeze. When ready to serve, use fork again to scrape crystals into bowls and garnish with berries. Serves about 6.

Dare to Repair, Replace & Renovate is the sequel to Dare to Repair, the national bestselling home repair book for women. In the first book they taught you how to fix a leaky faucet. In this book they teach you how to replace it. In the first book they showed you how to change the direction of ceiling fan blades. In this book they show you how to install a new fan. They’ve gone from basic repairs to easy projects that can make your home more comfortable, more beautiful, and more valuable. Click here for more details.

Dare to Repair Your Car is a basic car care and safety book written by women for women … and men, and new teen drivers, and senior drivers and anyone who dares to drive a car. Dare to Repair Your Car will help you shift gears and get you moving in the direction of maintaining your car — yourself. Everything from changing a flat tire, to jumpstarting a battery and maintaining fluids is covered with easy-to-follow instructions and detailed illustrations. Click here for more details.

Get prepared for your spring projects with our Rosies Spring Grab Bag! They also make the perfect gift for the ‘Rosies’ in your life. Bag includes:

* Rosies tan overall (in size you choose)
* Rosies white tank top (in size you choose)
* “Made From Scratch” book
* Floral pattern work gloves

And it all comes in a stylish, durable Rosies canvas bag for only $110.00 (plus tax and shipping). Click here for more information.

Hi Rosies,

Grace won not only the 4 dog pro but the 6 dog pro as well with her sled skills, and Lily who is only 13, battled her out in the 4 dog pro and snuck into 2nd. Lily also won the junior Yukon, which consists of a mass start of dog-less drivers, who race back to their truck, harness up dogs, and whoever makes it to the start chute first gets to go out first!

Now the kennel is in spring mode, resting through mud season, then doing a few canicross races later on.

Many thanks again for your support!!

Best wishes,

Diane