by Elizabeth Layton, Rosies Intern

I have had the privilege of working at Rosies Workwear for the past two months.  Not only have I loved working for a business that promotes “women can do it,” I have been inspired by the hard-working women who purchase Rosies.

As a graduating senior at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, I decided to take one easy class…the beginners rodeo class.  This class allows students to practice all the various events in a rodeo.  We were also required to volunteer at the Cal Poly Rodeo that takes place during our Open House for incoming freshman.  Included in all this was a steer riding competition for our class (similar to bull riding, but not quite as scary since steers are smaller).  Out of the 80 students only 10 were randomly chosen to ride the steers in the rodeo…in front of everyone.

So of course, my name was chosen.  The first words out of my mouth were, “Are you kidding me?”   No, I did not want to put myself on a steer whose only goal is to buck me off, but yes, of course I’ll do it.  How could I possibly work for a business whose motto is that women can do anything that men can do, and then not take this opportunity?

The day of the rodeo I was pretty nervous.  I wasn’t so much scared anymore (I had gotten to practice once, earlier that week) but I didn’t particularly feel like embarrassing myself in front of hundreds of people.  As Rosie luck would have it, I didn’t embarrass myself at all.  In fact, I won!  I stayed on the longest and received the highest score out of the ten students.  I won a belt buckle and got the satisfaction of proving that girls can ride steers, too.  I think I’m becoming a Rosie.

With the Fall and Winter months upon us, it’s time to make sure you have all of the essentials for keeping warm. According to doedeereblogazine.com, here is a list of the “must-haves”:

• Long underwear

The difference it makes is pretty unbelievable. Silk or thin cashmere are excellent at keeping your body warm, with minimal thickness added to your outfit. I recommend getting a set that more or less matches your skin tone.

• Hat & gloves

Did you know that we lose the most heat from the top of our head? Keeping your brain warm is so critical that your body will sacrifice any other body part before it will let the brain get cold! Feet and hands come in second. Covering those 3 areas will keep you extra-warm. I like to wear knit hats with an extra layer of soft fleece inside, plus, it’s so easy to find a matching hat & gloves set!

Tip: if you are prone to losing your gloves, sew on a piece of elastic to each glove and thread them through the sleeves. You’ll never lose your gloves again!

** See Rosies workwear gloves for women to keep your hands warm and dry when working outdoors.

• Warm coat

Finding a warm coat you like is super-important. I have two winter coats, a long, simple one (when I need to look presentable) and a faux fur coat with a hood for when it’s really cold. I got the fur coat at a thriftstore; it only cost me $50 and it’s the warmest coat I’ve ever had! And it happens to be cute too, so I always look forward to wearing it!

• Tall boots

Winter boots are different because they are made out of thicker material and have fatter soles. A little bit of platform never hurt anyone, but I don’t recommend super-high heels, you might slip on ice. A comfortable 3 heel is a good choice. Also, buy your winter boots a size larger, so you can wear them with thicker socks!

** If working outdoors, check out Bogs Boots on rosiesworkwear.com

• Long sleeves

Long sleeves on anything are your best friend during the winter months! Long-sleeve dresses are awesome, because they are feminine and can be worn with the silk underwear. Cute sweaters & cardigans will give you that relaxed, cozy feel. Lovely!

• Knit tights

Last but not least, knit tights are a-must if you want to wear skirts in the winter. And since they’re opaque, you can wear them with your long underwear (see how everything comes back to it??). Paired with tall boots, they’ll keep you warm.

And of course, Rosies coveralls to keep you warm and dry. Rosies wants to know… what colors do you prefer for winter apparel? Bright colors so they are visible during the dark winter months, or more neutral colors? Let us know your favorite colors!

Did you know that Rosie the Riveters real name is Mary Doyle Keefe? The original Rosies the Riveter was made famous after a painting of her by Norman Rockwell first appeared in 1943 on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post and, later, on war bond posters. Keefe, who was paid $10 to pose, came to embody the can-do attitude of American women whose work helped win the war. It is arguably among the most recognizable images of World War II and transformed Keefe from a small-town switchboard operator into an American icon.

In a USA Today article, Keefe tells the story of how she was living with her family in Arlington, Vt., at the time, not far from where Rockwell lived with his family and had a studio.”The telephone office was in my mom’s house, and he would come in to pay his bill,” Keefe recalled, in the article. “He knew who I was and asked if I would sit for a picture. Gene Pelham, his photographer who moved from New York, would take a picture and Norman Rockwell would cut out what he wanted. You didn’t sit there while he was painting the whole thing, which was good.”

Keefe described how she had received endless ribbing about the now famous image of a brawny working woman breaking for lunch with a ham sandwich in hand, pneumatic riveter on her lap and copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf underfoot. Her body looked nothing like that in real life, said Keefe, especially the muscular arms.

Rockwell sent her a written apology.”The kidding you took was all my fault, because I really thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen,” Rockwell wrote in the 1967 letter.

Now 87 and living in an apartment at the McLean Home, Keefe tells her full story in this article from USA Today.

Hi Rosies Crew,

My little action video of me capturing a honeybee swarm last week, features me wearing my Rosies coveralls‚ make no mistake that I’m trusting my Rosies. Whether it’s a mere 10,000 honeybees or when I’m in the apiary working with about 480,000 of them! The video is too large to attach to an email, but it’s posted on my website here http://www.vtbeekeeper.com/photosyear3.html, at the bottom of the page, You need Flash to view it. I have plans to modify the wrist opening. I’m going to take out a few stitches in the side of the cuff, so that I can put some elastic through it, and then sew it back up. I need to make sure that the little darling honeybees can’t crawl up my sleeves!

Best wishes,
Valarie Wilson

1. You prefer a dirt manicure to a french one
2. Your alarm clock has feathers
3. You consider shiny power tools bling
4. Your idea of a desk job is building one.
5. You literally bring home the bacon (all 1200 pounds)

… how do you know? Leave a comment!

Are you a Rosie?

‘Rosie’ and coverall fan Leah Petersen was featured in “Street Monster,” a French stunting magazine, wearing her Rosies coveralls. She is one bad-ass, street biker chick! Click the image below to see the full spread in “Street Monster.”

Leah Petersen in her Rosies

Check out Rosies on Style, Substance, Soul – an awesome website for women. It was started by four mothers who say “watching our girls grow up in a world which focuses solidly on style has made us keenly aware of the need to throw some substance and soul into the mix.”

Unlike other style or fashion websites, stylesubstancesoul.com showcases products, work and style tips by women with substance. There are some great women on the site who are doing some pretty amazing things, just like Rosies in Action.

Send us a video of you in action, wearing your Rosies coveralls or overalls, and you will be entered to win an entire Rosies ensemble!

Rosies ensemble includes a coverall or overall of your choice, complete with one of Rosies new matching t-shirts or tank tops! And of course, a coordinating Rosies bandana.

Simply email movie file or YouTube link to info@rosiesworkwear.com. Video submissions are due by July 31st.

We will post select “Rosies in Action” video submissions on the Rosies Blog, so check back often to see entertaining video posts!
Sincerely,

Sharon Moore
Rosies Coveralls

It’s summer time! For flower gardeners, it’s time to plant, divide, feed, deadhead, fertilize, and trim! Check out these summer gardening tips from Sherry’s Flower Garden

• Plant fall blooming bulbs in June.
• Divide daffodils and hyacinths in early June.
• Plant gladiolas in early June for bloom this summer.
• Sow biennial seeds during summer months
• Feed roses with a complete fertilizer in June.
• Deadhead flowers for continuous bloom through the season.
• Plant perennial seeds for next year at the end of June.
• Stake and tie perennials.
• Trim hedges and topiaries in June.
• Plant fall pansy seeds in July.
• Clean up spring bulbs after foliage has ripened.
• Fertilize all flowering annuals every two weeks during summer.
• Cut back baby’s breath in July for a second late summer bloom.
• Sow poppy seeds outdoors in August.
• Divide bearded iris and lily of the valley bulbs in August.
• Water container plants daily during hot dry weather

Hey Rosies – Did you know that Father’s Day was the idea of Sonora Smart Dodd of Washington? She thought independently of the holiday one Sunday in 1909 while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at the Central Methodist Episcopal Church at Spokane, and she arranged a tribute for her father on June 19, 1910. It was made a federal holiday when President Lyndon Johnson issued a proclamation in 1966. In addition to Father’s Day, International Men’s Day is celebrated in many countries, most often on November 19. Check out this article for more information.

So we want to know – how has your father inspired you? Please feel free to post your Father’s Day comments!

Happy Fathers Day