The Very, Real, Wicked True Story of Betty

When we opened our retail store, we thought it was important to have a male mannequin. Just try to find a friendly one. They all look stressed out and grumpy. After many determined nights of googling, we found Wesley. He was smiling, relaxed and we knew he would fit in perfectly. He became extremely popular amongst our customers, so popular, we followed suggestions and gave him his own blog. He has done a great job selling men's aprons. Customers love him. We love him. We love him so much that we thought we would find him a girlfriend.
It seemed so simple, there is a red headed female version of Wesley. She is named Betty. They looked perfect together. We paid our money and awaited shipment. Nothing happened. We phoned and were told that the delicate packaging would take time. Ok, we waited more, still nothing. In the meantime, Betty's planned blog had begun, without Betty....Oops.... still we trusted our Betty would arrive soon.
Still no Betty. The lovely company spokesman offered to check our now very late order. He returned our call and explained that Betty was no longer available but they would make us one since we had pre-paid a while ago. We forgave the lovely gentleman for not letting us know this back when we were told to await the delicate packing that was taking place for the non-existent Betty. Since we had a campaign planned for the lovelorn Wesley and a blog in place for the non existent Betty, we sat patiently awaiting the newly cast Betty.
Three months later, Betty arrived. Estatically, we opened the box only to find a different Betty than we had ordered. What was there left to do after all this but weep. As if by some weird joke, lovely customer service man left us a phone message excitedly wanting to know how happy we were...???.....
Instead of red headed, brown-eyed Betty to match Wesley, we received brown headed, blue eyed, Betty with different skin tone and a head position that looks over you instead of the 50's demure housewife look. Who knew this Betty even existed? The work order in the box wasn't even ours. Where is our Betty? After months of this ongoing attempt to purchase Betty, we felt worn out, lost and grieving for the real Betty we apparently would never have.

The 1950's Betty we ordered.
The Betty that arrived.


We can't be sure Wesley can find love with this bold updated version of retro Betty....:(...We will always grieve for real Betty and the love that may have developed between Betty and Wesley.

Hurrah for Pasture-Fed Chickens and their Eggs

I was recently given a dozen eggs from a friend. She told me that Free-Range simply means "Access to the outside" and that Pasture-Fed meant that the chickens are not only outside but that they eat the bugs and grass in the pasture. This is their natural diet and the eggs they produce on this diet are far superior than what we find in the supermarket.
The eggs were gorgeous. The yolks were huge blobs of dark, rich orange. The whites were crystal clear and appeared to stand higher than the whites of commercial eggs. They tasted richer and creamier. I fell in love. I am now a convert. No longer is a supermarket egg acceptable. Yes, I will drive to a Farmers Market or a Farm stand to get these eggs.
Did you know Pasture Fed eggs come in hues? The Blueish-green is my favorite. Now I understand the Dr. Seuss title, Green Eggs and Ham. I never knew eggs came in a pretty blueish hue of green.
As I am a lover of research and statistics, I googled Pasture-fed eggs and discovered that Mother Earth News has a wonderful article filled with research, stats and information regarding this topic. I invite you to click the link and have a good read. The nutritional statistics were surprising. I am left to wonder the nutritional differences that would be found in all of our other commercially prepared foods.

I hope you make yourself an omelet tomorrow from pasture-fed eggs. It will be amazing.

Apron Stains- A Map of your Kitchen Journey

Apron stains are not clothing stains. If your favorite dress has a stain on the front, you render it unwearable. An Apron stain is like a hug from Grammy. It is proof of a relationship. It is proof that you finally made that perfect pie. It is proof that you taught your son how to make lasagne and spent the afternoon laughing, loving and cooking. It is proof that you finally had that day to yourself and learned to make perfect pasta sauce.
Think of your Apron as your wall of pride. It is a map of your kitchen journey, through your trials, experiments, your moments of achievement, your moments of solitude and moments filled with holidays and family. Take your stained Apron, wash it, wear it and think fondly of the faded stains. They mark your journey of those precious moments that you enjoyed and the triumphs you found delicious.

Choosing an Apron

When you decide to buy your first Apron, you may be surprised at how thoughtful you need to be.That is, unless, upon seeing the perfect print, you run with it enthusiastically to the cashier. For those who are not so impulsive, here are a few shopping tips.

• What type of work will you be doing?

        Homespun is the fabric choice for working in the garden or heavy cleaning in the   house. Cotton prints are great when you need coverage but also to look your  best.  If you are serving dinner to important guests or for an important occasion,  our fancier Aprons, edged in lace or ribbons, will add the elegance suited for the  occasion. 

• What type of soiler are you?

         When you cook or clean, do you wipe your hands on your front pant leg? Our customers have named these people, the Pant-Wipers. They need a long skirt on their Apron that hangs ready for dirty hand wipes. Maybe you wipe your hands on your backside. Our customers have named these people the Bum-Wipers.These people need a style that covers the backside. Do you taste-test a lot and dribble down your chest? If this is you, you should choose an Apron that comes close to the neck. These are the Dribblers. Finally, we do have those enthusiastic cooks who move passionately around their kitchens, mixing ingrediants with gusto and smothering the once tidy kitchen with the results of their food-themed creativity. These people need head-to-toe covereage....with a matching hat.

• What type of fit do you prefer?

      Do you like your Apron to snug, tied close to the body to move with you?  Do you like your Apron to have long flowing movement, as if you were cleaning in a lovely long gown? or Do you like the feel of a short flouncy skirt? Do you want it long and snug? or Would you like your Apron to fit like an oversized shirt?

These are the questions to ask yourself as you look over our website and wonder which Apron would work best for you. Remember, an Apron is the layer of clothing that relates to the work you are doing.  Choose thoughtfully as if you were shopping for clothing. You are.

Thank you for your time and have a great day!

Let's talk about Homespun

Homespun is a loosely woven, slightly rough textured cotton cloth. It is named such as it was originally cloth that was spun at home using natural fibers and dyed using vegatable dyes. It was made from wool, cotton or flax. It was available in earth tones as that reflects the natural dyes found outside the home.

Today's commercially available Homespun is typically made of cotton. It is very comfortable and soft to wear. It is amazingly absorbant as it is the very fabric we love as dishtowels. The Homespun Apron will soak up a spill, hopefully, before any of it ever gets to your clothes. As an Apron, Homespun makes for a good protector.

Unlike printed fabric, with Homespun, the threads are dyed before the fabric is woven so the fabric looks the same on front and back. It is still available in subdued earth tone colors of mini stripes, plaids and solids. Perfect for the country home, the country kitchen or country woman.

Here is our list of Favorite Homespun traits.

• It will fade after seasons in the sun, looking beloved and useful.


• It will become softer with repeated washings, becoming even more comfy.


• It is very strong and can carry potatoes, lots of them.


• It washes out muddy dirt easily.


• It isn't afraid of mud, dirt, rain or sleet, like the Mailman.


• It does freeze when forgotten in a snowbank.


• It does defrost.


• It does recover.


• A Homespun Apron will live with you forever.

We love Homespun. Half our Aprons are made of Homespun.

Vermont Flower Show

  I am so ready for green grass, warm winds and splatters of color poised delightfully in clearly defined stoned-edged rows, and the chirps and clucks and buzzing sounds that fill the air in a soaring symphony in spring. Come spring, I will be a happy woman. But it is only March. Green is far away still.
   This is where The Vermont Flower Show saves my heart from sinking into a forlorn wintery slumber. For one long weekend, I get to sit amongst perfectly bloomed flowers poised confidently above a bed of the greenest grass. I may walk stone paths and step daintily across little wooden bridges, brought indoors to awaken our senses and remind us that Spring does lay upon the horizon.
   I may not hear birds or bees or see a harmful hornet, but my eyes will delight in what lays before me for this long weekend. Thank you Vermont Flower Show, for reminding my cold winter's heart that warm, spring breezes await me and that it is time to start the earliest seeds so that when my land thaws, I will have something from my hand to add to its awakened sleep.
   Do your heart some good, bring delight to your senses, Come visit The Vermont Flower Show this weekend. We hope to see you there!

I want to know more about The Vermont Flower Show!

Apron Ties

 We're keeping our Apron ties long and wide.

Simple strings won't serve their purpose, if what you carry in your apron has any weight. The strings will cut into the waist.  Our wide ties hold weight comfortably and evenly around the waist. They are also are soft and won't impede the movement of your body as you work.

The length of our ties gives you the opportunity to knot them in the back or front creating a place to tuck in a cleaning cloth, drying towels or apron corners. The added length also allows for a very generous fit for all sizes.

             

So, long, wide ties are a definate keeper for 2011.  They help hold weight evenly,

 they make the apron fit better and help you be more comfortable.

 And we want you to be able to have a happy, comfy day in your Apron.

Gardeners Apron - Ruffled

I designed the Gardener's Apron to hold seed packs neatly in place and also my trowel. I chose homespun as it's a good work-in-the-mud fabric. The design works well but some years my exuberance for gardening finds me with a lot, a very large lot of seed packs, then add, the trowel, popsicle sticks and marker, a water bottle and the cell. I needed more room. 

 And it would be nice to make it more feminine, if I could.

So here is where I am. The new pocket is twice the width and ruffled to make it easy to use. It is stitched to make it actually three pockets instead of one large one. It holds large things, like an apple for a snack, a bottle of water and all the seed packs so I don't have to leave the garden for hours, and isn't that a nice thing.

Keeping Stock

    Every year we take a fresh look at our product in order to grow and meet the needs of our customers. One element that does not change for us is our womens pocket. It is big enough to hold your stuff and we ruffled it to make it pretty.

     Women carry things, Women have always been the keeper and carrier of things. From mini-tissue packs to pacifiers to mints to someones crayons, the thermometer and medicine and todays cell phone, women are the keepers and the organizers of the day. Our two big pockets will remain on every womens apron.

Take our short half Apron shopping. The pockets will hold your wallet, coupons, keys and cell phone. Shop hands and pocketbook free.

    

   Just wear your apron and let it be your second set of hands.

After all, life is easier in an apron.