Carhartt Force

We can all rejoice. Spring is finally here! Goodbye gray skies, hello colors of the rainbow! After such a long, chilly winter, it’s a great time to celebrate with gardening or a new craft you’ve been putting off. Get outside. Start a few projects. Sweat a little. Carhartt Force Performance Quarter-Zip is the ideal work shirt for times like these. It fights odor, wicks sweat, and has stain breaker technology. For those spring showers, Carhartt Rain Defender is the way to go. The Rockford Windbreaker is lightweight and water repellant. It’s lined, hooded, and a sharp piece to add to your work wardrobe. The Force Equator Hat is not only a Force item, but also water repellant with Rain Defender technology. You’ll stay dry as it repels water, wicks sweat, and prevents stains. Now go ahead and get your color on, folks!

Your Rain Jacket Dream Come True

On my trip to Montana, it rained quite a bit. I practically lived in the new Carhartt Women’s Cascade Jacket. It’s much easier to enjoy the sweeping views and wide open skies when you know your rainwear will keep you dry. This Storm Defender® waterproof breathable jacket comes with articulated elbows so you can easily move around, a left-chest map pocket that’s certain to keep its contents drip-free, interior cuffs with thumbholes for those extra inches of protection, and an adjustable hem with drawcord and barrel lock adjusters. It’s basically your rain jacket dream come true.

Peaceful Power in Sculpture

Stepping into the front room at Stephanie Revennaugh‘s house, I knew I had happened upon a tremendous artist. Her work thoughtfully placed among her beautifully Montana inspired living space played a melody between rich colors, textures, and elements of nature. Different projects were sprawled out, not quite finished, but still breathtaking. She captures a perfect moment of movement in her sculptures, full of life and resounding with a peaceful power.

Stephanie began her career as an artist in oil painting. After a few years, she took a sculpture workshop and felt she’d finally found her native medium. In the thick of the thrill of starting a new piece loaded with endless possibilities, she relishes the challenge of embodying the clay with a spirit all it’s own. Then in turn, seeing the finished work speak to and affect others.

Stephanie’s advice for other women hoping to get into the arts as a full time career is to “start right now clarifying your desires and acting on them consistently.  The road is guaranteed to be full of challenges. Keep showing up through them. Build the best support network around you that you can (which often starts with family) and stay dedicated. The most challenging part for me is balancing creating work with running the business end of an art career. My Mom has stepped into a business manager position for me, which has been wonderful. I’m all about hiring people who have skills in areas I don’t. It relieves frustration, saves time and usually money as well. “

That being said, if you’re dreaming of it now, get after it! There’s no sense delaying when you could be finding your way and building skills as you go. Focus and hard work can get you places. Take it from Stephanie and “trust your creative instincts and passionately create what is in your heart.”

Stephanie’s workwear: Carhartt Women’s Hayward Henley, Carhartt Women’s Sandstone Mock-Neck Vest/Sherpa-Lined, & Carhartt Women’s 1889 Slim Double Front Dungaree

Free Fall DIY-ing

There is so much to appreciate about fall: crisp air and crunchy footsteps, soft earthy tones and speckled foliage. It marks the start of bonfire season and cuddle-up in-warm-blankets season. I’m a big proponent of surrounding oneself with the great outdoors. That being said, it feels natural to pluck up a few flowers from the yard and put them in a vase, but what about leaves? They can be just as lovely, with free flowing branches and freshly turned hues. Why not give it a try? It’s a free way to decorate for the season and it challenges you to see the beauty in what most consider mundane.

what I wore: Carhartt Women’s Belton Shirt & Carhartt Women’s Series 1889 Sim-Fit Double Front Denim Dungaree 

 

 

 

Carhartt Woodsman

Exciting news on the Carhartt front: New Holland Brewing in Michigan created a beer just for us! It’s crafted from locally grown Cascade hops and barrel aged into an American pale ale, with a hint of malty sweetness and toasted oak. The Carhartt team took a road trip all the way from Dearborn, MI to the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado. The photos above are from their pit stop at Subterranean in Chicago for a night of live music, good beer, and beer art. Let’s all raise a frothy glass to the 125 years that Carhartt has gratefully served the hard working men and women across the US; forged by sweat, grit, and sturdy gear.

what I wore: Carhartt Women’s Belton Shirt & Carhartt Women’s Series 1889 Sim-Fit Double Front Denim Dungaree (tune in for tomorrow’s post to see this outfit in action) 

Backpacking Hacks

Montana is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I was lucky enough to spend a few days backpacking around the area. It’s filled with geysers, natural hot springs, wildlife, and so much nature to explore. Here are a few tips I researched before I set off on an adventure:

1.) Avoid poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak. (pictured above)
2.) When packing a backpack for the trip, pack the heaviest items closest to the middle of your back, lighter items on the front and bottom of the bag, and medium-weight, frequently used items on top.
3.) To gauge how much daylight is left in the day, outstretch your arm and hold your hand just under the sun. Count how many times you line up your hands in the distance between the sun and the horizon. Each finger is equivalent to 15 minutes of sun, therefore each hand is equivalent to about an hour of daylight remaining.
4.) You guys know I’m a picture-a-holic, but don’t get so camera happy that you forget to step back and appreciate the glory around you. Make sure to put down the electronics for a bit to really soak up as much wilderness as possible.

Now get out there and experience the natural beauties the world has to offer!

my adventuring gear: Carhartt Women’s Calumet Long-Sleeve V-Neck, Carhartt El Paso Shorts, Women’s Wellington Boots, Carhartt D89 Backpack, & Carhartt Water Bottle 

Forget the Desk Job– I Make a Mean Chocolate Croissant

 

It’s fair to say that most people would prefer an early morning routine of rolling out fresh chocolate croissants to a 9 to 5 desk job. But how do you get there? How do pin down your dreams fast enough to make a career out of them?
After realizing she wasn’t cut out for the daily grind of cubicle life, Sandra Holl decided to buckle down and follow her heart by attending culinary school. At that time, she knew she wanted to be her own boss and make the food she wanted to make. Seeing the opportunities at Chicago’s Green City Market, Sandra decided that opening her own booth would be a low-risk way of starting a business. There she and her husband, Mathieu, used it as a venue to test out their rustic, French pastries and built a name for themselves. Eventually, a brick and mortar space was next step. In 2010, Floriole Café and Bakery’s doors opened in Chicago’s quaint Lincoln Park neighborhood.
When I asked Sandra what the most rewarding part of her job was, she replied,

“I love that I have a family business. I work with my husband and can bring my daughter to work with me. She sees how hard I work and is so proud of her mama. She often tells customers, “This is my mom’s bakery.””

There is no greater feeling than to bring creativity and light to the world through the smile a chocolate hazelnut cookie can yield, while inspiring your own daughter and nudging her along to the discovery that she too can do the same with a little elbow grease and determination.

Here are a few tips from Sandra for anyone striving towards a similar path:
1. Find a chef you admire and work with her or him. Absorb as much of their knowledge as you can, then move on and learn more.
2. Perfect the basics before you get creative. No one really wants a wasabi curry cupcake but everyone wants a perfect slice of peach pie.
3. Everything breaks. Learn how to fix things yourself.
4. Know that you will work seven days a week. Even when you are off, you will run errands for the business, answer calls and emails and when the security alarm goes off in the middle of the night, you will go make sure that it was only a false alarm.

Sandra is wearing: Carhartt Women’s Minot Shirt, 1889 Slim Double-Front Denim Dungaree, & Rapid City Utility Work Apron.

 

Dogs Are a Girl’s Best Friends

I traveled all the way back to my hometown in Texas for this tutorial. Meet Lisa and Jenny Boswell, family friends who live on the most breathtaking ranch. I spent a lot of time on their property when I was growing up. We always had a blast hanging out, riding horses and four-wheelers, trying to catch frogs, painting our faces and going off on kayaking adventures, and so on. Among the many well-loved animals at their home, is a gang of the sweetest dogs around. There’s a lot to learn from a family who takes such good care of their four legged friends.

Here are a few pointers I picked up watching them work:

Make sure the dogs get plenty of exercise, as the Boswells call it “running the dogs.” It helps release pent up energy and prevents aggression. If you have a lot of land, take a four-wheeler or a mule out and have the dogs follow you around. They’ll have a blast and get in a really good workout.

Keep an eye on them during playtime. Of course a little rough housing is normal. Just make sure it doesn’t get too out of hand. You’re the chief mediator, after all.

Be in charge of mealtime. Feed each dog from a separate bowl, and even in a separate place if necessary. Let your dogs enjoy eating without the need to be territorial or feeling it has to protect its food.

Make sure you can handle the responsibility of being a multiple dog owner. Dogs really are a girl’s best friends and they deserve lot of love and attention. Don’t spread yourself too thin.

Want to treat your pup? Snag this Carhartt dog bed. 

DIY: Wood Chiseling

After watching Aimee Inouye chisel away at the gorgeous bench she was working on last week, I was inspired to give woodworking a try. The first thing I discovered is that the type of wood you use matters. Wood comes in varying hardness and grains. If you’re a beginner looking for the perfect substrate, I’d suggest basswood or butternut. You can find blocks and panels at your local craft store or even larger hardware stores. Now as they say, practice makes perfect. So grab a few scrap blocks to practice with before you attempt the project at hand.
You’ll need a pencil, wood, a chisel set, and a rubber mallet. Take a look at the steps below. I’m drawn to a more handmade aesthetic, so I made my chisel marks pronounced and jagged to give it a personal touch. If that’s not your taste, be a bit tidier with your lines.

Now that you’ve gotten the hang of the basics, you can move on to the real thing. It’s always good to have a plan, so start off with a template of how you’d like the sign to look. Use that template to create a shallowly traced guide into the wood. Once you have your pattern, make deeper cuts. You may want to go over a the letters a few times to make the incisions thicker and deeper into the surface. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect. That’s the nature of handmade arts.

My crafting outfit: Carhartt Women’s El Paso Utility Jacket, Clarkston Cami Tank, Sibley Denim Shorts, & Carhartt Legacy 14″ Tool Bag. 

Force Equator Jacket

There are some days work has to be done, come rain or come shine. Carhartt Women’s Force Equator Jacket’s got you covered. The lightweight material makes it easy for you to move around and get the job done. A Storm Defender™ waterproof breathable membrane keeps you cool and dry. Normally, you’d be working up a sweat, but the FastDry™ technology wicks away moisture and even fights odors. The waterproof seams, three piece hood, zippered pockets, and adjustable cuffs keep the weather at bay so you can focus on the task at hand. There’s even a media port so your phone or ipod can stay safe and dry. This jacket has it all and then some.

Pashon Murray from Detroit Dirt is wearing the Force Equator Jacket as she works at her compost site. Pashon is a powerhouse and a visionary. She was on Newsweek’s list of disruptive women in 2014. In other words, she’s a female entrepreneur making an impact in her community. Pashon collects compost that would normally be thrown away around the city. She then uses it to make soil that can be used as a fertile base in community gardens and the urban farming movement. Pashon’s work is bringing Detroit one step closer to rebuilding the area into an environmentally conscious and proud, self-sustaining city.

take a look at Pashon’s workwear: Carhartt Women’s Force Equator Jacket, Sibley Denim Cropped Pant, Women’s Wellington Boot, & Carhartt Women’s Soft Hands Gloves