Here we are (my daughter and I) in the lovely new Fred Meyer store in Meridian, Idaho, last Saturday, with our new lovely towels, making new lovely friends.
(Pssst, gingham towels. My inspiration? My collection of gingham aprons, of course.)
In this photo, I had asked those in attendance if anyone had any duct tape in their purses. The young woman on my right just happened to have …
… a handmade duct tape PURSE in her possession. So not your father’s duct tape.
When I asked if anyone had a screwdriver in their purse, I met Gabby for the first time, who we’d featured in a past issue of my magazine. She and her mother, wielding saws and hammers, completely repurposed and upcycled their home. So not your daddy’s remodel job!
My daughter delivered Gabby’s prize for being ever so handy dandy and the contents of her purse were living proof.
Even though my new Glamping with MaryJane book won’t be released until Sept. 1, my publisher thought to provide me with a cute label I can autograph that goes inside the book the minute it arrives.
New friends just kept on coming.
And then …
a handmade gift for me …
Me! A needle-felted Jane with long braid and basket of eggs.
Oh my. Willie has a new front-porch-sittin’ friend. Like I said, LOVELY new friends.
“When you put your life in a good place, good things follow.” -Willie Nelson
What a perfect gift! The event sounds like just a whole lotta farmgirl fun for everyone. Meeting the people who make up the “FarmGirl Nation” must be very rewarding. It is always more meaningful when there is a face to the concept inspired from the farm and office. Willie’s new friend is adorable and no doubt he is ecstatic to have such a beautiful new porch sittin’ friend!
Sooooooooooo lovely to make new friends. The woman who made Willie’s new friend is a rising star. Here’s what her card says: Kathie’s Karacters: A Handmade work of Imagination by a Fibre Artist who never stopped believing that characters in childhood tall-tales and dreams could possibly be real … Kathy Kinney, kathielayne@yahoo.com. She is from Vale, Oregon.
Hi MaryJane ~ I was there on Saturday and had so much fun! (that’s me, with you and Meg, 7th picture down). I really enjoyed your talk, and it was a great pleasure to meet you both. Thanks so much!
Mary Jane,
The dolls are precious! I’m an Idaho gal myself, although living in Kent, WA for many years now. The Northwest Idaho Panhandle is where my heart thrives…thank you for all your inspiration, creativity, and hard-work!
Oh Queen Bee and buzzin’ beauty Meg..how this pushes my happy-happy to no end!!! Blessings and love always, ~yours…j
Hi Meg,
It was a great pleasure to meet you and your mom this past weekend at the new Fred Meyer in Eagle. The event was so much fun! I have been a subscriber to MaryJanesFarm for the past two years, and a member of the Farmgirl Sisterhood for the past year now, and I just love both. I was thinking over the weekend why the magazine and the Farmgirl Sisterhood appeal to me so much:
I have been a stay-at-home mom for 6 years now, and I have never been happier than I am now, being home with my boys, ages 5 and 9. That being said, I think it is easy for homemakers to lose their identity at times – – lose track of their creative side or simple things that bring them joy, outside of all the responsibility that motherhood and homemaking entails. Each issue of MaryJanesFarm gives me new things to try, new things to think about, and lots of great articles to read. The Farmgirl Sisterhood encourages me to be creative, and to even try things that are outside of my comfort zone. I think they both help to keep me balanced and not lose sight of the many additional things in life that I love, especially when life becomes hectic.
So, thank you for the wonderful time this past Saturday. What a lovely memory I will have from that day!
Thank you for sharing your stories and new Home Towels and Linens with us yesterday in Meridian. My friend Kathy and I came from the Ontario/Vale Oregon area to see MaryJane and what a wonderful experience indeed. We were overwhelmed with excitement to be in attendence; and…WOW! what fun we had! The special sharing of stories, crafts, gifts and inspirations left me with a sense of belonging and down to earth goodness in my soul 🙂 I love the magazine, books and wonderful ideas shared through the publications so very much. Thank you for inviting all of us to join in the fun! We look forward to many more opportunities to share and be inspired!
I second that! It was such a pleasure for my friend, Delhie and I to meet you and your mom on Saturday. The both of you wear the apron of humility so beautifully it shows in such kindness, gentleness and hospitality.
Thank you sooo much for the gift bag of treasures. When I opened up the chocolates I was
very surprised to find the gorgeous postcards. Did you know that dark chocolate help our
brains feel happy, and what woman doesn’t need that? So keep up the good work. The chocolate is yummy, I am looking forward to trying the lavender.
I have the best mom and 3 sisters and we are each others best friend, so it is my pleasure to add you and you mom to my sister list.
I was overjoyed at your mom’s response to her MaryJane doll, my motive was to bring her encouragement and joy and as shy and nervous as I was to present her with the doll, I am so glad I didn’t talk myself out of giving it to her.
I hope you come this close again sometime and I would love to come for a visit and stay at the B&B.
Be Blessed mightily, in the most precious and beautiful name of my Jesus.
Wow! What a fun hour I had getting to be a part of the Fred Meyer MaryJane book signing event. So many great stories, giveaways and encouraging remarks to make a woman feel important and valued. Thank you for coming MaryJane and Meg.
I’ve been a fan for about 6 years. Raised in the country on 10 acres with animals, gardens, fruit orchard, sewing and cooking from scratch, camping. You name it. Your whole lifestyle endorsement of those type of things frees me up a bit more to be myself.
To be honest, I went to Fred Meyers Saturday with my daughter, Heather Arnett, just to keep her company. She was so-o-o-o excited about meeting your Mom. So much so that she delayed her camping trip with her husband and two little boys by one day so she could attend (she drove to their camp site after your event).
I was blown away with the presentation. You both were wonderful, and I loved it. I was raised on a farm in Maine. I no longer live on the farm but do still live in Maine. My husband and I recently bought a home in Emmett so we can spend a few months a year near Heather and her family. Your magazine made me fondly remember my days on the farm and also visiting my grandparents’ farm in Canada. How I miss the simple life of those days. It makes me so happy that my daughter, though living in the “city”, tries to bring the farm to the city.
I plan to subscribe to your magazine once I return to Maine in about a month and also plan to give my sister a gift subscription for Christmas. My new (blue) towel from your line looks wonderful in our refurbished bathroom.
Thank you for your presentation and for being so personable!
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