Author Portrait: maryjane

Lions and tigers and fingers? Oh my!

Posted on October 29, 2011 by maryjane

Our amazingly talented, full-time food stylist/recipe developer (who just so happens to be my daughter-in-law), Ashley, prepares some fiendish food for the frightfully-fun Halloween party my daughter Meg is putting on tonight. Our newest photographer, Patrick, was on hand to capture the ghoulish details!

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Author Portrait: maryjane

Where Women Cook

Posted on October 25, 2011 by maryjane

My daughter is the featured guest this week on the Where Women Cook blog.

Go Megan!

  1. Amber Conger says:
    October 25, 2011 at 10:27 pm

    yay Megan! thats awesome 🙂

    Reply

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Over the rainbow at MaryJanesFarm

Posted on October 20, 2011 by megan

Isn’t there supposed to be a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow?

My little Mia, age 2 1/2 said from her car seat yesterday as we were stopped at an intersection, “Isn’t that a money truck?” pointing to an armored car. I said, “It is, how did you know that?” She replied, “Mommy, I want an ice cream truck full of money.” From the mouths of babes … don’t we all want a money truck or at least that pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?

(With at least an ice cream cone or two.)

  1. julia hayes says:
    October 22, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    Listened to the message form Mia. I must say that THAT is INFINITELY better than any birthday song-message I have ever left! holy moly!! I could listen to that all day long!

    Ok, the rainbow…the money truck…the ice cream truck full of money…It’s too much. These kids are so stinkin’ smart!

    Rianna said to me recently, “Whoa!! Mama look at that beautiful Jesus Building!” It was a lovely cathedral downtown Spokane. I was trying to suppress my giggle over the ‘Jesus Building’ idea when she said, “Mama, do people try to buy God there?” I nearly had to pull over. How smart she is. How intuitive. What an extraordinary question that is both innocent, provocative and profound! We think we are their teachers but they are far better masters when we let them…

    Thoughts of money rainbows and jesus buildings abound! ~j

    Reply
  2. Annika Laurea-wood says:
    October 23, 2011 at 2:29 pm

    The other day in Moscow we had a truly humblingly beautiful rainbow and for a few minutes a double rainbow. I,too, thought of pots of gold at the end of rainbows, and then it hit me that the end of the rainbow appeared to be in a nearby field a few hills over, and I was truly thankful to live in the fertile and beautiful Palouse, surrounded by rolling farmlands. Plenty of gold!

    But I wouldn’t say no to an ice cream truck full of money either 😉 and a double scoop of dark chocolate please!

    Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

Basil love affair

Posted on October 18, 2011 by maryjane

Oh my goodness. Just when you’re about to clip your basil because it’s flowering, harvest the stalks instead for a bouquet. The smell is divine. Once the basil aroma starts to fade after a day, simply brush your hand over a couple of basil flowers and POW! there’s that undeniable basil smell all over again. It lasts the entire day.

P.S. Hubby came in a few minutes ago and said, “What’s that smell? Basil?” Like I said, undeniably.

  1. Karen England says:
    October 20, 2011 at 9:25 pm

    That is one gorgeous bouquet!

    Reply

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Feeling Tipsy Today

Posted on October 15, 2011 by maryjane

I’m in the mood to share some of my favorite tips:

I autograph my books with a permanent felt marker. Oops. Sometimes, I walk away with a marker stain on my hands. I spray the mark with hairspray and then scratch it off with a fingernail. Gone! (Good use for that can of hairspray I’ve had for ten years.)

Next time you bake a cake with raisins and you don’t want them to sink to the bottom, coat them with flour first.

I use an old-fashioned egg slicer to slice mushrooms.

Bad HABIT begone: Pick a habit you’d like to quell by putting the money you spend on it into savings and watch your account grow.

New HABIT that’s dead on: Suzie Orman recently challenged her followers NEVER to give coins to a clerk during a transaction but instead roll the coins once a month and watch your savings grow by investing it. Within a few years, you’ll be richer by the thousands.

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We’re pregnant!!!!

Posted on October 11, 2011 by maryjane

“We’re pregnant” is farm-speak for …

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  1. Eileen Widman says:
    October 13, 2011 at 8:56 am

    Love this!!! I still have a singing birthday message on my phone answering machine from my only grandchild Seren Abhren from 2 years ago!!! I am his Grammie! His Dads mother is his Nanna.

    Reply
  2. Catherine says:
    November 4, 2011 at 7:02 am

    I just love this post – so cute! The ‘I’m so crafty..’ pic makes me think of my Mama! She’s my heroine! x

    Reply
  3. Judy Jones-McCown says:
    November 15, 2011 at 3:13 pm

    LOL I’m still laughing about that “I’m so crafty….” That’s cute.
    All of your cows are soooo purty….if cows can be purty!
    I just love their sweet faces…and liquid eyes!
    Thanks MaryJane!

    Reply

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  9. Joyce says:
    October 24, 2016 at 8:55 am

    Is this Bull for sale

    Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

One of those days …

Posted on October 11, 2011 by maryjane

It poured rain this morning—almost 1/2 inch in 15 minutes—just as our employees were coming to work.

Bubba showed up half awake. Or would that be half asleep?

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Zephyrus

Posted on October 10, 2011 by maryjane

I was on a “pitch slam” panel of four magazine editors at The Creative Connection Event in St. Paul last month. During the month prior, potential “features” signed up and paid money in order to pitch who they are to us. The cross-section of women was fabulous and over time I intend to feature all of them—everyone from a woman who creates tiny victorian embroideries to a librarian who wants to write book reviews to a woman who traveled from Australia who specializes in zen doodling to a …

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  1. Pam deMarrais says:
    October 10, 2011 at 3:25 pm

    Stunning…a wonderful composition by a very talented gal!

    Reply
  2. Eileen Widman says:
    October 10, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    Lovely!

    Reply
  3. Amy Colburn says:
    October 11, 2011 at 8:04 am

    I loved meeting you and your daughter at the Creative Connection, Mary Jane! I am so glad you were able to be a part of the pitch slams. What a great opportunity these women had to present you with their ideas and talent. The rest of us all wished we were a fly on the wall!! Thank you so much for giving us a sneak peek. Amber’s work is brilliant. I am amazed at how she creates such gorgeous curved organic lines in her sculptures with seemingly unyielding materials. She is a true visionary!

    Reply
  4. Julia Rundberg says:
    October 11, 2011 at 5:48 pm

    Mary Jane, thanks for the great story about a great person- Amber Conger is amazing. The Idaho Botanical Garden, located in the Old Penitentiary Historic District in Boise, is honored to be one of the growing number of locations where Refinerii has artwork (count ’em, 3!) on permanent display. While her work is truly brilliant, even more important to me is that Amber is truly a kind, good and fun person. Can’t wait to read about other artists, and kudos to you for starting with such a good one!

    Reply
  5. Amber Conger says:
    October 11, 2011 at 10:20 pm

    *blushing* Thanks so much for all the positive comments & for the inclusion; very honored to be a part of this blog: I’m a big fan of MJ 🙂 Thanks Julia; was just out there last week; the plaques look great!! We need to talk soon!

    Reply
  6. Judy Jones-McCown says:
    November 15, 2011 at 3:19 pm

    What a work of art! Great job Amber! Do you come to peoples houses? hahaha

    Reply

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Author Portrait: maryjane

Apparel Goddess Speaks

Posted on October 8, 2011 by maryjane

Ask and ye shall receive, the apparel goddess said. Apparently, my word-of-the-week,

Befurbelowed

brought a new skirt (and well, also a matching jacket) into my life.

I couldn’t believe my lucky lasso.

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  1. Eileen Widman says:
    October 10, 2011 at 4:33 pm

    This is lovely. This must be the week for new outfits. My daughter in law brought me a box of new clothes from a yard sale yesterday and inside among other things there was a cranberry red corduroy jacket a cute black skirt with a kick pleated bottom and a pink shell top that are so cute. Can I say I looked cute in it at my age?

    Reply
  2. Amy Colburn says:
    October 11, 2011 at 8:08 am

    This is one cool outfit!! …Does that jacket have red piping?

    Reply
    • MaryJane says:
      October 11, 2011 at 8:18 am

      Indeed it does! The jacket is new, purchased from a tiny downtown shop we are fortunate to have in our little town. But I couldn’t believe how well old and new matched up for this outift.

      Reply
      • Amy Colburn says:
        October 14, 2011 at 4:42 pm

        It looks as if the whole outfit was simply made to go together! Some of it is luck – you finding these treasures – but some it is having the “eye” for details like you do. AND having a great sense of style that pulls it all together.

        Reply
  3. Judy Jones-McCown says:
    November 15, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    ….”well I’ll be…..fur on a skirt-hem…..don’t that just beat all!/?”
    And it’s quite an ensemble too, I might add!
    Love the cute, new word…Befurbelowed! LOL

    Reply

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The Many Faces of Jane

Posted on October 4, 2011 by maryjane

Jane this, Jane that. Jane then, Jane now. Here are some women who really Janed it! Can you add to my Janeology?

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  1. Judy Jones-McCown says:
    November 15, 2011 at 4:21 pm

    Jane Roberts:on Love-
    “You must love yourself before you love another.By accepting yourself and fully being what you are…your simple presence can make others happy.”
    Jane Pauley:on Pets-
    “You can’t look at a sleeping cat and be tense.”
    Jane Austin:on Pain and Pleasure-
    “Why not seize the pleasure at once? How often is happiness destroyed by preparation,foolish preparation!”

    Reply

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