In 1999, I was an empty nester homemaker formulating an article on the apron as the icon of housewifery when during my daily perusal of obituaries, I noted the frequency of funeral announcements for homemakers. The lackluster recital of the homemaker’s life - my life - inspired me to imagine a project that memorialized the embodiment of the spirit of a home through evocative stories.

In the six years hence, my apron journey took a wayward jaunt when my curiosity of women living the disappearing Western lifestyle led me to attend one of the few trick riding camps in the nation, immerse in the subculture of rodeo queens, attend the Miss Rodeo America pageant in Las Vegas, and try my hand at branding cattle at cowgirl camp. Bit by a horse named Spud, I decided to leave cowgirling behind. So I pulled off my boots and picked up where I’d left off - toting a laundry basket of aprons hither and yon, listening to apron stories and transforming the memories into emotional narratives.

Accompanied by photographic portraits of the apron storytellers, those narratives and 200 vintage aprons are now showcased in the national touring exhibit, Apron Chronicles. But I never stopped envisioning a project centered exclusively around the apron itself. So I continued to collect aprons and apron stories. As The Apron Lady, the outlet for my collection and stories is Apron Memories, a presentation that provides me the opportunity to interact with audiences garbed in their own aprons (see Appearances).

Every day, I receive a letter or email from an apron lover, and I answer each, for as a writer, I know what it is to have a story to share. I am honored to listen.

Q & A:
» How did the idea for the Apron Book originate?
Did The Apron Book involve special research?
Who will enjoy The Apron Book?
Does The Apron Book have a message?
Author’s description of The Apron Book
What do EllynAnne and Dr. Seuss have in common?