Forget jewelry, forget shoes, forget furs. Today's hottest fashion accessory for women is the power drill.
I kid you not. Women have gone bat-crazy over tools.
The metal things that run on gas or that plug in and have the capability of cutting off limbs. Yours, not the leafy kind. I know this because I am one of those women.
And I know for a fact there are at least ten more just like me because I saw them Saturday at a, believe it or not, tool party for women.
Yep, women no longer gather in homes simply to listen to Tupperware burp or to purchase the newest and best carrot peeler. We want to be empowered. We want to be self-sufficient. We want to repair drywall.
Today the drip under the kitchen sink. Tomorrow, the world.
A company called Tomboy Tools has cornered the market on custom tools for the man in all of us. Never again will we have to wait for our husbands to install that new ceiling fan or build that deck we've wanted forever. No sir. We can do it ourselves. Grrrr.
Hammers, cordless screwdrivers, electric sanders, and circular saws are selling like hotcakes at home parties these days. Did you ever think there'd come a day when a woman would pay good money for a hex wrench and a quick-change retractable utility knife? Neither did I.
An energetic little lady name Bobbi was our answer to Tim-the- Toolman-Taylor at Saturday's party. She came ready to work, tool belt filled to the brim.
We sat around Rosalyn Guillebeau's den, ate cheesecake and listened intently as Bobbi showed us the fine art of drywall repair, the proper way to use a nail gun, and then dazzled us all with the multi-featured electric air compressor. We had a blast (pun intended).
According to television's Do-It- Yourself network women are taking power tools seriously these days. "I fix things all the time," says Andrea Toth, a 20 year old student and part-time librarian. "I installed speakers in my car, and once I made a chair."
Seventy year old Gloria Oltmer, a widow, started using her husband's power tools shortly after he died. "There are always things to fix in the house," she says. "Power tools make it easier. What's the big deal?"
From the sales tallied at home tool parties lately, it's obviously no big
A study conducted by Home Depot proves that home improvement is a cool new hobby for women. An amazing 37% said they would rather do home improvements than hit the malls (28%) or cook (25%).
I've always told hubby that on special occasions I'd much rather he give me money to spend in a hardware store than to get me flowers, so I'm excited about this new trend. My husband is handy at home repair but then again it's not easy slowing him down long enough to do it.
Which explains why I bought a hacksaw Saturday. I am in the middle of a household project that requires the cutting of various size dowel sticks and I have tried for weeks to get hubby to cut them, to no avail.
Going out the door Saturday morning on his way to Bristol, Tennessee for a NASCAR race he shouted through the house, "Have fun at the tool party!" So, I did. I bought the hacksaw, a handy miniature one with ergonomic design and a rubberized grip for my small feminine hands. The price was more than reasonable.
Hubby was pleased. It was, after all, cheaper than a dozen roses.
Luncheon April 11
Savannah River Christian Women's Connection will meet Wed., April 11 at Tara Country Club. The program begins at 12:30 p.m. and will feature Cindy Stanley, singer and Kim Finley, pianist, both from Greenwood, before our speaker Mary Jane Miller shares how the road signs of her life showed she needed to make a U-turn so her life and her relationship with God would be going the right direction.
Lunch is served during our programs and we will have Salmon Nicoise Salad - mixed greens with blanched green beans, tomatoes, black olives, diced boiled eggs and green onions - crowned with cold poached salmon dressed in balsamic vinaigrette. Chef's salad may be substituted if you wish. The cost is $12.00.
Please join us and bring a friend. For information or reservations, call Judy Brown at 864-391-3706, Joy Roberts at 864-391-3625 or Orena Cooper at 706-359-3061 H /706-359- 1571 W.
